Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley

The eighth in the series about Flavia deLuce, this book delighted me. While the murder was macabre and messy, the story was delightful. I liked it much better than #7, which was set in Canada in a boarding school. I enjoy Flavia much more in her English environment with her local characters. It was the perfect book to chuckle over and enjoy while acclimating to the cold climate and new surroundings of our new home in Bismarck. At Christmastime with no family around, it cheered me up, and gave me many a light chuckle.

The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D.

I read a summary of the ideas in this book online and was intrigued. Greene seemed to have a lot of experience and a very compassionate attitude toward troubled children. So, I thought I'd take a deeper look and ordered a copy.

It basically is a book with lots of ideas and sample dialogues about how to interact with troubling children. The author encourages parents to make an inventory of the behaviors and "lagging skills" so that they can develop an approach of "problems to be solved."

I like the approach. I like the idea that kids are troubling when they have skills that are lacking and I love the idea of purposefully teaching these skills. Then, the thinking goes, they will have the needed skills to solve problems. And lead a less tumultuous life.

The best argument for this approach is that typical approaches like repeated time-outs or uncomfortable consequences do NOT work with explosive children. They make the problems WORSE and make family life impossible and painful.

I was amazed that in their parenting, Mike and Sierra already use many of these problem-solving techniques very effectively and intuitively with their children. They explain consequences and invite mutual problem-solving. I'm going to give them the book anyway, because it may give them a few additional ideas or tweaks. Gratefully, NONE of their children is an explosive child as described in this book...the children in the examples sound like unholy terrors. But still, all children can have temper tantrums, and it might be useful to consider some "lagging skills" as a root cause.

Christie Classics by Agatha Christie

I have always loved mysteries and began reading Agatha Christie while I was still in high school. Our Rapid City book club was going to read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, so I jumped on board. The cheapest version I could find online was a compilation of Christie classics. So I began with the Roger Ackroyd story, which was very enjoyable, though dark and hard for me to follow. The book club discussion made me appreciate it more, however, and I decided to read the others in the book.

And Then There Were None
The Witness for the Prosecution
Philomel Cottage
Three Blind Mice

were the other classics included in this compilation. They were all enjoyable, and so well-written! It's a pleasure to read such wonderful prose and to be charmed and horrified by the characters. I may just keep this around to enjoy again another time...

Red Notice by Bill Browder

My sister Jane recommended this book to me, probably because she's interested in finance. It was hard for me to grasp the financial ideas, but the suspense and the corruption of the Russians was clear to me... An interesting book, a depressing book, one that held my interest, but not one I would read again...

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

When I was in Napa for the 60th anniversary of Kublers on the ranch, I got ample time to talk books with both Jane and Ann. It's always interesting to hear their take on things, and often their taste in books is different from each other. But they both recommended this book to me; they agreed it was well worth reading. And so I ordered it and just got to it this past week.

It was a little confusing to me at first; the plot unfolds from different points in the past. You, as the reader, ask yourself why things got to this point before you read the why. It's an effective foreshadowing technique, but it took me awhile to catch on to it. The switch, by chapter, of telling the story was easier to follow. Both the young German boy and the young French girl had fascinating lives that were beautifully revealed through metaphor, example, and conversations. The writing of this author is not exactly what I would call poetic; I would call it arresting and beautiful. Filled with light...that metaphor plays out consistently and with a great deal of variety.

I love interesting characters and this story delivers them in multitudes. It also re-illuminated for me why the French cannot tolerate the Germans, even to this day. One time I was speaking German to my French friend in Paris, and the people in the cafe became incensed. Of course this was the 1970's; perhaps it's different now? But this story helped me remember the deep resentment the French harbor against the Germans, and what caused it.

I also enjoyed the way Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was a recurring theme in the story, and snippets were quoted in the book. Of course I always enjoy French and German language phrases, and these were easily understandable I admired the way the author portrayed the young German fighting his conscience and how he emerged courageously at the end. The bravery of the French girl and her resourcefulness were also so admirable. I loved her great uncle Etienne, and his struggle with extreme anxiety and agoraphobia. I loved so much about this story...even though it was set in a harsh time with very tough challenges...I'm not sure I would want to take it on again...all of the pain and the suspense and the hunger are not peace-inducing to someone like me who likes to read before sleeping! Yet this story was compelling, beautiful, and worth the struggle to read, despite the hardships so vividly described.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

