A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

 Charlotte Atherton escapes from her post as teacher at a boarding school for gifted children in the middle of the night with three children in tow, including her own adopted dauther, Lily. Charlotte has legal custody of Lily, but she knows Lily's grandfather wants the girl to come and live with him. Lily's grandfather, in fact, has hired a "retriever" a past Texas Ranger, Stone Hammon, to find and bring the girl to him.  Stone believes Charlotte is a kidnapper, but when he finally finds her, he sees that the children in her care genuinely love her.  When an accident necessitates Stone staying with Charlotte and the children during his recovery, he begins to believe that she is not what he was led to believe, but is, in fact, much much more. 

Ok, I am kind of embarrased that I read another Karen Witemeyer. I know, I know, I should feel free to read whatever I like, but still.  I fully understand that her books are formulaic and sickenly sweet, but sometimes I just need something reliable, clean, and positive to read.  Which this is. I always used to tell my patrons, "if you are reading for fun, read what you want."  I guess I take my own advice. (2015, 344 p.)

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

 Emmett Watson returns home from Juvenile Detention to find that his father has died and their farm is lost to creditors.  All Emmett wants to do is take his 8-year old brother, Billy, away from Nebraska and make a new start in Texas. Billy has other ideas.  He wants to take the Lincoln Highway to California and search for their mother who abandonded the family when Billy was a baby. Before they can firm up their plans, two of Emmett's friends from the detention center, Dutchess and Wooly, show up on his doorstep.  They claim to have a treasure  just waiting for them in New York, that they are willing to share with Emmett, and all they need is for Emmett to drive them there.  Emmett refuses, but before he knows it they have stollen his car and he has no option but to go after them.  Thus starts an adventure for each of the boys. Emmett wants his car back, Billy wants an escapade like the ones in his adventure book, Dutchess wants to even the score with people in his past, and Wooly just wants to see his sister again. Their adventure leads them along the highways and railways of 1954 America, meeting all kinds of characters along the way. 

 This is my third book by Towles, and I liked this one very much. The writing is wonderful and it as much a fun adventure as it is a philosophical walk through the 1850's. Towels really is one of the great literary authors of our age, and this book won a boatload of awards. The characters are masterful and the book is put together brilliantly. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character, and aren't necessarily in chronological order. Each of the main characters are complex with fully developed backstories and personalities. I think the publisher expected the book to be a smash success, because they invested in three different voice actors to narrate the book and they all do a wonderful job. This is another great choice for a book club. (2021, 592p)

Personal note:  When I was a little girl there weren't any DVD players of video games for kids to play in the back seat of a car.  One thing I used to do on a long road trip was look at the cars passing or driving next to us and imagine my spirit jumping into the car with those people and going home with them for a while to see what they were like and how they lived. That is kind of what this book is like.  The reader gets to jump into the lives of almost every character, live inside them for just a short tim, and see how they think and how they live. 

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

 This book seems to be the concatenation of essays written by the two authors about what is wrong with our current political system, and what we might do to fix it.  They focus on two main problems: the lack of affordable housing, and the problem of global warming but their ideas also have a broader application to society in general.  The main premise seems to be that government regulation, although well intentioned, has gotten so unmanageable that it is very difficult to accomplish the large scale projects needed to end the housing crisis and combat global warming.  They give examples when government regulation was scaled back in an emergency and how quickly and efficiently the government was able to address needs when that happened, as in the creation of a vaccine during the COVID pandemic, and the recent speedy repair of the damaged bridge leading into Washington DC. They finish by explaining that our country has all it needs to combat its massive problems if we will only leverage it in the right way. 

I saw this book on the New Books shelf in the Highland Library and thought it sounded both interesting and hopeful.  As it turned out, I found it interesting, but not very hopeful. Yes, the things they propose are possible and would go a long way to solving these large looming problems they discussed, but I think it is virtually impossible in the current political climate that anyone could do what they propose. I kept wondering who was the intended target audience of the book. I think they are hoping that liberal policy makers will read the book and realize they need to loosen regulation and actually accomplish some of these big projects if they ever want to win back the confidence of the American people. Instead, the book made me see why so many people are willing to accept the dictatorial actions of the current administration in hopes that they can actually get something done. It made me worry that our country will slip into fascism and lose both its political and moral identity. So, yeah, not a very hopeful book. (2025, 304 p.)

Enchanting the Heiress by Kristi Ann Hunter

 Harriet Hancock and time, money, and a big heart.  She also has a plan to help almost everyone she comes across, whether they want her to or not. She sets her sights on her friend's brother, Jonas Fitzroy.  He is currently working as a ranch hand, but she is sure he has hidden talents she could help him discover.  She uses her friendship with his sister to rope him into "helping her" write a book. As they work together Jonas recognizes that she is trying to meddle in his life, but he also begins to see that his own life has been lonely ever since his sister's marriage. Harriet's company fills a void in his life, and writing with her is strangely fulfilling. Harriet has an ulterior motive in their little collaboration with Jonas that she keeps as a secret from everyone.  When that secret comes out, will it destroy the respect and affection growing between the two lonely hearts?

This is the third and final episode in the series that started with Vying for the Viscount. The premise for the second two books --the whole, twins who run away to the circus motif-- is a little improbable so it isn't my favorite of Hunter's series, but overall, I enjoyed it. One thing I liked about this one is that the woman is several years older than her love interest, and that isn't really an issue for either of them. They are more concerned about the difference in their social standing than their age. I also appreciated that when Harriet's deceptions are revealed, she doesn't get an immediate easy out. There are consequences and work that needs to be done to repair trust. So, if you are a clean Victorian romance fan, and have read all of Hunter's other series, go ahead and dive into this one. (2022, 368 p)

Great Courses: From Jesus to Constantine by Bart D. Ehrman

 After the death of Jesus Christ, his followers grew and spread across the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Believers in different regions developed a variety of beliefs about who Jesus was and what he taught. Many believers came under persecution from both the Romans and local authorities. In this series of 24 lectures, Ehrman follows the spread of Christianity, discusses the variations of beliefs, the causes and affects of persecution, and traces how the orthodoxy recognized by most modern Christians came to be adopted. 

