Mystery. Yet another installment of the Tourist Trap mysteries that I've enjoyed. I have to admit, however, that they are getting a little formulaic. And I found several editing errors in this kindle edition book. I still enjoyed it, but I may be seeing my time ending with the characters in South Cove, California.
Recommend: probably
There are 17 total books in the Sammy Keyes series and I just finished #17. I had probably read a little over half of them before and decided to just go for it and read them all. They are all delightful as Sammy is real and unique and brave and flawed. She makes mistakes and does incredibly courageous things at the same time. She overcomes obstacles in messy ways and is just so relatable. She makes enemies and friends and enemies that eventually become friends. These books have been uplifting to my soul these past few weeks and I'm sad to close the chapter on the last book. And just one more plug Wendelin Van Draanen ends the series in an amazingly satisfying way which makes reading them all the more fun.
Recommend: Of course, all of them!
Junior fiction. I was looking for some fun easy reads at the library and this looked like it would fit the bill. Jack and Louisa are obsessed with musical theater, in fact Jack has actually performed on Broadway. He moves down the street from Louisa, far away from New York City. Their friendship has a rocky start, but they end up helping each other do the thing they love-perform on stage.
I enjoyed this quick little read. It's the first in the series, the other two books being Act II and Act III.
Recommend: Yes.
Sammy Keyes is a series written by Wendelin Van Draanen. Sammy is a 7th grader who lives with her grandma in her seniors only high rise. Her mother is off being an actress in Hollywood and Sammy has to pretend to only be visiting her grandmother since no children are allowed to live in her grandmother's building. Sammy is one of my favorite fictional characters. She's brave and vulnerable, sassy and kind, smart and resourceful. She solves mysteries with the help of her varied friends. These books are short and wonderful. I've read them all before, but these revisits have made my soul happy. There is one book for every month of her 7th grade year. So far I've reread the first 4.
Recommend: Very much!
Junior Fantasy Fiction. Fulfills "Newbery winner or honor" category in the Pioneer Book Challenge.
I've read this dozens of times in my life time, it won the Newbery award in 1976. It's the 4th book in the 5 book series, The Dark is Rising. I read this out loud to my boys and they enjoyed it immensely. It takes place in Wales and is based in Arthurian mythology. The entire series is wonderful!
Recommend: Yes
Non-Fiction. Fulfills the "Self Help" category in the Pioneer Book Challenge.
I have always loved to listen to Sheri Dew speak. She has a way with words and can express difficult concepts in a relatable way. Brian and I read this book together and it has helped us think about gaining answers to difficult questions. Asking questions is never a negative exercise, but it is one filled with effort and can be considered a wrestle. The biggest takeaway for me was that perhaps answers are not the most important thing in asking questions, but the closeness and love that I feel from my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ as I ask and act.
Recommend: Yes.
Non-Fiction. Fulfills "New Arrival Downstairs" category in the Pioneer Book Challenge
When I was in Provo a few months back I stopped by the Pioneer Bookstore. As part of this book challenge I'm doing, some of the categories need to be purchased at their store. Side note: if you ever have a chance to visit the Pioneer Bookstore in Provo, GO! It's a used bookstore and has wonderful nooks and crannies to discover and sit and read. I saw this one on the New Arrival table and picked it up. The fact that it included a CD in the back of the Tabernacle Choir singing the Messiah sealed the deal for me and I bought it.
It's a short book that covers the social environment around the time that Handel composed The Messiah. Even though I know the music well, I had not known about the situation surrounding the singers Handel chose to sing and how the public reacted. It's easy to look back on music history and assume that all these masterpieces were received with many accolades. This was an interesting look into Handel's life and how he navigated the performers he worked with and the public's reaction.
Recommend: yes
