Out of the Dust- Karen Hesse

The diversity of Newbery award winners never ceases to amaze me.
Each one takes you to another place and time.

Out of the Dust won the Newbery award in 1998.
I had never heard of it before I saw it in the library last week.
At first glance it appears to be a book of poetry, but it is not.
It is also written in diary form, which makes it more interesting in my opinion.

It is the story of a family living in the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma.

Granted, it is a bit depressing at times, but the writing is simple, beautiful, and poetic.

The story is full of tragedy, and some Amazon reviewers complained that it is very depressing and it doesn't have a happy ending.
Although the ending is not conclusive, it gives a ray of hope and gives you the sense that things are making a turn for the better.

Perhaps my favorite quote is this one:
"And I know now that all the time I was trying to get
out of the dust,
the fact is,
what I am,
I am because of the dust.
And what I am is good enough.
Even for me."


All in all, I liked this book and it is unlikely one I'll forget soon.
It has that haunting quality that certain books have.
They stick with you forever once you've read them.

To read more reviews of this book, click on the photo.

Fall Reading Challenge

I've decided to join the "Fall into Reading" challenge.

I've always been an avid reader, but lately I've fallen behind a bit.
I am hoping this challenge will give me a jump start. :-)

I am not going to post a list of books that I want to read because, to be honest, I don't have many books here at home that I haven't already read. Also, our local library doesn't have a very big selection, so I choose whatever looks interesting each time I go.

Instead I am setting a goal of 10 books.

On my sidebar, I posted the list of books I got this week.
They include 3 Newbery award winners.
I am reading them in honor of my friend, Natalie.
She issued a Newbery Challenge shortly before her death this summer.

M.C. Beaton- Death of a Dreamer & Death of a Poison Pen

I have always enjoyed M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series.
I'd never read any of her Hamish Macbeth books because I had a picture in my mind of a stuffy older man (sort of like Raymond Burr in the newer Perry Mason movies). It didn't appeal to me.


I finally decided to give Hamish a chance.
He's totally different than the image I had in my head.
He's a 30-something, thin, red-headed Scottish man.

This book was enjoyable, but not very suspenseful.

From Amazon.com:
Macbeth, constable in the Highlands village of Lochdubh, thinks the apparent suicide of Effie Garrard, an artist who's arrived in town only recently, is suspicious. Following the murder of a nosy American tourist, Macbeth digs a little deeper and learns that Effie couldn't paint to, er, save her life—she was passing off another artist's work as her own. Macbeth's personal life is also consuming: two old flames turn up in Lochdubh within a few days of each other. Of course, Macbeth solves what turns out to be a double murder—but resolution of his romantic contretemps will have to wait for the next novel in this charming series

Click on the book to read more Amazon reviews of this book.


Death of a Poison Pen was the second Hamish Macbeth book I read.

This one was better than the first.

From Amazon:
Poison pen letters have been appearing all over the Scottish Highlands town of Braikie–and then a spate of murders and suicides ensues. Hamish Macbeth, the local constable of a nearby village, must get to the bottom of things without drawing too much attention to himself. If he sorts out another local mystery, he risks being promoted, and that would take him away from all that he loves in sleepy Lochdubh. As the Highlands' weather veers wildly from one extreme to another, Hamish dodges pesky superior officers and follows his own paths among the people he understands better than any outsider can. The place has no shortage of eccentrics but most of Lochdubh's regulars take a back seat to several 20-somethings who become an integral part of the story as it develops. They include a vacationer from London with dangerously poor judgment; an enterprising local reporter as unconventional as Hamish himself; another reporter, a caddish but "charming Irishman"; a bullied young secretary at the local school; and away in London, but never far from Hamish's mind, his star-crossed soul mate.


Total books read in 2007: 29 (not very impressive, but I hope to remedy that soon :-))

Posts from Old Book Blog (Jan-Aug 07)

The Year of Pleasures- Elizabeth Berg

I did not like this book very much. It was sad and depressing. The main character moves to Illinois (where she doesn't know a soul) after her husband dies. She re-unites with old friends and opens a store.

The writing was beautiful and descriptive........but the book could have been much better.
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Friday, January 12, 2007
The End- Lemony Snicket

What a disappointment!
I was expecting answers to all of the questions and mysteries this series presented,
but we were left with very little. I liked this series when I first began reading it,
but he lost me after the first few books.
I KNOW it's a children's series, but I expected more.
The books began to seem like more and more of the same thing.

My favorite was The Wide Window.

I loved his writing style.

