52 Books in 52 Weeks: Books 32-45: The Final Wrap-up

Well, once again I'm coming to the end of the year falling a bit short of the 52 book goal, but I'm less concerned about that than I was last year.  Lately I'm becoming more concerned about the quality of the books I'm reading than the quantity.  I started out the year with a goal of reading 12 classics and completing the Educated Mind Challenge, and can only count "A Midsummernight's Dream" and maybe "To Kill A Mockingbird" (is that one considered a classic?) toward the 12 classics.  Oh, well.  A new year, is a new chance to begin again.

Here are the books I've read over the last few months:

The Lost Books - By Ted Dekker

This is a series of 6 Young Adult novels that go with the Circle books.  They are quite good.

Heaven is For Real - By Todd Burpo

I picked this up out of curiosity, to see if it would clear up my ambivalent skepticism about this family's story.  It didn't.  Interesting read, though.

To Kill A Mockingbird - By Harper Lee

I really can't explain why I'd never read this classic novel before, except that I grew up in the Midwest.  Maybe it just isn't considered as significant there as is in the South.  But, if you haven't read this, you're doing yourself a disservice.

The Litigators - By John Grisham

It's been awhile since I read this, and I've honestly forgotten quite a bit of it.  I remember that it was entertaining, but not as good as "The Confession".

The Bride Price - Tracey Jane Jackson

This is an historical fiction/romance novel set in the civil war.  It's the first a series & it was a free on my Kindle.  It was OK - I like historical fiction, but I'm not a big romance reader.  I haven't gone back to fork out real money for the sequel. 

Entangled - by Barbara Ellen Brink

Like the Bride Price, this was another free Kindle Book that is first in a series, and I haven't gone out to buy the sequel.  Not yet, anyway.  I did like this one a little better because it was  a mystery/crime novel, and that's a little more up my alley.  But, it was pretty predictable and the protagonist was not a very likable character, so, I'm still undecided about paying for the next one.

Ryann Watters and the Kings Sword & 

Ryan Watters and the Sheild of Faith - by Eric Reinhold

These are two absolutely fantastic children's fantasy novels written by Eric Reinhold, whose goal is to engage children in biblically based, family friendly fiction.  He has done a phenomenal job in these two books about 12 year old Ryann Watters who, in the first book is given a task by the angel Gabriel to visit the mythical land of Aeliana to retrieve the missing King's sword.  The books are very well written and thoroughly engaging for children from around the age of 7-8 & possibly up through the teenage years.

These first two books are currently being made into a movie ( or movies? ) and there are 5 more books planned, I believe.  You can get more information about these books & the movie plans at this website.

Mary's Son - by Darryl Nyznyk

This was an entertaining little Christmas story that I would say is more of a children's story.  It was another free Kindle book & wasn't advertised as a children's book, but that's the general feeling of the story. A man named Nicholas shows up around Christmastime & intervenes in the lives of some very unhappy people.  He makes no secret of the fact that he is Santa Clause.  Some people think he's crazy.  Others truly believe...

Well, there it is.  It's right around 9:00 pm EST on December 31st, 2011 & I'm finally getting my last post of the year up. 

Happy New Year!

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 31: "House" by Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker

Two traveling couples are stranded on the same night and end up at The Wayside Inn - a deserted stop off a backwoods road in rural Alabama.  At first, the inn looks pleasant enough though their hosts seem a bit strange.  But their dinner conversation becomes tense, and then the acutal meal becomes even worse.  And that is just the beginning of a night when they are forced to play a horrible game & the house itself begins to turn on them. 

So far, I would rank this book at the bottom of the ones I have read by Dekker.  It's been a long time since I've read anything by Peretti.  I read "This Present Darkness" when it came out years ago, but I don't think I've read anything of his since.  This book was a bit disappointing because the whole plot seemed so formulaic for a horror story.  Strangers come together into what turns into a high stress environment.  A killer pits them against one another.  Events in their past that they have tried to bury are revealed & used against them.  You check into a hotel, but you cannot check out.  Welcome to the Hotel California....or is that the Roach Motel?   

I understand there is a movie based on this book.  I wondered if that was even part of the plan as the book was written, because the end of the book certainly seems to set you up for a sequel. 

