The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

 

Book Title: The Last House on the Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Audiobook Performer: Susan Bennett
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Content Rating: R (mature themes, racial injustice, violence, murder, language)

This was my first Diane Chamberlain book, and it did not disappoint! I went into this one mostly blind, which I don't typically do. But it was audio, so I didn't have a book jacket handy to read a run-down. I knew it had an eerie/creepy aspect to it, but not too scary. But beyond that, I really didn't know what to expect. 

This book is written in dual timeline (1965 and 2010), which is a format I really enjoy. We begin by meeting Kayla in 2010, an architect whose husband died after falling from a ladder while helping build their dream home. After a mysterious visit from a woman who advises Kayla not to move into the house at the end of the street, Kayla is understandably shaken.

Then we meet Ellie, a well-to-do white twenty year old who joins civil rights activists one summer in North Carolina, much to the chagrin of her family and friends.

As the two stories unfold, these two women will find themselves connected in unexpected ways. 

While I was able to figure out some of what was coming, there were a few extra twists I wasn't expecting. And the story itself was very compelling. I think the narrator did an excellent job, which is a big deal for me with fiction, it turns out. 

Definitely a good read, though it makes me sad to contemplate that these kinds of things really happened. Hate is so destructive. 

Content warnings: some language, racial injustice, murder

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

 

Book Title: Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Author: Beverly Cleary
Book Series: Ramona Quimby series
Reading Level: middle-grade (3rd through 5th grade)
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: G
Tidbit: Eight-year old Ramona Quimby is just trying to survive 3rd grade and do as well as she possibly can at the job she's been assigned in her family.

Third grade isn't for wimps! Just ask Ramona Quimby. When Ramona's father decides to quit his job and go back to school, some things in the Quimby household have to change. Ramona's biggest responsibility is getting along with 4 year old Willa Jean, the granddaughter of the woman who watches Ramona and her sister after school. It's not a job Ramona enjoys. She also doesn't enjoy the cheaper meat her mom prepares for meals; nor her new classmate, whom she refers to as Yard Ape. When Ramona overhears something her teacher says after an egg-fad gone wrong, Ramona is sure this will be the worst year ever. She'll soon learn, however, that there are bright spots on even the cloudy days. 

So I loved this book! I dont think I ever read it when I was young. But I'm glad my daughter did! There were a few parts that made me chuckle out loud. I loved seeing things from an 8 year old's perspective. True, I was 8 once. But that was a very long time ago, and I don't remember how things felt. It was good to be reminded that the things that are hard for my daughter right now may not be hard for me, but they ARE hard for her! I also could identify so well with Ramona's parents, now that I'm of that general age.

My daughter loved this book. She is continuing the series (though I know now that this is book 6... oops).

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

 

Book Title: The Last Green Valley
Author: Mark Sullivan
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13, possibly R for war-time violence, Holocaust content, some language
Tidbit: The Martel family, seeking safety from the Russian Red Army, follows the Nazis from Ukraine amidst the final days of World War 2 and beyond.
Quote: "Can happiness be that easy? Finding little joys in the worst moments?" and "... in broken hearts and ruins, something always glows."

This is a book about miracles. 

It is based on the true story of the Martel family, German-Ukrainians who fled Ukraine as refugees at the end of World War 2 as the Soviet Red Army advanced. Having lived under Stalin's Communist rule prior to World War 2, Emil and Adeline Martel were determined never to do so again. So when the Nazis promised them protection if they followed with the Nazi retreat, they went, even though they did not believe in the Nazi cause. But when Berlin fell, they found themselves a people without a country living in less than ideal circumstances. The family would endure heartache, loss, and separation as they sought a better life in the West, hoping for a life of freedom in the last green valley of Adeline's dreams. 

This is a book about miracles. 

It is a book about great faith. 

And also a book about a crisis of faith. 

It is a book about despair. 

It is also a book about the indomitable spirit of hope. 

