The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. We’re not even going to talk about how long it’s been since I’ve done a real reading recap. Here’s a (very small) taste of what I’ve been reading:

Fiction

In Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz is a richly detailed post-Revolutionary War love story. Rhonda Ortiz transports the reader to 18th-century Boston in this well-told love story. Readers will cheer for the strong female characters and the smitten, determined hero who battle rigid social expectations and a villain you’ll love to hate. A King David-style conflict, a Custom-House mystery, some PTSD, and even a little espionage make In Pieces a novel you won’t be able to put down. At one point when I was reading this book, I emailed the author and said, “Did so-and-so seriously just …” (I can’t tell you more, because I don’t want to spoil the fun!). This novel is even better the second time around! (Advance review copy received from author. Full review coming soon.)

Life on the Grocery Line: A Frontline Experience in a Global Pandemic by Adam Jonathan Kaat. I’m honestly not sure if I should file this under “nonfiction” because it’s sort of a memoir/social commentary, but it’s a fictionalized memoir so I’m calling it fiction. It takes place during the first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, in March and April 2020. Daniel, a grocery cashier, describes the rapid pace of changes in store procedure, the stress and emotions store workers experienced and expressed as the pandemic began, and the attitudes and actions of store customers. I was interested in reading this book because I’m fascinated by food marketing in general, and because I wanted to see how authors are handling the topic of the global pandemic in their work. This is one of only two authors I’ve seen mention it so far. Although the author spends a lot of time calling out the well-heeled customers of an upscale grocery store for the way they treated store employees, I think snobbery goes both ways. He was very contemptuous of the customers. Be warned: the language in this book is fairly raw. (Advance review copy received from author.)

Mr. Nicholas by Christopher De Vinck. A sweet Christmas-themed novella. The title character is not the main character in this story of a young dad who doesn’t know how to relate to his 10-year-old son with Down syndrome, nor his artistic wife who has begun divorce proceedings. When his son JB becomes fascinated with Mr. Nicholas, the friendly but mysterious hardware store owner, Jim begins to look at the people around him with new eyes. And as Christmas approaches, some very interesting things start to happen around that hardware store. Who, exactly, is Mr. Nicholas? It seems like only a little boy knows the truth. A fun read! (Advance review copy received from publisher.)

Autumn by the Sea (Muir Harbor #1) by Melissa Tagg. Sydney, abandoned as a toddler and on her own after aging out of foster care, is contacted by a private investigator who thinks she’s the long-lost granddaughter of an elderly woman who owns a blueberry farmer in Maine. The woman’s three adopted children, all young adults as well, are skeptical, but Sydney has to find out if there’s a true family connection. A sweet romance and exploration of family bonds.

Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano. Edward feels like he’s anything but a “miracle boy,” as the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed his parents and older brother. At 12, he has to start over in a new town with his aunt and uncle, who grieve the same loss as well as their inability to have children. The story is told in split time, varying between a minute-by-minute account of the doomed flight and the back stories of some of the passengers, and the 6 years Edward spends in middle and high school in the suburbs, a time he gets through because of his friendship with the girl next door, Shay, who patiently helps him process his emotions as they go through the sacks of letters the “miracle boy” receives from total strangers, including many family members of other passengers on that flight who seek some sort of closure and intend to get it from him.

YA/Children’s

Old Men Don’t Walk to Egypt: Friends in High Places #2 by Corinna Turner. Katie has the boyfriend every girl wants, but he’s controlling and not at all nice to her. When Daniel, a social outcast, suggests Katie study St. Joseph for a school project, she wonders how relevant this saint could be to her life. A relatable story with memorable characters in real-life situations. This series combines compelling fiction with facts about saints whose lives and actions can inspire teens today. This novella is appropriate for readers 12 and up.

