All righty, here goes.
America's Cheapest Family: Gets You Right on the Money, by Steve and Annette Economides
Jess #1 is a friend and she has a blog.
Jess #2 is another friend who found out about Jess #1's blog through my blog. Now Jess #2 is a fan of Jess #1. Well, Jess #2 saw a book on Jess #1's blog that she thought I, being a big fan of stretching a dollar, may enjoy reading. So, I reserved it from the library. While it was largely stuff I already knew, I'd definitely recommend it to someone who is trying to get their crazy finances under control or someone who wants to fine tune their controlled budget. It's a super easy read with lots of practical ideas and goals for people at every stage of living within and below their means.
The House on Walenska Street, by Charlotte Herman & illustrated by Susan Avishai
This was a school book. It's a simple story about a Jewish woman and her three young girls living in Russia in the early 1900's. It didn't grab me, but it wasn't bad either. Just a neutral book.
Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited, by Elyse Schein
I actually read this one in January, but totally forgot to add it to that month's list. This is the true story of two women who knew they were adopted. One had no desire to search for her birth family. The other decided, in her thirties, to look for her biological mom. She was shocked to discover that she had a twin sister and chose to have her twin, the woman without a desire to find her birth family (though the searching woman didn't know the other had no interest in her biological family), notified of her existence. This book chronicles the journey these women take as they figure out what to do with this huge discovery, the info they glean about the research project that led to their separation, and the emotional and practical ups and downs they experience as they adjust to their newly discovered life as twins. I really liked this book!
In Search of Eden, by Linda Nichols
This fictional story is filled with people who are hurting, but the main character is a woman whose grief and guilt over the child she was forced to give up for adoption consumes her. A fairly predictable story (though there was one element that
totally caught me by surprise), but I enjoyed it. Lots of lessons about choosing between bitterness and forgiveness, which is a battle that I've been struggling with. Got sucked in and finished this book in two sittings.
White Stallion of Lipizza, by Marguerite Henry & illustrated by Wesley Dennis
Another school book. I had the hardest time plowing through this book as a read aloud, but it was a great story. It's about a poor boy who is obsessed with Vienna's Lipizzan stallions and dreams of riding them someday. A story of dreams and disappointments, goals and perseverance ... and a lot about horses.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less,
by Terry Ryan
Tim and I had seen
the movie a while back, but I finally got around to reading the book. It's the true story of Evelyn Ryan, a woman whose natural ability at winning contests for various ad campaigns kept her family fed, clothed, and entertained during the 1950s and 1960s. She had a determination to make the best of a hard situation and consistently chose to not wallow in the self-pity that she could have easily justified. Good book, though it could have been a bit shorter.
Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir, by Marina Nemat
Nemat shares her story of life as a teenage political prisoner in Iran. She spent two years in government custody and under the control of one of the jailers, a man who I believe truly cared about her, yet didn't always treat her well. Forced to choose between faith and family, a decision that determined whether she and those she loved would live or die, Nemat chooses to protect her loved ones. That choice not only protects those close to her, but allows her to be a blessing to other prisoners and to find her greatest support from those least likely to be her allies, the family of the jailer. Loved this book!
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