Book Log: February 2018

My youngest sister has been doing an annual post of books completed, and I always enjoy looking through it. I do keep a log of my finished books, so I thought cataloging my completed books at the close of every month would be a good way to dust off this blog and encourage me to jot down a few lines -- or a few paragraphs -- with my impressions (a compiled list will appear at the close of the year). I don't like spoilers, so while I put some initial thoughts after each title, when possible I'm purposely vague regarding plot specifics so as not to dissuade any of you from reading them. This is my third year doing this (here is a list of my 2017 books, and here is the list of my 2016 books; these pages don't have commentary, but if there's a title that interests you, click on the appropriate month to learn more).

The included Amazon links are affiliate links; should you be inclined to purchase one, these links only mean Amazon will give me a small percentage of the cost, at no additional expense to you.

10) 2/6: A Rule Against Murder (Chief Inspector Gamache series, #4) by Louise Penny

You better just get used to me mentioning these mysteries on a regular basis as I work through them this year. The mysteries are such a treat to read, filled with descriptions of enticing food and led by a detective that reminds me peripherally of Hercule Poirot but more human and less self-absorbed as he assembles a team that individually aren't seen as spectacular but they tend to submit to his mentorship and they work together impressively.

In this fourth book in the series, we find Gamache and his wife celebrating their anniversary, as they do every year, at a secluded, posh resort. They happen to be present while the lodgings are taken over for a family reunion. Gamache notices how dysfunctional all the family members seem to be. We shouldn't be surprised that someone Gamache knows from nearby Three Pines is related to this family and shows up shortly before a murder happens.

As Gamache investigates, it comes to light that many of the family members perceived events growing up in a false light, reading things into them that weren't there. It's a bittersweet story, with some hints of redemption but not all comes to rights.

11) 2/10: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

I'm continuing to revisit this series, steadily working through the delightful Jim Dale audiobooks. They continue to be excellent (and I'm still behind my daughter and my husband, so I'm in this perpetual state of forgetting which event happens in which book because I will overhear a chapter being read aloud or will take over reading duties once or twice a week and it can get all jumbled in my mind).







12) 2/13: The Brutal Telling (Chief Inspector Gamache series, #5) by Louise Penny

Here we go again -- another Louise Penny mystery! In this one, a hermit is found murdered in Three Pines, seemingly unknown by everyone.

This story doesn't wrap up as cleanly as other books in the series -- there's evidence that appears to pinpoint a character as the murderer, but it's not as definitive as previous books, as if they're saving room for a return to the story.






13) 2/19: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

This has been on my radar for awhile, and while I've been steadily plugging along on it, reading chapters in stolen moments, I made quicker progress when I switched to listening to the book.

I thought I knew the general storyline: Malala gets shot by the Taliban because of her desire to continue to be educated, even as they are discouraging girls from attending schools. I thought this book would start with that event and continue with her healing and activism afterwards. However, I was surprised and suitably impressed by how outspoken and involved Malala was at a young age. This book sets out how life changed for her family as the Taliban gained power, and how her family was resisting and Malala was getting the word out on her daily experiences. She was targeted because of these actions, but the shooting event happens towards the end of the book.

14) 2/20: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

When I was in junior high, my English teacher, the quirky Mr Pierce, introduced this book to our class. He read most of it aloud to us as we followed along, pausing to define new vocabulary or confirming we were following the plot. Then he set us lose to read the last third or so on our own. I DEVOURED it -- it's such a fun read. It's a classic but it doesn't read like some other books in the canon that, while interesting, discourage some people because of the length and the frequent, detailed asides.

In The Scarlet Pimpernel, we find ourselves in France and England during the Reign of Terror. We learn there is a master of disguise who is smuggling royalty destined to guillotine out of the country. There's a parallel love story alongside the Pimpernel action, where Lady Marguerite is reflecting on how she has lost the love and respect of her new husband, the simpering but previously devoted man.

I picked up an audiobook copy from Audible when it was recently on sale, and it was a delightful listen. In fact, the narrator was Ralph Cosham, the same narrator of the Chief Inspector Gamache books I've been working through. It became further amusing to notice there is a character named Armand in both this title and the Louise Penny series.

15) 2/20: Love Big, Be Well: Letters to a Small-Town Church by Winn Collier

This is a newly released book, not all that long but packed full of thoughtful reflections. The structure is a series of letters, primarily from a pastor to his church. The way he was hired was a deviation from traditional practices, primarily because the search committee was getting disillusioned with the process.

I found myself enjoying the structure. First, the letters aren't all that long, and while they do refer to earlier letters, they can be stand-alones, making it easy to read a letter or two at a time, then set it down. I wanted to copy down so much of the insights (but, for now, I snapped photos of multiple pages so I could return the book and come back later to copy down my favorite passages). It's a beautiful book.

16) 2/23: Seize the Day by Saul Bellow

Here was the February book club selection; we'd originally earmarked a longer work of his, but it was quickly replaced with this novella until the book club got a taste for Saul Bellow's writing style to see if we wanted to tackle one of his longer classic works.

The protagonist is a gentleman entering middle age but still floundering in the world. He spent several years attempting (and failing) to become famous in Hollywood, and now he's nursing his wounds after leaving his wife and children and struggling to find meaning. He finds it easy to lay blame on others, but in more vulnerable, introspective moments, he recognizes ways in which he habitually chooses the wrong course. He is desperate to gain approval from his father, longing for the slightest signs of love and caring. The discussion was delightful and already makes me want to revisit the book after the insights shared.