I am particularly interested in this early Christian time period so I was excited to see this offering by the Great Courses. I have listened to Great Courses lectures by Ehrman before.  He does not, himself, seem to be a believer, but he is a careful and knowledgeable scholar. At times he lets a little bit of scoffing coming into his voice, as if he delights in disproving peoples' cherished beliefs, but mostly he just gives facts and informed analysis of events as he sees them. Ehrman is an engaging lecturer, and I enjoyed this series overall. (12 hrs, 2004)

Footsteps in the Dark By Georgette Heyer

Soon after Peter, Margaret, and Celia inherit an old family estate, they begin to hear rumors from staff and locals that the house is haunted bya ghost they call The Monk.  At first the rumors give the young people a pleasant kind of thrill, until they literally find a skeleton in the closet! Meanwhile, unexpected people keep wandering across their property, and townsfolks are acting strangely. Can the three solve the mystery, or will encounters with The Monk force them to give up their ancestral home?

Georgette Heyer (who wrote back in the 1930's) is best known for her Victorian romances, and hers are among my favorites in that genre. This book is one of a few mysteries she wrote, and when she wrote it it was set in contemporary (i.e. 1930's) England. As a result, some people have cars and others don't.  Some have electricity, but telephones are still quite rare. It is interesting to me how much has changed in 100 years. Anyway, although Heyer is not as good at mystery as she is at period romance, this is a decent mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot and clues to the mystery are carefully thought out, and Heyers adds a cute little romance. The characters have the snappy dialog found in all Heyer novels. The setting is fairly gothic, and it was a good choice as a not-too-scary October ghost story. (1932, 352 p)

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Penelope Snow is a beauty, but with her good looks come unwanted attention.  Fleeing from a scandal in her home town, not of her making, Penelope takes a job as a lady's maid to a diva actress. Penelope purposely wears dark ill-fitting cloths, and keeps her eyes down so people won't notice her, but her dowdy clothes don't fool Titus Kingsley, Texas Ranger.  He is taken with Penelope the first time he sees her, but is on a mission and can't stop to talk with her.  Only a few days later he finds her at his father's home for retired cowboys. She had been cast out by her employer because of jealousy, and needs to lay low for a while.  The seven kindly old cowboys are happy to take her in, and Titus increasingly feels a need to watch over her, but can they keep her safe from the wily and evil diva?

This is an odd but charming rewriting of Snow White in a old western setting.  It isn't any great work of literature, but kind of fun because it was so silly. Witemeyer always has a strong Christian message, and I tend to read Karen Witemeyer when I have been having high levels of stress and need something light and uplifting.  In all Witemeyer's stories, the two main characters
each get to the point where they have to let go of their own will and turn things over to God. It is a bit trite, but I knew that message would be in the book and that is what I was looking for when I chose this.  It didn't disappoint. (2023, 352p)

To Love a Governess: a Timeless Regency Collection by Josi Kilpack, Heather B. Moore, and Julie Daines

 How could I resist this short story collection by three of my "Clean Romance Writers" A-list authors.  In each story a handsome rich man falls for a beautiful, but humble governess. 

In the first, Dina's fortunes have declined while her childhood friend David's have improved.  Even though Dina still holds a torch for David, she is determined not to interfere with his match to a "suitable" heiress, until she sees the fiancée sneaking off into the woods with another man.  

In the second, when Captain Ridout's brother and sister-in-law die suddenly of a sickness, he finds himself in possession of both and estate and two orphaned children. Emmeline is from a good family but is heartbroken when her crush marries another women.  To get away from the situation, she takes the position as a governess for the captain just for a year until she can make enough money to start a new life.  She doesn't bargain on falling in love with the children and their uncle.

In the third, Sarah Woolsey was orphaned as young child and accepted as a charity student at a girl's school.  She becomes a housemaid  but is hastily elevated to be the governess to a foundling child left on her employer's doorstep.  Her frank country ways and unspoiled beauty captures the attention of her employer, but can he convince she is good enough to marry a gentleman? 

This is a sweet and delightful collection--just what you would expect from the book description and title. It is shameless wish fulfillment, but sometimes that is just what we want to read.
(320 p. 2019)

Reckless by Cornela Funke

 Jacob's father disappears one day without a trace. Jacob discovers a magic mirror in his dad's office into another, dark world.  Hoping to find his father, and drawn to the danger in the mirror world, Jacob spends more and more time there, keeping it a secret from younger brother, William. Then one day William finds his way into the mirror world and is infected by a wound curse.  Jacob races against time to try to find a way to do what no one else has ever done, keep his cursed brother from turning into a beast.

Here is a good choice if you are looking for a spooky Halloween read. Funke is a good writer, and her mirror world convincingly weaves together the darker elements of a lot of well known fairytales. The scary elements are balanced by the brotherly devotion between Jacob and William, and by the stalwart loyalty of William's girlfriend, Clara. Overall, it is a good horror book except for the fact that the resolution is a bit abrupt, and not really well supported by the story. There are more in the series so I wasn't sure until almost the end if Funke would bring the story to a resolution, but then suddenly she did.  I generally like Funke's books, and I think a lot of readers have and would like this one, but horror is not my thing and I am not likely to read the next in this series. (2010, 400)

To Ride the Wind and To Steel the Sun by Melanie Cellier

Here is a two-book retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon set in the Four Kingdoms universe.  Charlotte is the odd man out in her family of three sisters.  When a mysterious talking white bear  promises her family riches and prosperity in exchange with a hasty marriage with Charlotte, they only make a pretense of objecting.  Something in the stranger's eyes captures Charlotte's trust, and she decides she is as well off with him as in a love-starved home. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn is the obedient daughter of a tyrannical queen of a high mountain kingdom.  She is so cowed by her mother that she fails to see how oppressed her servants and the people of the nearby village are.  Then one day something happens that opens her eyes, and she knows she must do something to help. When Charlotte makes a mistake that separates her from her beloved bear husband, she teams up with Gwendolyn in hopes of saving both him and Gwendolyn's kingdom.

