June means pool time. And pooltime means lots of reading time!

I got a lot of reading done this month. 9 books at a total of 3,542 pages. That’s an average of 118 pages a day. I chalk it up to several days spent reading a whole book in a day by the pool. So without further ado, here’s my rundown of June’s books. 

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer (416 pages). There are literally no words for this book. I cried about 4 times. It was so beautiful. Alina Dziak is 15 years old when the Nazis begin their occupation of Poland. Her fiancé, Tomasz Slaski, has been in Warsaw for college. But he has always said he will come back for her. They have a love that will defy distance, time and the Nazis. Alice Michels is a frazzled mother of two, dealing with the fading health of her beloved Babcia, Hanna. When Hanna sends Alice to Poland with just a few words, names and addresses, Alice has no idea the story that she will uncover. I literally bawled for the loast 50 pages!  Thanks to perfect pool weather and inability to put this book down, I finished it pretty quickly. This might be the second month in a row of the month’s favorite being the first one of the month!  I finished in 1 day. 

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (455 pages). I decided to head back to an unread classic. Again, I feel like I knew this book before I even picked it up. It’s the story of the Joad family and their quest to find a better life in California in the 1930’s when the dust bowl and machines destroyed the small farms of the Midwest. It was oh so horribly depressing. But beautifully intriguing and written. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I finished in 5 days. 

The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper (405 pages). I’ve read Little Women (and seen about 3 different movie versions at least). I don’t think I realized that Louisa May Alcott based the March sisters on herself and her sisters. In fact, I’m not really sure I gave too much thought to Alcott’s life in general. One sister, May (yes, same name as her sister), did not appreciate being the basis for spoiled Amy March. So she set out to make a name for herself as an artist, out from under the name (and financial support) of her famous sister. She was bold and brave. And had a heartbreaking end to her fascinating life. I finished in 8 days. 

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (332 pages). Librarian Nina Redmond is the victim of the downsizing of libraries. Which is a shame, because her true gift is finding the right book for every person who crosses her path. But it also allows her an amazing opportunity. She uproots her life when she buy a van. And moves to a small town in Scotland to open a mobile bookstore. She learns that life is about living, not just about reading. She meets new friends and becomes a part of a community. It was a sweet book. And perfect for poolside (which is where I read it). I finished in 1 day. 

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (339 pages). Another one that left me speechless. Starting in the 1930’s, there was a horrible woman named Georgia Tann. She ran the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. And by ran, I mean she literally kidnapped and sold children. This was the fictional version of those children. In Memphis in 1939, Rill Foss has the life of her dreams. She and her 3 younger sisters and baby brother are river gypsies with their beloved parents. But when their mother has complications with a pregnancy with twins, Rill and her siblings are carted off to one of Tann’s “homes” to await adoption. In modern day Aiken, Avery Stafford has a life of privilege. She’s the daughter of a senator, happily engaged to her best friend. But when a family health emergency calls her home from DC, she learns some family truths in some long hidden history. After finishing the book, I read some stories about Georgia Tann. What a horrible woman. Truly horrible. Some of the families she destroyed were never reunited. Some children died simply because they cried too much and were left alone without food and water. The damage inflicted is beyond what I can imagine.  I finished in 1 day. 

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (316 pages). Another classic I’d never read. And the first Pulitzer Prize book written by a woman!  The novel begins with the elite society of New York in the 1870’s. Newland Archer is engaged to the lovely May Welland. He faces a known future of perfect domesticity with her.  But her cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns from her disastrous marriage in Europe. And Archer finds himself drawn to her. He feels that he must make a choice between the two women. What he doesn’t realize is that the women actually hold the cards. I really enjoyed it. It was surprisingly forward thinking (in some respects) for a novel written in the 1920’s. I finished in 6 days. 

