The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading:
Fiction
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. This is one of my 12 Books, and one of the best I’ve read all year. Ruta Sepetys is a terrific storyteller. This novel takes place in Romania in 1989, portraying family life at the end of the Ceausescu regime. Cristian, a teenager blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, learns the hard way that he can trust no one—not even the people closest to him. He doesn’t want to betray the people he loves, so he looks for ways to undermine the evil dictatorship in his country, and eagerly joins the revolution when the time comes, at great cost. This was a harrowing story that will stick with me for a long time.
The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick. When reclusive, burnt-out bestselling writer Essie Starling suddenly dies and leaves instructions for her housekeeper Liv to finish her last novel, Liv’s writing dreams come true … and she learns that writing isn’t the dream occupation she thinks it is. Kept in the dark by Ms. Starling’s attorney and hounded by the publisher to complete the book early, Liv discovers secrets about her former employer that she might rather not know. An excellent novel about writing, complete with plot twists you won’t see coming.
Jingle Boys by Herb Williams-Dalgart. Wally Lipkin fears turning 18, because he knows he’ll be drafted to fight World War II despite an anxiety issue that causes him to faint in times of stress. With his brother and some friends, he enters a jingle-writing contest, figuring his family’s background in vaudeville will help him win a stateside government job. But that contest, the job, and the people he meets are not what they appear, and Wally finds himself making life-or-death decisions that will affect the people he loves most, as well as the girl who loves him.
YA/Children’s
The Night Train by Lorelei Savaryn. Twins about to turn 13 learn they’ve inherited their recently deceased grandmother’s ability to communicate with souls that are unable to rest. Like their grandmother, they consider it their duty to help those souls, even when it requires the girls to defy their parents, who refuse to believe them. As they seek to help the soul of a little girl they encounter in a home their parents are renovating, Maddie (the narrator) and Nat discover that one of them is now in danger. Their friend’s Catholic faith helps him understand and explain how the concept of thin places and an actual Faustian bargain factor into an historic event in their home town. This understanding leads the two to a willingness to risk their own lives in order to help souls from the past (all of which were children) and to protect children in the future. The novel definitely has an eerie aspect, but that’s more from the character who’d sold his soul to the devil than from the souls of the children, and the suspense was off the charts. There’s no violence, but the story is definitely intense. Recommended for middle-school students. (Netgalley review; book releases August 20, 2024).
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski. Anna, a new 8th-grader at her middle school, is confused about why one of her classmates is so completely ostracized by the rest. There’s a big secret, and no one’s telling. To win a contest, she decides to create a podcast and solve the mystery about Rachel. Along the way, the story becomes more and more complex, and what seemed at first to be a cyberbullying situation gone wrong proved to be much, much more. This is a YA book, but it’s a cautionary tale for parents whose kids use cell phones as well as for educators.
Nonfiction
The Handy Little Guide to Novenas by Allison Gingras. Whether you’re new to the concept of a novena, confused about why and how to pray one, or just have trouble sticking with it for the full time period, Allison Gingras shares helpful information and encouragement to persevere in prayer. You’ll even find some novena prayers right in this book! Learn why novenas are for everyone, and how praying novenas can help you grow spiritually.
Defend Us in Battle: The Promise of St. Michael and the Heavenly Angels by Marge Steinhage Fenelon. In this Living Novena, Marge Steinhage Fenelon emphasizes ways we can grow in virtue with the help of St. Michael the Archangel and the nine choirs of angels. This book is much more than a reminder to persevere in prayer; it is an invitation to live out the virtues we pray to develop. (Endorsement copy received from publisher)
Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Your purchases made through these links support Franciscanmom.com. Thank you!
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 2024 Barb Szyszkiewicz
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