This fascinating fairytale has always been interesting to me, and I think Cellier does an decent job on the odd story. It takes some plot acrobatics, and some convenient "Godmother gifts" to make things work out, but Cellier manages to pull it off.  The tone of the story is very much like all her other fairytale retellings.  It is actually something I like about Cellier, you pretty much know what you are getting when you start reading one of her books.  The princesses and princes all have almost the same personalities from one book to an other, with only a few small variations. This princess might be a little more spunky, and that a little more shy, but in the end they are all the same.  Still, it makes her books a predictable read when you need a predictable read. To Ride the Wind (2024, 314 p) To Steel the Sun (2024, 282 p)

Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams

 In this second in the Charmed Pie Shop series, Ella Mae's pie shop is doing so well, she is struggling to keep up. She wants to start doing some catering jobs, but can't expand without more help.  She also finds new friends at an artisan cheese shop, and agrees to a local wedding.  Then suddenly, a woman important in the magical world is found dead, and on the same day Ella Mae's own powers awaken. As she learns more about her own powers and the magical community of which she is part, she also scrambles to solve the mystery of the dead lady. Meanwhile, her relationship with her old flame Hugh Dylan heats as does her rivalry with her arch nemesis. What is a maker of charmed pies to do?

In this book the reader learns more the magic system of the series, and the magical bond between Ella Mae, her mother, and her aunts. The first book was mostly a murder mystery with a fantasy element, while this one is a fantasy book with a side story murder mystery.  I enjoyed the book alright, but I don't know if I will read any more in the series. I don't find them quite as interesting as, say, the Vampire Knitting Club series. I think I am feeling a little put off by the addition of a lot of fantasy elements all at once.  I guess I could say I thought it was long on world building, and short on plot or character development. (2013, 304 p)

Great Courses: Synthetic Biology by Milton Muldrow, Jr.

 Synthetic Biology is using splicing or other means to create altered or completely new DNA sequences.  In this lecture series Muldrow enthusiastically examines the potential of this emerging technology.  He starts out explaining the different methods of artificial gene alterations and the history of synthetic biology.  Then, in following lectures, he talks about the potential applications in fuel, food production, di-extinction, genetic disorders, space exploration, and eugenics. He is enthusiastic about his topic and spends much more time on the potential benefits and less time on ethical issues.  

I checked out this lecture series as a kind of related topic to the Epigenetics series I listened to a couple of months ago.  It was interesting, but quite technical.  I found myself tuning out a lot of the technical details and jargon, and just focusing on the ideas for applications.  Some of them I think have real possibilities, but others were pretty far out there in the "do-ability" scale. His discussions about how synthetic biology may be leveraged to make Mars colonization possible was especially futuristic, and not likely to take place in my or my grandchildren's life times. Still, the series made me wonder how synthetic biology will affect the world in the future.  Will it be the next big life changing innovation like the internet, cell phones, and AI? (2022, 9 hrs)

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

 Murder Bot has discovered that his friend and liberator, Dr. Mensah, is in trouble, and Murderbot knows he must do what he can to help her, even if it means stepping further out of his comfort zone.  He makes further adjustments to his programing to appear more human and takes a transport to the place he first met with Dr. Mensah's group. Meeting up with the original crew is emotionally complicated for Murderbot, but when bullets begin to fly, he knows exactly what to do.

Here is another series I really enjoy. This is a great episode, where we see Murderbot take a few more giant steps toward being more human. It has the fast paced action scenes that one would expect, but also some really nice scenes with Dr. Mensah that melt your heart. I also like that each book is really short, only a few hours on recording.  I imagine they make the series more accessible for reluctant reader teens.  (2018, 176 p.)

Spy School: British Invasion by Stuart Gibbs

The kids from Spy School are hot on the tail of Spyder.  They have evidence that there is information about all the Spyder operators hidden somewhere in England, so with Erica's MI6 mom in the lead, they head off for London. Their adventures take them to the British Museum and then to Paris where they hope to discover Spyder's supreme mastermind, Mr. E.

Here is another in the Spy School series.  I am glad I read it pretty soon after reading Spy School Goes South, because it picks up right where the previous one left off with the kids still at the resort in Mexico. As always Gibbs slips in interesting facts about both the British Museum and Paris. The Erica vs Zoey drama continues, and there are more of the expected hijinks and narrow escapes.  These books are just fun and a little addictive. Yay for Stuart Gibbs writing engaging series for kids. (2019, 320 p)

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

 When Lizzie's mother goes missing in Poland in 1939, and is presumed dead, Lizzie refuses to believe it.  She is sure her mother is still alive, and defies her American grandmother's attempts to bring her to the relative safety of Cleveland. Instead Lizzie seeks out her 19 year old brother, Jakob, who has been recruited to work at the top secret Bletchley Park as a codebreaker. While Jakob tries to unlock the secret of hacking the Enigma Machine, Lizzie continues her relentless pursuit of the truth of her mother's disappearance, even when evidence seems to suggest that Lizzie's mother is not at all what they thought she was. 

I was excited to listen to this book primarily because of the authors.  Sepetys wrote some of the most popular historical fiction books in our library, and Sheinkin has written some of my favorite nonfiction books for middle grade readers. Perhaps, because of my high expectations, this turned out to be a little underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book and I would definitely recommend it to middle grade readers interested in World War II, but it felt like two characters put into a historical story, instead of two real people living it. Lizzie was a bit too perky, and Jakob a bit to, I don't know, big-brotherly. They didn't seem to have realistic emotions. It was all to gung-ho, and upbeat. They didn't deal with the real horrors and  heartbreaks of losing a parent while facing foreign invasion. It may have just been the choice of reader, but I don't think so. I guess it was emotionally appropriate for the age group, but I can't help but compare it to The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubanker Bradley. That book was also written for middle grade readers, but Bradley had to courage to deal with the real raw emotions the setting demanded. (2024, 400)

Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

 Ella Mae fell in love and left her hometown and her family to experience the fast paced life of the big city.  Six years later, her marriage has fallen apart and she is back in Havenwood, GA with her mother and her singular aunts. She is a near graduate of culinary school and a expert pie cook, so her aunts offer to get her set up in a pie shop in town.  She discovers, however, that whatever mood she has while baking seeps into her pies and affects the emotions of those who eat them. Meanwhile, her high school nemesis, Loralyn Gaynor, is making trouble for her. When Loralyn's fiancée turns up dead, Ella is framed for the murder. Ella Mae needs to clear her name by finding the real murderer, while dealing with an old flame, a new romantic interest, and her magical family.