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand (504 pages). Three women and two boys arrive on Nantucket for the summer. Vicki is dealing with her cancer diagnosis and the possibility of leaving her young sons motherless. Her sister, Brenda, is dealing with the demise of her career in academia (all her own fault). And her her friend, Melanie, is dealing with a much wanted pregnancy colored by her husband’s infidelity. College student and local Josh enters their life as the boys’ summer babysitter. And helps each woman come to terms with her personal struggles. It was mindless and easy. Legit, a perfect beach read (I had to make do with the pool). I finished in 3 days. 

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld (397 pages). Kate and Violet are identical twins who could not live more unidentical lives. Kate is married with 2 kids. Vi is a free spirit. But both of them have senses. Only Vi truly embraces hers. When Vi gets a premonition of an earthquake in their town of St Louis, Kate gets a premonition about a date. And they immediately assume that’s the date the earthquake will hit. Turns out both of their premonitions are a little bit off. It was a perfectly fine book. And one that had been on my shelf for a while. I finished in 4 days. 

The Centurion’s Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke (378 pages). Janette Oke is one of my favorite authors ever and definitely my favorite Christian author. However, this is the most Biblical of all of her novels that I’ve read. It takes place during the time from the Resurrection to Pentecost. Leah is a servant in Pontius Pilate’s household. Albany is a centurion. In fact, he is the centurion who’s belief in Jesus’ power allowed his servant to be healed from afar. Leah and Alban are betrothed, for somewhat political reasons. Pilate will allow the marriage to go forward if Alban can find out the truth behind the disappearance of Jesus’ body from the tomb. Pilate’s wife sends Leah out to track down the truth as well. Through their separate interactions with believers, both Leah and Alban come to faith and experience the miracle of Pentecost.  I finished in 1 day (because there was only one day left in the month!)

This month’s favorite was ... The Things We Cannot Say. I will say this month had no bad books. I did enjoy all of them. 

It MAY have been the pool worthy weather, but it was a good month!

May was a great month for my reading. I read 8 books at a total of 3,060 pages. That’s an average of 99 pages a day. Yay me!!  So here goes

Sycamore Row by John Grisham (447 pages). I’m not a massive Grisham fan. He’s fine, but not my fave. This one might have changed my mind. It takes place in a small town in Mississippi. Jake is a lawyer, famous in the town for winning a big trial where his client,  black man, was found not guilty of murder by a juror of white people. Seth Hubbard is a somewhat reclusive businessman, who is mostly estranged from his children. When he commits suicide, his holographic will that he sends to Jake rocks this small town that is so racially divided. He has left 90% of his fortune to his black housekeeper as the trial to contest the will heats up, secrets of generations come out. I couldn’t put it down!  Plus, I got some good pool time over the weekend. I finished in 4 days. 

My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry (373 pages). Lily is a young lawyer and a newlywed when she takes on the appeal of a murderer. She realizes she has an attraction to this man, but continues to work on his case. While she and her husband struggle to find their footing in married life, they befriend their neighbors, a single Italian mom and her beautiful daughter Carla. But everyone has secrets. And grudges don’t die. After 12 years, Carla shows back up on their doorstep. And the lives that had so carefully been laid out all fall apart. It had just enough intrigue. But wasn’t over the top. It was a great pool read (which is where I read most of it). I finished in 3 days. 

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling (455 pages). I didn’t really like The Casual Vacancy ( her other pseudonym novel). But decided to give this one a try. Cormoran Strike is a private detective in London. When he’s hired to investigate the apparent suicide of a famous model, Lulu Landry, by her brother, he and his secretary Robin learn there’s more to the case than they thought. As they trace Lulu’s last days, they learn about her search for her birth parents, her relationships and who might have wanted to kill her. It was a great whodunnit. And so not like Harry Potter!  Or her other Galbraith novel. I liked this one. I finished in 6 days. 

