The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 Road trips are the best times to read a new book!  My daughter brought this book that her brother had given her on our road trip to Ohio. I picked it up and read it in a couple of days. It deals with a hard subject-suicide, but in a It's a Wonderful Life sort of way. Nora has lived a life full of regrets and those regrets coupled with some hard knocks nearly overcome her. As she prepares to end her life she finds herself in the Midnight Library. Here she gets multiple second chances to see how her life would have turned out if she had made one different choice. As she sees what could have been what is seems better and better. 

The multiple themes of missed chances and present realities put together may seem to be depressing and overwhelmingly discouraging. Yet, Matt Haig, spins a tale that left me feeling hopeful and not hopeless. We all have lives that are messy and we all miss opportunities, but as Nora learned, life is about connecting with others despite our situation and serving and helping those around us. Miraculously as we do that we help ourselves find happiness and purpose. 

Recommend: Yes

Fiction, death, suicide, hope, friendship, family relationships

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I was browsing in the Libby app the other day looking for an audiobook to listen to as I was working. I came across this gem that was available to checkout.  The premise of the book at first was a bit depressing as Ove is facing life without his wife who has recently passed away. He decides he would rather join her in death than live what he thinks is a pointless life alone. He lays plans to take his life simply and neatly but is thwarted at every turn by people he is at first irritated and annoyed by and who he thinks are idiots. Slowly, though, they become a part of him and he loves and serves them in his own curmudgeonly way. 

Recommend: Yes

Ficiton, death, family, friends

.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

 I have been in love with C.S. Lewis' Narnia books since I was a child and made my own wardrobe in my closet where I read them all. This is the last in the series and I wanted something to listen to as I went on my walk. Again, Spotify has free audiobooks and this was one of them. A plus was it was read by Patrick Stewart, he did a phenomal job!  

I don't often reread this last book in the series but I was fascinated with Lewis' symbolism as he illustrated the end of the Narnia world and described going into Aslan's country. I was enjoying it so much I kept listening as I came home and did the dishes and cleaned the house with the story in my ears. 

Recommend: Yes. 

Junior fiction, fantasy, end of the world, Narnia, talking animals, religion

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I opened the Spotify app and saw that some free audiobooks had been added and first on the list was A Christmas Carol. I happily clicked on it even though it's Spring and not wintry Christmas time. I listened to it on and off as I was walking or driving. No matter what time of year you read or watch or listen to this story it is delightful, thought provoking, and inspirationally happy. My time spent listening left me with an inner smile and a desire to see and serve other people around me. 

Recommend: Yes.

Fantasy, Christmas, England, Ghosts

Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

One of my qualifications for a good book is one that keeps on giving no matter how many times I read it. Greenwitch is the third book in the Dark is Rising series and I can't count how many times I've read it. I love the familiarity of the story, the good versus evil battle, the endearing characters, and the beauitful setting. Susan Cooper wrote it in 1974 and of the five books in the series, one won the Newbery Award and another was a runner up. It has the ring of old mythological tales even though they are all of Cooper's making. A wonderful read and dive into the Welsh countryside. 

Recommend: yes, of course

Junior Fiction, fantasy, mythology, Wales, adventure

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

There are some authors that never disappoint, Nancy Farmer is one of them for me. I first read her Sea of Trolls and enjoyed her writing style immensely. All of her books are so different and take place in a variety of places around the world. I started this one with just as much anticipation that it would be just as enjoyable as the others I've read and I was not disappointed. 

In this future time in our world cloning happens, although it is illegal. The clones that survive are treated like cattle for various reasons and not considered human for there can only be one person on earth with a unique DNA. This story takes place between the border of the United States and Mexico in the land of Opium where that substance rules everyone. The drug lords are kings and others are mere pawns to do according to their wishes. Amid this back drop enters a young boy who will challenge this system while fighting for his own life at the same time. The characters in this book are rich with description and nuance and are multi-dimensional which is why I love Farmer's writings. The subject matter may seem dark and violent, but because it's written for the teen audience it doesn't get too intense. 

Recommend: Definitely

Science Fiction, Mexico, Drugs, Teen Fiction.

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

My son is a fan of Russian literature. I asked him for his favorite and he recommended this one to me. Gogol has been referred to as the Russian Charles Dickens and wrote this book in 1842. I started the book a number of times and had a hard time getting past the first chapter. I decided to listen to it instead during my walks each day. This was much more successful. The beauty of this story is in the language of the author and not necessarily in the plot or characters, although I became invested in both of those as time went on. The narrator has a wonderful rich voice and the Russian names rolled off his tongue beautifully. 

The premise of the story is not as macabre as the title suggests. This story takes place during the time of Russian serfdom. Owners of these serfs paid taxes on them even after they died. Our hero of the story, Paul Ivanovich Chichikov, decides that to increase his income he will buy the serfs who have passed on from their owners so they won't have to pay taxes on deceased individuals and thus make money off of these dead souls as he will not inform the government that they are actually dead. This, in a nutshell, is the beginning and end of the story. Yet the beauty of the story exists in the characterizations of the colorful characters you meet which becomes very satisfying. I found myself laughing outloud as I was walking, listening to some of the portrayals of the people Chichikov met and attempted to do business with. The descriptive language helped me see 19th century Russia in clear detail. 

Recommend: yes, with the caveat that it's not for the casual reader of fluffy fiction, but well worth the extra effort.