I loved "a phrase which means...."

It would have been much more satisfying to have answers at The End


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Sunday, January 21, 2007

The Tale of Despereaux- Kate DiCamillo This was a read-aloud for the kids. We all enjoyed this book. It was one of those "please read another chapter, mom!" books. It is a charming story of a mouse that falls in love with a human princess and ends up going on a quest to rescue her from an evil rat in the castle dungeon.

Broken Wings & Midnight Flight -V.C. Andrews

These books were ok.
They were about a "school" for troubled girls.
The first book gave the backgrounds of 3 girls who end up at this school.
The second book is about their horrible experiences at the school.

There's not much I can say about these books.
They were ok. Not great, but not horrible.

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Miss Julia Stands Her Ground - Ann B. Ross In this installment, Hazel Marie's uncle claims that Wesley Lloyd is not Little Lloyd's father. The main storyline has Miss Julia and Sam trying to hide the news from Hazel Marie, and also trying to find a way to perform a DNA test without having to exhume Wesley Lloyd's body. This book also gives more details of what life was like for Miss Julia before the death of Wesley Lloyd and the arrival of Hazel Marie and Little Lloyd. It was a pleasant read. 3 stars

The Edge of Darkness- Tim LaHaye & Bob Phillips

I like this series. (Babylon Rising by Tim LaHaye)
This book was a bit different than that previous three. There isn't a big search for a biblical artifact (well, there is, but it isn't a big part of the story and they don't find what they're looking for).

Murphy finally meets the mysterious Methusaleh. The evil Talon is destroyed. Two other characters die. Murphy must choose between Isis and a new love interest.

This book was not as "edge-of-your-seat" suspenseful as the previous ones, but it is still a good story.

I give it 4 stars.

The Messenger of Magnolia Street- River Jordan

I liked this book. It reminded me a bit of Frank Peretti- only with a Southern flair.
It was very suspenseful. I stayed up late every night to finish reading it.

It takes place in the southern town of Shibboleth. The narrator is an angel that observes and records all of the events as they unfold.

I'd give it 5 stars

Sunday, March 18, 2007

The pale, cold light of the winter sunset did not beautify- it was like the light of truth itself. When the smoky clouds hung low in the west and the red sun went down behind them, leaving a pink flush on the snowy roofs and the blue drifts, then the wind sprang up afresh, with a kind of bitter song, as if it said: 'This is reality, whether you like it of not. All those frivolities of summer, the light and shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies, and this is what was underneath. This is the truth.' It was as if we were being punished for loving the loveliness of summer. ~from My Antonia

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

In the Company of Cheeful Ladies- Alexander McCall Smith Mma. Ramotswe's van is stolen and recovered by a new employee of the garage and detective agency. Someone breaks into her house and hides under her bed. She is visited by her ex-husband, Note Makoti. Charlie, the apprentice, gets involved with a married woman. Mma. Makutsi meets a man and becomes engaged. I have a love/hate relationship with these books. I like them. They are delightful. On the other hand, I wish they would move a little faster, and/or go a bit deeper. Still, they are pleasant, light reads. 3 stars. Blue Shoes and Happiness- Alexander McCall Smith Mostly about Mma. Makutsi's trouble with her fiance, Phuti Radiphuti. Happily, all is straightened out and Mma. Makutsi is still engaged. Mma. Ramotswe goes on a diet. 3 stars Cure for the Common Life- Max Lucado This wasn't what I was expecting. I liked this book. It is about finding your "sweet spot," the place where you were meant to be, doing what you were meant to do. This book gives you tools to discover your sweet spot. The part that spoke to me the most was the chapter about being content with what you have. It was about changing your attitude towards your job, or position in life. He says we need to "give Jesus our boat." When Peter was fishing, he didn't have any luck, but when Jesus came on board his nets were full (I don't remember the scripture reference for this, but I've read it before). Whatever our job is, that is our boat. We need to give it to Him and allow Him to work through us. We are also made to show Jesus to those around us. We can't do that when we are trying to do things our own way, following our own agenda, or simply trying to please ourselves. We need to allow Him to flow through us. 4 stars My Antonia- Willa Cather It took me almost all of March to read this book. Not that it was hard reading or incredibly long or boring. I simply didn't have much time to read. I really liked this book. I loved the descriptions of the early American prairie, the rich characters, the storyline- I loved everything about it. It didn't end as I expected it to, but that's ok. Excellent book. 4 stars