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (310 pages). Last month, I read another novel by Guillory. And liked it. I wish I’d read this one first, as it had some major overlap characters. But I still enjoyed it. When Drew randomly gets stuck in an elevator with Alexa on the weekend of his ex’s wedding, he impulsively asks her to be his pretend girlfriend for the wedding. Just a one time thing. That turns into another weekend and another weekend and another weekend. Obviously, the path of true love is never easy. Let’s face facts- rom-coms have a pattern!  But it always end in true love. I finished in 3 days. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker (399 pages). Seen the movies. Seen the ballet, for Pete’s sake (and yes, you should go see Columbia City Ballet’s version if you never have). So how have I never read the book?  Honestly, if you don’t know the story of Dracula, I don’t know what to say. The Count holds Jonathan Harker hostage for a month while he plans his “trip” to London. Once there, he kills Lucy. Her bestie, Mina (eventual wife of Jonathan) and all the men (Lucy’s fiancé, two of her prior suitors and Van Helsing) join forces to take down the Count. The end. I finished in 5 days. 

Advent by James Treadwell (451 pages). Reminded me way too much of Neil Gaiman, in that it was all about weird magic and storylines that I couldn’t follow. No, no, no.  Not enjoyable at all. This was literally one that, if I hadn’t committed to read at least 50 pages a day and sat by the pool, would have never been finished. It goes back and forth between the 16th century story of the greatest magus ever (Johannes Faust) meeting the love of his life, prophetess Cassandra, and the modern day story of Gavin, who seems like he might be a natural wizard due to his second sight. He’s definitely something unusual. Gavin is sent to spend holiday with his eccentric aunt. She isn’t there to meet his train and the estate where she is living is rather magical. I finished in 6 days. 

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes (389 pages). Suzanna Peacock has always struggled with the memory (and notoriety) of her deceased mother, Athene. Athene was reckless and thoughtless. And Suzanna has always struggled a little bit with being raised by her father and stepmother. When she and her husband have to return to her hometown, she decides to open a little shop, The Peacock Emporium. There, she finds the friendships she always needed. And eventually learns the truth about her own family. It was a great read. And a perfect pool read. I finished in 2 days. 

The Lo-Down by Lo Bosworth (236 pages). I literally only bought this book because Lo was one of my favorites in Laguna Beach/The Hills. Turns out it’s a dating advice book. From a then 24 year old. Which didn’t do me a lot of good.  But hey, it was on the bookshelf and the perfect number of pages to finish out the month. So I read it with a grain of salt and a few eye rolls. And shockingly, a few times of thinking, wow, she’s not wrong. Even about my life as a 40 year old woman. It was cute. I would totally recommend it to a younger girl who’s just starting to date. Or a reminder that sometimes, as great as a guy is, he’s not your right puzzle piece match. And that’s okay. I finished in 4 days. 

This month’s favorite was ...Sycamore Row. 

April showers brought about some good reading

I killed it this month!  I ran the gambit of historical fiction to chick lit to crap I didn’t enjoy. All for a total of 11 books, 3199 pages, an average of 106 pages per day. Which is pretty darned impressive, if I do say so myself!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (254 pages). Another round of my favorite, (mostly) historical (very little) fiction. This novel was the true story of Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew who managed to survive the Holocaust by becoming the man who tattooed other prisoners when they arrived at Auschwitz. My first thought was, what an insult to this man. And to the Jews in general. As tattooing is prohibited in the Old Testament, this was just the ultimate insult. Which I never really thought about until reading this book. Lale meets his future wife, Gita, when he tattoos her arm. He promises her that they will both survive and they will have a life together. Even knowing that they do, I wiped away tears when they were finally reunited after the Russians arrived at the concentration camps and they were sent to different places. Every time I read about the horrors of the Holocaust, my heart breaks. For the evil that humans can exhibit. And for the people who refuse to believe it happened. I finished in 5 days (although w of those days were last month). 

