And Then There Were None

 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Classic Fiction. Audiobook
I can see why this is a classic. If you haven’t read this, you really need to. So well-read in the audio version.


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Tie Tying

 Michelle sent this picture that really touched my heart.  They didn't even know she took it from the hallway.  

It reminded me of a zone conference we attended while on our mission.  President Smith took time to teach the elders how to tie their ties. He did just what Brian is doing in this picture.  He got behind one of the elders and demonstrated how to properly tie a tie.  It made me cry.  I realized that not every boy has a father like Brian.  What a great dad.

In Love With Books

 

The Lost Year

 

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Historical Fiction. Physical book.
This is a powerful book about a part of world history that I knew nothing about. I appreciated the contrast between that horrible time in history (1930s) and the 2020 pandemic. It is a sad story, but one that teaches and informs. We are discussing it at our upcoming online family bookclub.


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BYU Bound

 
Our grandson got his acceptance letter and is BYU bound!  He's hoping to serve his mission first but has BYU to look forward to after.  We are so excited for him!  Way to go, Nathan!

After You

 

After You by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fiction. Physical book
This is the second book in the series, following Me Before You. I didn’t like Will in the first book. He was so selfish, leaving pain and destruction in the wake of his decision. This book continues the story of Louise and her healing process. I liked it better, but again, it had one character that I couldn’t stand: Lily. She was so rude and selfish and out of control. I guess it runs in the family. I also didn’t like how Lou lets her take advantage of her. I almost quit reading because it was so irritating. But the book also has admirable characters and it’s a good story. It does leave you hanging in the end. I guess I’ll have to read the third and last book of the series. Maybe next year?


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The Lost for Words Bookshop

 

The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fiction. Audiobook.
Another good story set in an English bookshop. The main character is trying to keep her terrifying past a secret by keeping her head down and doing her job well in the bookshop. But caring people help her and love her, breaking down her barriers. I really enjoyed the English accent of the reader.


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Big Little Lies

 

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fiction. Physical Book
I didn’t want to like it. It had rough stuff in it. But I did like it. It kept me turning pages and very involved with the likeable characters. I think what I liked best about it is that it was it was a story of loyal friendship. It taught such an important lesson on judging others.


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Sweet Valentines

 We have the cutest little family in our neighborhood.  They have four darling children.  The two youngest brought us sweet Valentines.

The Four-year-old pointed to this and said ,"This is your name."  If you are discerning, you can see it says "brother."

Their sweet love notes brightened our day.

The People on Platform 5

 

The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fiction. Physical book.
This book has some modern underlying themes and vocabulary that I am uncomfortable with, but overall, I liked this book. I loved how people broke down cultural barriers and chose to care about one another, creating a sense of community and friendship. The characters are well-defined and memorable. I finished the book a couple of weeks ago, but still think of them and have to remind myself that they are not real. 3 ½, okay maybe 4 stars from me.


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What You Are Looking For is in the Library

 

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fiction Audio Book
I admit I have a weakness for books written by Japanese authors, set it Japan, that immerse me in Japanese culture. This is one of those. I lived in Japan for 1 ½ years and love “going back” through books. I loved the wisdom of the librarian and the theme that books can help us overcome our problems and challenges and help us move forward. I listened to the audio version and loved the different voices. It was so well done. 3 ½ stars.


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Considering this for my epitaph

 This is so me . . .

A Painted House

 

A Painted House by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Historical Fiction
My dad was an avid reader. He was a doctor and would always get up early in the morning and read before work. After his retirement, he would walk to the library, check out a bag full of books, bring them home and consume then. He always had two books going at the same time. I once asked him what his favorite book was. He named three:
1) The Education of Little Tree
2) The Grapes of Wrath
3) This one.
I finally read this one- even his copy of it. I see why he liked it so much. It is well-written from the perspective of a seven-year-old boy. It is full of memorable characters. It is a page-turning story, immersing the reader in the life of poor southern cotton farmers: their family life, their struggles, their tragedies and triumphs. I would give it 5 stars, but lowered it to 4 because of the violence.


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Little Free Library Hopping

 I have a new favorite hobby:  Little Free Library Hopping!  Little Free Library is a program set up by San Jose' State University.  People can register with them, put up a Little Free Library box, and fill it with books to give away.  Little Free Library sends them a plaque to put on their box, making them part of the system. 

  You download the app.  On the app is a map that marks the locations of the Little Free Libraries in your area. You can just go from box to box, taking any books, you are interested in, and leaving any books you would like to donate.  It is so fun!  I just have a bag full of books in my trunk that I want to donate.  Whenever I am out and about, I can check the app, choose a location, click on it, and GPS will guide me to that box.  When I find a book I might be interested in, I check my goodreads app and see what it is rated and read about it.  If it looks good, I take it.  I always get in my trunk and leave at least as many books as I take in each box.

This is a well-maintained/ stocked one close to our home.

Thanks to my friend, Jen who got me started on this.  She has a free library by her house (I keep forgetting to take a picture of her cute box) and loves to go Little Free Libary hopping, too.

This is my idea of FUN!  

Flood

 

Flood by Richard Martin Stern
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It started a little slow and I had a hard time keeping the characters straight at first, but it ended up being very exciting and very good story. This is a novel, but it could and it has happened. This is an old book. It was my mother’s. It even still smelled like our basement bookshelf. That was a nice bonus!

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Prepared Meals at Costco: Stuffed Green Peppers

 It has been a while since we tried a prepared meal from Costco.  We really liked these stuffed green peppers.  And they were great leftover too.  

Advice to Writers from One of the Best Ever

From C.S. Lewis:

 

Lisi Makes Dinner

 Five-year-old Lisi got a children's cookbook for Christmas.  The other night, she made dinner for her family of eight.

Looks delicious and healthy!  Good job Lisi!