The London House by Katherine Reay, book review

This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

The London House by Katherine Reay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Read this because you're an intelligent (probably) woman who seeks to enrich her life through good stories, good characters, and Truth. It's a story of reconciliation, hope, mercy, rebuking long-held survivor guilt, and openness to learning that we don't always know the whole story and we can't always see the whole picture.

Put this at the top of your TBR pile. This author knows how to get you involved in the character's hearts and minds while telling a good story and keeping you invested in the plot. I've read everything she's published and I practically have an alarm set for when she might soon publish a new one.

Micro-Summary:
After a tantalizing sneak peek into a mysterious scene in occupied Paris, we jump forward to modern day America. We first meet Caroline who comes from a family marinating in sadness, shattered by an embarrassing secret that was buried during World War II and a somewhat recent tragic death. Even more than 75 years later the assumed Truth still seems to rot under the surface.

The story gives us the perspective in the 21st century as well as point of views from the 1930s and 1940s. I personally love the switching back and forth of those different eras, it's one of my favorite trends and literature right now.

Why it's great:
Clearly an immense amount of research was done. I have at least a dozen notes in my Kindle encouraging me to look up a different Schiaparelli dresses and events reported in the book. I remember seeing an Instagram post where she got to go to London just weeks before the pandemic shut down began to do research for this book. Yes, that is when I decided I was going to keep checking to see when it became available!

There's an element of this book that only struck me a few weeks after finishing the book that is quite niche and important in this era of our culture where masculinity and femininity seem to be at odds. The male characters embody masculinity in the truest sense of the word (positive and negative) and the female characters live all the best (and the worst manifestations of) characteristics of femininity. In the end, they show the strengths of how we are created. We see how one can use gifts given to us to help others rather than focusing so much on gaining power and recognition.

Something I have read the author share is that many of her novels grow out of different specific C.S. Lewis books. I'm not positive which one this is, but she does mention a talk he gave on the BBC called, "Right and Wrong -- A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe." That title gives you a peek into the lessons you might learn from this book. I don't consider this chick-lit. There is intelligent philosophy weaved throughout.

I received a digital advance copy of this book. All words and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

Home for Christmas: Stories for Young and Old, book review

This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art. Home for Christmas: Stories for Young and Old by Elizabeth Goudge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I'm unfamiliar with some of these writers, I'm delighted to get to know them in this book! There is something so cozy about a book of short stories, especially with themes of Christmas and the values that traditionally come with them.

This is a book for old souls or for those who hope to develop the old souls in your own children. Most of the stories aren't explicitly focused on Christ's birth, but they're stories with Truth as their guide.

I'm still working my way through the stories, seeing as I'm writing this in August, slowly approaching them like a wise ten year old who takes his or her time to eat the Christmas candy. I can't wait to make some of these stories part of our tradition.

I received a digital advance copy of this book. All words and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

St. Dymphna's Playbook, by Tommy Tighe

This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art. St. Dymphna’s Playbook: A Catholic Guide to Finding Mental and Emotional Well-Being by Tommy Tighe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Often we feel steeped in fear, loneliness, feelings of exile, depression, or other mental illness from the evil one. It's not a romantic poem in a few short stanzas when it's a part of your daily life. This book is exactly what it sounds like: a playbook. Instructions for finding your way for a myriad of illnesses plaguing you or your loved ones.

I liken the book to a faithful complement to the DSM. Rather than cold descriptions, you have occasional anecdotes and real, spiritually practical solutions. The solutions are rooted in faith, prayer, scripture, and hope. Mental illness is real and it can feel like a dark room into which you've been dropped. But through the Church and scripture God reminds us our feelings aren't reliable.

If you or someone you love are struggling with anything related to mental illness (depression, anhedonia, irritability, fatigue, hopelessness, anxiety, self-consciousness, OCD, scrupulosity, trauma, relationship struggles of all kinds, grief, and more), pick up this book as a guideline to lead you out of the darkness and a way to figure out how to turn on the light.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

View all my reviews

The vestments are rose colored, no longer the glasses

This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

We've reached the halfway point of Lent 2021 and in my own Linton tradition, I have finally come to the place of preparation to begin Lent.

Yesterday's rose-colored vestments marked the middle of our Lenten journey and after trying and trying and trying during Lent this year, I have finally made some headway in my spiritual journey and I almost wish that Lent was twice as long. I still have the endurance to build and the efforts to make in order to see the the fruits by the end. 

