Summer Book Reviews (Part 1)
I REALLY hoped that my summer reading experience would be better than my winter and spring reading experience. I was in a super slump. I'd say that it has been. I've read more memoirs. It might be the year of the memoirs for me. I've also read more classics with some historical fiction thrown in.
1.) The Bookshop On the Corner by Jenny Colgan
I heard about this book on a podcast and I thought that it might be the perfect cozy read to get me out of my book slump. Who doesn't want to read a book about a book shop and Scotland and romance?
From Goodreads:
Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more. Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.
I wish I could say that I loved the book. I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it either. First off, the title is misleading. There is no bookshop on the corner...there is bookmobile that is parked here and there so that bugged me. The characters were quirky...some more interesting than others. Unfortunately, Nina the main character, was probably the least interesting one of the bunch. Character building wasn't exactly the strong suit of this novel. The story was mildly entertaining and I read it in a day. I wish the author would have fleshed out the characters a little more and added a bit more depth to the story. I did thoroughly enjoy the author's note "A Message to Readers". That was great!!
My Rating: Meh...still in the slump.
2.) At Home In the World by Tsh Oxenreider
Again with the memoirs. This is a book that has been mentioned on multiple podcasts that I listen to and came highly recommended. I have been all about the memoir in 2017. This book had me intrigued.
From Goodreads:
In her late thirties and as a mom to three kids under age ten, Tsh Oxenreider and her husband decided to spend a rather ordinary nine months in an extraordinary way: traveling the corners of the earth to see, together, the places they’ve always wanted to explore. This book chronicles their global journey from China to Thailand to Australia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, France, Croatia, and beyond, as they fill their days with train schedules, world-schooling the kids, and working from anywhere.
This book is interesting. The author takes you with her family on their trip around the world. I especially enjoyed reading about all the logistics...how they got from place to place and where they stayed and what they ate and doing it all with children in tow. I enjoyed the synopsis of each country that they visited. I enjoy books about people who move to other countries and experience new cultures. I love a good travel memoir. I appreciate having the world opened up to me in new and different ways. I thought Oxenreider did a good job of giving the readers a taste of the sights, sounds, people, and foods of each place. It was interesting to note the places that she particularly enjoyed and why. She was also quite candid discussing being on a budget, trying to find alone time with her husband, her battles with depression, and her struggles with her faith. My main issue with the book was that here she was traveling the world and doing something that most people don't ever get to do and I feel like in her effort to keep things "real" we also lost a lot of the magic. I wish there was more magic and excitement and wonder. I realize that the travel was exhausting...especially with children...and we heard a lot about how tired she was. By the end of the book I was exhausted too and glad that she was going back to the States so that she could finally get some sleep.
My Rating: Interesting although sometimes the tone was a bit too much. You are on a trip around the world for heaven sakes... Enjoy it!
3.) Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon
Yes, I went back to the Lord John series. Why? Because I need all the back story for the Outlander books because as I said before Diana Gabaldon expects readers to read every single thing she writes and all of her other books and novellas contribute to the larger story of the Outlander series in small yet significant ways and she expects that her readers are all up to speed. I was missing a chunk of back story concerning the Grey family and Percy Wainwright. The Grey family I enjoy. Percy Wainwright...not so much.
From Goodreads:
In 1758, in the heart of the Seven Years' War, Britain fights by the side of Prussia in the Rhineland. For Lord John and his titled brother Hal, the battlefield will be a welcome respite from the torturous mystery that burns poisonously in their family's history. Seventeen years earlier, Lord John's late father, the Duke of Pardloe, was found dead, a pistol in his hand and accusations of his role as a Jacobite agent staining forever a family's honor. Now unlaid ghosts from the past are stirring. Lord John's brother has mysteriously received a page of their late father's missing diary. Someone is taunting the Grey family with secrets from the grave, but Hal, with secrets of his own, refuses to pursue the matter and orders his brother to do likewise. Frustrated, John turns to a man who has been both his prisoner and his confessor: the Scottish Jacobite James Fraser. Lord John is caught between his courage and his conscience and must decide whether his family's honor is worth his life.
I liked learning more about the Grey family and their history. I love the characters of Lord John's mother, Hal, Minnie, Harry Quarry, and even Lord John's valet, Tom. I enjoyed learning more about the mysterious background of Lord John's father. If the story would've just stayed focused on that storyline I would have rated it higher. I also enjoyed learning more about Hellwater and the chunk of time after Geneva Dunsany's death. It filled in a little more of the gaps that are in the main Outlander books. I didn't care for Percy Wainwright and that whole storyline.
The mysteries in this series are always ho-hum. Nothing that exciting. I wish the story focused more on the story of the Grey family...starting with Lord John and Hal's parents and onto Hal and Minnie's story. That is so much more interesting to me than Lord John solving boring mysteries and his love life.
My rating: Ok. The back story is much more interesting. The character development is better but unfortunately the mystery being solved still lacks excitement.
4.) Love the Home You Have by Melissa Michaels
This book was written by a popular design blogger Melissa Michaels who writes The Inspired Room blog. I was not familiar with her blog prior to reading this book so read the book without any preconceived notions about her style or opinions; I just really appreciated the subject matter. People are so discontented these days...they never have enough...I am all for more books about contentment and gratitude.