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

I've gotten behind in posting here. The last few posts were catch-up posts. Here is what I've read so far this year: March My Antonia February Miss Julia Stands her Ground The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising) Cure for the Common Life In the Company of Cheerful Ladies Blue Shoes and Happiness January Love, Lies, and Liquor (Agatha Raisin) The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954) (2 books) The End The Year of Pleasures The Tale of Despereaux The Messenger of Magnolia Street 13 books total. That's not so bad considering we're only 11 weeks into the year.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Louisiana in Words- Joshua Clark I liked this book. The imagery is beautiful and accurate. It definitely did what it set out to do: paint a picture of Louisiana in Words. This book is unique. From the book description: "The selections--119 pieces from 109 contributors--run chronologically from dawn to dawn. Together these minutes provide a mosaic of the landscape, heritage, speech, and traditions of Louisiana, a place so often romanticized, demonized, adored, pitied, and patronized." I was glad that it did not contain any Katrina- related stories, because it seems like that is all we are known for lately. This book made me love and appreciate my home-state more. 4 stars

Monday, April 09, 2007

Bad Kitty- Michele Jaffe March Reads My Antonia Louisiana in Words Bad Kitty I just finished this book. It was ok, definitely enjoyable, very YA. Jasmine wants to be a detective. She loves Forensic Files and Court TV. She goes on vacation to Las Vegas and gets involved in a mystery, which she solves by lifting fingerprints with eye-shadow. Yep. 3 stars

Monday, April 16, 2007

Farenheit 451- Ray Bradbury This was not an enjoyable book. I felt a heaviness the entire time I was reading it. In fact, I'm glad it's over. I finished reading it about 5 minutes ago. I still feel the heaviness of it, which is hindering my ability to form a coherent review. Read more reviews of this book at Amazon here. (The link on the "currently reading" only has 1 review) 3 stars

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Nattie has issued a Newberry medal reading challenge. (click on the link for details) Of course I had to accept since I love Newberry books. Here are my choices. 1994: The Giver by Lois Lowry(Houghton) 1987: The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman 1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary 1981: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson 1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor 1975: M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton 1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg 1967: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt 1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Friday, April 20, 2007

The Whipping Boy I read this book in one night. It was quite short. It was also not what I expected for a Newberry book. At face value, it is a fluffy story of a prince that runs away with his "whipping boy" and they become friends along the way. Dig a little deeper and you'll find more. The whipping boy was a boy that was whipped in place of the prince whenever the prince did something wrong. And he did wrong quite often. It did not effect the prince to see Jemmy (the whipping boy) punished in his place. After he got to know Jemmy and became his friends, he was very good so as not to cause his friend pain. It reminded me of our relationship with Jesus. It also reminded me of that song "Still Feel the Nails" by Ray Boltz. If we knew that Jesus felt pain again every time we failed, we would try much harder. When we have a relationship with Jesus we will try not to hurt Him or disappoint Him. I did not like this book until I started thinking about the deeper meaning. Now, I am quite fond of it. I think I will read it with my children......and talk about the lessons we can learn from it.

Friday, April 27, 2007

By the Pricking of My Thumbs- Agatha Christie By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. ~MacBeth This was one of the books from my TBR pile. I got it at the library's book sale for 10 cents. I got a lot of good books from the library for 10 cents. The book sale only happens once a year, and we're always there. You can't get a better deal than 10 cents a book. Anyway....... This book was not one of my favorites by Christie, but I still liked it. Some parts moved a bit slow, but the end was shocking, so I guess it was worth it. It all starts when Tommy and Tuppence Beresford visit their aunt in a retirement home. A Mrs. Lancaster asks Tuppence, "Was it your poor child?" This question leads to suspicions and a complicated chain of events. Mrs. Lancaster goes missing from the retirement home and several elderly women are poisoned. What happened to them? Where is Mrs. Lancaster? Who is the poor child and what happened to him/her? 3.5 stars

Monday, April 30, 2007

Homeschooling from Scratch- Mary Potter Kenyon This book was ok. I wasn't incredibly impressed, but it would be a good resource for anyone looking for low-cost homeschooling options. It does not provide a full curriculum, but ideas to supplement curriculum, imo. I believe this was a self-published book, because it is not listed at Amazon. 2 stars

Sounder- William H. Armstrong

4 stars
"You've gotta walk that lonesome valley, You've gotta walk it by yourself, Ain't nobody else gonna walk it for you."