It put me on an emotional roller-coaster and tore at my mama heart. But then it also warmed my heart and drew my mind back to a book I reviewed a few weeks back titled Divine Signatures. I found myself wondering which parts actually happened and which were the fictionalized part, because miraculous is the only way to describe many of the things that happened (fortunately the author's note at the end answers some of this). And while the events may seem impossible, I believe they were possible; because I believe in a God of miracles. 

"Love life like it is a miracle every day, every moment, and dream in a way that helps others... "

 

April 2022 Mom & Me Book Club: Ramona Quimby, Age 8

 

Because this is my daughter's last full month of being 8 years old, I thought it'd be fun for us to read Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary for our Mom & Me Book Club!  I'm so glad I did.  I don't know if I read this when I was around 8 or not.  I mean, I've known it existed for as long as I can remember (I was born in 1980, and this book was originally published in 1981, so it's been around for as long as I can remember ;)).  Yet I can't recall ever reading it on my own.  

Well, I loved it!  I will write more about that in my review.  But I loved it.  And so did my daughter!  She is now wanting to read the whole series.  Turns out this one is #6 in the series, which I didn't realize.

We had a lovely little book club meeting.  And we even included my 6 year old son, since his siblings were napping and I know he gets bored.  Plus, he told me he read a little bit of it too (I'm guessing the first few pages, since he remembered that Beezus and Ramona are watched in the afternoons by a grandmotherly lady).  We enjoyed graham crackers and apple juice -- the after school snack Ramona has to eat every day at Mrs. Kemp's house after school.  And we had white chocolate Reese's eggs, since it's just after Easter and I actually had some!  And because we weren't going to have raw eggs to match the cover.  LOL.  

Here were the questions I asked and we discussed:

What did you think of Ramona Quimby, Age 8?

What was your favorite part of the book?

This book was written in 1981, and a lot of things have changed since then... do you think this is a book that stands the test of time (can be popular even after 40 years)?

Do you think Ramona's job in her family (to get along with Willa Jean) was a fair one for her? Or was it too much to ask?

What did you think about the egg fad? Would you be an egg rapper or an egg whacker? Are there fads at your school?

What did you think about the kind stranger at the end? Do you think things like that happen in real life?

I appreciated the opportunity to talk about fads and whether or not to follow along.  While the egg fad was no big deal (well, Ramona might disagree!), I was able to talk to my kids about more recent fads in our society which weren't so innocuous.  Like the tide pod challenge fad.  It was a great way to talk about thinking things through and not being afraid to say, "No I'm not doing that."  I also loved that I already knew the answer from both my kids about whether they'd be an egg rapper/tapper or an egg whacker.  Ha!  I have one of each (of the two who were at our book club), and I knew who would choose what!  I'm a total egg tapper.  

I also loved our discussion about the kind stranger at the end of the book.  When I asked if they thought those kinds of things happen still today, they kind of had to stop and think about it for a bit.  My daughter decided that it could if people wanted to.  I was so glad I could share examples of it actually happening in our day too.  There is still so much good in this world and in people.  And I loved that our discussion could touch on that!

Washington: a Life by Ron Chernow

 

Book Title: Washington: A Life
Author: Ron Chernow
Audiobook Performer: Scott Brick
My Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Content Rating: PG
Quote: "Never a perfect man, [Washington] had always had a normal quota of human frailty,... But over the years, this man of deep emotions and strong opinions had learned to subordinate his personal dreams and aspirations to the service of a larger cause, evolving into a statesman with a prodigious mastery of political skills and an unwavering sense of America's future greatness. In the things that mattered most for his country, he had shown himself capable of constant growth and self-improvement... For a quarter century, he had stuck to an undeviating path that led straight to the creation of an independent republic, the enactment of the Constitution, and the formation of the federal government. History records few examples of a leader who so earnestly wanted to do the right thing, not just for himself but for his country."

At 42 hours on audio, I can attest to the fact that this book was very thorough. While there were a few times I found my mind wandering more than I wanted it to, overall, I was engaged and I learned so much! (I definitely recommend speeding it up to at least 1.4x).