One element I did like was the one foreshadowed in the quote on the first page before the prologue - "The light came into the darkness, but the darkness did not understand it."  I thought the way that was developed in the story was interesting.

Ok for a run-of-the-mill horror/suspense novel.  But not one of my favorites.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 30: "Thr3e" By Ted Dekker

Seminary student Kevin Parsons receives a chilling call on his cell phone as he is heading down the highway.  A man calling himself Slater claims to be from Kevin's past, and demands that Kevin call the local newspaper and confess his deepest secret sin in 3 minutes...or Slater will blow his car to bits.  The problem is, Kevin has no idea what sin Slater is talking about.  And he barely manages to get his car into a ditch and get safely out before the car indeed explodes three minutes later.  This is only the beginning of a sinister game that Slater plays with Kevin - teasing him with riddles & driving him crazy trying to get him to confess this sin that Kevin can't remember.  Who is Slater, and what is he after?

I ruined some of the suspense of this book for myself by going on Amazon and reading reviews from a few dissatisfied readers who didn't like the ending & decided to reveal it in their reviews.  However, there was still plenty to enjoy in this masterful work of psychological suspense and mystery crafted by Dekker.  In this case, he has managed to take an interesting view of the basic human condition and turn it into a thriller.  Personally, I thought the ending was brilliant.  But if you're going to read this and you want to save the surprises for the end - don't read the negative reviews on Amazon.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 29: "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult

The morning of March 6, 2007 was peaceful and calm in the quiet little town of Sterling, New Hampshire.  That is, until Peter Houghton walked into the high school and opened fire on fellow students and teachers, killing 10 and wounding 19 others. A shattered and grieving town slowly begins to pick up the pieces. Alex Cormier is one parent who counts herself lucky that her daughter Josie survived the incident with merely a scratch.  Alex is also the sitting superior court judge for the district, and plans to preside over Peter Houghton's trial. Since Josie was not injured, her objectivity will not be an issue.  But, as the investigation and trial discovery continues, surprising things come to light about Josie's involvement with Peter Houghton in the past.

What I really love about Picoult's novels is the way she takes an issue with simplified cultural stereotypes (i.e. school shooters are always kids with severe emotional problems and neglectful parents) and broadens them, helping the reader to think more deeply about these issues.  Can the responsibility for incidents like these be placed solely on the shooter and his parents? Or on school officials?  What about the parents of the victims, who looked the other way when their kids were viciously bullying this boy from kindergarten on?  School bullying was a big theme in this novel, and Picoult shows how, particularly in a small town, kids can get stuck with an identity others put on them from a very early age, and feel trapped.  I know if I hear of another school shooting in the media (and, unfortunately, I'm sure that's a "when" not an "if"), this novel will remind me that the issues and causes go so much deeper than any soundbite we're going to hear on TV.  

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 28: "Directed Virdict" by Randy Singer

Charles Reed, a Christian missionary in Saudi Arabia, is brutally tortured and murdered by the Muttawah - the Saudi religious police.  They also abuse his wife and frame the couple; accusing them of being at the head of a ring of cocaine dealers who are using their network of underground churches to distribute the drug.  Sara escapes and is extradited to the United States.  There she obtains the young Brad Carlson as her the legal council.  Before long, Carlson finds himself embroiled in a legal battle that will threaten the very fabric of US foreign relations in the middle east.  And, it causes divisions in his own practice.  Leading him to wonder who he can really trust...

I throughly enjoyed this novel.  It was full of twists and turns, and kept me guessing until the end. It was the first one I've read by Singer & I'm glad I found him.  He's written a number of other legal dramas.  That's one of my favorite genres, so I'll be sure to add some more of his works to my list.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 27: "The Winter of our Disconnect" by Susan Maushart

Imagine swearing off TV, computers, internet, gaming machines, and cell phones - all forms of modern media consumption.  For six months.  Could you and your family handle it?