Baking mysteries are a pretty big subset of cozy mysteries, but here we have a sub-subset of magical baking mysteries. Adams is an author I hadn't tried before, and I was worried this book would be too spicy (and I don't mean the cardamom or cinnamon kind of spice) but it wasn't.  There was a little language, but the only steam coming off the pages was from the pie oven.  I ended up enjoying the book. It was what a cozy mystery is supposed to be, light, fluffy and fun.  The mystery plot was decently contrived, and the characters were bigger than life. The magical pies made for some funny side scenes. I was a little disappointed that there were no recipes included in the audio version as there are in the Joanna Fluke books, but I still wouldn't be opposed to reading the next in the series. (304 p. 2012)

From Ash to Stone by Julie Daines

Six years ago Lady Margaret Grey's family was killed by raiders that had crossed the border from Scotland to loot her home. Now she is back to get revenge and try to break a curse that was placed upon her that night. The problem is, she doesn't know the identity of the raiders.  As begins to investigate, she is reunited with a childhood friend Angus Robson, whose family live across the boarder. His intentions to help her seem to be sincere, but can she trust someone who is from the same community that changed her life forever? 

I almost laughed when I saw the cover of this book.  My family makes fun of me for reading so many books that have the back of a lady's fancy dress on the cover. This one adds a twist of the dagger, which, I guess, successfully communicates the theme of the book.  I enjoyed the book.  The characters are not particularly novel, but the setting was interesting and the mystery of the perpetrator of the raid made a good side story, (though the solution to the mystery was not much of a surprise).  I liked the ending, and thought it fit the setting pretty well. The reader of the book does the different accents well.  I mean, who doesn't enjoy a good Scottish brogue? (240 p. 2018)

Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter by Beth McMullen

 Lola loves her eccentric archaeologist father, but sometimes she tires of always moving, never staying on one place long enough to make friends.  Then, one day, her father rushes away on a new treasure hunt and sends her to live with her great-aunt in California.  Soon after, two strange lawyers inform her that her father has been killed.  Lola is convinced that her father is not dead, and goes on a (not so successful) crime spree to try to earn enough money to go looking for him.  Her adventures end with her being sent to a private science school. At the school she meets two other students who are willing to join her in her search for her lost father.  They are pitted against a mysterious legend, an illusive recluse, and an evil criminal mastermind.

Here is a fun mystery/adventure for middle grade readers.  The writing is snappy and the characters are quirky, in an endearing way.  There are plenty of hijinks, near escapes, and kid power. The nicest thing about the book is watching the three kids change from adversaries to friends. I am happy to have another recommendation for kids who like mysteries. (2020, 304p.)

101 Essays that will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest

 As the title suggests, this book contains 101 short essays about life, love, and emotional wellbeing.  Ms Wiest is influenced by Zen Buddhism, but this isn't a Buddhist text.  Instead it is just a collection of wise thoughts and aphorisms.  In keeping with the Buddhist tradition, almost all of the essays contain a list of "truths" or "instructions" on different topics.  Some of these lists are short, only 5 or 10 items, but some are fairly lengthy, like 50, or 100 aphorisms. Her main ideas are that we are responsible for our own lives, thoughts, and emotions, that every aspect of our lives are impermanent so we should embrace change, and that simplicity is more likely to bring contentment than amassing possessions or glory.

This book was very popular when it was first released, and has gone on to be translated into many languages.  I looked up Ms Wiest's bio, and she doesn't seem to have any specific training to produce this kind of a treatise. Her bachelor's degree was in literature and she doesn't have an advanced degree.  The nature of the book makes me think that maybe it is a compellation of blog posts? They are fairly repetitive, and the reader could get as much out of the book reading half of it as in reading the whole thing.  That being said, her ideas, if not definitively true, are at least thought provoking. I took the opportunity while listening to the book to stop a couple of times and do some self-examination, so in that respect, I found the book enlightening. (448 p. 2018)

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 Mila Pavlichenko is a student, library researcher, and single mother when she decides to take a riflery course.  She finds she has a talent for sharp-shooting so when Russia enters WWII, she enlists to defend her country from the German invaders. She becomes a very effective sniper and rises through the ranks in the Russian military.  Although conflicted about her nickname of Lady Death and in her relationships with her ex-husband, her shooting partner, and her commanding officer, her main focus is in defeating the invaders who have caused so much death and destruction in her beloved Russia. 

Here is another book that I just chose while browsing the available titles.  I figured that I enjoy  WWII historical fiction and I ultimately liked The Rose Code written by Quinn. This turned out to be an interesting book.  It is based on a real person and many of the events in the book are taken from Pavlichenko's own memoir.  I think the author was trying to address the question, "how can a woman kill over 300 men and not lose her soul or her sanity?" The answer the book puts forward is that being a sniper is just one other way to "do your bit" during wartime. Mila seems to rather successfully separate herself from the job she needs to do, though the terrible things she experiences as her battalion is forced back on two different fronts give her PTSD for the rest of her life.  A fascinating part of the story, also based on history, is that after serving as a sniper, Pavlichenko is chosen to be part of an diplomatic envoy to the United States and becomes friends with Eleanor Roosevelt. The author adds some elements to the book, like various romances and the attempt on President Roosevelt's life, which are not part of the historical record, but she weaves them into the historical elements pretty well, and they give the story a thrilling and satisfying ending. (2022, 448 p)

Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs

 In this episode of Spy School, Murry Hill convinces the CIA that he has turned over a new leaf and wants to lead Ben and his friends to the SPYDER lair. Enroute they are double crossed and end up crash landing in the jungle on the Baja Peninsula. Erica is determined to not only find the SPYDER base, but also thwart their latest evil plot. Nothing is as easy and straight forward as they thought, and once again Ben finds himself fighting for his own life and for the safety of millions of others. 

This was a fun installment of the Spy School series. Ben is considering diverting his romantic interest from Erica to Zoey. There are some fun chase scenes and funny plot twists. Gibbs manages to slip in historical and geographical information as well.  I kid could do worse than get stuck on this series. (2018, 352 p) 

Crochet and Cauldrons by Nancy Warren

 In this next installment in the "Vampire Knitting Club" series, Lucy's parents unexpectedly show up, fresh from an archeological dig. Her mother is acting strange when she hands Lucy a mirror that looks to be from ancient Egypt. The mirror turns out to be magic, and when Lucy picks it up it unleashes a series of events that put Lucy and the rest of the magical world at great peril.  Lucy knows that she is out of her depth, and this time her vampire friends are not much help.  She turns to a powerful witch for advice, but the that advice comes at a terrible cost. Now she has both the enchanted mirror and the consequences of the witch's help to deal with, all while trying to entertain her parents who think she should give up the knitting shop and settle down with a certain handsome police officer.  What is a girl to do?