What a delightful find! I was clearing out my classics collection in preparation for our move to Bismarck and realized I hadn't ever read this one. It is a captivating and inspiring story of Rebecca's courage and fortitude. It often reminded me of Anne of Green Gables...a poor girl with remarkable talents and gifts. Although it was written for a young audience, the themes and insights are mature. And there are marvelous ironic observations of the characters made by the author. It's also a wonderful look into another time...The setting is Maine in the early part of the 1900's.  I loved the look into the schooling opportunities that Rebecca had. I also liked that Rebecca's future wasn't settled by the end of the book. One wonders what path she took, and whether Mr. Aladdin was able to marry her. She's a remarkable and humble heroine whom I would recommend to any young reader who is sophisticated enough to also appreciate some difficult language and lovely poetry.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

I found this delightful book in my shelf of classics as we prepare to downsize from out townhome to (possibly?) an apartment to accept a calling in Bismarck. I am trying to decide what is worthy of keeping in hard copy vs. what is ripe to give away. And is it worth saving for the grandchildren?

I'm not sure about this one. I enjoyed the sweet little stories that make up each chapter, but they were not exciting. I mean, I enjoyed them, but not sure a younger reader (like John or Henry) would. I loved learning about the life lessons each of Black Beauty's owners taught, and what stood out most was the love and care for and value of family. It also contains a lot of vignettes that reveal how the poor in England, and in London in particular, survived during this transition between the horse era and the "modern" era of trains, etc. I've always been intrigued by this time period and the tragic way life was lived in order to survive, particularly the children.

I am a horse-lover, so I enjoyed hearing things from his (Black Beauty's)point of view. I'm not sure I treated our horses (while I was growing up) with the care I should have--this book definitely advocates for kindness in training!

This particular copy is old, and probably why it's still around is that it has a Paso Robles address hand-written in it. I'm wondering how it came to us. Perhaps from Grandma Louise Austin? Still, I think it's a give-away. It was enjoyable and light reading, good lessons, but not probably one I will pick up again.

The Crucible of Doubt by Terryl Givens and Fiona Givens

This is an amazing book that came to me at precisely the right time. My wonderful friend (and LDS counselor) Trish prepared a presentation for us Stake Welfare Specialists to adapt and use in our Stake on dealing with questions of faith and doubt. She based much of her presentation on another book, Planted (by Mason), and as I considered buying it, I kept reading reviews that referred to this Givens book that intrigued me. I eventually ordered both of them, but it's this one, the Givens' book, that I return to again and again.

Essentially, this book opened up my view to the breadth and depth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My view was limited by my lack of knowledge and history and probably other things as well! I am not a particularly deep or disciplined thinker. These authors opened up my thinking and helped me throw off chains that were holding me back! And they do it in such a faith-promoting and wonderful way...

I suggested to our great friend Levi that he read it, and we spent a rich Sunday afternoon discussing it among the four of us -- his wife, and Len. We all came away uplifted and revived by the ideas and the discussion as we sampled some of our favorite parts and discussed them. He said, "This book changed my life!"

I lent it to my deep friend Christy, and she graciously underlined her favorite parts...but we haven't had a chance to discuss it together yet. She underlined some amazing passages that I missed, so I'm looking forward to a walk and talk with her.

I read an excerpt to my friend Ramona, who promptly asked me to copy it into her hospital log so she could share it with her family. I have read enough of it to Leonard that he has become a big advocate as well! We have realized our study of church history has been too shallow. This book helps us uncover how we could more faithfully and appropriately move forward.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

This book came highly recommended by both Troy and Levi (brothers-in-law) as well as many others. I have wanted to read it for a long time, and when my friend Kathy lent it to me, I was delighted to be able to finally read it.

It was a wonderful, gut-wrenching read. This young man who chronicles his decisions related to his cancer is a moving writer. He's so honest and open about his feelings and his experiences that I was drawn in immediately. This is a courageous person! His thinking about life and its meaning was enlightening to read. Very good.  I was weeping several times as he describes his joys and his pain...

It also made me think about issues of death vs. quality of life. Of cancer treatment vs. a natural approach. It surprised me that he didn't reach into the spiritual realm of his religion more or even describe this part of his experience more. Still, a very worthwhile and rich experience.

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I read a review of this on a book list somewhere, found it used on Amazon, and ordered it to read on the flights to and from our Florida cruise. It was a good book for that, fairly light, and fairly intriguing as different outcomes to choices are explored in the story. Kind of a choose your own adventure kind of book. The characters were fairly interesting...but not enough to make me want to lend it out or read it again.

Sometimes I think I'm in the mood for something light, but when I choose with this in mind, I'm often disappointed. I guess I really do like some substance or at least a good laugh or some redeeming and uplifting value. Not here. Not this time.