From Goodreads:
What if the house of your dreams is the home you have? Meet Melissa Michaels, creator of the popular blog The Inspired Roomand the best contentment coach you’ll ever meet. With humor and candor Melissa reveals how to transform your rooms (and your life) from plainly livable to fabulously lovable.
The subject matter and thoughts expressed by the author were not new or earth-shattering or perhaps maybe they are...be grateful, practice contentment, enjoy simplicity. These are things that I truly try to practice in my own life already. As I read I was hoping for something new...some new bit of insight...and I got it.
I love how she explained that we nurture our love of beauty and order in our homes BECAUSE we are grateful. She says, "The lifelong opportunity to create and appreciate beauty all around us is a gift we are granted by God...There is divine purpose in caring for our homes and wanting them to be places of loveliness and peace." I also loved this idea, "Our desire to improve our surroundings isn't perfectionism...Our longing for beauty hints at our identity as a reflection of our creator...We were created in the image of God so our desire for order makes perfect sense."
This next idea was one that I really loved and that resonated with me!! My kids and husband tease me ALOT about how clean I like our house to be...ESPECIALLY...when guests are coming over. They think I act like a crazy person by wanting every nook and cranny spotless, fresh flowers, and good smelling candles burning and they have complained incessantly over the years about my impossible cleaning standards. So when I read this book I felt especially understood and validated. She talks about a "home's love language". I resonated with this idea so much!! My home's love language is this, "When you invite a guest into your home, they are in your sanctuary...You give a gift to others by making them feel comfortable and welcomed...If you are someone who loves to clean and decorate for guests and you spend a lot of time getting each detail just right, this may be
how you express love." YES! YES! YES! I am not a crazy-cleaning-fresh-flower-arranging-control-freak. This is how I show LOVE to guests in my home!! Life changing. This one idea was worth reading the whole book!!
Other great quotes:
-"Clutter interferes with our focused productivity, so our anxiety and frustration increase."
-"I love a home that feels like a snapshot of a person's life. A place where accessories reveal stories about people's character, their travels and what matters most to them...Your home is most charming when it reflects your heart, soul, way of living, history...everything you love."
-..."Practice hospitality."
I think hospitality is a dying art. I was watching something on TV around Mother's Day and they were talking to teenagers and young adults. They were asked what was an important lesson that they have learned from their mother and one youth said "hospitality". That really struck a cord with me. That is an area that perhaps I could improve upon. I always notice and appreciate it when I go to someone's home who is great in the hospitality department. I always want to stay longer and visit often. People in the south have made this an art form. I noticed and appreciated it so much when I lived in Houston. I was grateful for the gentle reminder to be more hospitable.
This book had also had a 31 day challenge to learn to love your home and to bring order to your house. I didn't do it. These are things that I already do. As I said, the ideas expressed aren't new but there were some great insights and I finished the book with a fresh perspective in several areas and it helped me to understand myself a little better which is always nice.
My Rating: Good.
5.) Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
So...if you are going to read the Lord John series you have to read all the short stories and novellas that go with it. Just as a reminder...I am only reading this series for the Outlander series back story. This book is a collection of short stories that pertain to the Lord John series. It was so-so. I liked some stories more than others. I disliked
Lord John and the Hellfire Club. But since it's plot is referenced in the first Lord John novel I read it.
I thought
Lord John and the Succubus was fairly dull but I did like the introduction of the character of Stephan Von Namtzen.
Lord John and the Haunted Soldier was the best simply because more of the Grey extended family is introduced like Lord John's older De Vane half brothers. I know I sound like a broken record but the Grey family history is the interesting part of all of the Lord John books and it is largely left untapped. Also Lord Lord John and the Haunted Soldier is a continuation of the events and storyline of the Lord John novel
Brotherhood of the Blade. (See how you have to read each and every little thing to truly see how the story continues??)
My Rating: Okay. Some stories are better than others but all must be read because they all build upon each other and forward the plot including the storyline of the Outlander series.
6.) The Scottish Prisoner (Lord John Gray #3)
This is the most highly recommended of the Lord John series. Why? One reason. Jamie Fraser. This is the book that I have thus far liked the best in the Lord John series. More than half of the book is told from Jamie Fraser's perspective so no surprise there. I think I have turned the corner with this series and have come to like it. This book sheds so much light on some significant back story that takes place off canvas in the Outlander books. Such as Jamie's time at Hellwater and how he and Lord John end up as friends. I found all of that so interesting and feel like the later books of the Outlander series make more sense now. I still enjoy the characters of Hal, Minnie, Harry, and Tom. I loved learning about how Hal and Minnie met and married and I want more of that story!! The actual plot of this book was slow and not super exciting (Irish Jacobites--yawn) but the friendship between Lord John and Jamie makes more sense now and I loved *seeing* Jamie spend time with Willie at Hellwater. I even...begrudgingly...like Lord John.
