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

Varina Palladino’s Jersey Italian Love Story by Gerri-Lynne DeFino

If you’re from certain parts of northern New Jersey (and I’d venture to say this includes New York City and eastern Long Island), you’re immediately going to understand this book. It’s not so much about the food (though that’s DEFINITELY in there) as it is about the culture as a whole, and especially the language. “Jersey Italian” refers to a particular variety of the Italian language that was brought to this area by immigrants from Naples, and the area of North Jersey where I grew up had been populated by that particular group — so I was familiar with many of the words and phrases the author peppers throughout the book. Each chapter begins with a dictionary entry that includes the word, its origin in the Italian language, and what it’s come to mean. That word figures in the dialogue in that chapter. But it’s not specifically a language book (though this part did particularly fascinate me). It’s the story of a widow, her widowed mother, and her children as they figure out the next steps in their lives, on the way to following their dreams — and the subplot in which Varina’s mother and daughter collaborate to secretly set her up for dates makes for a fun read. Also explored sensitively: mental illness, which is a bittersweet element to this story. If you’re not from the Paterson, NJ, area, it’s still a fun read; for me, it was like reading about home.

The Voice of Angels by Nydia Hadi

This novel centers on the lives of several young professionals in a Canadian city. Olivier, raised a nonbeliever, meets a friend he hasn’t seen in years when the friend is his surgeon following a serious accident. He also meets Regina, a talented musician trying to make it in a professional orchestra, when he rents out an apartment above his own. Drawn into accompanying a church choir, he begins talking to people about their faith and exploring his own relationship with God. This is a clean romance written by a young author and appropriate for ages 15 and up. (Review copy courtesy of the publisher.) Releases September 15.

Lowcountry Lost by T.I. Lowe

If you enjoy home-improvement shows, this novel is for you. Avalee’s mission is to reclaim properties in the Lowcountry of South Carolina before they are demolished or too far gone to repair. She’s found an entire small town and convinces investors to fund the renovation, only to find that her ex-husband has been hired as the structural engineer for the project. Avalee is deeply traumatized after three consecutive pregnancy losses and doesn’t want to face Rowan, but they’re forced to work together on this project. The novel is packed with interesting side characters: twin veterans who craft furniture and built-ins, a homeless teenager, and a charming dog are only a few. An old mystery is solved when Avalee makes a distressing discovery in a hidden compartment of one dilapidated building, and Avalee’s friends help set her on the road to healing in surprising ways. (Netgalley)

Where Trees Touch the Sky: A Redwood National Park Novel by Karen Barnett

A split-timeline story, this novel centers on an aspiring park ranger in the early 1970s who has to work to overcome not only discrimination against her as a woman but also the additional challenges she faces as a polio survivor in a world where accessibility has never been a concern, much less a household word. The second plot involves Marion’s work in the 1920s to preserve prized redwood forests from the logging industry, and her romantic involvement with the son of a logging company owner. Julie is proud of the work her great-aunt Marion did to save the redwoods and returns to that area of the country, only to find that her impulse to publicize Marion’s efforts might prove costly to her beloved aunt’s reputation, once the truth of that work is revealed. I especially enjoyed reading about how Julie strove to overcome the physical obstacles before her and to help others with physical challenges to find ways to enjoy the beauty of the national parks.

Beyond Ivy Walls by Rachel Fordham

In this “Beauty and the Beast” -inspired romance with an intriguing mystery, a young woman leaves her family farm to work in a factory after her father’s injury, but she loses her spot in a boardinghouse and squats in an abandoned building. Otis, returning to town to sort out his family’s financial affairs after his brother’s untimely death, is a recluse because of his physical scars and the emotional trauma associated with them (as well as his father’s disgust at his appearance). He learns that his brother had a daughter and sets out to find the child, intending to raise her himself, but becomes distracted when he discovers Sadie in his family’s abandoned factory and invites her to help his servants sort out the contents of their home. A sweet story.

The Baking Games by Rachel Hanna

A fun reality-show tale in which Savannah, who wants to give her sister a head start on college after their difficult upbringing, enters a 6-week reality baking show contest and finds herself living in a house with, among others, the super-competitive guy from culinary night school (who claims to be a pastry chef on a celebrity yacht but turns out to be a cruise-ship cook) and her toxic ex-boyfriend — in a situation where they all have hot mics, all the time. It’s kind of like Big Brother meets The Great British Baking Show, and it was definitely a fun story to read. I’m not the biggest fan of the cover art, but it’s a slight improvement over the faceless-character art that’s been popular recently.

Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin

It’s only September, but I’m always ready to read a Christmas story; this one is billed as a novella but it’s 280 pages long. Set in 1901, Adelaide is a newlywed who, as her mother would say, did not marry up; she’s a New York society girl and suffragette who fell in love with a middle-class man who will do anything to make her happy, including busting the budget to hire servants and not batting an eye when she takes in a runaway child who’s looking for his little sister and insists his father is at sea but will be home for Christmas. A sweet, motherly cook and her shy niece complete the cast of characters in this sweet story. Love the cover, too! (Netgalley)

A Heart Beyond by Grace Greene

There’s always a mystery in a Grace Greene novel, and this one was no exception. Former model and daughter of a convicted Ponzi-scheme financier Leigh has been hiding out at her aunt’s house for several years, but now that her aunt has died, she has to learn to navigate the world again. A walk to the grocery store ends with her taking in a seemingly feral cat, which becomes a catalyst for Leigh’s re-entry when “Harvey” presents her with four kittens. When Leigh notices that someone’s poking around her old car in her aunt’s garage, and has an unwelcome encounter with the ex-boyfriend who’d gotten mixed up in her father’s business, she finds that she’ll have to learn to trust someone to help her put her lift back together. That’s when her mechanic finds mysterious papers in the trunk of her car. Suspenseful, but not too scary and never gory.

YA/Children’s

Sisters of the Last Straw Book 9: The Case of the Mixed-Up Marathon by Karen Kelly Boyce

I’m a big fan of Karen Kelly Boyce’s Sisters of the Last Straw series of chapter books. They demystify the concept of religious sisters by showing their human side; each sister has a flaw she’s trying to overcome, such as losing her temper, using colorful vocabulary, or being a clean freak — so they can love God better and help others. This book focuses on Sister Krumbles, a clumsy sister who’s inspired by a visitor to enter a marathon despite never having run competitively before. From an accidental sneaker shoplifting incident to a spate of items stolen from the convent, the comical adventures of the Sisters as they try to work together to solve the mystery and encourage Sister Krumbles in her attempt to win the prize money that would help the Sister restock a local food pantry make for a fun read for the whole family or a Catholic-school classroom. As a read-aloud or read independently, this is great for first grade and up. (Review copy provided by the publisher.) Releases September 10.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

I read this book a long time ago, but was reminded of it by a trivia question and immediately downloaded a library copy (that Libby app is just so handy!). The edition I received was an anniversary edition of some sort, including an introduction by the author that describes her writing space — which was a beautiful culmination of the theme of wanting a home in which she felt welcomed and as if she belonged. This coming-of-age novel is written in poetic vignettes that set a mood rather than tell a story and prove that you don’t need a lot of words to express your message. For teens and adults, and especially recommended for teens who feel unmoored or misunderstood.

Nonfiction

What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers

Yes, cookbooks count. I went through the whole thing, deciding which recipes would work for my family at this time of year, so that definitely counts. And I tried two recipes in the first week I had the cookbook. (Sadly, I learned that the broiler in my 25-year-old stove doesn’t work properly, but the Shrimp & Charred Pineapple Tacos, though not very charred, were still delicious. Next time this one goes on the grill.) While I thought this cookbook was heavy on the exotic ingredients (and the peanut sauce), I appreciate the many ideas for substitutions and variations and the clear cooking instructions. Chapters in this book are broken down by the time it takes to cook each recipe, which is a great way to organize a cookbook. In the back, you can look up the recipes alphabetically, by the protein included, or by categories named descriptively: “You’re craving something cozy; you need to drop off a meal for a friend; you want a one-pot/sheet pan meal” are a few of these. Most, but not all, recipes come with a photo of the finished dish.

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
Images copyright 2023 Carolyn Astfalk, all rights reserved, used with permission

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

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski. You don’t see a lot of mainstream fiction with Catholic characters who are more than culturally Catholic, but Claire Swinarski delivers on that in this wonderful novel centered on a group of elderly northern-Wisconsin women who cater (free of charge) all local funerals. (This is not something they do here in NJ, but it’s a beautiful practice.) When the deceased ex-wife of a famous TV chef is returned to her hometown for burial, the funeral ladies take pity on Cooper (the celebrity chef’s son) and his younger sister and find them a place to stay at an AirBnB owned by one of the ladies’ single granddaughters. This isn’t just any old meet-cute, though: the novel digs deep into the topics of grief, PTSD, and what it really means to be a parent.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. This was one of my 12 Books for the year. What an excellent story! It’s a long novel, at more than 600 pages, and takes a split-time approach to the story of a group of women who’d been recruited by the British government to work as codebreakers during the Second World War. They couldn’t tell others about the work they did, so they essentially led double lives, kept unbelievable hours, and truly felt the weight of the world—and the war—on their shoulders as they realized how their loved ones and neighbors could be affected if they didn’t break the German codes in time for the Allied forces to deter a planned attack. A few years after the war, a mysterious letter brings the women back together in a race against time, seeking to protect one of them who’s been confined for several years to the psychiatric facility that had formerly been their codebreaking headquarters. Beautifully written, and highly recommended.

Jennifer Lamont Leo’s Love’s Grand Sweet Song (Windy City Hearts Book 3) tells the story of Francie a waitress, who has big dreams of singing in operas like the ones on the records the restaurant owner plays during her shift. But Francie feels the heavy responsibility of supporting her younger brother as well as her mother, who can’t hold a job but always has money for booze. Already rejected by one college boy, Francie finds a way to get voice lessons and falls for another rich college guy whose father openly disapproves of their relationship. As the Great War begins and Francie gets that shot at the opera stage she’d desperately wished for, the two have to handle the possibility that their life paths will diverge. This one seemed a little more far-fetched than the other two books in this series, but the author tells a good story and it was an enjoyable read overall.

