BOOKS I FINISHED - JANUARY 2013

The Light at Tern Rock, written by Julia L. Sauer and illustrated by Georges Schreiber

Read aloud for Naomi. It's a fictional story with lessons about making sacrifices, learning how and when to extend grace when promises are broken, and thinking of others more than ourselves.


Sister, written by Rosamund Lupton

I can't remember how this book originally landed on my TBR list. It's the fictional story of a woman whose sister's death is ruled a suicide, but the woman is confident her sister was actually murdered and sets out to prove it. Lots of twists to the story and I enjoyed it.
 

p. 64, Tact is catching.

p. 217, Can you be eco about friendships? They are too valuable to be junked when they stop being immediately convenient.

The Family Under the Bridge, written by Natalie Savage Carlson and illustrated by Garth Williams

Read aloud for Naomi. This is the fictional story of an elderly hobo who gets to know a homeless woman and her children in Paris. Despite initial resistance from the two adults involved, the group ultimately forms their own little family.

p. 71, "What good does it do to be honest if you aren't kind and generous?" he asked.


Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward, written by Lisa Niemi Swayze

Another one that I can't remember where I heard about it. The author, Patrick Swayze's wife of 34 years, shares about their last two years together, years spent battling his pancreatic cancer. She writes very casually, as though she were chatting with you at home, and I enjoyed her honesty, sense of humor, and snippets of sarcasm. I don't really care who her husband was from a celebrity standpoint and I don't share all their beliefs, but I respect their commitment to each other and how they seem to have maintained an "average Joe" quality to their lives. 


The Master Puppeteer, written by Katherine Paterson

Read aloud for Silas and Devon. Tension between fathers and the sons who don't meet their standards, a city that is starving to death, a bandit who robs from the rich to feed the poor, a famous puppet theater with a demanding master, and the significance of friendship. All three of us loved this book! 


Twenty and Ten, written by Claire Huchet Bishop and illustrated by William Pene du Bois

Read aloud for Naomi. We were able to read it all in one sitting this time and the big boys sat in with us to hear it again, as it's one of their past favorites. It's the fictional story of twenty French children who hide ten Jewish children from some Nazi soldiers.


Seven Years Between, written by Pamela McDavid

This is the debut novel of a friend of mine. It's loosely based on the childhood of the author's mom and is the story of a young girl who, due to her parents' divorce and her mother's job, must live with other people for seven years. Each of her living situations is very different from the others and one is quite difficult, but she and her mom remain close and she learns a lot through the process.

p. 86, Remind me to never get so good at something that I can't take criticism or question.


October Baby, written by Eric Wilson

I watched the movie a few months ago, but also wanted to read the book. I was thinking they'd done a great job of getting almost everything from the book into the movie, then realized the screenplay preceded the novel. Well, that explains that. There are a few details in the book that weren't in the movie, but they're almost exactly the same and I liked them both. Inspired by real events, it's the story of a young woman who discovers that she was adopted after surviving a failed abortion.


Mary on Horseback: Three Mountain Stories, written by Rosemary Wells

Read aloud for Naomi. This book is about Mary Breckinridge, a woman whose Frontier Nursing Service brought medical care to the poverty-stricken people of the Appalachian mountains.


Dolphin Adventure, written by Wayne Grover and illustrated by Jim Fowler

Read aloud for Naomi. This is the true story of a man who helps save the life of a dolphin while on a diving trip.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, written by Stephen R. Covey

I spotted this book while browsing the library shelves and was intrigued. I think I'll just do a separate post about this book on another day. Stay tuned!

** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. **