The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher (368 pages). Yep, more historical fiction for this girl!  There are so many Kennedy’s that I don’t know much about the “lesser” known ones. Kathleen (or Kick as she was known) was the fourth Kennedy child. She had her debutante season in 1938 in London when her father was there as the ambassador. And it was there that she fell head over heels for Billy Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington. While religion (she was Catholic, he was Anglican) and the War tried to keep them apart (and succeeded for nearly 5 years), Kick eventually followed her heart and married Billy. He was killed in action by a German sniper 4 months after their marriage and a month after her beloved brother Joe Jr was killed when his plane exploded. And 4 years later, Kick herself was killed in a plane crash. So much grief in such short lives. I found Kick to be a fascinating and inspiring character. I’d have loved to have seen what her life would have been had Billy not been killed.  I finished in 7 days. 

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester (447 pages). To 22 year old Estella Bissette, her life working at an atelier in Paris could only be more perfect if she were the clothing designer with her own atelier. But the year is 1940 and the Germans are advancing. Her mother sends her to America for her safety. There, she makes friends and connections. Fast forward to 2015. Fabienne Bissette knows that her grandmother is an iconic fashion designer, but does not know her real story. A story of love, sacrifice, subterfuge, family and loss. Not going to lie, I bawled several times.   While Estella and Fabienne weren’t real people,there were actually several characters in the book who were. The novelist took a what if and turned it into an amazing story. I finished in 3 days. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (355 pages). So I’d already watched the movie on Netflix. And dang, did Netflix do a killer job with it!  I mean, it was pretty much verbatim. Which I totally appreciate. Lara Jean Covey’s worst nightmare comes true. Five love letters that she wrote are sent out. And in an effort to make one boy think she wasn’t serious, she agrees to a fake relationship with another one. It was super cute. I finished in 3 days. 

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult (356 pages). A shooter enters an abortion clinic and takes hostage the women (and man) who are there (after killing several of them first). When the hostage negotiator arrives from the police department, he learns that his daughter and sister are in the building. He also slowly starts to piece together what led the shooter to this moment. The novel is written backwards in time- it begins at 5 pm and goes back to the beginning of the day. Each hour, you learn new things about each hostage. Like the doctor who is a strongly religious man, but feels that it is his calling to help women. Or the anti-abortion protester who has gone undercover to prove that they are forcing women to have abortions. Each fact in each hour made me more and more invested in their lives and was more effective than knowing everything upfront.  I couldn’t put it down. It was most definitely a difficult topic for a novel. I finished in 2 days. 

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (325 pages). This would have been a perfect pool/beach read. If only it hadn’t been rainy and/or cold two days I was reading!  Nik has been casually dating pretty boy actor Fisher for only 5 months when he surprises her with a very public proposal (to Nicole) during a Dodgers game. She turns him down and it goes viral. Happily, doctor Carlos and his sister hop up to save the day and get her out of dodge (yep, I went there). Nik and Carlos begin a rebound fling that both of them seem on the same page about- casual, fun, food, sex. That’s it. But is that every really it when the other person gets you better than you get yourself?  I finished in 3 days. 

The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket (69 pages). This was a very odd collection of letters between Lemony Snicket and Beatrice Baudelaire and actual letters that you popped out of the pages. Seeing as I loved the series, I assumed I would love this book. Wrong assumption. I finished in 1 day. 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fiery by Gabrielle Zevin (258 pages). It was like Silas Marner, except the baby (Maya) was left in AJ’s bookstore.  AJ and his wife opened Island Books on Alice Island. About a year after her death, AJ awakens from a drunken stupor to find his rarest and most expensive book of poems has been stolen. But a few weeks later, AJ comes home to find that Maya’s mother has left her for him to raise before she commits suicide. No connection, no explanation, just a note and a toddler who now has no family.  And just like with Silas Marner, AJ’s world is opened up by the introduction of this little girl. It was a cute modern take on an old classic. Ironically, AJ (book snob that he was) probably would’ve hated this novel!  I finished in 3 days. 

