The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

 

Title: The Accidental Beauty Queen
Author: Teri Wilson
My Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Content Rating: PG
Tidbit: Identical twins pull a swap during a beauty pageant when one of them has an allergic reaction that alters her features in this romantic comedy.

I recently felt I needed something light and fluffy, and The Accidental Beauty Queen definitely delivered! This was a book club pick for my in-person book club, and it was a fun read for February!

Charlotte's identical twin Ginny has been in beauty pageants for a long as they both can remember. This is Ginny's last shot to win the crown for Miss American Treasure before she ages out of the pageant. So when she wakes up early one morning with her face severely swollen from an allergic reaction, her only solution is to have Charlotte, her identical, yet not-so-glamorous twin, compete in her place for the preliminaries. Will Charlotte be able to pull off the switch AND deal with the sparks flying between her and the hottie she met while walking her sister's dog?

It was a fun and easy read. Rather predictable, but it was a rom-com, so I expected that. Charlotte's character is a school librarian with a passion for books, so I enjoyed the bookish references throughout the story. In terms of steaminess, it's definitely clean and has a small bit of mild language. If you enjoyed the movie Miss Congeniality, you'll enjoy this book too.

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The Boys by Ron & Clint Howard

 

"I learned that success didn't need to be painful or punishing, though it did require hard work."

Book: The Boys: a memoir of Hollywood and Family
Authors: Ron & Clint Howard
Audibook performers: Ron & Clint Howard
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13/R (for language, drug use, and some sexuality)
Tidbit: Nostalgic memoir about Ron and Clint Howard's life in Hollywood and show-business.

This was a fun book, and I do recommend it on audiobook, because you can hear Ron and Clint tell their story. There's just something added when you hear their own tones and inflections as they share the stories of their lives growing up in Hollywood.

I love that they started with the story of their own parents: Rance and Jean Howard. It was so fascinating to hear how they got started in acting, what kept them going, and what drove them to pursue different aspects of the Hollywood life. Ron's drive to become a director was really impressive, and really loved how he focused on the value and importance of hard work. I appreciate how Clint was honest about his own past with drugs and the choice he made to get sober.

There's a lot I could say. It was so fun to hear some background stories about The Andy Griffith Show as well as Happy Days. The Howards really do come across as a family that love and support each other, and I thought that was beautiful.

A bit of strong language and references to drugs and male puberty-related things are present. While the sexuality isn't particularly explicit, there are enough instances and topics covered that I think readers should be aware, particularly when listening to the audiobook with younger ears present.

Though I didn't grow up watching Ron on TV (aside from the random episode of Happy Days on Nick at Night or something), I have watched several of the movies and shows he was involved in: Apollo 13! Arrested Development!) The book just had a nostalgic feel. And you know I'm all about some nostalgia! I really enjoyed this one!

 

The Island of Sea Women -- Lisa See

 Book: The Island of Sea Women
Author: Lisa See
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13 (maybe), but also maybe R (there is a section of violence that is haunting)

I'm struggling to rate this book.

I learned a lot about something I knew nothing about: the island of Jeju off the coast of mainland Korea, where women dive into the ocean to collect sea creatures to sell and eat to support their family. While this is no longer a common vocation there, it was once a way of life in this women-focused culture. This was fascinating, especially as it is so different from my own cultural history.

This book, it was easy for me to see, was meticulously researched. Because of that, the book felt very real to me. I felt like I knew these women and had an understanding (on some level) of the lives they led and the decisions they made. The story was very well-written. Prose-heavy, but still a decent amount of dialog.

One of my struggles with this book was that it was a very slow burn, at least for me. It took me over a month to finish it, and while that may have had a lot to do with timing of when I picked it up, it was also because I didn't feel invested in the story for a long time.

My other struggle is that it was very emotionally heavy. I was not expecting quite how much it would be. The novel spans over 70 decades and includes the impact of the various occupations of other countries in the people of Jeju. Some of the events were so horrific. My heart broke for Young-sook so many times.

I did love the way it ended. Even so, there was still such a sense of sadness and loss and regret. A good reminder that forgiveness, though sometimes excruciatingly hard to give, may be the thing that saves us from regret and more loss.

It was good. Just heavy.

A Single Shard -- Linda Sue Park

     

Title: A Single Shard
Author: Linda Sue Park
Reading Level: Middle-grade
My Star Rating: 4.25/5
Content Rating: PG

Tree-Ear is a 12 year old orphan who lives with his friend Crane-Man under a bridge in 12th century Korea. Fascinated by the process of pottery-making, Tree-Ear spends many hours surreptitiously watching Min, one of the most talented potters in his village. One day, while Min is away, Tree-Ear decides to take a closer look at the potter's creations. When he accidentally breaks one of the pieces, he becomes Min's apprentice to pay off the debt of the broken piece. In time, Tree-Ear will be entrusted with Min's most prized work in order to seek a royal commission, and his life will never be the same again. 

This was such a good story! I am going to use it as a read-aloud in the not-too-distant future! It was the 2002 Newbery Winner, and I think it was well-deserved.