This book departs from the pattern in the first two in the series, in that it doesn't start with a murder.  Warren introduces a lot of new mystical elements that pushes the book from the genre of magical realism into full-out fantasy.  Some reviewers on Goodreads were put off by the shift, but I didn't mind.  It is all so silly anyway, why not jump into the magical deep end?  The series is starting to feel like episodes from one of the after school sit-coms from my childhood, like "I Dream of Genie" or "Bewitched". It is all in good fun and was never intended to be serious. I will probably read more in the series when the mood for something ultralight hits me. (2018, 236 p)

Great Courses: Shocking Psychological Studies and the Lessons They Teach by Thad Polk

 In this short Great Courses offering Dr. Polk explores some of the most notorious psychological studies of the past and what impact they had both on the science of psychology, and on the code of ethics that now protects study subjects from similar abuse.  He discusses how studies of the past preyed on the most vulnerable populations, like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, that ultimately prevented poor black participants from receiving syphilis treatments.  Others crossed boundaries of treating subjects with respect, like the Stanford Prison Experiment that allowed some students to physically and mentally abuse other students for days before outside observers put a stop to it. Others he discusses are not as clearly unethical and he invites the listener to judge for themselves the ethics of the cases. He winds up the series by discussing what the current best practices are for those who design medical or psychological studies. 

This is one I chose on a whim one day when I was tired of my normal fare of clean romances. It was very interesting.  I had heard about several of the studies he discussed, but gained more information and insight about them.  For example, I had heard about the famous Milgram study where one student was told to give another student an electric shock when they couldn't remember a series of numbers. I hadn't realized that that study was conducted by a Jewish researcher in response to the Nuremburg Trials when so many Germans used as their defense that they were "just following orders."  Readers should beware that this lecture series contains adult content, particularly a discussion about a study of men who meet up in restrooms for homosexual intercourse. It is handled clinically, and didn't offend me much, but I can see how it might be offensive to many readers. (2020, 3 hrs.)

In Honor's Defense by Karen Witemeyer

 Damaris Baxter, as the 8th child of a well off family, was most often overlooked. Not particularly handsome, everyone expected her to stay and take care of her aging aunt and uncle. When her favorite brother's wife died, Damaris helped take care of their grieving son, Nathaniel, until father and son move to Texas to start a new life. Years later, Damaris hears of her brother's death and discovers she has been named as guardian of Nathaniel. Much to everyone's surprise she rushes off to Texas, excited to have a greater purpose in life than needlepoint and reading.  Dealing with the now teenaged boy proves more difficult than she expected. He is defiant and regularly sneaks out at night to do she knows not what. Meanwhile, the last of the unwed horsemen, Luke Davenport, takes a job investigating cattle rustling in the town where Damaris lives, and is surprised to discover that a 14 year old boy is the prime suspect.  As he goes to investigate the boy, he meets Damaris and, after hearing their story decides Nathaniel has been wrongly accused.  As he tries to find the real rustlers, he soon suspects that the man who hired him might not be a victim after all.  Someone doesn't want Luke to solve the mystery, and is willing to kill to keep the secret hidden.

I am a little sad to come to the end of this series.  Yes, they are a bit silly and over the top, but they are just the right kind of book to read when other things in my life are stressing me out.  This is a fun and fitting end to the series. I liked that fact that Damaris isn't particularly pretty, brave, or clever, but that Luke still likes her because of her loyalty and big heart. I also like the fact that Karen gives a nod to all the other previous stories in the series and let's the reader know how all those earlier romances were working out.  So hooray, the end of a good series.  I wonder what else Witemeyer wrote that I might enjoy. (2022, 376 p)

Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society by Stuart Gibbs

 Charlie Thorne, her half brother and his girlfriend just barely escaped from their last adventure with their lives.  The CIA think they are traitor and they are keeping a low profile. They have received a clue about one last secret left by one of the world's greatest's minds, Sir Isaac Newton. They don't know what it is, but have heard that it could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands.  Sir Isaac Newton was a little bit of a recluse, and spent most of his adult life in Cambridge, so that is where Charlie hopes to solve the mystery.  Of course, other's have heard rumors about the secret, powerful people who would stop at nothing to find it and exploit it for their own gain.  None of them, however, is as brilliant as Charlie, and they soon figure out if they want to win this race, they need to take care of Charlie Thorne first. 

This is the last of the Charlie Thorne series. For some reason this series hasn't been as popular as Gibbs' Spy School series, and never came out in audio, so I have waited to read it as a vacation book.  Like the Spy School series, this series has a lot of action and humor.  The author includes historical facts about the places Charlie visits and the historical figures she investigates, and, admittedly, that slows down the plot a little.  Maybe that is why they aren't as popular?  I like all the extra historical trivia, but I am a 60 year old humanities buff.  It does make this book good supplementary reading if you are a homeschooler and are studying Newton.  (432 p. 2025)

Murder at Farrington Hall by Ann Sutton

 Lady Dorothea Dorchester is a fashion plate and trend setter in 1920's London. When she and her equally stylish sister are invited to attend a house party at the home of an old family friend, they are only too happy to accept. When they arrive, however, they find some of their old friends have changed for the worse. Some are drinking and others have large gambling debts.  Then someone is murdered.  When the police come, Lady Dorothea volunteers to help work with the chief inspector to find the villain.  But who could it be?  The staff are ruled out so the only suspects are all Dorothea's friends.  Could one of her friends really be a killer?

I picked up this book to read on my flight from Utah to Virginia to visit my daughter.  It was the perfect vacation read. The plot is interesting and the author does a good job giving each of the house party guests motives and incriminating evidence.  The author also pulls in fun details about the time period and setting. The pre-depression 1920's clung to the old class distinctions,  but the war had opened the door to more social equity and acceptance. It was a time of decadence and indulgence, and Lady Dorothea straddles the old and new age nicely. (2020, 170 p) 

P.S. fun story

I happened on this book while I was working at my Friends of the Library Used Book Sale.  We had thousands of books that we were setting out for the sale. One of the Friends volunteers picked it up and said, "Look, a copy of my book!"  I had no idea she was an author. I went to see, and it looked like the kind of book I would like, so I bought it for $.50 and had Ann sign it for me.  