Susan Maushart, a journalist and single mother, living with her three teenagers in Perth, Australia did just that.  In January of 2009, she pulled the plug on her family's completely "plugged in" lifestyle, and they went offline (at home) for 6 months.  They were allowed to leave the house and use internet cafes for her work, and for her kids' homework.  And her kids were allowed to use the internet at their friends' houses.   But at home, they went back to using landline phones and reading and playing board games for entertainment.

The results of what they came to call "The Experiment" should not really be surprising to any of us.  They started eating more meals together, taking longer at those meals, and talking to each other more.  The kids had no more TVs or computers in their rooms, so they weren't gulping down their food to get back to their own individualized entertainment.   They got more sleep.  The kids started to do better in school.  Her 16 year old son who had been completely addicted to gaming and not much else rediscovered his love of playing the saxophone.  

Throughout the book, Maushart adds entries from her personal journal, which she kept throughout the experience.  She also covers a lot of the current research on media and its impact on us. The one thing I disliked about this book was the chatty, casual style in which it was written.  Maushart punctuates much of her writing in this book with LOLs, WTFs, OMGs  and :-) s, which I've seen plenty of online & don't need to see in a print publication.  

All in all, this is an interesting read and very relevant given the pervasive nature of media in our world.  Though nothing that she writes is really original - regarding her thoughts as far as how to control media in our homes - the lengths she went to in order to control it in her home are impressive.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Books 23-26: The Circle Series by Ted Dekker

I have to admit I've been putting off reviewing this series for more than a week, because it I hardly know what to say about this - except that I couldn't put it down.  Ted Dekker has created a fantasy thriller series that could be considered a combination of the TV series "24" & The Lord Of the Rings.  I can't put Dekker on par with Tolkien - this doesn't match the depth and beauty of Tolkien's writing, by any stretch.  But the fantasy flavor is there.

As "Black" begins, Thomas Hunter is running from the mob on the streets of Denver.  A bullet knocks him out.  When he wakes up, he is in a dark forest filled with huge, black bats that are chasing him.  A white bat leads him out of the dark forest, across a river, and into to a beautiful colored forest.  In this dream land, Thomas enters a world where the people are living safely in Elyon's (God's) land, and good and evil are clearly visible.  All that is good is bright and colorful, and all that is evil is black.  When he goes back to sleep, he wakes up in Denver again.  At first, he believes Elyon's land was just a dream.  But, each time he goes to sleep in Denver, he wakes in Elyon's land, and he begins to wonder which is reality and which is a dream.   And then he finally begins to suspect that both are real...

So beings the saga of Thomas Hunter, who eventually discovers the powerful books of history referenced in the Paradise Trilogy.  I read Black/Red/White - the first three novels in one book, and it's hard for me to imagine stopping at the end of "Black" or "Red" without running out immediately to pick up the next one.  The events in the book "Green" take place 10 years after the end of "White", and technically, it is both the beginning and the end of the series.  So, you could read Green first, but personally, I found it very satisfying to read Green last. It was putting together all the pieces of the puzzle and answering many of the questions that had come up in the first three books.   

I'm going to have to take a little breather from Dekker for a while, but I'm now a fan and I still have a couple more of his books on my list.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Books 20-22: The Paradise Trilogy by Ted Dekker

Showdown
Deep in the Colorado mountains lies a secret monastery where an experiment like none other has been going on for more than a decade.  Orphaned children have been brought to the monastery and raised from infancy with no exposure to the negative influences of society.  They have been carefully taught in the ways of truth, virtue, and faith.  The goal is for these children to become "noble savages" whose extraordinary faith can change society.  Particularly if they can access the power of the secret that lies in the dungeons beneath the monastery.  The question is, will that power corrupt them?  Or will they be able to use this power to overcome the evil that resides in their own hearts?


In the valley below, all is calm in the sleepy town of Paradise until the day the mysterious Marsuvees Black strides into town.   When Black enters the town, all hell breaks loose and the town begins to fall apart.  Everyone in Paradise believes Black has come to help them.  Everyone, that is, besides young Johnny Drake. He believes that Black has an evil agenda and is deceiving the town.   But how can one teenage boy stand up and make a difference when the whole town, and the powerful Marsuvees Black are against him?


