Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Turn The Page Tuesday



From Amazon: "As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.

Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war."
Yo! Adrienne says: Another WWII book ... what can I say. I love them. This is a short but very satisfying read. If you haven't read this one definitely do so. As I always say, I can't even imagine.


From Amazon: "Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate."

Yo! Adrienne says: I listened to this book and so glad I did. The narrator (s?) did an amazing job. It was almost like watching a movie - ok not really - but the character voices were so distinct it really added to the listening experience. I had put off reading this because it was so long. I didn't think I had time and honestly I didn't really understand what the book was about. A painting that goes missing? So what. What's so interesting about that? Well. There is so much more to this. We follow Theo from a young chap all the way into adulthood. We sit by and cringe, laugh, and cry our way through his life. I highly recommend listening as opposed to reading this. It was just done that well. Excellent book. So glad I finally got around to it.



From Amazon: "Set in Kerrville, Kansas, The Center of Everything is told by Evelyn Bucknow, an endearing character with a wholly refreshing way of looking at the world. Living with her single mother in a small apartment, Evelyn Bucknow is a young girl wincing her way through adolescence. With a voice that is as charming as it is recognizable, Evelyn immerses the reader in the dramas of an entire community. The people of Kerrville, stuck at once in the middle of nowhere but also at the center of everything, are the source from which Moriarty draws on universal dilemmas of love and belief to render a story that grows in emotional intensity until it lifts the reader to heights achieved only by the finest of fiction."

Yo! Adrienne Says: Oh gosh. This tender book somehow found it's way to my kindle (I'm guessing it was a freebie or darn near so) and just languished. I'm not sure what drew me to it originally but I'm glad I snagged it (even though it was back in Jan. of 2013!). I couldn't help but feel sorry for Evelyn but her mom as well. One bad decision can so easily spiral into another ... try as we might we still can end up knocked back down. I felt this book was very realistic. It was also a reminder to me that you never know what one small act of kindness can do for someone and to (so cliche but ...) not judge a book by it's cover. A coming of age story not just of Evelyn, who we meet when she is 8, but her mother as well.




Christ is everywhere. We are made in his image and when we serve others we serve him. This little book is a great reminder to never cease to do good and care for others. I know my life is in a busy stage right now with young(ish) children but extending kindness and offering a smile is simple, doable. To love others as I have been loved.  God is love. Where love it there God is also ...



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