Spy School Secret Service by Stuart Gibbs

In this fifth of the Spy School series, Ben gets called on his first solo mission.  This time he is going into White House and try to thwart plans to assassinate the president. His cover is that he is supposed to be friends with the President's son, but soon finds that the First Son is a bit of a jerk. Undeterred, he continues to look for clues and patterns, trying to figure our who the assassin is.  When the attempt is made, Ben finds himself the primary suspect. With help from Erika, and ultimately from the whole Spy School gang, he discovers that the plot is much more complex and dangerous than anyone had thought. 

 Here is another Spy School novel.  It really is the same as all the rest, but they are all fun.  I guess they are a little like the old Hardy Boys; formulaic, but with enough action, humor, and appealing characters, that they are fun anyway (plus, they have a great graphic designer do their covers!). There are eight total in the series and I will probably eventually read them all. (352 p, 2017)

The Heart's Charge by Karen Witemeyer

As two of the famous Hanger Horseman, Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks thought they could face anything, until they happen upon a crazed woman who was about to give birth. Delivering babies was not in their cavalry training. They rise to the challenge, then deliver the baby to a nearby foundling home and the mother into the gentle hands of the "church ladies."  The director of the foundling home just happens to be a woman that Mark had been engaged to years before.  Katherine Palmer had escaped the censure of her family after refusing Mark's proposal, and  found her calling caring for unwanted children.  She and Eliza Southerland planned to live their lives together, two single women running a group home, but then rumors begin flying around that someone is snatching children. They don't know how they can keep their children safe while tracking down the bad guys. Suddenly, having two trained warriors around doesn't sound like such a bad idea, and Mark and Jonah are more than happy to volunteer.   

I had gotten burned out on the historical romance genre and I enjoyed my foray back into intermediate fiction and biography.  This, week, however, I was in the mood for Karen Witemeyer. She is overtly Christian, and her character relational drama isn't based on the character's stupid decisions, but on overcoming outside forces that would keep the couples apart. The stories are a bit over the top, with desperados, corrupt politicians, and women hiding pistols in their garters, but they are entertaining, and I don't ever feel like I need to brush and floss my brain after reading them to get out the negativity and bad words. I wouldn't be happy just reading this genre, but I like having it as an option when I am in the mood for something uplifting and squeaky clean. (2021, 384 p.)

The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

 Freya Lockwood has been estranged from her mentor/father figure, Arthur Crockleford, since a disastrous incident in Cairo Egypt 20 years earlier. Now in her 40's, Freya is drawn back into a world of complex emotions when she finds out that Arthur has been murdered, but left clues for her and her flamboyant aunt Carol to find his murderer.  Their search leads the two women into the world of the illegal antiquities market and they must use all their wit and charm to expose the villains without becoming victims themselves. 

Here is a new flavor of cozy mystery.  There are the cooking mysteries, and the knitting club mysteries, and now antique hunter mysteries.  It is the author's first novel, and there were a few writing elements that were a little amateurish.  Still, the plot is well constructed, with a lot of interesting suspects and clues.  I ended up enjoying it and will probably at some point read the sequel.  I personally am not really into antiques, and if someone was, they would especially enjoy this novel.  The author is the daughter of a host of one of these famous antique shows on TV, and really seems to know her stuff. (2024 304p.)

Hillbilly Elegy by J. D, Vance

 J.D Vance was raised by grandparents who were Kentucky hillbillies.  His mother moved in and out of relationships with a variety of men, and suffered from alcohol and drug addiction, so Vance relied on the stability provided by his grandmother and grandfather to get him through his teenage years, and provide the motivation and support to go to college. This memoir that launched Vance's political career looks at both the failings and the resilaincy of the working class white culture from the south, plagued with unemployment, teenage pregnancy, and drug addiction. He posits that those who make it out of the destructive cycle are those who have people in their life that keep them in line and point--or even shove-- them toward a better life. 

This book was incredibly popular when it came out in 2016.  It was published before Vance became a senator, or a the Vice President.  It shows a segment of American culture that I have not personally had much experience with.  It was interesting to me to see a portrayal of how the working poor live. Vance doesn't shy away from the messiness of their lives.  He resists showing them as merely the victims of oppression and openly admits that many of their social challenges are the result of their own poor choices.  Some critics of the book claim that Vance is, himself, guilty of stereotyping in the book, but be that as it may, I still found the book interesting and enlightening.  The reader should beware that the book is full of harsh language and behavioral elements, but I believe they are authentic and it would have been impossible to tell an accurate story without them.  (2016, 272 p)

The Third Wife of Faraday House by B.R. Meyers

 Emeline's guardians are hoping to find a suitable match for her from among the social elite.  Emeline, however, is in love with handsome Lieutenant Fletcher.  She dreams of the day when he will return from his tour of duty and sweep her off her feet. When he does return, things don't go as planned, and she finds herself in terrible scandal.  To escape getting shipped off to a nunnery, she accepts an offer to marry a reclusive widowed sea captain on a creepy island in Halifax. When she arrives, she discovered that his current wife, (wife #2) though very ill, has not actually died yet.  The mansion on the island is full of dark secrets and it is hard to tell friend from foe.  Emeline decides her best hope is to try to keep the sick wife alive long enough for her beloved Lieutenant to come and save her, but to do that she needs to uncover the dark secrets of Faraday House.

This is a very gothic historical mystery. I must admit is was almost too scary for me. I had to stop and take a break from it a couple of times while I was listening to it.  I had to keep telling myself that it was likely to turn out alright in the end. The characters are well written and the author does a great job of giving clues without giving away the solution.  One interesting element is that through most of the book the reader doesn't know if something supernatural is going on or if it is a trick someone is playing on Emeline. It is also unclear until nearly the end if this character or that character is the bad guy. For those who like gothic novels, it is a pretty good choice. (2024, 352 p.)

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

 April has been in the foster care system for years, but in her heart she knows she is not an orphan.  Her mother dropped her off with the promise that she would return, and a key shaped necklace as a token of the promise. April is surprised to find the same emblem from her necklace in a new museum display about the tragic Winterborne family. Her efforts to find out more about the emblem leads to a fire, and then to her being becoming a ward of the Winterborne family.  Four other children at the Winterborne mansion as well, and so they discover that all of them have ties to the ancient ill-fated family.  As they join together to try to find answers it becomes clear that there are some secrets that don't want to be discovered.