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (349 pages). So this is supposed to be one of the great Southern American novels. It was just, meh. It takes place in a small southern mill town in the 1930’s. The central characters are John Singer (deaf-mute who turns into the confidante of most of the town), Biff Brannon (owner of the cafe. And possibly a closeted homosexual in my opinion), Jake Blount (alcoholic, Communist drifter), Dr Copeland (African American doctor who has a deep hatred for most white men), and Mick Kelly (young girl with musical dreams). The town has its own set of issues. I finished in 5 days. 

The Unauthorized Autobiography by Lemony Snicket (212 pages). Again, loved the original series. Did not like the addendums. This one was, like the other, a collection of letters and photos. I did not like it. I finished in 1 day. 

And the Rest is History by Marlene Wagman-Geller (206 pages). 34 stories of the first meetings of some of the greatest (or simply most infamous) couples in history. From Jacob and Rachel to Celine Dion and Rene Angelil. Most were couples I had heard of (and even read novels about), others were new to me. It was sweet. It was lovely. I finished in 2 days (because I had to). 

This month’s favorite was ...The Paris Seamstress. The two historical fiction came a close second. 

I just Marched right through my bookshelves!

This month was a good month, reading-wise. I started a book on the 30th and did not come close to finishing it. So I didn’t count it towards this month’s readings. But this month I read 7 books, at a total of 2724 pages, which is an average of 94 pages per day. Let’s get to it!

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy (291 pages). This was a prequel to Anne of Green Gables. The author said she was inspired by Marilla telling Anne that John Blythe had been her beau. The book opens with the Marilla we know and love (don’t kid yourself, you know you loved her, crotchety old love bug that she was). Then immediately flashes back to 13 year old Marilla. She is full of life and love. She and Matthew adore their parents. And Avonlea. And Green Gables. Tragedy strikes the Gables. But life goes on. Marilla finds, and loses, love with John Blythe. The author created a wonderful world for Marilla, full of the characters we know (hello there, young Rachel Lynde nee White) and so many other familiar names (the Blairs, the Pyes, the Andrews). And even some adventures. I finished in 5 days. 

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus (434 pages). In 1854, a Cheyenne chief offered a peace treaty with the US Army. 1000 white women to be offered as wives to the Cheyenne men. Because theirs was a matriarchal society, the children would be white. Needless to say, the offer was refused. In this novel, it is not. And the first of the 1000 women (including patients at mental hospitals) are sent west. Including May Dodd, who’s great grandson J. Will Dodd publishes her diaries. The book was great!  The Cheyenne seemed a peaceful people. And these white women truly integrated themselves into the Indian lives. But when gold is found in the Black Hills, a sacred place to the Indians, the peaceful life is quickly shattered. Honestly, every time I read about the destruction of the Indians’ lives by the invading white man, it breaks my heart. I finished in 6 days. 

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (450 pages). The title is a little misleading. The nine people aren’t perfect strangers. The novel takes place at Tranquillum House, a high end health spa resort. Masha, the director, has come up with a groundbreaking new treatment and is going to test it out over a 10 day retreat. The guests are a family of three who are mourning the death of son/brother, a couple with marital issues, and four completely unrelated single people. Let’s just say that Masha’s treatment plan is completely unexpected. And quite insane!  Like legit, Masha is crazy. CRAZY!!  It’s a different Moriarty than I had expected.  But I really liked it!  I finished in 5 days. 

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo (405 pages). This was the story of Sleepy Hollow, told from Katrina’s point of view. Which actually made it a lot of fun. After all, as she says in the prologue, her story “has everything that a grand, epic tale should have, even if the details have been lost: a romance between a handsome hero and a beautiful heroine, a jealous rival, loyal friendship, music, ghosts and demons, magic, and murder most foul.”  All of the details that were either glossed over or left out of Washington Irving’s version (which I love btw). This one was WAY more fun though!  Katrina isn’t just a passive prize to be fought over- she is passionate and headstrong. And she gets to the bottom of the ghost story of the Horseman. I finished in 4 days. 

