A New Constellation - A Memoir - by Ashley Mae Hoiland

I ordered this memoir because I enjoyed her first book, One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly, so much. This is the unfolding story of a young mother's experience of being diagnosed and learning to live with MS. It's a wonderful, vulnerable and deep account of her thoughts and reactions to this shifting of her world. There's her lovely poetic view and appreciation for human kindness. There isn't much about her faith or calling on it at all, which surprised me. I think anyone who is suddenly faced with a life-altering crisis, especially a health one, would relate to this book. It's a quick 86-page read, but probably not one I would read a second time.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This was sitting in the Bismarck used bookstore, and I recalled having read it before, but I couldn't remember when. I had a positive vibe about the cover, so I thought, I'll give this one another try. It seemed the perfect summer read. And it is!

I love coming of age stories, and this one is particularly poignant and painful and hopeful. It is beautifully written. I could relate to Lily (the 14-year old whose point of view this book is written from) and her fascination with the women in the house she moves to, with their worship, and with the young man who also works at the house.  The time period, 1964, against the backdrop of emerging civil rights struggles in the South, is also very appealing to me. I lived this period, but was isolated from most of the pain in California.

The characters are wonderful, real, and complex. I want to be like the patient mentor August, who gently guides Lily through her confusion and loneliness. I want to be as trusting and pure as Rosaleen and May whose hearts are good and joyful. T.Ray, Lily's abusive father is hate-worthy, but his pain is almost palpable, so I'm less inclined to judge him harshly. This story is subtle and nuanced, with wonderful analogies about bees, honey, and life. And despite the painful and tragic circumstances, the story shows that courage and goodness and humanity are abundant in this world. And of course I loved the happy ending. I would enjoy reading a sequel that lets us see Lily navigate college and the civil rights movement...

One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly by Ashley Mae Hoiland

This book is like poetry. Her sentences are so packed with meaning, it has to be read slowly and savored, word by word. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. I love this author's perspective. She is open, she is faithful, she is inclusive. She inspires me to be better, especially within my often narrow focus. She writes beautifully and faithfully about her spiritual experiences and chafes positively against some LDS culture. In particular, she values the spiritual journeys of others. This is so refreshing. I love that this book is published by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at BYU. This gives me hope for our culture becoming more inclusive. Love it. I am reading it through for the second time...

Stone Cold by David Baldacci

One strong memory I have of summers growing up is seeing my mother laying on her bed, in front of the swamp cooker, enjoying a good read before enjoying the luxury of an afternoon nap. She enjoyed this author, and often exchanged these books with my cousin Stan's wife, Sharon. So when I saw this in the used bookstore in Bismarck, I thought if might be fun to pick it up and enjoy a summer read myself.

I think some of his other books are better, although it's been a long time since I've read one. This one is a real page-turner, with lots of tension and action, as the different threads of the story come together. Unfortunately, the characters are rather shallow, even though the story is good. The young father who begins the story is actually a hit man, systematically killing the CIA/FBI and other assorted spies who discredited his father and Russian-born spy mother. Lots of action, lots of interesting sites around DC and different modus operandi. It was the perfect "getaway" read this summer and totally engrossed me the hours I read it. Engrossing, but also a little disappointing that the characters weren't more interesting...

NOT worth reading again, but okay for what it is...

An Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof

This book was a list emailed to me by my sister Jane. This title intrigued me, and since it was on the list of perfect summer reads, I ordered a used copy from Amazon.

I was hoping for more story, more insights, and more depth. However, this author did gather and invent some delicious-sounding recipes as she and her husband explored the Caribbean. It was interesting to read about the couple's preparation to leave their lives in Toronto to live on their sailboat and sail for a year or two. Their struggles and adventures were mildly interesting and rather well-described. Would I bother to read it again? Probably not. But the unusual ingredients and people they met make me want to cook some of the exotic recipes. The local people were the most interesting characters, and it was also fun to get a peek into the "cruisers'" lifestyle.