Disclaimer: Lent is not a diet! And perhaps for the first time I am finally not treating it like a diet, though my spiritual woes tend to be in the food world.

I have an addictive personality, though I keep it pretty tame on the outside with as many efforts as I can. However, over the years I have been engaged in what I'll call a binge eating disorder and then binge learning and then a binge dieting. I finally come to conclusion that I should have been asking God for help this entire time instead of trying to do it all by myself. He has a vested interest in me succeeding over my food addictions as they are in obstacle for me to Him.

It is hard to find a Catholic book that addresses this and I think it's because Protestants cherry pick scripture verses to apply to their lives. Maybe that's not fair. But I want to make sure I maintain a Catholic perspective which includes the fact that Jesus himself gave himself as food for us. Therefore food is such a glorious gift from God.

I've been reading a couple of books that have been helping me and they're all written by Protestants, so I have to make sure I'm praying about the truth as I read them. I feel good about recommending Dr Michael Brown's Breaking the Stronghold of Food. 

With the one exception of a time when his wife Nancy refers to Jesus' Last Supper and His final words of "it is finished," (oh how I wish I could send them a few Scott Hahn books), the rest is applicable to our lives as future saints. The major lesson that I've learned from it is that God is more powerful than any of my obsessive food thoughts and he wants me to be free of them.

Top 7 read aloud books for babies to 24 months

This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Worried that your baby is too busy climbing around and sticking everything in his or her mouth to actually foster a love of reading. Be not afraid!!

My (currently 22 month old) girl was always busy doing EVERYTHING except for sitting and reading with me. As a teacher, this was a source of anxiety and depression for me. Can you not just SIT with me and LEARN WONDERFUL JOY FROM THIS STINKING BOOK?!?!

It got better.

Blessedly, a few months ago something clicked and she was fully-fledged in a language building schema (learn more about what I mean by that by reading my Montessori posts). Suddenly she was getting all of her exercising running to and from her book shelves. We were devouring books, reading each one two and three times in a row (okay, so more like ten times in a row) and I was starting to feel like my brain had been strength training. I can officially boast to having memorized eleven children's books.

These have been her top seven favorites and the ones that pulled her into her language building frenzy. There are so many beloved children's books, so please tell me your favorites in the comments.

Books you must have on your shelf for your baby and young toddler

1. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle - It has a great rhythm, filled with all of those farm animals we expect them to know (even though they only regularly interact with dogs and cats), and teaches to be good to one another even when others aren't considerate to us.
2. Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt - Perhaps this is an Irish or UK classic and not American (yet), but this was the breakthrough book that taught my girly that she can engage with the books we read.
3. Dr Seuss' ABC - Duh. How else can you watch an ostrich oil and orange owl?
4. Little Owl's Night by Divya Srinivasan - I adore the illustrations in this book and I enjoy that it's a book about nocturnal animals. The rhythm is perfect for preparing for bed and cute Little Owl is so full of joy about his life in the forest.
5. 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle - We have the paper version and the board book version. One of the reasons this became a favorite is because the last page of the paper version includes an electronic button for making the 10th little rubber duck squeak alongside his new duck family. This book touches on cardinal directions, other forms of directions, sea animals, manufacturing (ha), ordinal numbers, and loneliness.
6. Hail Mary by Maïte Roche - It's a fabulous size for little hands without becoming a teether (does anyone else's child chew on and swallow pieces of tiny books -- maybe she's loved books longer than I give her credit, she's just digesting them instead of reading them) and the illustrations are gorgeous. This book allows her to participate in praying the Hail Mary, as the whole book is simply the prayer accompanied by pictures.
7. Trains Go by Steve Light- I have a railfan on my hands. i had to look up a word to describe one who is obsessed with trains. She has this boys' set of PJs that she calls her "choo choos" and has almost literally worn them at some point every single day for the last two weeks. It'll be a blue day when they no longer fit her. Anyway, this book came from the library and uses onomatopoeia to illustrate the sounds of the different variety of train noises. #noteverytrainsayschoochoo #apparently

Island living: how your decisions are not independent of others

A guy I worked with as a teenage lifeguard once told me his philosophy for red lights. I was yet to earn my learner's permit, so I was all ears.

"If the person in front of me goes through the yellow or red light, then I'm going through the yellow or red light." 