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger (340 pages). The third in the Devil Wears Prada series. Emily is now an image consultant/fixer. But she’s not as in demand as she used to be. So when Karolina, the wife of a senator, is accused of drunk driving with her stepson and his friends in the car, Emily jumps at the chance to help out when her old friend Miriam calls. Emily comes up with the perfect plan to win Karolina back her life. And her own!  It would have been a perfect pool read. But alas, I had to read it indoors. It was mindless fun. I finished in 2 days. 

The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki (464 pages). Not only do I love historical fiction, but I also really like this particular author (she tends to focus on female historical characters, which is uncommon). I’m going to be honest- other than knowing that Benedict Arnold betrayed our country in some way, I literally knew nothing about him or his family. Now I feel like I do. I don’t think I realized that Arnold was truly an American hero before his Loyalist wife and her ex-love British officer John Andre convinced him to betray the country.  The novel begins in May 1778, with the arrival of fictional lady’s maid Clara at the Shippen household, where she begins her life with Peggy Shippen. She watches Peggy’s love affair with Andre and her eventual marriage to Arnold. And the subsequent betrayal of their country by the Arnolds. All in a little over 2 years. It was heartbreaking to watch Arnold’s fall from grace- a man who fought and was injured for his country became so disenchanted that he was willing to betray it. I finished in 4 days. 

The Party by Robyn Harding (340 pages). It’s Hannah’s 16th birthday. Her parents decide that a slumber party with 4 of her girl friends is enough. But what they don’t know is that 2 of Hannah’s friends are in the popular clique and Hannah is desperate to fit in. When a horrendous accident happens that night, everyone’s life is effected. From Hannah and her parents to the girls in attendance and really even the whole high school. It was pretty good. I finished in 3 days. 

This month’s favorite was ...The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel. But I really liked the historical fiction books as well. 

Four for February

So February is a short month. And my readings weren’t super impressive. But hey, I read my goal- 50 pages a day. So that’s 4 books and 1400 pages total. Here’s what I read

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (399 pages). Eliza Sommers is raised in Chilean high society, despite being an orphan. Siblings Jeremy, John and Rose Sommers chose to raise her as family. But then, Eliza falls in love with a poor young boy. When he leaves her to go to California during the gold rush, she impulsively follows him. Along the way, she befriends Tao, a Chinese doctor. She spends most of her time in America disguised as a young man. But that actually helps her in her quest for her lover. And for finding herself. I finished in 8 days. 

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (255 pages). Politics aside (the author is CLEARLY liberal and takes any opportunity to bad mouth Republican presidents she doesn’t like), the book was fascinating. The author is slightly obsessed with 3 of our assassinated presidents. Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. She travels around to any and all places connected to the presidents and their assassins. I ended up learning a lot of US history that I didn’t know. Which I always love!  I finished in 5 days. 

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt (363 pages). This is a book I’d always heard of, but never gotten around to reading. It’s the author’s memoirs. Francis McCourt was born in New York, to Irish parents. His father was a drunk and his mother did her best to keep the children fed and clothed. When it became too much, they moved home to Ireland. Unfortunately, things never improved for the McCourts. After losing their only daughter in NY, twin sons passed away after their arrival in Ireland. Frankie managed to find jobs after school ended for him (at 14) and eventually made/stole enough money to buy passage back to America. It was truly fascinating. And troubling that people really did/do live like that, in such abject poverty. I finished in 7 days. 