Saint
Carl Strople is a dangerous assassin.  Formerly a soldier and chaplain in the US army, Special Forces, he's now working with "Group X", a black ops group.  The mission he's on is not officially sanctioned by the government.  As a part of his training, his memory has been erased, and his true identity is unknown, even to him.  His team calls him Saint.  As the story unfolds, parts of his memory begin to return to him, and he begins to suspect that his history, and the special abilities he has, might have something to do with a town in Colorado called Paradise...


Sinner
Billy Rediger and Darcy Lange are two of the young people who grew up in the monastery in the hills above Paradise, Colorado.  They are in their early twenties now, and have both tried to bury the past and forget what happened in those formative years.  But, that is not going be easy.  The secret that they discovered in the dungeons under the monastery has left them with powers that will soon be revealed.  Can Billy and Darcy use these powers to bring about order and peace in society?  Or will their efforts result in disaster?



I needed something engaging and thrilling to help me get caught up, so I'm very thankful to my friend Ann who turned me on to Ted Dekker.  I'd never read any of his work before. He is a master of suspense.  These books are a thrill from beginning to end.  I'm now working on the Circle series.  Still trying to figure out a few things... :-)


Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 19: "Unshaken" by Dan Wooley

It's not often that you pick up a book and find endorsements on the cover from both Wess Stafford, president of Compassion International, and Bear Grylls, star of Man vs. Wild.  But once you start to read the incredible story Dan Woolley has to tell, the reasons become obvious.

Woolley spent nearly 3 days trapped under the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th, 2010.  He describes, moment-by-moment what he experienced during the earthquake, and several decisions he had to make that literally saved his life.  While trapped he goes back and forth between the hope of believing he will be rescued and the despair of doubting the rescuers can ever get to him in time.  

This book tells the powerful story of the strength that faith brings in a harrowing situation, and the way that Dan came through this with a renewed determination to live a life that really matters. 

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 18: Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder

Nick Heller, a private detective, is recruited by a personal family friend to discover what has happened to his teenage daughter.  She has disappeared and her father is very worried because of his political connections and a previous threat on her life.  Heller soon finds out that this is much more than a simple disappearance or kidnapping case.  The story is quite suspenseful and somewhat reminiscent of the TV show 24.  Heller is a Jack Bauer-like character.  If you enjoyed that show, you'll probably have a hard time putting this book down.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Books 16 & 17: "Courting Trouble" by Lisa Scottoline and "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller

Ann Murphy is an up-and-coming attourney at female-run law firm in Boston.  She takes a vacation over the 4th of July holiday.  While running on the beach one morning, she stops at a newsstand, and has the shock of her life.  She buys a paper, and opens it to see a photo of herself and a story that claims she was shot to death in front of her apartment the night before.  

This thriller makes for good summer reading. 

Idolatry?  Isn't that something from acient times, pacticed by pagan peoples - bowing down to little statues?  In "Counterfeit Gods", Timothy Keller brings idolatry squarely into 21st century America and points out the way our hearts are constantly searching for gods to worship.  Our idols are not made of wood and stone - rather, they are things like money, power, sex, success, or anything else we chase after thinking it will bring us lasting pleasure and satisfy our souls.

Keller uses interesting Biblical examples, some in unexpected ways, to illustrate the fact that these idols were, in fact, the same things our spiritual forefathers sought after when they were tempted to worship false gods. He also discusses discerning surface vs hidden idols and finding and replacing your idols, which is a lifelong process. 

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks: Book 15: "The Confession" By John Grisham

It's been awhile since I've read one of Grisham's novels.  As much as I enjoy legal dramas, they started to get repetitive, and I got a bit fatigued and disinterested.  But this one is a gripping and suspenseful story that will keep you guessing until the end.  As for me, it got under my skin.  

Grisham is making a none-too-subtle political statement in this novel.  The main character (or, one of them) is Donte Drumm, a man sitting on death row, convicted of a murder he didn't commit.  Another is Travis Boyette, who comes forward claiming to be the real murderer at the 11th hour, trying to save Drumm from exectution.  The injustices that Donte suffered as he was arrested and convicted of this crime, are central to the story.  Grisham is making a case against the death penalty.