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Even as a green fifteen-year-old, this logic made no sense to me. If everyone else in the platoon (marrying a civil engineer affords me new roadway vocabulary) follow that same protocol, no one would ever stop. There would be a perpetual line of cars going through until a gap was created.

Your decisions are not your personal decisions.

Most of the time. You don't make decisions independent of every other person. All of your decisions affect other people. Especially if you're a Trinitarian-ish-ly baptized Christian who is given the titles Priest, Prophet and King. We're called to do our best.

Our feelings about what we want do not justify decisions that hurt others.

Yes, there is always mercy, especially when we ask for it with our open hearts.

Thank God, but let's remember that these traffic signals are there to guide us (not KILL ALL FUN IN ALL OF THE WORLD AND KEEP A MAN DOWN).

What's your yellow/red light philosophy?

This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

The 21: A Journey Into the Land of Coptic Martyrs, book review

The 21: A Journey Into the Land of Coptic Martyrs by Martin Mosebach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Firstly, read this book to gain insight from a man seeking Truth about 21 men who showed such devotion to Jesus that they died speaking to Him at the hands of their murderers. Secondly, read this book because you'll learn more about the Coptic religious men and women in Egypt and the potential for terror that their faith steeps in on a daily basis. Thirdly, read this because it will change you from within and make you see that we, too, need to embrace the courage that God calls us to live.

I cannot believe this book was translated from German in to English. That fact, merged with the gorgeous prose of a nonfiction text, earned the five stars.

However, beyond the technical beauty of the book, there is the journey of a man in awe of the faith of other men. The book teaches while also preaching. It is a testament to what we were called to be: firstly: disciples, secondly: prophets, and thirdly: teachers. The author manages to show, not tell, that order of our faith. He does so through his journey researching the example of these men who lived, that.

Highly recommended.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

The Complete Food Substitutions Handbook, book review

The Complete Food Substitutions Handbook: Including Options for Low-Sugar, Low-Fat, Low-Salt, Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free, and Vegan by Jean B. MacLeod
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You might need this on your shelf.

When cooking, either under time constraints that leave no room for another trip to the store, or with diet requirements, figuring out substitutions for items in a recipe can halt the process. You can go to Google or Pinterest, but we all know that leads you down a zero world problem rabbit hope of distraction and doubt whether or not to believe some food blogger.

This author has done her research (see multiple page bibliography) and provides multiple, measured substitutions for hundreds of food items. The book is simple: alphabetical order of ingredients with volumes of substitutions for those items. You'll read the names of foods you never knew existed.

The text doesn't identify which substitutions provide the vegan, low sugar, dairy free, etc option. One needs to know which of the substitutions from the list fulfills one's requirements.

Simple, but possibly an invaluable kitchen resource.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

It All Comes Back to You, book review

It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This will be your next book club read, you'll learn from it, and you might get in an argument with your friends about perception of some of the plot elements. A cordial, "Bless your heart" insult kind of Southern tiff. But then everyone with sip some wine and laugh it off.

I donated sleep to this book and it was totally warranted. I crave books that challenge me, contain deep and meaningful themes and color authentic and rich characters. This book has all of those attributes in addition to being delightfully readable.

As a writer myself, I was hesitant to read a book that followed a writer in her prices of novel creation. Please don't let that stop you. This book has inspired me to finish my own book and to keep going after that!

(view spoiler)[The Southern fiction follows the life of a woman born around 1930 through the eyes of a young woman she befriended late in life. We start the book thinking she's a typical spoiled and beloved homecoming queen (a judgement women make of her to the end of her life) and discover the more complex woman beneath. Themes include how women support each other (or don't), motherly relationships, justification of hurtful action, selling the elderly as the 22 year olds they are at heart and many more.

I won't spoil it completely, but HEAVENS! The twists and the way the author presented them were like surprise punches to the gut. I never saw that last one coming and it's still challenging what I think about it. (hide spoiler)]

These characters have real flaws and no one comes out shining brilliantly. However, don't we all need that reminder? Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book and exchange for a fair review.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Love Big, book review

Love Big by Kat Kronenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have yet to read Kat Kronenberg's first book, Dream Big, but I am glad that she recognized the need to remain a moral, kind person in the pursuit of dreams. Children need to learn that from day one, otherwise their pursuit of their dreams is all about them and they lose sight of others' needs.