From birth to death, this is George Washington's life story. The book is very well-done, and it makes me excited that I have two more books by Chernow on my shelf to read. 

I can't possibly share everything I learned while listening, and I'm sure I did miss some awesome stuff (or have already forgotten it). But here are a few things that I didn't know before that really stood out: 

George Washington's father died when he was very young, and his mother didn't re-marry. 

Washington's relationship with his mother was never good, and, at least publicly, she was not proud of his accomplishments (and was very loyal to the King of England).

Washington never fathered any children and it is believed he may have been sterile. 

Martha had four children with her first husband, who passed away, and she outlived them all. 

This is ignorant of me, but I didn't realize The French Revolution took place so closely (time-wise) to the American Revolution. 

I also didn't realize Alexander Hamilton worked so closely with Washington. 

In the course of his life, Washington suffered  from dysentery, malaria, smallpox, and was terrified of dying from tuberculosis, as his brother died of that. 

Washington outlived all his siblings. 

Washington created The Purple Heart honor. 

Born Survivors by Wendy Holden

 

Book Title: Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Courage, Defiance, and Hope
Author: Wendy Holden
My Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
Content Rating: R for war violence and concentration camp atrocities
Tidbit: The stories of three Jewish women who carried and delivered their miracle babies while in concentration camps ruled by the Nazis.
Quote: "'The more people who know about what happened, the less likely it is to happen again, I hope,' [Anka] said. 'This is a story which should teach people that it mustn't happen again.'"

So many of the events during World War 2, and specifically the Holocaust, were horrifying and unbelievable. The worst atrocities imaginable... and then some. 

Yet even in the midst of all that unspeakable horror, there were miracles. This is the story of such a miracle. Three of them, in fact. This is the story of three Jewish women who experienced some of the worst things humans can do to each other.  But is also the story of the babies they each carried and then delivered in the worst of circumstances and the vilest conditions. It is the story of three miracle babies who were born survivors. 

I'm not sure the reason, but this book took me about 2 months to finish. Was it the heaviness of the content? Or was I just not giving it its due time, and was instead prioritizing other books over it? I'm not sure. I do feel the book was very detail heavy. The history of each mother was given before her time in the concentration camp. This one also ranks up there with one of the most raw World War 2 books I've ever read, as far as description of what life was like, particularly once these women had been taken into the concentration camp existence. It is not easy stuff. 

But so unbelievably amazing that these three women: Priska, Rachel, and Anka, fought to survive for the life they carried within them. While their bodies wasted away, another tiny body was growing within each of theirs. That alone seems impossible. Yet it happened. A true miracle. Three miracles. Proof that life - and love - can overcome hate and death. I believe, ultimately, that is the truth.

Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

Book Title: Xenocide
Author: Orson Scott Card
Book Series: Ender's Saga (book 3 of 9 total works)
Reading Level: Young Adult (YA) (but it felt like an adult book to me)
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Content Rating: PG-13 for some language and mature themes
Tidbit: When humans feel threatened by the happenings on the faraway planet of Lusitania, they send a device to destroy the whole planet and all species on it.  Andrew "Ender Wiggins" and others on Lusitania must find a way to prevent this xenocide.

On the planet of Lusitania, a human colony has begun to build. They discovered a sentient species there, one with whom they also eventually discovered they could communicate and come to understand. This species is called the pequeninos, because they are small pig-like animals. The survival of the pequenino species depends on a virus the humans call the descolada. While it is vital for the pequeninos to live and reproduce, it's detrimental to humans. The only way the humans have survived being infected by the virus is by consuming food with antivirals in it daily. But the virus is smart and adapts quickly. It's only a matter of time before the virus can mutate faster than the humans can create a new antidote. As such, the humans in the Starways Congress have decided to destroy Lusitania to protect the rest of humanity from the descolada. A fleet has been dispatched with a device that will wipe out the planet and every living creature on it. Now those on Lusitania, humans and pequeninos alike with some help from the Buggers, the species which Ender almost annihilated 3000 years previously, must race against time to find a way to destroy the descolada without destroying the pequeninos AND prove that the Starways Congress has been responsible for it all.

