Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer

This was an intriguing and heart-wrenching book. Beautifully written with deep and interesting characters. I also enjoyed the religious discussions that were challenging for me to understand. Great writing and great humor. I think I'll read it again so I can comment more fully. I must also remember to lend it to Kathy Kovarik. I think she would appreciate it.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

It's surprising to me that so many reviewers on Amazon had such high praise for such a vapid book! My dear sister Ann, whom I treasure as much as life itself, recommended it too. But I'm sorry to say, the characters were shallow, the setting dreadful, the conversations predictable, and the plot empty. Out it goes.

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

I read this as an escape during a challenging summer. I wanted a "get away from it all" book and hoped this was a good one. It was a sweet story with engaging black and white illustrations, but not a particularly memorable story.  I think it would light a child's imagination with the cool way of life the Krakatoa people live and all of the inventions. I might have to give this one a second read to see if with my improved mood, if my appreciation will grow. But I believe a great book would have been able to crack through anything! We'll see... du Bois' writing style is charming, however, and his author's note about the similarities between his story and one by F. Scott Fitzgerald is intriguing indeed!

Amazed by Grace by Sheri Dew

This little book, only 70+ pages long, was an invitation to consider the meaning of Grace and how to embrace it and extend it. Sheri Dew is an accessible writer even though she has considerable intellectual gifts. Her fresh interpretations of principles, along with her personal stories, always uplift and inform me. She encourages me to be more devoted to the principles I know to be true, and to live them more completely. Ramona gave me this book, and I've read it twice. There were fresh insights the second time through, although that might be more a function of my age and attention!

Persuasion by Jane Austen

This wonderful book felt vaguely familiar. I thought I was reading it for the first time, but maybe not!? I must have read it before, because I anticipated many of the events. Still, it was an enjoyable, idyllic read.

Reading this one, though short, was more effort than I remember in most of my Austen reading. Her long sentences and word choices gave me frequent pause. It's not a fast and easy read; it's a challenging read. Like all of Austen's work, though, it's well worth the effort!

The overlooked and undervalued sister who unselfishly serves without thought of reward is an admirable character. That the love of her youth would remain steady over eight years was a heartening example of devotion! I think I love Austen because she loves what I love: nobleness of character, loyalty, and integrity.

Quiet

This is a fabulous book! I can't wait to get it back after book club! I lent it to someone and now it's gone...

Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes

My friend Darci gave me this book because she knows I often work on the reservations here in South Dakota. I have found the Lakota people to be fascinating and inspiring. I have found their challenges to be incredibly difficult and hope I can be a support in improving educational opportunities for children on the reservation. I like to expand my understanding of our state's history and this book gave me a perspective I hadn't read before.

Mary Crow Dog chronicles her life in the early 1970's. She describes what it was like to be involved in the American Indian Movement, the siege of Wounded Knee, and the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. I related to much of what she describes, because at that point in time I was involved with anti-war (Viet Nam) protests in the Bay Area. The sense of purpose, the ignorance, the sociality, and the idealism were all things to which I could relate.

I was alternately impressed and disappointed as she described her relationship with leader Leonard Crow Dog. They were adventurous and brave and often foolish. It was especially disheartening to read about Crow Dog's spiritual life. Mary took great pains to describe how serious and relevant Lakota ceremonies are, and yet often described how certain aspects were disregarded when it was inconvenient. It's hard to take someone or someone's practice seriously when they themselves didn't honor it. It feels more like an adventure than a sacrifice...although there was much hardship and sacrifice involved.

In some ways this view of history is very superficial and describes actions and hardships but lacks any analysis or deep understanding of what brought the actions about. It's an interesting ride, and a perspective I hadn't read before, but sadly lacking in generating empathy for the movement and the struggle.