The book is filled with gorgeous, engaging illustrations paired with current, colloquial normal speech. I appreciate that a character exists in the book who sets the example for how to be kind even when someone treats you poorly, rather than a typical children's book wherein the adult figure brings the wisdom down on the kids.

I can see this book working well in a classroom, in homeschool, or just as bedtime reading for all preschool and elementary aged kids. It takes courage to be kind in the face of adversity and we need more courageous people in this world.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

A Flicker of Hope, book review

A Flicker of Hope by Julia Cook
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was written with obvious intent to be a read aloud book (teacher / adult reads to a group of kids) for kids aged 9 or 10 to mid-teen. It has great intention to help kids who feel like no one understands their sadness or whatever other emotion they're weighed under.

Unfortunately, there is so much telling and so little showing in this book, I don't know how it can actually reach the kids it's trying to reach. I can't imagine a too-cool-for-school group of kids from ages 10 to 14 who would actually humor a teacher trying to read this book. The language is geared for kids in lower elementary, but the problems and stresses (grades, job prospects, etc) are age appropriate for older students.

I was the perfect audience for this book when I was between 9 and mid-teen. I wanted approval from my teachers and I wanted to respect them, even if I thought something like this was cheesy. Therefore, I would quietly listen and try to learn from it what I could. However, while this book makes a good point of telling students to seek help from others, it does so in such a cheesy way that even goodie-two-shoes me wouldn't have grown in my understanding after listening to it.

The tips for parents and educators in the back of the book is gold. Perhaps that should be attached to a book more suited for younger kids so that parents and educators can help prevent flickering lights. I want kids who face struggle to have an outlet. I'm afraid this book isn't it.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Lightning Struck, book review

Lightning Struck by Nichole Van
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Our souls are responsible for our hearts in this book, alive or kinda-alive alike.

I must admit that I read this one because I didn't want to skip it before reading the one about Tennyson... the one I am positively thrilled to read. I just wasn't that interested in Chiara's story because, frankly, I'm not a bird-like, tiny woman and I suppose I resent reading about someone who is. That judgement is one of the things made apparent to me in reading this book, so well done, you, Mrs. Van, for helping me see my prejudice!

As always in reading a book by this author, I was pulled in almost immediately by likable voice and an intriguing premise. A non-ghost ghost has little hope of becoming alive again, to his chagrin primarily because of his burgeoning love for a wounded ("NO I'm not!" -Chiara) woman who uses 21st century sarcasm and emotional barriers to push people away.

(view spoiler)[
Here might be one of my sticking points with this book. I know he had a full year of adjusting to 21st century life before the bulk of the book got going, but I had a hard time believing that someone from the Regency era would love so much of the spunk and spitfire of that little woman ("Stop calling me that!" -Chiara). I can't currently recall more of the Regency era ways that survived his time in the 21st century beyond wanting to wait to marry her and to court her properly. In almost everything else (I'm sure I'm forgetting something), he became completely adapted.

In all, Chiara's way with men had a well-thought-out driving reason. I loved how she sought justice, especially for children. I think I would have liked to see her interact with children in the book to show a bit more of that dedication.
(hide spoiler)]

I know I can rely on a book that calls me to read it at every spare moment when I pick up a book by Nichole Van. Even this, the book I read just to make it to the fourth in the series, stands out as a worthwhile dive into a wounded character.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Another Woman's Husband, book review

Another Woman's Husband by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

Certainly the royal family and loyalists to the crown easily focus on the connection between Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana, but even this anglophile neglected to think much about it. This novel, spectacularly written, makes a fictional connection between the two women in a unique as only Gill Paul does.

The point of view switches back and forth between Mary, a dear and life-long friend of Wallis Simpson, and Rachel, a woman who was physically at the scene of Diana's ill fate in that Parisian tunnel. We gradually gain access to the vulnerabilities of all women (as well as the men, but they're certainly not the focus) involved in this web of insecurity.

It's such a pleasure to read another book by this author because I know I can rely on a character driven story that shows rather than tells. Her language is perfectly lush and descriptive, but only in ways that add to the reader's understanding of the plot and characters.

As I always hope to do (and occasionally achieve) when I pick up a book, I learned about life from this book. (view spoiler)[ I was nervous that I was in the midst of reading another diatribe about how women are superior to men and how we've been pushed down for centuries, blah blah. While there is plenty of truth to be explored in that anger, it's boring and so shortsighted for hope for change. Gratefully, Paul is more intelligent than to settle on a simple objective like that.

