Reading in the Garden

  The Absolutely  Irresistible  Diary of a Part-Time Indian  I fell in love with this book from page one! A poor, hungry, sickly, bullied fourteen-year-old Spokane Indian boy with a stutter and a lisp tries to muddle through his first year at an all-white high school.  Junior chooses to navigate two different worlds when he leaves his dreary life on the Indian reservation to attend school in the privileged white town of Reardan. Despite, or maybe because of all the tragedy in his life, Junior faces each day with an astute, sharp-as-a-blade wit and a soaring spirit.     His alluring narration is heartbreaking, funny, sad, and uplifting. It covers a rainbow of emotions.  I’m so glad I finally read this celebrated, charming young adult novel that won a National Book Award!    Here are some lines from the book that really grabbed me:   “He couldn’t beat me up with his old man fists, but he could hurt me with his old man w...

Jenna Bush Hager’s 2020 Book Club Jan – Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano Feb – The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dar é March – Writers & Lovers by Lily King April – Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore May – All Adults Here by Emma Straub June – A Burning by Megha Majumdar July – Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan Aug – The Comeback by Ella Berman Sept – Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi Oct – Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam Nov – White Ivy by Susie Yang Dec – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Reese Witherspoon’s 2020 Book Club Jan – Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid Feb – The Scent Keeper by Erica Baumeister March – The Jetsetters by Amana Eyre Ward April – Untamed by Glennon Doyle (Non-Fiction) May – The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi    June/July – The Guest List by Lucy Foley June/July – I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown (Non-Fiction) Aug – Everything Inside  by Edwidge Danticat Aug YA – You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson Sept – Th...

An Unlikely but Lovely Female Friendship  I love this story of two women with opposite personalities who go on an adventure where they not only learn more about each other, but also about themselves.  It’s 1950 England when Miss Benson finally snaps and decides to follow her dream of finding the illusive golden soft-winged flower beetle in New Caledonia.  When she puts in an ad for an assistant, she never pictured Enid Pretty, a very talkative, vivacious woman with a pink suit and impractical sandals with pom-poms. Against the odds, they end up forming an unbreakable, concrete-strong bond.   A heartwarming female friendship book at its best! If you like this book by Rachel Joyce, be sure to check out The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Other Female Friendship Books - Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik - Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - The Floribama Ladies’ Auxiliary and Sewing Circle by Lois Battle - Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle St...

   2020 Reading List  I read a lot of books in a year (well, by my standards anyway.) I also work, babysit my grandkids, bake a lot of bread, garden, and tend to those tedious things in life that suck up my time—which explains why I just can’t review all the books I read.  Some wonderful ones fail to get a mention and that’s just not right.   So before putting this remarkable year of 2020 behind us, I thought I’d give a rundown on all the books that I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year—books that allowed me to take my mind off of the pandemic and politics.   In reading order:   The War That Saved My Life  by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – Mid-kids’ book, ages 9-12 –  An unwanted girl with a crippled foot is sent away to the British countryside with her brother during WWII. There, she learns to trust again when she finds people who truly care about her. Great book about overcoming adversity and good introduction to one aspect of WWII....

  Drool and Chuckle.    I thoroughly enjoyed this amusing, sumptuous excursion into French food and customs blended with nostalgic reminiscence of an Australian childhood as John Baxter reveals his preparations for the perfect Christmas meal.     This is one of those books that will make you hungry and want to get right into the kitchen and create something marvelous.  I also learned a few things about French culture I didn’t know like: “You would no more bring food or drink to a French house than arrive at one in America bringing your own plate, knife, and fork.” It’s an insult to arrive with a bottle of wine in hand implying that the host will not provide enough wine or one to your satisfaction.  I never thought of it that way.  Good to know.  Maybe stick to the flowers or would that be insinuating they have an ugly garden?  I’m not quite sure, the author didn’t mention anything about that.    I ...

Imports to  Australia. I got completely wrapped up in this story about women sent to an Australian penal colony on Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania)—something I knew almost nothing about.  The treatments in the British prison system in the mid 1800s, the four-month long journey by ship, and life in the Cascades Female Factory will be images that will remain with me. And it wasn't just the women who I will remember, it's also the actions towards the aborigines. An unforgettably sensational read!   While reading this I had to settle in with a glass of “19 Crimes,” a tasty wine which lists one of the 19 crimes that would get a prisoner sent to Australia printed on their wine corks.  In case you’re wondering what the 19 crimes are, here’s a list directly from their website:    1. Grand Larceny, theft above the value of one shilling  2. Petty Larceny, theft under one shilling.  3. Buying or receiving stolen goods, jewels, and plate...  4. Ste...

  Students and Teachers  Become WWII Prisoners This historical fiction was a remarkable new insight into WWII for me.  Set in China, a missionary boarding school with British, American, and other western students, is taken over by the Japanese and they are later transferred to Weihsien Internment Camp.  It’s an extraordinary story of hope and courage as they lean on the guidance and protection of their teachers and also the principles of respect, honor, and loyalty they formed as Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) all under extraordinary conditions.  The end left me surprisingly emotional and so glad I read this book!     Annette  Other Books About Internment Camps: When the Emperor Was Divine  by Julie Otsuka Hotel on the Corner of  Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford