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2020 Fall Flurry of Holidays Challenge -- November Reviews and Discussion
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Native American Heritage Month/ Thanksgiving- it was also suitably spooky for Halloween though I technically finished on the 1st. Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline- 3 stars
This book is such an intriguing concept. It takes the Metis- First Nation myth of the Rogarou who is a werewolf type creature who haunts the roads, scaring girls and women to stay off the road at night and preventing them from other possibly dangerous situations. Joan is one that needs to be warned. Her husband Victor walked out of the house almost a year ago after an argument about selling her land for development and promptly disappeared. Joan has been a wreck since living the hard life to forget but also obsessed with searching and finding him. Waking hungover at her cousin's one morning, she wanders to the local WalMart for water and aspirin and stumbles onto a religious revival tent and the charismatic Reverend Eugene Wolff who is Victor but no longer Victor. Joan continues to hunt for this revival group to save her husband who seems to have been taken by the Rogarou with the aid of her 12 year old cousin Zeus and the local medicine lady Ajean.
The personalities of the community are fabulous and I love how the traditional myths are tied into the current politics and difficulties of the indigenous people in Canada including the land issues, religion and racism. However the connections and story could have been pulled a bit more tightly connected and fleshed out a bit more. I did enjoy especially learning some of the traditions and would like to read Dimaline's earlier book.
Native American Heritage Month plus there is a section on the true story of Thanksgiving.Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask - Anton Treuer
4 stars
This is a non-fiction book that is pretty much summed up nicely by the title. The author often speaks to groups about his culture and he compiled this book based on questions he is often asked at these appearances. Some of this information information I have I read about in other books, some of the information is applicable to many minority groups in America, and some of this information was new to me. It was a great overview of many of the issues facing Native Americans today. As someone that lives in an area of the country where the Native Americans were removed long ago, it was important to learn about Native Americans and life today is like for them. I liked that the author ended the book with an example of how everyone can make a difference to change the way things are. It was a hopeful and encouraging example of how it is possible to have hope for the situation despite the long way we have to go as a nation.
The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue by Michael J. Tougias - 4 stars - My ReviewThis book tells the true story of a 1952 Coast Guard rescue mission off the coast of Cape Cod, where two oil tankers, the Fort Mercer and the Pendleton, each broke into two sections, thirty miles apart, in the same storm. Fighting towering waves, the Coast Guard crews try various methods to get the stranded men off the ships. The story shifts between the two rescue efforts, telling the tale through eye-witness reports and interviews with survivors. The scenes of the rescues are riveting. Toward the end, the narrative shifts to the aftermath, which is not quite as captivating but needed to be told to give a complete account. Unfortunately, they could not save everyone, and the book is dedicated to both the heroic rescuers and those who lost their lives. I read this book in honor of Veteran’s Day. It was turned into a film in 2016.
Native American Heritage Month
Ill Wind by Nevada Barr
2 stars
Anna Pigeon is a park ranger and is assigned to Colorado and works at the Mesa Verde landmark. I had a hard time getting into this one. It deals with two mysterious events, one involving a friend and the other a child. Anna finds herself, yet again, in the middle of putting the pieces together on what happened and why.
I love the concept of this series but I am done with the series. As much I like Nevada Barr’s descriptions of the landscape and story ideas, the books have not truly grabbed all of my attention. I am giving this one 2 stars because of the reasons above plus I find Anna Pigeon a bit over the top with attitude with dealing with her own self demons compared to others.
ThanksgivingBittersweet - Susan Wittig Albert
3 stars
The Thanksgiving holiday is just a few days away and China Bayles is looking forward to spending it with her mother Leatha and her mother's husband Sam. Unfortunately Sam is in the hospital after suffering a heart attack and it looks as though Sam and Leatha's plans to open their former game ranch into a birder paradise might have to be shelved for the foreseeable future. China worries that Sam will never regain the strength needed to run their business and her mother cannot do it alone. A young woman named Sue Ellen is the possible answer to their prayers. She had been living with her husband at a nearby game ranch but once she learned of some illegal activity her husband was engaged in, she decided to leave the ranch - and the husband. Her experience is just what Leatha and Sam need.