I cannot agree with him 100%, because I do believe in capital punishment, in principal.  Human life has infinite value.  If someone willfully, intentionally takes the life of another human being, the only way that we as a society can uphold the value of the victim's life is to declare the life of the murder forfeit.  This is not to endorse vigilante justice carried out on an individual level.  It is the obligation of the society - law enforcement and the justice system to carry out the actual enforcement of these principals.  

But the above is assuming that: 1) the offender is actually guilty of the crime;  2) the system of law enforcement is free of gross corruption and; 3) the accused has the right to be assumed innocent until proven otherwise and the right to a fair trial.  In "The Confession", Dante Drumm is subjected to illegal, coercive and abusive treatment by the police, and assumed to be guilty right from the start.  He goes into the police department voluntarily, willing to cooperate because he wants to help with the investigation. His defenses are down, because he knows he has done nothing wrong.  Even after he realizes they are suspicious of him, he still believes that he will be OK, because he is innocent.  He believes the system works.  He is wrong.

Despite my belief in the death penalty, I have become convinced over the last decade or so that we have too many innocent people sitting on death row & therefore, we need to have a moratorium on the death penalty, whether it is done at a national or state level.  Too many people have been exonerated because of DNA evidence for me to rest comfortably in the belief that our system is working.   A few examples, in case you are interested: Peter Limone, Jay C. Smith,  Ron Williamson, Glen Edward Chapman, David Vasquez, Charles Fain.... and there are plenty more.  

Have you ever wondered how an innocent person could possibly confess to a crime they didn't commit?  Most people, according to surveys that I have seen, think that this doesn't happen.  Most of us can't imagine ever falsely admitting doing something horrible like killing someone.  Who would do that???  Well, if you've read this book, and read what Donte went through in the interrogation room, can you begin to understand? Some years ago, I was reading about stage hypnotists and I read that approximately 25% of people are susceptible enough to subtle psychological manipulation that they can be put into an hypnotic trance by a skilled performer up on a stage while they are sitting feet away in an audience.  Have you ever seen that?  A person who will go into a kind of trance and do all kinds of crazy things at the suggestion of a stranger?  My point is - that is real.  About 1/4 of people can be very easily manipulated in certain situations.  Most of us think we could not be manipulated into confessing to something we didn't do.  I would guess that a small percentage of the population - maybe 10% or less - is so resistant to manipulation that they could never be convinced - no matter how much pressure, how little sleep, or how much mental abuse you put them under.  But, I believe that the vast majority of us - myself included, would find it almost impossible to hold up under this kind of pressure.  What Grisham is writing here is all fiction.  But I don't think any of it is too far from reality in certain places.  I can't say how widespread it is.  But, anytime you hear about someone confessing to a crime after hours of interrogation, and then immediately recanting it, you can be sure they went through something very close to what Donte experienced in this book.  And, I think if you and I really knew how many people are sitting in prison in this country because they were treated this way, we might have a hard time sleeping at night. 

In the arena of political debate, the anti-death penalty crowd likes to criticize the pro-life crowd for being inconsistant and hypocritical on this issue.  For the reasons I stated in the 3rd paragraph, I believe that upholding a death penalty is actually a pro-life position, because it affirms the value of a human life.  It ties the ultimate penalty to the taking of a human life.  I do not see those two positions as being inconsistent.  As long as the death penalty is only being applied to those whose guilt is 100% certain.

Many who hold to the death penalty will point to the Bible.  The position I've outlined can be found in several places, but is put simply in Genesis 9:6  

Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

But, when it came to carrying out Jewish law, the testimony of two or more eyewitnesses was required (Numbers 35:30), Deuteronomy 20:17.  I think it is pretty reasonable assume that these witnesses would be expected to be credible, with nothing to gain from their testimony.  What we have in our justice system today is nothing close to this.   This is why I believe our system is broken.

Here's an article that describes the extent to which our law enforcement system relies on paid informants and how much of a problem it is becoming. 

 If we as a society are putting innocent people to death that should bother anyone who claims to be pro-life.  If you think we as a nation have the blood of the innocent unborn on our hands, I would argue that you ought to feel the same way about the blood of innocent men and women that are being executed for crimes they did not commit.  You can argue there are some differences, but I do not think they are substancial. 