From Goodreads:
Set in the heart of the eighteenth century, Lord John's world is one of mystery and menace. Diana Gabaldon brilliantly weaves together the strands of Lord John's secret and public lives. Capturing the lonely, tormented, and courageous career of a man who fights for his crown, his honor, and his own secrets.
My Rating: Good. The best book of the Lord John series thus far.
7.) Letters by Marjorie Pay Hinckley
My grandma passed away a month and half ago and as I was packing up her extensive library I found this book and started reading. I love the Hinckleys and I enjoyed reading the letters that Sister Hinckley wrote to her family and the glimpse it gave into her life.
From Goodreads:
When Marjorie Pay Hinckley passed away in April 2004, every woman who had ever known her, even merely through reading her books or hearing her speak, felt as if she had lost a friend. Sister Hinckley looked at life with a twinkle in her eye. Her genuine interest in others made them care a little more for each other. Her quiet, constant support of her husband showed what an eternal partnership could be like here and now. Most of all, her shining faith was a beacon of hope for thousands, even millions of people across the world.
I miss the days of letter writing. My grandma wrote a weekly family letter and sent it to all of her children. It kept us all involved in one another's lives and up-to-date. Letters used to be such a vital part of one's life. My grandma wrote so many letters in her life time and received so many. Just like Sister Hinckley she wrote regularly to her children and grandchildren. It was interesting to get a glimpse into the everyday life of a woman throughout the many seasons of her life...as a young mother, a mother of teenagers, an empty-nester, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother. The letters included in this selection are sweet and loving, and while not necessarily riveting, there can be no doubt of the love that Marjorie Pay Hinckley had for her family. I especially enjoyed her realistic commentary about what it was like to be married to a general authority in the LDS church. Her honesty was refreshing.
My Rating: A sweet and thoughtful book.
8.) Seven Stones To Stand Or Fall by Diana Gabaldon
This is an anthology...a selection of novellas pertaining to the Outlander Universe and the Lord John series which is part of the Outlander universe. There are seven novellas. All but two of them have already been published in other anthologies. I read three of them previously so there were only four novellas that were new to me.
1.) The Custom of the Army (Lord John Grey Novella)
2.) The Space Between (An Outlander Novella)
3.) A Plague of Zombies (Lord John Grey Novella)
4.) A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows (Outlander Novella)
5.) Virgins (Outlander Novella)
6.) A Fugitive Green (Lord John Grey Novella)
7.) Besieged (Lord John Grey Novella)
The novellas that I had previously read all pertained to the Outlander series: Virgins, A Space Between, and A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows. I loved them all. Now that I am all caught up on the Lord John series...and previous Lord John novellas...it was time to read these later novellas about the Lord John series.
From the Publisher:
Featuring Jamie Fraser, Lord John Grey, Master Raymond, and many more from Diana Gabaldon's unforgettable cast of characters, this brilliant collection of Outlander novellas includes two never-before-published works.
This book was a mixed bag for me. The novellas that I loved I REALLY loved and that made the other less interesting novellas even paler by comparison. I absolutely love the Outlander series and I absolutely loved the Outlander novellas. I think the Lord John series is okay and the novellas about that series were okay...with the exception of one that I absolutely loved!!
Gabaldon loves to write these "bulges" or smaller stories about some of the secondary characters or prequels and sequels that fit within the story lines of the novels and move the plot along of the larger books in small and significant ways. The Lord John novellas usually pick up where the last larger book has left off but sometimes they are their own bulge but pertain to the Lord John books and characters.
I'll give each novella its own rating:
The Custom of the Army: ** (The best of the Lord John novellas that pertains only to him.)
The Space Between: *****
(I loved this! Even though I previously had no real knowledge or feelings about the very secondary characters of Michael and Joan I came to enjoy them and I hope that their story line continues. I absolutely LOVED learning more about the Comte de Saint Germain and Master Raymond and even a little more about Geillis!! That was great!!)
The Plague of Zombies: *
(Boring...except for the brief interaction between Mrs. Abernathy and Lord John.)
A Leaf On the Wind of All Hallows: *****
(This was my absolute FAVORITE of all of the novellas!! I loved finding out what happened to Roger's parents. I read this a few years ago and I loved it then. It was just as great on the re-read. It had me in tears. I read this novella prior to reading
Written In My Own Heart's Blood which takes an incident from this novella and expands upon it. I loved it in that book too. Utterly fantastic!!)
Virgins: *** 1/2
(This is an Outlander prequel and time of Jamie's life that is often referred to in the Outlander series. I loved seeing Jamie and Ian together as young men but the plot was a bit dull. Still it was nice to find out exactly what happened when they were in France. It fleshes out the Outlander history a bit more.)
A Fugitive Green: *****
(This is the one Lord John novella that I absolutely LOVED!! Perhaps because there is no Lord John in it only Hal and Minnie who I love and have been complaining about wanting more history and back story about. This was my wish come true. I loved it and it just made me want more!! The rest of the Grey family are so interesting...let's focus on them a bit more rather than so much on Lord John.)
Besieged: *
(I didn't like it. I wish there was more of Lord John's interesting mother in it and his cousin.)
My Rating: Good...particularly if you are a Gabaldon fan.