Pony -- R.J. Palacio

 

Book: Pony
Author: R.J. Palacio 
My star-rating: 4.25/5
Content Rating: PG-13 (mainly for violence and some more mature themes)

"The connections that bind us are astounding, as I've noted. The invisible threads weave in and around us, and tug at us in places and at times that we may not ever see, or that only make sense over time." 

When 12 year old Silas Bird watches his father ride off into the night, a captive of armed men, he doesn't fully realize he's about to leave his childhood behind. But he senses his father needs him, so he determines face his fears and go after his father, though doing so is a direct violation of what what his father has told him to do. So Silas sets off, with a white-faced horse he names Pony, and Mittenwool, a ghost only Silas can see, to rescue his father. What he finds along the way will teach him about his past and the connections which bind us to each other.

I really liked this story! I found it very engaging and beautifully written. The end definitely got my emotions swelling. The characters are rich, and I loved the spiritual aspect of the book that came with Silas's unique abilities. The book takes place in 1860 in the frontier regions, and that setting is so perfect for this novel.

There were some more gruesome and violent events and depictions in the book and some more mature themes, so I'd probably recommend this for 13 and up, based on my own readers.

A Place Called Hope -- Philip Gulley

Backlist Review from 2016

Book: A Place Called Hope
Author: Philip Gulley
Series: Hope (Book 1) (Also reference Gulley's Harmony series)
My Star Rating: 2/5 stars
Tidbit: A new chapter of Pastor Sam Gardner's life as he begins preaching in a new church.  Lost the magic, for me, of the original Harmony series.
 

For 14 years, Sam Gardner has been the pastor at Harmony Friends Meeting in his small home-town of Harmony, Indiana. Nostalgia had returned him to his roots, and a desire to help the congregation kept him there.

But Sam's sons have grown up. And, quite frankly, after 14 years of dealing with the likes of Dale Hinshaw and Fern Hampton, Sam is fed up with Harmony Friends. He is unhappy and complains often to his wife, Barbara. The truth is, it's time for a change. But Sam isn't one to just walk away. So he stays. And he gripes. Until one day, on accident, he does something his congregation views as unforgivable: while filling in for a fellow pastor, he prays a blessing over a same-gender union. Now faced with being fired by the congregation he grew up with, Sam decides not to give them the pleasure and resigns.

Jobless and in no financial position to be so, Sam begins searching for a new job. Having been black-listed by the area's Quaker superintendent, Sam struggles to find a job and wonders if he ever will. But then there is Hope. Hope Friends Meeting has been searching for a new pastor for 3 years. And they have a hunch Sam may just be the right man for the job. And, suspecting nothing else will turn up anytime soon, Sam is inclined to believe them!


***It was okay. Worth the read, because I have read all the other Harmony books. But this one definitely has a different feel. I didn't get the warm fuzzies like I always did with the Harmony books. In fact, it seems as though Sam's character is quite different. Granted, a person will change over the years... It was just surprising. And a bit disappointing.

The Nightingale -- Kristin Hannah

 Originally Read and Reviewed in 2016.

Title: The Nightingale
Author: Kristin Hannah
My Star Rating: 5/5 Stars
Tidbit: Historical Fiction set in WW2 France. A story of strong women and their resistance to German occupation, though each resisted in her own way.

2022 Commentary:  Even after almost 6 years, this book remains one of my all-time favorites.  I've never forgotten it, and I have recommended it so many times.  Such a powerful book.

My original review:
In a world at war, nothing is guaranteed. When Vianne Mauriac's husband Antoine is called up to fight for France, he leaves his wife and daughter to care for their beautiful country estate Le Jardin. At first, all is well. Vianne has a good job as a teacher and her best friend lives next door. She has a beautiful and fruitful garden and she and Sophie want for little except the presence of their husband and father.

But soon France falls to the Germans, and Germany occupies the beautiful country. Isabelle, Vianne's impulsive and often-reckless sister, arrives from a war-torn Paris and moves into Le Jardin, and soon a German captain billets at the home, a fact Vianne has no choice but to accept. A house full of love becomes a house full of tension as Vianne tries to keep Isabelle from saying anything in front of the Captain that will bring punishment for her family.

Meanwhile, Isabelle yearns to join the war and fight for French freedom. With that desire burning in her heart, she lies to Vianne and returns to Paris, joining the French Resistance and ultimately risking her life again and again to help some of the Allies escape France. Her hope is that her efforts will help the Allies win the war against Germany and liberate German-occupied France where the food and supplies for the French are as rare as they are plentiful for the Germans who occupy.

In a war that seems endless, each woman finds herself choosing between impossible choices; hoping against hope that one day, life will be "normal" once again. Both women fight the war in their own way, choosing to believe and hope for a future.

***Initially, I thought I'd give this a 4.5. But upon reflection, it occurred to me that this novel actually made me cry. That never happens. And so I decided it must be a 5. It impacted me. A lot. There were things I wish weren't in the book; but I'm a realist, and I realize that what was depicted in this novel is very likely how things actually happened. Even if I wish we, as humans, didn't have the capability to do such horrors to each other. But what a beautiful message of love and the endurance of the human spirit. Hannah has a beautiful way of wording things in many parts -- and I knew that right from the opening chapter in which I read: "...I know that grief, like regret, settles into our DNA and remains forever a part of us." The Nightingale is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time.