I enjoyed that Stuart Gibbs book so much I jumped right into another middle grade mystery. It did not disappoint.  The children each have distinct but likable personalities, despite their tragic histories.  The setting is appropriately gothic, and there is just the right amount of action and peril. I was impressed that I didn't know who were the good guys and the bad guys for sure until pretty near the end.  Of course, the children are smart, and end up outwitting the bad guy. but the story ends with some questions unanswered, urging the reader to check out the second book in the series. (336 p. 2020)

Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs

 Ben Ripley is getting called into action again, but this time officially.  A Chinese billionaire, whom CIA suspects is a mega criminal,  is bringing his teenage daughter to Vail Colorado to learn to ski. Ben has been asked to befriend her and try to figure out her father's evil plot. Erika is coming too, as are some other of Ben's schoolmates.  It's going to be a cool ski vacation, right?  It starts out that way.  Ben quickly makes friends with Jessica Shang, but a mission is never as easy as it seems. It isn't long before the kids are in deep snow with bullets whizzing around their heads. 

I was ready for a lighthearted middle-grade and this fit the bill. The plot for each of the books in this series is basically the same, but the characters are fun and there are exciting and/or funny action sequences. The narrator is also good, doing different voices for all the characters.  I really like Stuart Gibbs in general and this series in particular so I put the next in the series on hold as soon as I was finished with this one.  There is a 12 month wait, so I guess I am not the only one who likes them. (2016, 368)

Great Courses: Epigenetics by Dr. Charlotte Mykura

Epigenetics are a complex set up chemicals that surround a gene and tell it when to express itself or go dormant. In this 12-part lecture series, Dr Mykura explores the science and controversy of epigenetics study. She discusses how epigenetics applies to the formation of a fetus, how it responds to external and internal environment.  She explains the importance of the gut biome and how epigenetics play out in autoimmune diseases.  She ends the series by tackling the question as to whether epigenetic states can be passed from parent to child. 

Dr. Mykura presents this fairly technical topic with the charisma and energy of a TED talker. She is fond of enthusiastic hyperbole, like "This is the most amazing process in the history of human biology". This makes her lectures very engaging despite the density of scientific terminology.  Throughout the lectures I kept reminding myself, that, of course, things like exercise, stress, and diet change our body's makeup.  I just had never thought about how that worked before, and now I feel like I have a better sense of what that process looks like. I enjoyed her creative metaphors to describe difficult concepts, like how a methylated chromosome looks like a tangled ball of string.  My favorite fact from the series is that, since a woman's eggs are formed while she is a fetus in her mother's womb, parts of us have been around much longer than we think. That means part of me was first formed in 1935!  (6 hours, 2023)

Facing the Enemy by Paige Edwards

 Elise Henderson is both a Scottish aristocrat, and an elite MI6 operative--or at least she was until she was severely injured in a crash that killed her partner.  Now her only goal is to get her body back into shape so she can return to active duty. Harry Benson is also a MI6 operative, who was a college sweetheart with Elise. After they broke up, he rebounded and married a girl who was meek, and sweet, and unfaithful.  Now they are divorced, and Harry has the custody of his seven-year-old son Sammy. Fate brings Elise and Harry back into contact when Harry is assigned to investigate a smuggling ring in Scotland, and he asks Elise if she can take care of Sammy just until he can find a daycare provider. Forces combine to pull Elise into Harry's investigation, and Sammy into Elise's heart. With those kind of forces at work, how long can Harry and Elise stubbornly stay apart?

From the cover of the book I was expecting this to be a historical mystery romance, and even through the first chapter that is what I thought it was. Then suddenly Harry is using a cell phone. It was a little bit of a whiplash. Still, I ended up liking the book alright. Elise is a charming character with both toughness and a hidden feminine side. Harry is the dashing "James Bond" character whose bravado is hiding a broken heart. Even Sammy is a fun character, at times brave and at other times authentically distractable. I will have to try more from this author. (2022 288 p.)

Lady Emma's Campaign by Jennifer Moore

 Like many a girl in history, Emma has a crush on her big brother's friend.  Sidney has known Emma his whole life, and she is like a sister to him.  He doesn't give her much thought when he goes away to fight in a war with Spain.  Emma, however, can't stop thinking about Sidney. All though she is the bell of her first and second London season, she turns down one offer after another, pining after her own Captain Sydney Fletcher. Then one day her brother receives the terrible news that he has been captured by the French. Whe he boards his merchant vessel to sail to Cadiz to try to negotiate his release, Emma stows away on board. Once in Cadiz she naively marches into the enemy prison and demands Sydney's release.  Bad decision.  Soon she, Sydney and others are running for their lives in the midst of a pitched battle.  Can pampered little naive Emma survive the 50 mile hike to safety?  More importantly, will Sydney ever see that Emma is no longer a child, but a woman who loves him.

I have read several books by Jennifer Moore that I have liked, particularly, The Slow March of Light. I didn't like this one as well as that, but it was fine.  Emma really does start out as a wining pampered teenager, but Moore does a good job showing how her difficulties and experiences open her eyes to the world and help her mature. I also liked the fact that Emma found that one of the best things she could offer her band was emotional support.  In so many modern books, the woman have awesome battle skills, or amazing mental abilities.  It was nice to read a book where the main super power the heroine has is kindness. (2014, 2024 p.)

Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

 Hannah Swenson has just baked a batch of chocolate cupcakes when she finds the body of the town's irascible police sheriff in a dumpster. Much to Hannah's surprise, her brother-in-law, who had been running against Sheriff Grant in the election, is seen as one of the prime suspects.  Hannah is on the case trying to clear Bill's name in support of her sister who is expecting.  It doesn't take long for Hannah to find plenty of people who may have wanted Sheriff Grant dead, but which one did it?  Hannah's wonderful baking smooths the path into the community's confidence much more effectively than the police investigation. As she gets closer to the truth, the danger gets closer to her. 

After reading the previous two titles, I was ready for an intensity break.  I haven't read a baking themed cozy mystery in a while.  Even though they are all alike, and I don't even end up trying any of the recipes, this book was just the right thing for this week. It is just entertaining enough to distract me from my stressors, but not so intense as to add to them. I was a tiny bit put off by Hannah's hypocrisy. At one point she is all mad at her policeman boyfriend for flirting with the new secretary, but that very day she ends up kissing both him and her dentist love/friend interest
.  She doesn't even register the moral disconnect.  I guess that is the wish fulfillment part of the story. (2011, 320 p.)