These characters truly bleed. They have real reasoning for their decisions that supports their mistakes, over-corrections, and needs for forgiveness. Most characters learn that they need to rely on someone else. The one character who doesn't seem to learn that quite perfectly is the one who teaches the audience through example. (hide spoiler)]

What a pleasure to read. I'm thrilled to have found this author after she's already produced so many books I can buy and read!

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Whisper Falls, book review

Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wholesome, intriguing YA

What if a simple portal to the same spot, two hundred years different, opened up near your respite hang out?

This was my first young adult book in years and it was delightful. I was on the lookout for character development, historical accuracy, learning about the human condition, and authenticity of teenage mindsets. I found all to be well cared for and well done.

Both characters matured in playing ways, while maintaining flaws. The villain was disgusting, but the reader gets some believable insight into his reason for invoking what little power he had on his victims.

Historical descriptions felt real and lived in. Conversely, the narration of 21st century items and weighs through the point of view of a nineteenth-century pair of eyes was equally authentic.

one of my number one pet peeves is when an author holds your hand to try to explain things the entire time rather than showing. This author was a breath of fresh air, showing and not telling for the majority of the novel. I also appreciated how wholesome it was without being Christian fiction. Christian fiction hold the wholesome in front of your face the whole time smacking you with it every once in awhile. This book allowed the characters to be attracted to each other, but become friends before anything else. It happened the way we all wish it would, without over sexualizing seventeen year olds nor being naive.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

The Forgotten Secret, book review

The Forgotten Secret: A heartbreaking and gripping historical novel for fans of Kate Morton by Kathleen McGurl
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I picked this book because I love historical fiction, my father-in-law is (directly) from Ireland, and the description seemed intriguing. In the end, the book paid me back with intrigue and an interesting story, but it took a while to get there.

One of my pet peeves when reading is when the prose *tells* rather than *shows* and I'm sorry to say that was a frequent distraction in my mind while reading this book. It had a compelling enough story, but the characters felt flat until about halfway through the book. Rather than seeing that as character development, I felt like I just wasn't privy to the personalities of the characters. They were too busy *telling* me things about themselves and their lives.

(view spoiler)[I did learn a lesson in this book (one I've had to learn multiple times over in my lifetime): you don't know someone else's situation, so hold back your judgments. The modern day main character, Clare, seemed to very quickly decide to leave her husband when the opportunity arose, though she didn't seem to have the backbone prior to this to even stand up to him. I was so bothered by the fact that she wouldn't pursue marital counseling that I sat frustrated with her through most of the pages. By the end chapters, the character had slowly revealed countless anecdotes of life with her controlling, emotionally abusive husband. No, I never ever liked him. He was quite the villain. I learned my lesson that I was spending so much time judging her that I might have missed parts of her personality.

The book carries with it the common millennial psalm/proverb for women to become independent and separate yourself from men so you can "find yourself." As a joyful Catholic, I find that a little shallow, but I recognize its place in our culture. Also as a joyful Catholic, I'm disgusted by a renewed understanding of those laundries, as embodied in the novel. Awful, unchristian practices. Heart-breaking. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, the fact that I felt I was being told so much instead of being able to uncover emotions, motivations, and metaphors on my own was frustrating enough to overtake the intrigue of the story. I did cry in pain at times and finally connected with both characters in the last 25% of the book, so that's lovely.

Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

The Glass Castle, book review

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oy. That was a recurring thought throughout this book.

What a raw story. I felt drawn to judging Jeannette's parents for their selfishness. It seemed their philosophy was that life was about them and that their kids were part of the obstacles, yet they also wanted to entertain their kids along the way. Every judgement I made of them helped me draw closer to my ah-ha moment: don't we all treat our lives a little like that?

Their selfishness was over-the-top, but it certainly helped shape Ms. Walls to be the person she became. There are redeeming qualities of these parents I judged so harshly, bringing about the reality of our similarities as humans.

Somehow, Ms. Walls managed to preserve the childlike innocence and rose-colored glasses view of her parents in the early years. It was an adventure for her in the first 8 years of her life. Gradually, the voice comes to grips with the reality.