China's friend MacKenzie Chambers ("Mack") becomes embroiled in suspicious activity dealing with stolen white tail deer fawns, illegal transport of deer across state lines and the suspicious death of the local veterinarian. As she tracks the felonious traffickers she learns just how lethal they can be when they target Sue Ellen because of what she knows.
This is the first of this series I have read (how brilliant to start with book #23?). I do think I liked it enough that I just might be willing to actually start with book #1.
Frankie is a Vietnam combat veteran in...
The Winter of Frankie Machine – Don Winslow – 4****
Wow, what a ride! The action is fast and furious, and deadly. Retired Mob hit-man Frank Machianno (a/k/a/ Frankie Machine) is really on his own, with no one to trust. And the reader is pretty much on her own as well. There are more potential suspects than Carter has pills. The action is non-stop and there are surprises right up to the ending. This is the first book by Winslow that I’ve read. It won’t be the last.
My full review HERE
ThanksgivingThe Christmas Mystery by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
3 stars
This is a very quick read where two NYC detectives are solving a murder related to art forgeries. This short story starts on Thanksgiving when Luc Moncrief and his partner K. Burke are assigned to the case. They have different styles, but work well together. Moncrief's background helps him look for clues in the art world, although he sometimes takes things too far. Moncrief's father also passes away in the story. K. Burke accompanies him to the funeral in Paris over the Chrismas holiday where Moncrief is on the look out for things that seem out of the ordinary. The fast past of the book was fine; Moncrief and K. Burkes personalities come through and their banter is amusing.
Indigenous People
So many characters and changes of voice to keep strait. I'm not sure what I expected, but this was totally different than my expectations. Tommy Orange said this was a tale of Urban Native Americans, but it seemed that it could have been any group of economically challenged people. I'm not sure I got the point of this book. There was so much hype when the book came out and I guess I just didn't get it.
The Gratitude Jar
This small and quick autobiographical tale, packs a punch for a rather simple idea!
We have all heard of the concept of changing your mindset with Gratitude, daily thanks through a journal, or with an actual jar. Oprah and others have been big proponents of this idea. And I believe it. That happiness, and mindset is absolutely a choice.
What is amazing about this book however, is that the author was a harried mom, and perhaps a more negative/dysthymic person. And she drank, drank excessively throughout the day, compromising her children and husband, her life felt meaningless and non-engaging. She knew she needed help and couldn't ask. But between a psychic healer and this simple gratitude task, her life changed! I love stories like that. When a person puts their mind to it, they can really transform their lives and let a new kind of love and peace in. Changed it for her children too! That is role modeling as a parent, and now two boys will grow up so differently, for the presence of their mother, and the gift of perspective (and love) that she gave them. And then wrote about it to share it with us. I hope this little book finds its way to those who need it most. Maybe my review will help that just kind of magically happen. Thankful for this group, for my group of local readers at home, for books and connections, for positivity and intentionalization, and for healing.
Native American Heritage Month
The Middle Five: Indian Schoolboys of the Omaha Tribe
4 stars
Francis La Flesche tells the story of five boys that went to a Presbyterian mission school in northeastern Nebraska.
The book is yet another eye opener on the realities of trying to find a way to learn new ways and keep the traditions.
The end of the book grab me and that image will stay with me. Well written book.
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America - Thomas King4 stars
The Inconvenient Indian is about both the history of the indigenous people of North America and how current North American culture views them today. It was a lot of information to fit into one book, but I appreciated the author using humor to break up some of the more serious aspects of the book. I have read a couple of books on Native American history and culture this month. The thing that made this one stand out was his discussion on "living" versus "dead" Indians and "legal" versus "illegal" Indians. It caused me to do a little soul searching on how often I see dead Indians instead of the living. I will definitely be aware of the danger of falling into that line of thinking in the future. That revelation alone makes this book worth reading.
News of the World by Paulette Jiles3 stars
This book universally has excellent reviews. There is an abundance of 5-star glowing reviews talking about the touching story and the memorable characters.
What did I miss?
I thought this story was…fine. (Damned with faint praise.) I did not think it was incredibly original or thought-provoking or revealing. It was a fairly short Western following Captain Kidd as he travels post-Civil War Texas to return Johanna to her aunt and uncle. Johanna was taken from her family by the Kiowa at the age of 6 and “adopted” into their tribe. Now, 4 years later, she has been exchanged for food and supplies, but she remembers only slowly returning memories of her pre-Kiowa life amongst her German family.