Murderbot books 2 and 3 by Martha Wells

 Artificial Condition: Murderbot has left the crew of his last mission to discover more about his past.  He boards an unmanned shuttle, but discovers that its onboard computer is more sentient than average.  The two of them team up to discover what really happened on the day Murderbot went crazy and killed a whole colony. (2018, 160 p)

Rogue Protocol: Having discovered the truth about his worst malfunction, Murderbot doesn't really know what to do with himself. Then he sees a news feed about Dr. Menseh who is trying to prove that the mega-corporation GrayCris is crooked. Murderbot.  He meets up with some idealistic scientists whose research was stolen and hires on as their security guard to get passage onto planet terraforming station where he thinks he can get evidence against GrayCris. Of course, the megacorporation does not want their secrets revealed and sends will stop at nothing to stop the group. (2018, 160 p)

I think these books are starting to be a guilty pleasure.  I am not sure what makes them appealing to a 60 year old woman.  I know I am not their target audience.  I like the insecurity mixed with confidence of the Murderbot, and his willingness to help people, even at his own peril.  Reader should beware that there is some rough language in the book, and violence, so these aren't for kids. Still, I will probably read more of them. 

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

 Amy is a personal body guard for the rich and famous.  She loves danger and excitement. Her father-in-law, Steve, is a widowed ex-London detective, and is enjoying the quiet life in a small village, surrounded by friends and a cat called Trouble. When Amy becomes the target of a ruthless international money launderer, the only one she can trust to help her is Steve.  He gets pulled out of his armchair, and into a high stakes multi-national chase to find the killers before they find Amy. 

This is a new series by the author of the Thursday Murder Club.  It had some of the same elements of that series; unlikely vigilantes, senior citizens going out of their comfort zones, high action, and a well crafted mystery. I think a lot of people will enjoy it but I didn't think it had the interest and heart of the Thursday Murder Club. There are poignant moments and touching relationships in this book, but not like the wonderful ones you find in the earlier series.  It is very possible that I like the Thursday Murder Club better because I am in the senior citizen demographic and that younger people would like this one better. (400 p. 2024)
 

Nora and the Sacred Stones by Laura Hatch Rupper

 Nora and her broth brother are desperate to find help for their little sister who has been crippled from birth.  Nora has a special skill with stone magic, so they decide to break into the palace and use one of the sacred stones there to brew a cure. Their plan doesn't go well, and soon they are hiding from the royal guard. Prince Kyn is determined to find the intruder, but not just to prove himself to his father, the king.  He believes there may be more to Nora than even she knows, and he doesn't want her amazing power fall into the hand of their enemy. Nora knows she should run from Prince Kyn but the ancient stones seems to be telling her to run to him instead.

This is an entertaining little book, almost a novella, for middle grade readers.  The plot is fairly simple, but Rupper manages to create interesting and sympathetic characters.  I was surprised that it ended so soon.  It really felt more like the first half of a book instead of a whole book.  I looked online to see if there was a second in the series, but there doesn't appear to be.  If there had been I would have been willing to read it. This author usually writes historical fiction/clean romance.  It makes me wonder if this was a bedtime story she made up for her kids and then decided to put into print. (114 p. 2021)

Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright

 N.T. Wright is a bishop in the Episcopal Church in England and a foremost contemporary Christian theologian.  In this book he makes a case for the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ and sees it as the foundation for Christian hope.  He also asserts that the common Christian idea that after this life we can look forward to returning to be with God and living with him in Heaven, is incorrect.  Instead, he claims, in the end times Christ will return to Earth, bringing with him his kingdom, the Earth will be renewed, and become the dwelling place of the faithful.  He concludes that this knowledge of the resurrection and the renewal of the Earth is the basis on which we can place our hopes and focus our Christian service. It is the job of Christians to help with this renewal by following our own Christian vocation and reflecting God's image in righteousness and love. 

I checked out this book because one of the religious podcasters I listen to recommended it. It was interesting and different from anything I have listened to before.  Of course, I have listened to hundreds of hours of lectures on Christian theology, but they have mostly been by people of my same religion. It was interesting to see many of the same topics explored extensively by someone from a different Christian sect. I thought a lot of what he said was insightful and thought provoking.  He has come to some of the same theological conclusions that my religion holds which is validating. The way that he is different from speakers I have heard in my religion is that is openly criticizes other ministers in his faith because they fail to understand and teach about the resurrection that way that he sees it. I had never thought about it before, but the leaders of my church never openly criticize other church leaders, nor do they often criticize the beliefs of other sects.  They might point out how they are different than our beliefs but they do it in a very respectful way.  N.T. Wright's criticisms were mostly couched in polite language, but there was often an edge of derision underneath the words.  He is clearly brilliant, and has thought a lot about the topic and believes he is right, but he is not very humble about it. I am glad I listened to the book, and I gained new understanding from it, but I don't know if I will recommend it to many people. (2018, 352 p)

Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley

 Jake's father is the head of a nature preserve for dragons.  There are only a few hundred true dragons left on the earth, and they all live in one of three preserves.  Though the rangers of the preserve know dragons live there, they are illusive and rarely seen.  On the day that Jake is to have his first solo overnight excursing in the preserve, he happens upon a dying female dragons who has just given birth to babies. Only one baby has survived, and Jake impulsively decides to try to save it.  Thus begins a long journey in which Jake learns about parenthood, love, and the the circle of life. 

I checked this out because I am a big fan of Robin McKinley.  She usually writes high fantasy, but this one is different. I was really impressed with how authentically she captured a 15 year old teenage voice in the character of Jake. The book is written to sound like his own journal/memoir, and his language is delightfully colloquial and at places a little snarky. McKinley shows how sacrificing for the dragonling creates an unbreakable bond between Jake and his dragon, and between him and all dragons.  In some ways the book has a strong environmental theme.  I am sure Jane Goodall felt about her chimpanzees many of the same things McKinley has Jake feel for the dragons. On the other hand, it has a "wish fulfillment" appeal for anyone who ever wanted to make friends with a real dragon. I really enjoyed the book.  It was one of my favorites in a long time, but it did ramble a little.  I think it would have been a better book if she had edited out about 1/4 of it. Still, I think a lot of people, both teens and adults, would enjoy it. (2007, 275 p.)