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore.  Escaped slave Charlotte and her father (who can pass for white) settle in 1837 Philadelphia, but it’s definitely an “always looking over their shoulders” situation, and Charlotte has to pretend she’s her father’s servant. She befriends Nell, an idealistic free young Black woman who wants to work for the abolitionists’ cause. Charlotte pushes Nell and other women who oppose slavery to take more action when Evie, a friend from her slave days in the Carolinas, arrives in the city and seeks a way out of her own situation. A fascinating look at what life was like in my local area almost 200 years ago: I learned quite a bit about history from reading this novel. Couldn’t put it down! (Netgalley review; now available)

YA/Children’s

The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure by Gracie Jagla, illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz. I imagine it would be very difficult to write a children’s book about the Holy Spirit, so this rhyming book about Pentecost and the mission of the apostles was a wonderful surprise. The story continues through the early years of the Church, noting the martyrs who gave their lives for Christ and the long line of popes, saints, visionaries, and other holy people, wrapping up with us today as we receive the sacraments and pray with our families. My favorite illustrations are on the pages where hearts are mentioned: those images include red hearts with yellow borders, which call to mind the flames of the Spirit at the first Pentecost. What a lovely way to teach children to invite the Holy Spirit into all the ordinary moments of their day. New from OSV Kids. (Review copy received from publisher)

Annie’s Life in Lists by Kristin Mahoney. This book was absolutely charming. Most of it is written in the form of list-based journal entries by a fifth-grader whose incredible memory for detail can sometimes put her into complicated situations. She believes that something she said is the reason the family suddenly picks up and moves from her beloved Brooklyn neighborhood to a small town in upstate New York, where she and her older brother need to make new starts in new schools while her parents fret continually over the budget. The list format worked better than I expected—the characters were surprisingly well-developed and the storytelling was terrific.

Finally Heard by Kelly Yang. Chinese-born Lina wants nothing more than to fit in, but she doesn’t have the right clothes, doesn’t always say the right words, and doesn’t have access to a smartphone or social media. Add in the typical 10-year-old puberty issues and you have a child who’s motivated to do just about anything to feel a part of things. When Lina, her sister, and some friends start making videos to promote Lina’s mom’s small business, they’re introduced to the very situations their teacher is trying to help them avoid: dopamine addiction and cyberbullying. I can’t speak to how realistic this story is, since I’m more than a decade past the time I had a 10-year-old in the house, but from glimpses of the neighborhood kids on their phones as they wait for the school bus, walk down the street, and even ride their bikes, it’s probably a pretty accurate depiction of what happens when kids who aren’t even in middle school yet are handed smartphones without restrictions.

The Quince Project by Jessica Parra. Continuing with the theme of kids and teens living their lives through Instagram filters, this YA novel about a high-school student who overplans everything and has banked her hopes for an education and future career on an internship with a social media-star event planning firm. She takes on the project of a quinceañera for a schoolmate who’s a well-known Disney influencer, lying to her and others that she’s already an intern with the famous firm. But Cas’s project doesn’t go as planned, and she’s left to wonder what’s real, what’s not, and why she feels the need to live her life according to her ever-present planner. I don’t know that the YA audience would read this as a cautionary tale, but parents definitely should. (Netgalley review; releases 5/28).

Walking in Circles by Amy Matayo. Such a sweet story! Emma Lee grew up watching her dad beat her mom, and sometimes was beaten herself. When they finally get away—far away—and move to a small town on the other side of the country, she has a hard time trusting the elderly neighbor who’s truly a kind soul, never mind the cute guy across the street who’s an athlete but not the stereotypical player. Shane, meanwhile, is dealing with a loss he doesn’t want to talk about either, and he’s been carrying that burden by himself for too long. When they’re finally able to trust each other (thanks, in part, to that elderly neighbor—I’d love to read more about him!) a tragic accident brings Emma to the point of acknowledging just how much the people she’d come to trust really dod matter to her. This is labeled YA, but adults shouldn’t skip this one just because of a label.

Nonfiction

For Love of the Broken Body by Julia Walsh, FSPA. Also one of my 12 Books for 2024, this is a spiritual memoir by a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, detailing not only her soul’s journey through the formation process of becoming a religious sister, but also her physical recovery from a hiking accident that left her disfigured: nearly every bone in her face was broken. In this book, Sister Julia ponders the meaning of her vocation and how God wants her to live that out. Her discernment process mirrors the physical transformation she undergoes as she endures several surgeries and the trauma following her accident. I met Sr. Julia about a year ago at the LA Religious Education Congress and helped interview her for the Catholic Momcast. Her enthusiasm and heart for the poor are as evident in this book as they are in her discussion on the podcast.

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
Images copyright 2023 Carolyn Astfalk, all rights reserved, used with permission