This book is very philosophical. Which I should have known after reading book 2. That's not a bad thing. It just requires more thought than I was ready to give it. So many things to think about regarding relationships and science, and I think there are a lot of religious overtones as well. The author has a gift for creating a very complex story. The details are phenomenal. And there's some convoluted kind of stuff. Like I couldn't even begin to describe it all here because it's kind of crazy.

Now to decide if I should read the 4th in the series (according to publication date)... if I do, it won't be any time soon. My brain is tired.

Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

 

Book: Defy the Night
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Audiobook Performers: Christopher Ragland and Lexie McDougal
Series: Defy the Night (Book 1 of 2 currently announced/published)
Reading Level: Young Adult
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Content Rating: PG-13 for some language, steamy scenes, violence
Tidbit: In the Kingdom of Kandala, a sickness rages.  Tessa, an apprentice apothecary, tries to help the poorer people get the medicine they need amidst political turmoil.
Quote: "I keep my eyes fixed ahead, on the flickering torches of the arch, watching how embers fall in tiny bursts, defying the night before burning out in the water below."

Tessa is an apothecary's apprentice in The Wilds. Though officially she makes tinctures and salves for skin conditions and other such minor maladies; in her off time, she and her friend Wes are smuggling an elixir made from stolen moon flower petals to the less affluent people of Kandala so they can survive while a sickness rages. Ever since watching her parents die at the hand of the night patrol, she's loathed King Harriston and Prince Corrick, the King's Justice. 

Meanwhile, in the palace, King Harriston and Prince Corrick have problems of their own. With moon flowers not in abundant supply, they rely heavily on certain areas of the kingdom to provide the life-saving petals. Smugglers are starting to attack the supply trains, and the King and his Justice will have to make examples of any who are caught to send a message. 

This YA fantasy is well-done, and I enjoyed it. I generally love books with dual perspectives, and this one did not disappoint. I listened to the audio, which was read by two people. I'm not going to lie: when Christopher Ragland was reading the dialogue for Tessa, I kind of cringed and had a hard time taking it seriously. In that respect, I think I would have enjoyed the hard copy more. But the story itself was good and engaging. I'll definitely read the next one (the cover has been revealed for it, so I'm guessing it'll be out soon-ish). 

There is some language, a steam level below Twilight (and though the romance aspect definitely plays a part in the story, there's much more to the story than that), and some pretty descriptive violence for a YA (in my opinion), but far less than in the Ember in the Ashes series (which is a series I loved).

The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

 

Book: The Way They Learn: How to discover and teach to your child's strengths
Author: Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
My Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Content Rating: G
Tidbit: A look at a variety of learning styles to help parents understand their children better.
Quote: "...each person is a complex and unique combination of natural strengths and preferences."

This was one of my backlist reads! My friend, who has home-schooled two of her daughters, shared it with me 3 or 4 years ago; because she knows I've considered home-schooling since before my oldest started Kindergarten. While we haven't chosen to home-school yet, it's always a possibility. So I was grateful for this read!

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I chuckled a few times at the stories the author included (especially those about she and her husband who seem pretty much opposites). I also couldn't help seeing myself and my husband in a few of the category descriptions. And it explains SO much. 

To give you an example, I'm the kind of Concrete Sequential list-maker who adds items to my list that weren't originally on said list, but which I accomplished, just so I can cross them off. My husband optimizes EVERYTHING, including toilet paper, and I think it drives him crazy that my brain doesn't work that way.

That said, I love that she cautions us not to pigeon-hole ourselves or others, because though we may have certain dominant ways of learning and perceiving information, we still have aspects of other types. And we can learn other types too!

I just thought this book was a great look at different types of intelligences as well as different learning types. Now I'll try to notice how my kids learn best!

If I have any complaints, it's that I think it needed a little more editing checks.