I wasn’t particularly intrigued by either character. They were fairly black and white. Cookie cutter depictions of what we think they should have been. The supporting cast of characters were one-dimensional. And the story itself was not engaging.
It was borderline boring.
Saving it from a 2 star review is the heartfelt ending and the excellent narration. If it weren’t for those two things, it wouldn’t have even reached middling for me.
I feel a bit bad even counting this for November’s Fall Flurry of Holidays challenge. Yes, there were Native Americans in the story, but they were not central and I do not feel that I learned anything about the Kiowa tribe. In fact, they were stereotypically portrayed as violent, scalping, child abductors. I’m gonna have to fit in something else this month to redeem myself.
There is a movie based on it coming out at Christmastime (if it hasn’t been delayed by COVID) featuring Tom Hanks. I don’t think even Tom Hanks can make me want to see this. The audiobook was only like six hours, so the movie will likely be a fairly verbatim rendition. I think I’ll pass.
I'm with you Nicole. I sometimes to often come in under the rave. This was one of those times....The Memory Cupboard: A Thanksgiving Story
This was sweet and hit all the right notes, for a ten year old and mom....Its about what matters most. Its fun to find a new Thanksgiving book each year.
Native American Heritage MonthBooks and Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich- 4 stars
This is a lovely little travel memoir by Louise Erdich. She sets off on a road/ boat trip through Ojibwe country in Minnesota and Ontario visiting the ancient pictographs which were the original books for the Ojibwe people. She explores the culture, language and ecology which very much affected the culture of her ancestors throughout her trip with her late in life baby who's father and grandparents were born and raised on the islands in the lakes. Erdich writes so beautifully about the natural world around her and the culture and history of the Ojibwe along with her attempts to learn the language and reclaim for her baby. She also reflects on being a mother again in her late 40's as well as the baby's father who is a traditional healer and able to make use of the plants native to the area and is fluent in the language.
I really enjoyed learning more about Louise Erdich, her family and being brought on this lovely trip through the lakes and islands to learn more about the Ojibwe. I had no idea about the pictographs. She also reflects on books and the theme throughout is "why books?" which has so many great responses. I would love to visit her bookstore someday.
Remembrance DayGhost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission / Hampton Sides
3.5 stars
Close to the end of WWII, there were American (and a few other nationalities) prisoners of war being held by the Japanese in the Philippines. When one POW camp was brutally massacred, the American Rangers decided to go in to rescue the POWs at another one before the same thing could happen there. This book goes back and forth between the POWs: how they came to be in the camp and their life there leading up to the rescue and the rescuers and their dangerous mission to get them out. In the end, they saved over 500 POWs, many who were sick.
This was good. I found the POWs story more interesting than the rescuers, though there were still portions of both that held my interest. The book started with a “bang”, describing the other POW camp and how almost all of them were murdered except for a very few who managed to escape. Then, it switched to the story at hand, going back and forth. It did pick up in the last half to third of the book, as the rescue was about to happen, and as it happened.
Election DayThe Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote - Elaine F. Weiss (4 stars)
This is the story of the dramatic final fight for ratification of the 19th amendment. Tennessee was the 36th state to vote on the amendment and would be the state to make the ¾ of the states needed for ratification. It follows three leading women players and a multitude of backstories on legislators, journalists, industrialists, national politicians and others revealing their fears and hopes should it pass.
Carrie Catt, leader of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA) founded by Susan B. Anthony and Sue White representing the National Women’s Party (NWP) the militant splinter group, came to push for the Suffs (nickname for the suffragettes) and Josephine Pearson came as leader of the Anti movement.
The book concludes with the dramatic vote and the wishes of one mother who made all the difference. Very well researched. But with so many players it was slow going though interesting.
November: Election DayThe Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
4 Stars
Anyone who thinks their vote doesn't matter should read this! This gave me major Nicola Yoon vibes, a YA tale set in one day of two teen strangers who meet at a Poll Station. I waited until AFTER election day to read this, mood pending. With a president elect chosen, I dug right in, and loved it.