I read this as part of the Newbery challenge. This is a beautifully written book.
Some of it may be too intense for younger readers, but I'd recommend it for ages 13 and up.
I realize I'm not very good at writing book reviews, so I give you this review from Amazon:


A Powerful Novel for All Ages, April 21, 2003

Reviewer:

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews

In the nearly 35 years since it was published, SOUNDER has lost none of its original power or impact. That's not only the mark of great children's literature, it's the mark of great writing at any level.

SOUNDER is the story of a poor African American family in the late 19th century south. Sounder, the family's hunting dog, is responsible for much of the family income: he finds and tracks game that the father can eat and sell. Problems arise when the local white sheriff and his men think the family has become a little too prosperous. An event then happens which becomes a turning point in the oldest boy's life. (The story is told with painful honesty from his point of view.)

Author Armstrong masterfully drops the reader into a different era, an era we would like to forget. It's not a comfortable time and it's not a comfortable story, but it is a powerful one. The story is a simple one, but Armstrong paints on a large canvas, full of description so vivid and true that we feel we're there, walking on the cold ground, smelling the countryside, and even feeling the wetness of the tears and blood.

I believe it's significant that Sounder is the only character named in the book. This is the boy's story, but it could be any boy. He represents a sort of "every man," or "every child," if you will. The boy learns several important lessons along the way, some of them coming from unlikely sources.

SOUNDER is one of those stories that not only entertain children, but teach them valuable lessons in human nature, relationships, and learning. A very, very important book for us all.

There is a sequel to Sounder called "Sour Land." I hope to find a copy so I can read it soon.

April Reads

April ReadsApril
Strawberry Girl
Sounder
Homeschooling from Scratch
By the Pricking of My Thumbs
The Whipping Boy
Farenheit 451
Bad Kitty

March
My Antonia
Louisiana in Words

February
Miss Julia Stands her Ground
The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising)
Cure for the Common Life
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
Blue Shoes and Happiness

January
Love, Lies, and Liquor (Agatha Raisin)
The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954) (2 books)
The End
The Year of Pleasures
The Tale of Despereaux
The Messenger of Magnolia Street

2007 total: 21 books

Friday, May 04, 2007

Strawberry Girl- Lois Lenski I thought I had reviewed this book already, but I see that I didn't. hmmmm..... This was another read-aloud. It took us about a week and a half to read it. This was a "please-read-another-chapter, Mama!" book. This book gives us a look into the daily lives and feuds of two19th century backwoods Florida families. The accents make this a fun book to read-aloud. Of course my daughter loved it because the main character is a girl. The boys liked it as well. They enjoyed reading about the adventures of the neighbor boy, Shoestring Slater. After months of feuding, the "bad" neighbors get saved thanks to a traveling preacher at a "camp meeting" and all is well. 4 stars

Bunnicula- Deborah and James Howe

This was our read-aloud this week.
Yes, I am counting it towards my yearly reading total because I did indeed read it.

It only took us 2 days to read it.

What can I say? It is Bunnicula, the timeless tale of the cute little vampire bunny that drains vegetables and causes the family cat, Chester, to do all sorts of strange and hilarious things.

Does anyone remember the Bunnicula cartoon movie that played on ABC Saturday morning back in the 80s? I think it was on the Captain O.G. Readmore show. I used to love that show. I am starting to feel really old because no one else seems to remember it.

3 stars

I am putting together a list of books that I will be reading to the kids. Look for the new list to be added to my sidebar soon.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

"New" Books I bought 10 books for the kids at a thrift store. Most are Newbery Winners or Newbery Honor books. The Cay The White Stag The Egypt Game The Winter Room Secret of the Andes Rabbit Hill Goodbye, Mr. Chips Howliday Inn (Bunnicula series) The Celery Stalks at Midnight (another Bunnicula tale) Let's Party, Charlie Brown (cause we love us some Charlie Brown and Snoopy ) Most of these will be added to our read-aloud list. We're currently reading "The Sign of the Beaver." I am reading "The Giver" for the Newbery challenge. I've been working on other things, so I haven't had much time to read. I need to speed it up if I want to get a good number of books in this month.