The Fire of Eden by Antony Barone Kolenc. Antony Kolenc’s third book in The Harwood Mysteries series of historical novels for readers 10 and up is a suspenseful novel set in 12th-century England. The Fire of Eden continues the story of Xan, a teenage orphan who lives with other orphans at a monastery. Parents and teachers will appreciate the 2-page readers guide, “How to read historical fiction,” at the front of the book, and the author has also provided a map of Xan’s world, a glossary of religious and historical terms, and an author’s historical note that explains Church and feudal practices of that time and place. In this story, an accident causes John, who’s been Xan’s nemesis in the monastery for quite some time, to lose his sight. Angry at his sudden dependence on those around him, John is more cruel than ever, but Xan is forced to cooperate with him as they seek to solve the mystery of a missing precious ruby belonging to a young monk who’s about to be ordained to the priesthood. Along the way, they encounter dishonest monks, traitorous guards, and a frightening magician who lives in the woods. This novel would make a very exciting movie! (Advance review copy received from publisher.)

The Case of the Campground Creature: Sisters of the Last Straw #7 by Karen Kelly Boyce. I will never miss a chance to read an installment of the Sisters of the Last Straw series by Karen Kelly Boyce (TAN Books). Written for young readers age 6 to 12, the characters in these chapter books form a community of religious sisters who struggle, not always successfully (but always hilariously), with bad habits. Even though they don’t succeed all the time, they do try to be patient with their own faults and those of others, and to help and encourage each other along the way. In The Case of the Campground Creature, the Sisters are given a camper and decide to take a much-needed vacation. When the camper breaks down on the way to their destination, they’re towed to a new campground while the repair shop waits for parts to fix the camper. But the new campground isn’t as welcoming as it seems at first: dark woods, strange noises, and a mysterious creature frighten the Sisters, most of whom have never camped before. You don’t have to read the books in this series in order. The Case of the Campground Creature would make a fun family (or classroom) read-aloud, especially at this time of year since the book has a spooky (but not too scary) theme. (Advance review copy received from publisher.)

Lucia of Fatima: Brave Hearts #3 by Kathryn Griffin Swegart is an excellent introduction to the story of the apparitions at Fatima. It is the third book in a series of children’s books about courageous Catholics whose faith changed their lives in extraordinary ways. Told from the point of view of Lucia, who was 10 years old when the Blessed Mother first appeared to her and her younger cousins at Fatima, this historical novel gives readers a look into what it was like for the young visionary and how her life was changed afterward. The author, a gifted storyteller, skillfully portrayed each scene. The story brings home the message that you are never too young to follow God’s call. Lucia of Fatima is written for ages 10 and up, but would be a good read-aloud for age 7 and up. (Advance review copy received from author.)

In the Palace of the Great King by Julie Ash. This novel for middle-school readers and up follows two young girls as they try to make sense of their place in the world and God’s place in their hearts. In the Palace of the Great King explores themes of religious vocation, teenage pregnancy, poverty’s effects on the family, and the call to conversion. Three teens from two very different backgrounds meet when they take shelter in an urban church during a terrible storm. Char, who lives in the shadow of her younger sister Kayla, feels overcome by loneliness; Tia is overwhelmed by school, her job, and caring for her little brother when the adults in her life are unable to watch him after school. All three are changed after they stumble into that church, with Char struggling to make sense of her mother’s violent objections to religion and the prolife movement, and Tia wondering if God is calling her to join the community of nuns who welcomed the girls during the storm. Currently In the Palace of the Great King is available only on Kindle; a bound version is due out later this year. (Advance review copy received from author.)

Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Ann Xu. I’m not a big fan of graphic novels, but this one caught my eye with its emphasis on cooking. Cici, who dearly misses the grandmother her family left behind when they moved to the USA from Taiwan, decides to enter a cooking contest for kids to earn the money for a plane ticket so her grandmother can visit. Determined to fit in even though she only knows how to cook Taiwanese food, Cici perseveres through the contest as well as school pressures and the challenges of making new friends in middle school. This was a well-told story of persistence, the importance of family, and true friendship.

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Where noted, books are review copies. If that is not indicated, I either purchased the book myself or borrowed it from the library.

Follow my Goodreads reviews for the full list of what I’ve read recently (even the duds!)

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!

Copyright 2021 Barb Szyszkiewicz