"The Confession" is fiction, but it's not a fantasy. 

Ok.  Now I will get off my soapbox and say, again, that this is a great story that you will have a hard time putting down.

Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks:Books 5 -14

Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This was my first Arkady Renko Novel.  It's rough, graphic, and violent with little to recommend it other than the fact that it is an interesting mystery.  Much as I enjoy crime mysteries, it's probably my last Martin Cruz Smith novel.

Finding Nouf: Zoe Ferraris

Interesting murder mystery - more so for the glimpse she gives us into what life is like for women in middle eastern countries under Muslim law, and how politics and crime enforcement works there, than the mystery itself.  

When Sinners Say "I Do" by Dave Harvey

A great marriage study, but be prepared to be convicted and unsettled.  "Marriage Problems"   = sin problems.  Trouble in your marriage?  Don't try to "fix" your spouse.  Look in the mirror first.  The book has a companion workbook, but we didn't use it much in our study.  Seemed like it mostly just regurgitated a lot of what had been already said in the book.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Barnes and Noble Shakespeare Series

My first foray into Shakespeare since it was required reading in school, and my first (and so far, only) book that qualifies for the two mini challenges I intended to attempt this year.  I still think I may be able to pull off the 12 Classics. The Barnes and Noble Series has introductory sections on "Shakespeare and his England" - explaining the historical setting in which Shakespeare was living and writing, and "Understanding Shakespeare's Language", both of which are very helpful in understanding and putting the play in context for those of us who are a little rusty in this area. (I hope you can still get the Barnes and Noble Series versions).  I really found this to be an easy way to get back into it and enjoyed this short, comical play.  A Midsummer Night's Dream is short, fairly easy reading (though silly and often nonsensical).  It is a good way to stick your toe in the water and see you want to add more Shakespeare to your reading list.  I will be doing so, but not until I'm more caught up.

Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs

In "Mine is the Night, Higgs concludes the tale begun in "Here Burns My Candle".  These are two historical fiction novels.  She takes the biblical tale of Ruth and re-sets it in 18th century Scotland, during the time of the 2nd Jacobite rebellion.  While I enjoyed this novel, it wasn't my favorite.  I find Higgs style of resetting biblical tales in other historical settings interesting, but not my favorite type of historical fiction.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I'm probably the last avid reader in America to read this book, especially since the movie based on the book came out in 2009.  I really think the movie producers under-estimated the American public by changing the ending.  Yes, the book's ending is shocking and gut-wrenching.  But who wants every book and movie to have a predictable and mushy ending?  But I digress - this isn't supposed to be a movie review.  The ending to this novel reminded me of this scripture:

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21.

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline 

This is my 2nd Lisa Scottoline novel.  It was an enjoyable read, but not nearly as gripping as Look Again. 

From Fear to Freedom by Rose Marie Miller

This is the personal testimony of Rose Marie Miller.  Despite the little "Grace Glimpses" - bulleted teaching points and brief prayers at the end of each section, there's little instruction or substance which would make this book useful as a study or teaching resource.  It really is simply a personal testimony of an one woman's walk with Christ. 

   

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Picoult weaves another gripping tale full of mind-numbing twists and turns.  Max and Zoe have been through the wringer in their attempts to conceive a child, and their last attempt at IVF ends in miscarriage.  The grief and strain ends their marriage.  Max finds solace for his grief when he finds faith in Christ & gets involved in an evangelical church.  Zoe finds solace for her grief through a new friendship which turns into a lesbian affair.  When Zoe and her lesbian partner begin talking about having children, and the topic of Zoe and Max's leftover frozen embryos comes up, a legal battle begins to brew...

If you are a Christian, you will probably not appreciate the picture Picoult paints of the church in this novel.  I don't think it's an entirely fair depiction, but I also think there are places and churches where what she describes could very well take place.  

Zoe is a music therapist and this book comes with an accompanying CD, with music written for the story by musician Ellen Weber - Lyrics by Picoult.  One song accompanies each section of the book. I did not listen to the cd with the book, because I got my copy from the library, and the cd envelope had not been opened yet.  But now, I kind of wish I had.  I think it would have been an interesting way to read the book. 