Marva is active in politics, supporting and educating people on how to vote- when she overhears Duke, a local boy her age getting denied at the poll station- she intervenes. The two go on an adventure over the course of a day- ensuring Duke gets the chance to vote. The writing also has flashbacks to get to know the characters histories. Plus we get side stories of- Marva's cat going missing, being Instagram famous, parents being parents, and BONUS (of course)- a romantic twist!
The topics covered in this are both vast and important. Social issues galore are interwoven into the history of the characters, and reflected in how they act with each other. Racism, activism, interracial dating, police brutality, grief and loss, political activism, the meaning and value of voting, voter suppression, SO MUCH packed in- without being preachy or it taking away from the main show- the characters. Marva and Duke are both extremely likeable, while still having 3-D personalities. The only downside was that a lot of it did require some stretching in the believability department. My usual YA complaint stands- some coincidences and happenings were TOO MUCH. Also, at times the book felt a bit rushed being set over the course of 1 day.
Wow! I just loved this three hour absolutely delightful heartfelt novella! Its an audible original - you won't find it in the stores, but it should be there. Now that I think about it, it absolutely could be a movie!
Taking place over Thanksgivings over a five or so year period, we follow the Dickinson Family through the eyes of Sophie Dickinson. Not a spoiler to be found, but it's easy to fall in love with this crazy beautiful family and to see our heroine finally open her heart, as well as her kitchen. By the end I was absolutely crying - and it put me in the perfect Thanksgiving mood, only minus the aromas and delicacies that come from "The Little Plum" restaurant and Sophie herself. Beautifully done!
Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly 2 stars(found on the Thanksgiving Shelf on GR)
This is not Evanovich's best work, but it is an amusing romance/mystery set around Thanksgiving (I found it shelved as Thanksgiving somewhere). The only time she has co-authored something I found funny were the books she wrote with Lee Goldberg--once she started co-writing them with her son they weren't as funny and the series died--she and Goldberg made a great team for that type of book (O'Hare and Fox). But then, her books are usually 3 star likes for me and I am getting tired of Stephanie Plum because I am so sick of the love triangle. I hate extended love triangles and they turn me off a series most of the time.
Kate, divorced only a year before and missing her dog, hopes to turn her family's summer home in Michigan into a bed and breakfast, but it is a money vacuum and so she boldly makes her way into a local microbrewery and demands a job, which she gets. Yes, it is instant attraction between the two, and there is trouble afoot, which is why she is hired--to be a spy even as she works as a floater.
I will say no more, there is a blurb.
Joi wrote: "November: Election DayThe Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
4 Stars
Anyone who thinks their vote doesn't matter should read this! This gave me major Nicola Yoon vib..."
Why in the WORLD did I not consider the election a theme for this month?!?
I do have Obama's new memoir downloaded and ready to go, so perhaps I will try and fit that in? It is a little lengthy though so I am not sure I will fit the whole thing in over the next 10 days...
I know I was thinking the same thing! We were all thinking and talking so much about THIS election, I didn't think of elections in general as a great November theme. These are about the 2016 election, but the manipulation tactics are relevant to more than elections.
Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America
Targeted: My Inside Story of Cambridge Analytica and How Trump and Facebook Broke Democracy
Native American author and mythologyElatsoe - 3 stars
Elatsoe (Ellie) lives in an alternate version of the United States, where Indigenous and other magic thrives. Her Lipan Apache family has preserved the knowledge of raising animals (but never people) from the dead. When Ellie's cousin is murdered and appears to her in a dream to tell her the name of his murderer, she is pulled into a myth- and supernatural-filled journey to try to uncover the whole truth.
I think that there's a lot to love about this book. I appreciated the representation in various dimensions, and I enjoyed how myths were woven into this story. I also loved the relationship between Ellie and her ghost-dog Kirby. But I guess the plot was a little too supernatural/paranormal for me. I hate to say that, since there were elements (like all of the ghost-animals) that I really enjoyed, but I think that the various different paranormal aspects in the plot itself lost me a bit. I can most definitely see why people really like this book, but I think my expectations were a little too high and that I'd expected something a little different.
Amy wrote: "Wow! I just loved this three hour absolutely delightful heartfelt novella! Its an audible original - you won't find it in the stores, but it ..."
