The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, written by Sara Brunsvold
A younger woman who's focused on her career, an older woman who's dying, and the friendship that develops when the former is tasked with writing the latter's obituary. A story of love that's rooted in faith, with an unexpected plot line about refugees, which is meaningful to me.
p. 46, A pained body with a broken spirit tends to recoil when the hand of grace first finds its wounds.
p. 61, "Ambition is a two-edged sword. Use it wisely, you become a trailblazer. Use it foolishly, you become a chump."
p. 180, "I have never seen the vast smallness of American minds until I've attempted to get the to wrap around the concept of hospitality to outsiders."
p. 193, "You need the Lord more than anything, but in his benevolence he often shows up in the form of friends."
p. 198, "I simply tried to love people as best I could for as long as I was privileged to be with them. We don't stay long in each other's lives - that's the crux of our humanness. You have to be the friend people need while they are there with you, because it's the only chance you'll get."
p. 206, "You were saying people sometimes need a little coaxing toward compassion," she said. "What did you mean by that?
"I mean that sometimes you have to find the tender spot in someone's heart. What would motivate them into action? What commonality do they have with the person in need of help. I searched for those tender spots, then used them to coax the people to compassion."
p. 212, "Authentic love is the greatest joy there is, Miss Kelley, but it requires a thousand little deaths to self."
p. 217, For the rest of the morning, the dual-culture crew worked to set up the little white house in the middle of the block in the middle of the city in the middle of the country. Safe for that one goal and their shared humanness, they had virtually nothing in common.
Somehow it didn't matter.
It never did.
p. 227, The sower's job was to sow, trusting her success would be measured by how few seeds remained in her hand.
Invisible Wonders: Photographs of the Hidden World, written and compiled by Anand Varma
I don't remember where I heard about this book, but I put it on hold at the library before its publication date because I knew I'd like it. Whether you're interested in photography, nature, or science, or, like me, simply love looking at fascinating pictures, you'll enjoy over 350 pages of incredible sights. Mostly captioned photos, the book also has some text and interviews with a few photographers.
The Last Devil to Die, written by Richard Osman
The fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series, this story had all the criminal activity that's to be expected, but it also dealt a lot with an important secondary character with dementia. As always, I appreciate the friendship of the four main characters in these books.
p. 134, "I need you to talk less. I have a low boredom threshold. I was born with it, the doctors can't do nothing."
p. 248, Love can mean so many different things, can't it? And just because it's precious doesn't mean it can't be tough.
On the Horizon: World War II Reflections, written by Lois Lowry and illustrated by Kenard Pak
Written in verse, Lowry invites the reader to meet real people who were at Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima when each were attacked. It's a middle grade book that deals with the horror of war, the experience of grief, and the resilience of people who have been traumatized. She also draws heavily from her own connections to both places, at one point revealing a personal tie to an author whose picture books I enjoy.
Remarkably Bright Creatures, written by Shelby Van Pelt and narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie
I tend to avoid books with a lot of hype because then my expectations are too high, which is why I ignored this one for a long time. Plus is has an octopus as a main character, which doesn't appeal to me at all. Finally, after realizing I'd never heard anyone say they didn't like it, I decided to listen to it. People in different age brackets, individual stories that begin to overlap as the book progresses, messy lives, and personal growth. And an octopus. I loved it. I'm not sure if I'd have enjoyed it as much in print, so I'm glad I opted for the audio version.
9:47:20, "You can't fix someone who's determined to stay broken."
This middle grade novel is about a black American soldier who's recently returned from war, a twelve year old white boy whose life is saved by the soldier, and how the friendship they developed in 1946 impacted both of their lives.
p. 95, "Whenever possible, you gotta try to see the goings-on of life through more eyes than just your own, because that can help you see things more clearly. Sometimes it'll even let you see things the way they really are and give you peace of mind."
p. 100, "Resistin' temptation builds strength. We fail when we give in to it."
p. 149, "Recipe for friendship is liking and trust. Respect gets mixed up in there too."
What You Are Looking For Is In The Library, written by Michiko Aoyama and translated from Japanese by Alison Watts
A friend recently mentioned this book to me, even though she hadn't read it yet. I immediately put it on hold at the library and loved every page. Each chapter focuses on one person and how the local librarian always recommends exactly what they're looking for, as well as what they don't yet realize they need. Simultaneously light and wise, this novel's filled with evidence of how significant life transitions, personal growth, community connections, libraries, and books are. Bonus points for all the meaningful books recommended in the story being listed at the end for easy reference.
p. 23, Library. What a nice-sounding word. So comforting.
p. 42, "In a world where you don't know what will happen next, I just do what I can right now."
p. 161, "The merry-go-round?"
With a chuckle she smiled at me. "It's a very common condition," she said with apparent relish. "Singles are envious of those who are married, and married couples envy those with children, but people with children are envious of singles. It's an endless merry-go-round. But isn't that funny? That each person should be chasing the tail of the person in front of them, when no one is coming first or last. In other words, when it comes to happiness nothing is better or worse - there is no definitive state."
p. 165, If I put myself at the center of everything, does that mean I always see myself as a victim? And why I always end up wondering why can't people do things that work for me?
p. 249, "What you have to understand about women is that they can reach a certain point when all of a sudden every little thing that's ever irritated them becomes too much to bear anymore, just like that."
p. 299, Until now I have always thought of things in terms of whether or not they could be useful to me in some way. But that may have become my stumbling block. Now I know the importance of the heart being moved, I have a list of things I want to try.
Words in the Dust, written by Trent Reedy and narrated by Ariana Delawari
An Afghan girl with a cleft palate, harsh stepmom, and strong desire to be educated. Afghan culture, American military, family dynamics, and dreams of the future. This middle grade novel is filled with hard topics and different perspectives, but is handled with tact and respect. Don't skip the interviews at the end of the audio version.