A Secret Gift by Ted Gup

On Monday morning, December 17, 1933, the following ad appeared in the Canton Repository of Canton, Ohio:

In Consideration Of The White Collar Man!

Suppose if I were confronted with an economic situation where the bread of tomorrow is the problem of today - there is a question in my mind if I would accept charity directly offered by welfare organizations.  I know there are hundreds of men that are confronted with economic problems and think, feel and act the same way.

To men or families in such a position the maker of this offer, who will remain unknown until the very end, will be glad if he is given an opportunity to help from 50 to 75 such families so they will be able to spend a merry and joyful Christmas. 

To such men or families that will request such financial aid, the writer pledges that their identity will never be revealed.  

Please write:  

B. Virdot.  

General Delivery,

Canton, Ohio.  

In writing, please familiarize me with your true circumstances and financial aid will promptly be sent.

That ad caused such a stir in the newsroom, that the editors wrote a front page story about the anonymous donor who was planning to give $750 & distribute it to up to 75 different families to help ease the pain of the Depression. Letters poured in to B. Virdot's address. 

In June, 1998, Ted Gup was back his hometown of Canton, visiting his mother on her 80th birthday.  During the visit she passed on to him some things that had belonged to his grandfather, including a suitcase full of "some old papers". The "old papers" turned out to be the letters that had been written in response to that 1933 ad.  Ted's grandfather, Sam Stone had been B. Virdot. In these letters, the writers pour out their stories of financial hardship, which they were much too proud to share with friends, neighbors, or even charities. The members of "The Greatest Generation" would not depend on anyone else to provide for their families and it was a source of shame to admit their need. These letters give a unique and personal picture of the depression and its impact on a small american town.  Some men were even too proud to respond to B. Virdot's ad, and their wives responded in secret. Many invited him to personally visit them to verify what they were saying about their personal circumstances. Of course, many were his neighbors and friends who would have been mortified to have ever revealed this to him, if they had known who he was.  In researching the book, Gup gives a profile of each family that wrote a letter, and then also follows up with the descendants to find out what's happened to the family in the generations since.  A fascinating, and highly recommended read!

Well, I guess I had more to say about these books than I thought.  I have one more review to do.  I just finished "The Confession" and I'm going to review it by itself.


Sojourner

52 Books in 52 Weeks.....Interrupted.....

I thought it would be easier to accomplish this goal in 2011 than it was in 2010, since I started 6 weeks late last year.  Well...think again, girl.  I'm further behind now than I was at this point last year.  


Back in February, some family challenges began to crop up that interrupted reading.  Ok, not all reading. It just crowded out a lot of my reading for pleasure, and caused me to temporarily put aside the goal of reading one book a week, and posting reviews, which is the hardest part of this challenge for me.  I really never thought it would take this long to get back to it.


A couple of weeks ago, I was just about ready to "get back on track", when a persistent pain in my lower right side kept me awake all night.  A doctor's appointment that next morning resulted in a trip to the hospital in order to have my appendix removed!  After that, I had two weeks of recovery and mandated rest, which gave me lots of reading time - finally!


So now, I have a stack of 10 books - several that I read over the last few months, and the rest that I read while I was recuperating, that I have read but have not reviewed.  Later today I intend to do very brief 1-2 sentence reviews of most of them in one post.  I have neither the time or inclination to do more than that.  But the most recent two that I read I will review more fully because I remember more about them.  


I'm currently reading Grisham's "The Confession", and I can tell this one won't take me long. The review  -in which I will get up on my soapbox about capital punishment and the current state of our justice system - might take longer to write than actually reading the book!


So, that should get me up to about 15 books by that time - I think?  I'll still be 10 books behind the goal, but with a 10 day trip back to the family farm in the wings, I may just get a few more out of the way.


But, sadly, the Well-Read Mind Challenge and 10 Classics challenge may just go by the wayside. I read "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream", and that's about it so far.  Maybe I can pick them back up in the fall. We'll see. Classics don't lend themselves to fast-paced reading or listening to an audio version while working around the house.


Look for a long post with pretty pictures of books, but few words, coming soon...


Sojourner