Zelda by Nancy Milford (383 pages). This was a biography of Zelda Fitzgerald. I’ve read historical fiction that featured her before. But never a flat out biography. The author certainly did her research. She included lots of both Zelda and Scott’s own words, from letters and journals. In fact, this novel was on the short list for a Pulitzer the year it was publish!  I find Zelda to be a most fascinating and tragic figure. She and Scott had a passionate, turbulent, troubling relationship. One of those “can’t live with each other, can’t live without each other” relationships. Not one I would emulate. But such a wild time they lived in. And such heartbreaking ends to such passionate lives. I finished in 8 days. 

This month’s favorite was ...most definitely Zelda.

Happy New Reading!!

So I KILLED it this month!  9 books for a total of 3,250 pages. That’s an average of 105 pages a day!  I have a feeling February will go back to my normal average. But wow!  Kicking off the new year right. So here we go.....

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough (692 pages). This is one of those novels that I feel like I already knew all about without having read it. The novel begins when Meggie Cleary is 4 years old and living in New Zealand as the only daughter in a large family. They move to Australia to help run her aunt’s sheep farm (a small 250,000 acres of land!). There, 10 year old Meggie first meets 28 year old Father Ralph de Bricassart. And thus began a lifelong passionate love that defied the Church, distance and time. It was an epic story that spanned over 50 years. So much drama. So much detail. Yet it went so quickly. The Cleary family themselves were quite fascinating. I finished in 9 days. 

When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke (221 pages). This was a re-read for me. Oke is one of my favorite Christian authors. I recently started watching the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart. And remembered how much I loved the book series (which is entirely different than the television series). Toronto-born Elizabeth Thatcher moves to the Canadian West to teach. She meets her brother’s good friend, North West Royal Mounted Policeman Wynn Delaney. While their attraction is immediate, Wynn feels that his job and a wife are not compatible. But can love convince him otherwise?  I finished in a day. 

When Comes the Spring by Janette Oke (255 pages). Book 2 in the series. Spoiler alert- love did conquer all. Wynn and Elizabeth marry and head off to their first assignment together. But is Elizabeth truly equipped to handle the rigors of the far North?  Especially in a world where white women are the minority. I finished in a third of a day. 

When Breaks the Dawn by Janette Oke (223 pages). Book 3 in the series. Elizabeth and Wynn are firmly established in their post town. They have friends and a purpose (Wynn as a lawman and Elizabeth as a teacher again). But life is never easy and Elizabeth’s dream of starting a family with Wynn never seems to come true. I finished in a third of a day.

When Hope Springs New by Janette Oke (222 pages). Book 4 in the series. Elizabeth and Wynn make their way to their new posting. In an even more remote village where Elizabeth is the first white woman to ever be seen by the Indians. Her isolation is almost more than she can bear. But when a tragedy strikes the village, Elizabeth finds a strength she never knew. Sadly, the same tragedy that finally endears them to the village results in their departure from the village. But new adventures await in a much more civilized town. I finished in a third of a day. 

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (602 pages). So clearly, this month was a month of classics!  This is one of those books that I thought I knew the plot. Twins Cal and Aron, right?  Right, but so much more than that. It’s the story of the Samuel Hamilton family (modeled after Steinbeck’s grandfather, and yes, the author makes an appearance) and the Trask family.  And how they all end up in Salinas Valley. Cal and Aron only play a role in the second half of the book. You know, after their mother abandoned them after shooting their father in the shoulder. It’s a story of family and forgiveness and timshel (thou mayest). I finished in 12 days. 

Beyond the Gathering Storm by Janette Oke (253 pages). Book 5 in the series. This book focuses on Elizabeth and Wynn’s adopted children. Henry has followed in his dad’s footsteps and become a Mountie. Christine moves to a big city and seems willing to sacrifice her beliefs for a man. But both of them know who their parents raised them to be. I finished in one day. 

When Tomorrow Comes by Janette Oke (256 pages). Book 6 in the series. Again, the focus is on the Delaney children. Henry has found true love. But Christine doubts herself and her decisions after her broken engagement to the wrong man. She knows the Lord is always in control. But all she wants is to return to her beloved North. I finished in a day. 