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Giver-Lois Lowry Jonas is a 12 year old boy. He lives in a world where fear, poverty, violence, and crime do no exist. Everything is regulated by a board of elders. Marriages are arranged by the elders. Children are born to "birthmothers" then given to married couples when they can sleep through the night. When children reach the age of 12 they are given their assignments for their lives. Elderly people and sickly children are "released". Everything is orderly, peaceful, and predictable. No, there is no fear or pain but there is also no happiness or love. When Jonas turns 12 and receives his assignment he learns how life could be, how it used to be before the "sameness" came about. What will he do with this knowledge? 4 stars

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Breaking Free- Beth Moore I have not abandoned this blog. I've been reading Breaking Free. It's not a long book, but it requires you to do some serious soul-searching. It was hard, but worth it. I did a lot of praying, journaling, and thinking through this. It is basically about breaking free from the ties that keep us from being free in Christ. It's about breaking generational bondages, letting go of baggage and hurt from the past. It's very good. I recommend it to everyone. 4 stars

Digging In- Robert Benson

This is a short little book (non-fiction) about a back-yard transformation.
Since I love gardening and reading about it, I liked this book
It is so true that gardening is an on-going process.
You're simply never done. Every year there is something new to do.

As I've stated before, I know I am terrible at doing book reviews.
This site is mainly for me to keep a record of what I've read.
I encourage you to click on the amazon link below for more reviews.

3 stars

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Before You Leap- Kermit the Frog A cute book all about the little life lessons Kermit learned from his parents, "Mom and Dad the Frog." lol It also includes a history of Kermit's career through his point of view. It's a cute book. I haven't been doing much reading lately. Things have been crazy around here. Also, I've been using most of my reading time to crochet. I've been working on a big project, but I'm just about done and ready to get back to reading again. I'm currently reading "Monster" by Frank Peretti, so that should be the next review. May reads The Giver Breaking Free April Strawberry Girl Sounder Homeschooling from Scratch By the Pricking of My Thumbs The Whipping Boy Farenheit 451 Bad Kitty March My Antonia Louisiana in Words February Miss Julia Stands her Ground The Edge of Darkness (Babylon Rising) Cure for the Common Life In the Company of Cheerful Ladies Blue Shoes and Happiness January Love, Lies, and Liquor (Agatha Raisin) The Complete Peanuts (1950-1954) (2 books) The End The Year of Pleasures The Tale of Despereaux The Messenger of Magnolia Street 2007 Total (as of May 31st): 23- not very impressive, but as I said, I've been slacking

Friday, June 29, 2007

Monster- Frank Peretti I am a big Frank Peretti fan. I really liked this book, but it is not my favorite F.P. book (that one would be The Oath.) from Amazon: From Publishers Weekly In this long-awaited novel, Peretti (This Present Darkness; The Visitation) tells the story of a young woman who disappears in the Idaho wilderness and the ensuing search for her. The author's prose is clear and crisp, with only a few lapses into Lovecraftian hyperbole: his description of the novel's almost mythical setting is rich and detailed without being overwritten and his characterization of the woman, Beck, and the very unusual creatures she encounters is compelling. Peretti successfully incorporates several contemporary detective drama/suspense thriller tropes; one of his main characters, for example, is a crime scene investigator, and welcome doses of forensic evidence and DNA analysis are thrown into the mix. But the novel suffers from too many supporting characters, and Peretti's failure to develop them greatly compromises the conclusion. More problematic, though, is the novel's agenda with regard to the theory of evolution. Not raised overtly until the middle of the book, Peretti's critique of certain aspects of Darwinism eclipses the story and leads it to an unsatisfying and somewhat confusing end. As in Peretti's previous novels, those who hold conservative views are portrayed as heroic and those who disagree as evil. The novel's devolution into this simplistic moralism, however, will not keep Peretti fans away, and its many merits may attract other readers as well. I agree with this assessment- especially that this book had too many characters, which made it a bit confusing from time to time. There were a few problems, but overall it was a great story. 3.5 stars

By the Light of the Moon- Dean Koontz

Three people are injected with some sort of "stuff" by a crazy doctor/scientist.

They are now on the run from people intent on destroying them.

It's a sort of modern-day superhero story.

I liked it.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The Sign of the Beaver I started reading this book to my children a few months ago. A lot of things came up and we were unable to finish it. I picked it up again this week and finished reading it to them. It was a good story about a boy named Matt that is trusted to guard the family homestead while his father goes to fetch his mother and sister. Months go by and his family does not return. While he is alone, he is befriended by an Indian boy, Attean, who teaches him their ways in exchange for Matt teaching Attean to read. It's a good story. We enjoyed it.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Murder at the Vicarage- Agatha Christie I find it hard to write about mystery novels, because I don't want to give anything away. I just finished this book. The murderer was not who I thought it was. Usually the culprit is the person you least expect- not so in this book. lol This was the first Miss Marple book. It is also the first Miss Marple book I have read. It was an enjoyable diversion.