I need to check this out! Thanks
All Saints' Day (also my birthday!)Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan 4 stars
A book both sad and hopeful. The story follows two sisters who migrate from Ireland to Boston in the mid-20th century, and how the choices they make echo into future generations.
Once in Boston, the two sisters take dramatically different paths - one goes through with a pre-arranged marriage, and the other while more free-spirited takes some unexpected twists and turns.
Native American Heritage Month:Five Little Indians - Michelle Good - 4 stars
Five Little Indians is a strong debut for Michelle Good, which tells the story of adolescent native children who come of age in Vancouver after being released from Indian School. Many of these schools were noted for their horrible abuse of the children torn from their parents, so one goes into it with the hesitancy of reading a dark tale and it does not disappoint.
Like Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse, Five Little Indian's details the abuse which occurs and the struggle these children faced to reconstruct their lives. While the book starts darkly it rises up and finishes on a more hopeful note.
I am looking forward to more by Michelle Good in the future.
ElectionHidden Sins by Selena Montgomery - 3 stars.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wanted to read Hidden Sins by Selena Montgomery also known as Stacey Abrams, yes that Stacey Abrams, in support of the work which she did leading up to the elections in her home state of Georgia.
For me it was fun to see another side of Abrams and to know that woman who is so serious in her work can also have another side. This was a fun and entertaining Romantic Suspense. Mara Reed has always gotten by on her wits and is a bit of a con-woman. When she heads back home she literally falls into the arms of ex-flame, Ethan Stuart.
Mara is a bit of a kick and has an imaginative way of using expletives and I had to wonder if Stacey also does:
“Hexagonal hell!” she squealed. “Pas de deux!”;“Rat’s toenails!” “You four-eyed son of a two-legged jackal!”
I sure enjoyed those and enjoyed the book as well. I think though that Stacey Abrams should keep her day job, we need her.
I definitely wanted to wait until AFTER the real election day, to decide if I wanted to read something Election-centered. That being said, if anyone wants a last minute November Flurry- you could easily read The Voting Booth in a sitting or two. It's pretty short, YA, and reads quickly.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han2 stars
NB there are two important sections in this that involve holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), so I am using this for Thanskgiving.
I don't know why I didn't like this better. Was I under the weather? Have I just over-saturated myself on certain y/a books? Was I unknowingly negative because I was listening to a very bad narrator reading in the POV of the future President Snow in the prequel to the Hunger Games?
I loved the family and the writing is sound, but the story was just, well, how do I put this nicely? I just didn't care for some of the stuff in the story and it was enough that by the end of the book I was peeved with it--more so after reading the teaser for the second book. So if any of you have read all three, please PM me and tell me how it ends.
ThanksgivingBefore Thanksgiving Comes - Marisa Carroll
3 stars
Allison has spent 7 months at her grandmother's house in rural Ohio putting her life back together after acknowledging that she's an alcoholic and going through rehab. In her last month there she has to get the house sold. Over the time she's been there she has gotten to know the 3 children of the widower across the road. When an accident leaves him with broken and fractured ribs, Allison agrees to stay and help tend the children. This changes her relationship with Jake and brings her into closer contact with the whole family something an insecure Allison is afraid of. Incidents bring everything to a head. A good holiday romance.
Native American - author and legend!Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis
4 stars
Velma Wallis records here a legend told her by her mother about two native Alaskan old women abandonned by their tribe, yet through strength of will and calling on skills long unused, against extreme odds, they survive. It is such a powerful story, told with sympathy and wit, but still echoing the rhythm and style of the oral story-telling tradition in which it thrived for generations. I swear I heard a fire crackling as I read!
This story told me that there is no limit to one’s ability—certainly not age—to accomplish in life what one must. Within each individual on this large and complicated world there lives an astounding potential of greatness. Yet it is rare that these hidden gifts are brought to life unless by the chance of fate.
Could not sum up better the beauty of this story.
Veterans Day-Once a Warrior: How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home- Jake Wood- 4 stars
Jake Wood is a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. When he returned home he felt at loose ends and without purpose. He states :
But when our sons and daughters take off their uniforms for the last time, they often begin a long descent into obscurity. A higher calling lives on inside of them that no longer has a mission to pursue, and as they struggle to reintegrate, it’s more comfortable for the public to look away than to take responsibility.