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli (526 pages, which included some appendices). I find Marilyn to be a fascinating and tragic figure. This book only served to prove me right. The amount of research this author did is staggering. And actually makes me believe that the only Kennedy with whom Marilyn truly had a relationship was Pat, Jack and Bobby’s sister. Yes, she did have a one weekend affair with JFK. Yes, she did talk to RFK on several occasions, as she considered him an inspiring man. But the only long term relationship was with Pat. To be honest, Marilyn’s relationships (or lack thereof) simply broke my heart for her. I wonder how different her life could have been if she’d just stayed a simple unknown Norma Jeane. Or if she’d been born later, when people would have been better able to cope with her mental illnesses. I also now want to watch more of her movies. She truly wanted to be a great actress. And constantly challenged herself to be more than just Marilyn Monroe. I finished in 10 days. Because I had to!

This month’s favorite was ....The Thorn Birds. Although I truly loved the Marilyn biography. 

December (and 2018) is done. So here are the books

I feel like I did okay this month.   A total of 5 books, 2103 pages, at an average of 68 pages per day. 

A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (1051 pages plus all those dang pages with the family lineages). It was weird to go back in time with the story. Jojen is still alive. Hodor (sob, hiccup, sob some more) is still alive and Hodor’ing. Ramsey is still alive (boo). Jon Snow still knows nothing and isn’t on to his second life (and a relationship with his aunt).  Arya still has no name. Maergery is still queen and Tommen is her king. And Cersei takes her (literal) walk of shame. Actually, there were so many things that I had forgotten because they happened so long ago in the show (or because they didn’t make it to the show and it was new info). I don’t typically say this, but the show has become so much better than the book that I was just ready to be done with this one. And, to be honest, I’m not sure I’ll even purchase and finish the series if Martin ever finishes writing it! I finished in 18 days. 

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (401 pages). When their heretofore unmet Aunt Elspeth passes away in London and leaves them her flat (with express instructions that they must live there together for a year before selling it), mirror-image twins Julia and Valentina decide to take advantage and move. They have never been apart; in fact, they are almost one person. They slowly begin to make friends with their neighbors, Elspeth’s younger lover Robert and OCD stricken Martin. They also come to realize that death isn’t always the end.  And that their aunt had more secrets up her sleeves than anyone realized (and was kind of a selfish bitch). I legit couldn’t put it down. I found myself so intrigued. I finished in 2 days. 

The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel (426 pages plus notes). I knew this had been turned into a movie, but I had no idea what it was about. It was fascinating!  During WWII, the Allied governments established the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives division in an attempt to save as much as they could from Hitler (either being taken by his troops or destroyed by them). This is the story of just a handful of the Monuments men (as they were called).  I guess, as an American, I never really think about war in my own front yard (so to speak). Once we got rid of the British and finished our family squabble, we’ve been a war-free zone. We also, being a country for less than 250 years, don’t really have the centuries of artwork and architecture that Europe has. It warmed my heart to know that people, even in the face of war, realized the importance of culture. I finished in 8 days. 

Horse Sense & Savvy by Hunter D. Darden (136 pages). This was just a collection of columns about her life and observations that the author had written for the Charlotte Observer. It was easy, it was cute. Honestly, it was just a short little book that had been sitting on my shelf for years and needed to be read. That’s about all I have to say about that. I finished in 1 day. 

Incest by Marquis de Sade (89 pages). I’m pretty sure I bought this book after watching Quills, a movie about de Sade’s time in the mental hospital. The title pretty much says what the story was about.  Honestly, for blue work, it was pretty tame. Well, except for the subject matter. Which was disturbing TO SAY THE LEAST. This man groomed his daughter into an incestuous relationship with him. And it was awful. Super disturbing ending too. I finished in 2 days. 

This month’s favorite was ....Her Fearful Symmetry. Although The Monuments Men was absolutely fascinating.