Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
It’s Christmastime in 1984 Dearborn, Michigan. High Schooler James Christie is attending a Christmas Eve party. Ex-San Francisco detective/ace private investigator Johnny Wong is also attending the party at the Christie mansion. It’s a good thing the detective is in attendance. Because when industrial magnate and family patriarch David Christie falls dead at said party shortly after changing his will, the hunt for the killer is on in this faith-flavored seasonal whodunit.
There’s also superstition. Strange things that go bump in the night. The Christie family curse. Missing pictures. The Third Army. Suicide. Microchips and Silicon Valley. A gold pen. An ancient pact.
This book moves well and is an interesting read. It’s packed with plenty of misdirections, red herrings, and clever clues. It’s a good effort. The cover art is terrif! But it’s not yet ready for prime time. Here’s why:
Oh boy! Oh Boy! Oh boy! Today we’re highlighting two of my favorite words: FREE and BOOK! No. Really. This list includes 16 apps and websites where you either create a free account to download books for free, can download unlimited audio and ebooks free for a limited time, or just read for free, period. Hi, Libby.
Sound good? Great! Grab the nearest fork and let’s dive in:
Kimber here. I bet you think Her Crankiness is… 100% cranky, right? So do I. (Don’t tell Mom, okay? Let’s just keep this our little secret.)
But every once in a while Mom surprises me. Not that I’m surprise-able. But …
Wait. Where was I?
Oh yeah. Mom and I read a trio of books recently that were … surprising. They were quite different from each other, too. Think dogs and cats. (Well, okay. Maybe not cats. But you get the picture.)
Anyway, the first book is a delightful Christian romance from Kim Vogel Sawyer. The second is a non-fiction “travel tome with a twist” from Joseph F. Smith, M.D. There’s also an historical fiction novel by Kristin Hannah.
All get an Official Thumbs Up from Her Crankiness. Here’s why (short version):
Know the feeling? You’re skipping merrily along. Loving a new book. Buried in an engaging, entertaining story with top-notch writing. You feel like you’re on a first-name basis with most of the characters. Would love joining them for a hot cuppa and a good chat. Or invite them over for dinner.
Then, all of a sudden, the book winds down. The story concludes. The characters resolve whatever they’re resolving. Or not.
But one way or another, the book ends.
You sigh. Because, why wouldn’t you? You’ve been carrying these characters around in your head for… hours. Days. Maybe weeks. Or more. You’re so invested in these characters and their lives that leaving them feels… sad. Like you’re saying goodbye to dear friends. And closing that last page?
Double sigh.
Because you wished it would never end.
And have you noticed? A good book always ends too soon. Always.
Mom distinctly recalls one of the first books that ever evoked this feeling. She was in the fourth grade. Or maybe it was the third? Like, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The book was Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds by Joy Adamson. True story of Elsa, an orphaned lion cub. Elsa was raised by humans who loved her enough to set her free.
Others (most are fiction. Non-fiction titles are noted with “NF.”):
1. Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
2. Where the Red Fern Grows – Wilson Rawls
3. Peter Pan – J.M. Barrie
4. The Silver Brumby – Elyne Mitchell
5. Through Gates of Splendor – Elisabeth Elliot (NF)
6. At Home in Mitford – Jan Karon
7. Because of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo
8. Island of the Blue Dolphins – Scott O’Dell
9. The Christmas Box – Richard Paul Evans
10. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
11. Les Miserables – Alexandre Dumas
12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
13 & 14. Brighty of the Grand Canyon, King of the Wind – Marguerite Henry
15. A River Runs Through It – Norman Maclean
16. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
17. Waking the Dead – John Eldredge (NF)
18. Christy – Catherine Marshall
19. The Robe – Lloyd C. Douglas
20. Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
21. Keep Walking, Your Heart Will Catch Up – Cathay Reta (NF)
22. A Year in Paradise – Floyd Schmoe (NF)
23. The Applause of Heaven – Max Lucado
24. Walking Home: Common Sense and Other Misadventures on the Pacific Crest Trail – Rick Rogers (NF)
By Lili Cyr-Robilliard, author of The Forbidden River (click here for our review.)
I have always told stories. As a child, I spent hours in the forest behind my home, inventing worlds, characters, and adventures.
The idea for Glaguel came years later, while I was working as a camp counselor. One day, I was talking with two twelve-year-old boys about books. They began sharing the wild, funny stories they had invented. There was something in their laughter, bold, playful, and slightly rebellious that sparked the creation of my main character, Glaguel.
Speaking of “weekend,” are you short on time but long on wanting a worthwhile read? Like, something you can start tomorrow and finish by Sunday? Not to fret. Mom and I gotcha covered.
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
“I’m awake! I’m awake!” harketh Her Momness.
“With your eyes closed? Snoring to beat the band?” says I, Kimber the Magnificent. Well, can’t say I blame Mom. Cuz this short story collection is the next best thing to Sominex. Here’s why:
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
“Mm! Mm! Good!” spake I, Kimber the Magnificent whilst smacking my lips as noisily as possible.
“Whaddya mean, Kimster?” says Her Royal Momness.
“It’s this new book we read recently. You know. That coming-of-age tale set in the South. As in, Mm! Mm! Good!”
Mom: “Hate to break it to you, Kimmi. But ‘Mm! Mm! Good’ is Campbell’s Soup. Dontcha mean ‘Finger lickin’ good?’
Kimber: “You eat what you want, and I’ll eat what I want, okay?
Anyway, your favorite dynamic book duo is here to tell you about a new book by William Gardner. (See our review of the prior book in Gardner’s Southern Adventure series, Me, Boo and the Goob,here.) We mostly liked World. But we’ll also tell you why we DNFed it. So, keep your hair on, Cookie.
There was a time when my life felt settled, predictable, and safe. I was a retired data analyst living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with my husband, enjoying the rhythms of family visits, nature, and the quiet comfort of a life well lived. Then everything changed. When our son Matt died in 2017, grief didn’t just break my heart, it imploded the life I knew. The future I had imagined vanished overnight, replaced by a silence and emptiness I didn’t know how to navigate. I was completely shattered.
Pages & Paws 