When the earthquake hits Haiti in 2010, he feels a calling and in the spur of the moment talks some other veterans into crossing the Rubicon and going to Haiti with him to see what difference they could make. And thus Team Rubicon was born.
Once a Warrior: How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home is the story of how Team Rubicon was formed and how it works to aid in disasters both at home and abroad and how it works to give purpose to veterans, which they lose when they return from overseas fighting.
It is an inspiring story and I was greatly invested in reading it.
ThanksgivingThanksgiving by Janet Evanovich
3 stars
Tibbles has an eating disorder. The giant brown rabbit belonging to Dr. Pat, the new pediatrician in Williamsburg, VA, likes to nibble on Megan's Colonial Williamsburg wool docent costume, leading to the couple's introduction and initial fraught exchanges. It is during one of these exchanges in Dr. Pat's livingroom in one of the reconstructed houses in the historic area that they find themselves mistaken as a married couple and temporarily taking care of baby Timmy while his young unwed mother goes off on a mysterious errand. Over the next couple of weeks, Pat and Megan play house and happy families, host extended family Thanksgiving, and fall in love.
This is a very light-hearted, funny, preposterous piece of romantic fluff that left me grinning and happy. Loved the Colonial Williamsburg setting at Thanksgiving and decorated for Christmas, in a light coating of snow, candle lighting glowing warmly. Brought back a slew of fond memories of visits during the first week of December and created a great backdrop for a Thanksgiving romance.
Calling Hallmark - this needs to be adapted to a seasonal movie!
A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau3 stars
This quick, 100-page read was the perfect way to spend my Thanksgiving morning. It wasn't too deep, was a bit more smutty than the cutesy cover would lead you to believe, and won't leave me with a long-lasting impression, but it was a fun ode to the holiday.
Also, it actually it set in Toronto and takes place at Canadian Thanksgiving. In October! I was very confused at a couple of places when they mentioned the October weather, but I finally caught on! lol
Nicole R wrote: "A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau3 stars
This quick, 100-page read was the perfect way to spend my Thanksgiving morning. It wasn't too deep, was a bit ..."
Yes, it's always the second Monday in October :)
A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau, 3.5 starsRomancelandia has been raving about Jackie Lau for a while, so her writing was on my radar, and a Kindle freebie for Thanksgiving finally gave me a chance to explore her writing.
A Match Made for Thanksgiving was a cute, low-angst contemporary romance novella with a charming and slightly infuriating family at the heart of it. It has a bit more steam than its cute cover would imply, though that's not uncommon in the genre these days. Lily and Nick's chemistry was convincing and the humor throughout delightful (I chuckled at the matchmaking elders' reasoning for the blind dates chosen for their still unmarried adult grandchildren, based on romance tropes). The next book in the series is clearly forecast at the end, and honestly, I'll probably pick it up when I'm looking for a light Christmas-y read.
I totally agree that the steaminess level and cutesy cover were a mismatch! Not that I am complaining, it was just unexpected. And, they wasted zero time getting to the sexy parts. LolI will probably also pick up the next book as it is Christmas themed. Lol
Thanksgiving 
The Accidental Tourist – Anne Tyler – 3.5***
Tyler excels at writing character-driven works that give us a glimpse of their lives in all their messy complexity and banal ordinariness. I love the scenes she creates that reveal so much of family dynamics; the Thanksgiving dinner is priceless, as is Rose’s wedding, and Christmas at Muriel’s mother’s house.
My full review HERE
Remembrance Day / Armistice Day / Veterans' Day
All Quiet On the Western Front – Erich Marie Remarque – 4****
Many have called this the “greatest war novel of all time.” I’m not certain I agree with that superlative, but it IS a powerful, emotional, gripping, disturbing, enthralling, and honest exploration of war and its affects on the young who become the pawns of their leaders.
My full review HERE
Hi all! I am going to do the scoring for November and close this thread on Thursday so be sure to post any lingering reviews before then!
Also, I had an inquiry behind the scenes about the October Fall Flurries points not being in the spreadsheet. Just a note that I do not add the points to the Participation Points master spreadsheet until early January when the full challenge is complete!