Parts of this absolutely broke my heart. I sought the redeeming glimmers throughout it.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Love's Shadow, book review

Love's Shadow by Nichole Van
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think Branwell is a more believable character than Dante (the main brother character in the first book) and therefore I'm head-over-heels for him. Swoon.

Rather than soul/reincarnation time traveling, as in the first novel in the series, this book centers around a family mystery and a bit of heartbreaking family drama. The characters felt real and as if they were based on people the author knows, a major draw for me whenever I read and judge a book.

(view spoiler)[Lucy found her love (soulmate? That's less the term used in this book as in the first. They're more like puzzle pieces for each other) a few months too late. She was dating Tennyson when she happened upon Branwell and eventually realized that she was with the wrong brother. Amazingly and chastely, both Branwell and Lucy sacrificed their own happiness and heart for the good of the other and for Tennyson. I appreciate that morality rather than just YOLO as the life philosophy in the book.

The story line containing Lucy's missing niece was compelling and, at times, had me sick to my stomach. It seemed to pale and fall to the back burner a few times in lieu of the developing and painful feelings suppressed by both Lucy and Branwell, which was hard to take. However, it's a romance, and their ability to work together and read each other eventually led to the supernatural rescuing of the niece and another family member... (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I don't want this series to end. The author writes in a compelling way and has built a world well. I also love the richness of the characters, even if they are built in order to fall in love on the page.

Additionally, I have a growing hunger to visit Italy again. Ay.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Gladly Beyond, book review

Gladly Beyond by Nichole Van
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 - I had no idea how much I enjoyed paranormal themes in a book that tickled the romantic emotions. For those who try to stay away from sexualized and sweaty bedroom scenes in your literature, this book is clean. I wouldn't give it to a teen because she might start thinking all interactions with men will be destiny like the characters in this book. However, I thought the writing was gripping, the story-line was entertaining, and the supernatural elements were intriguing.

The characters are pretty well fleshed out, but I would like to know how Dante turned out to be so perfect. I guess that's what we think we're looking for, or that he's perfect for Claire and so his flaws fall away?

Ho adorato the art, Florence, and Italian elements. They were so rich and so obviously from first hand knowledge. Art lovers and lovers of that warm Italian glow will swoon over these pages.

I only suspected the ending a few pages before it happened and I love it when an author manages that. I've already started reading number two because I kind of fell in love with Branwell a little....

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

Memory-Making Mom, book review

Memory-Making Mom: Building Traditions That Breathe Life Into Your Home by Jessica Smartt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Basically, this is a Protestant's introduction into living liturgically. Yay for respect for tradition! It is imperative. Those Golden Nugget memories lock in the love and learning in one's childhood.

Sprinkled with personal anecdotes between the activity suggestions, the book makes it fathomable to integrate tradition in frequent succession. The author states that she wants this to be a real mom book, that the activities are suggestions, not a list of must-do items. It is a Christian book with multiple scriptural references. though the Kindle versions needs improvement, I'm sure the culture will fix the little bugs. I am giving it four stars because I am hoping that a book like this will inspire moms to use the liturgical calendar to teach kids about their faith in a fun way. Hopefully it will be deeper than simply a series of crafts.

There are many other resources you can use to go even deeper, including remembering wonderful people who have gone before us, the saints, and celebrating their feast days, as well.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.

By the Book, book review

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Too many people are under the impression that the lack of sex in Austen novels needs to be amended. "Strong women need more sex than the weaklings of the early 19th century." Do we not wonder if part of what makes our culture so much more abhorrent and less authentic might have something to do with strength of character rather than thinking that sex is simply a more complicated version of a handshake?

(view spoiler)[I'm annoyed that a contemporary novel needs to update a strong woman character like Anne to be so weak as to give into someone like Rick in a much more meaningful way than Anne did for Mr. Elliot in the original text. It matters when people jump in bed together. It's a whole new action and that's not to be discounted as the musings of a prude. Anne had stronger character than that and, as read in the Persuasion original, she noted his opacity.

Oy.

Overall, this book eventually made it all about the guy she was going end up with, sans the strong female character and inherent growth. Boo. (hide spoiler)]

I realize that I'm comparing a contemporary book to one of high literary note, but this is really more a commentary on how this book does nothing for our culture, yet it presumes to emulate one that did.

View all my reviews This post may contain affiliate links, which help me support my art habit, Liz Lenzi Art.