I also have a spreadsheet in Google Drive that I can share when I close out this thread. I should have shared it when I closed out October so you all could double check my counting, but it slipped my mind!
Nicole R wrote: "Hi all! I am going to do the scoring for November and close this thread on Thursday so be sure to post any lingering reviews before then!"Thanks Nicole. I've been offline and I'm way behind on reviews.
This series is perfect for Native American Heritage Month The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman
This is the first in a mystery series about Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn by Tony Hillerman. I read a recent book in this long series (which is not written by his daughter Anne Hillerman), and I really liked Joe Leaphorn (who was mostly retired by that time). I wanted to see how the series started.
A murdered body is found high in a desolate area. Leaphorn consults with a professor of Ethnology to learn more about ancient lore (about a Wolf-witch) that might be related to the case. The professor is a major character in this book. The mystery itself wasn't all that exciting, but I really enjoyed hearing about the Navajo culture, its mystical stories, and the geography of the area. (The name "Many Ruins Canyon" creates a picture all by itself.)
Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman. The second book in the series about Joe Leaphorn, Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant."Two Native-American boys have vanished into thin air, leaving a pool of blood behind them. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police has no choice but to suspect the very worst, since the blood that stains the parched New Mexican ground once flowed through the veins of one of the missing, a young Zuñi. But his investigation into a terrible crime is being complicated by an important archaeological dig . . . and a steel hypodermic needle. And the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people are throwing impassable roadblocks in Leaphorn's already twisted path, enabling a craven murderer to elude justice or, worse still, to kill again. "
The two boys are friends from different tribes. One of the boys (who people describe as a little crazy) wants to become Zuni. Apparently this is akin to me saying that I want to become Italian. We eventually learn that he believes that his friend was killed for sharing a sacred Zuni secret to him. Leaphorn is searching for this boy. There are other deaths making his search more urgent. I liked this book more than the first book. The story is more interesting, and I especially liked the contrasts between the Zuni and Navajo cultures. Archeologists were present in the first book, and they play a major role in this book. It makes we wonder about other Archeological work being done in the US.
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. This is an incredibly entertaining epic book about four orphans who escaped from the cruel managers of the Lincoln Indian Training School in northern Minnesota. Native American children were taken from their homes by law and forced to attend distant schools, where they were not allowed to even discuss their culture. Odie and Albert O'Bannon were the only white kids at the school (for reasons we discover much later). Odie and Mose were constantly targeted by the superintendent (they called her the Black Witch) and a particularly violent staff member. After their favorite teacher is killed by a tornado, things get worse for everyone. The boys decide to let her young daughter Emmy come with them to protect her from the cruel superintendent.
The kids escape via the Gilead River, and plan to take the Mississippi to St Louis to the home of Odie and Albert's aunt. Along the way they become a family. They meet many people, and see the great suffering that occurred during the Great Depression. Mose (whose tongue was cut out when he was young) learns more about his Sioux heritage, and is devastated by some of the things he discovers. The boys encounter a traveling group with a faith healer who has an impact on their lives. Family – in whatever form it takes – is a major theme in this book.
The cruelty at the Lincoln school reminded me of another story about a violent school - The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I read that Krueger wanted to write a great adventure story like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The main character in the story is named Odie, and I didn't realize until almost the end that his given name was Odysseus. So it appears that the author had another great boat odyssey in mind as he was writing this book. This book also reminded me of another depression era classic The Grapes of Wrath.
Booknblues wrote: "I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wanted to read Hidden Sins by Selena Montgomery also known as Stacey Abrams, yes that Stacey Abrams, in support of the work which she did leading up to the elections in her home state of Georgia."Stacey Abrams is an author in her spare time?!? I had no idea! But, no matter if the book was good or not, I firmly support her not quitting her day job. lol
November reads have been tallied! Check out the spreadsheet here. I am locking this thread, so if you see a discrepancy in my scoring, drop me a PM!
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Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Nickel Boys (other topics)The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (other topics)
The Grapes of Wrath (other topics)
This Tender Land (other topics)
Dance Hall of the Dead (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jackie Lau (other topics)Jackie Lau (other topics)
Janet Evanovich (other topics)
Jake Wood (other topics)
Velma Wallis (other topics)
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