Author: HCNewton Page 344 of 624

Why Would Anyone Go to Church? by Kevin Makins: A Book that Doesn’t Deliver on What it Promises, but is Still Rewarding

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On June 28, 2020

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Why Would Anyone Go to Church?

Why Would Anyone Go to Church? A Young Community’s Quest to Reclaim Church for Good

by Kevin Makins

eARC, 192 pg.
Baker Books, 220

Read: June 21, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!


I’m sort of torn about this one. So bear with me. Let’s start with the book blurb:

A young community discovers why, despite everything, church still matters

There are plenty of reasons to criticize, judge, and even walk away from the church. When Kevin was twenty-three and didn’t know any better, he started a congregation with some friends who were on the edge of faith. Together they hoped to discover whether the church was worth fighting for. In this brutally honest account, he shares their story of becoming a community of misfits, outcasts, and oddballs who would learn that, even with all its faults, the church is worth being a part of . . . and must be reclaimed for good.

If you’ve been burned or burned out by the church, if you’ve been silenced or misunderstood, if you’ve left or never even joined in the first place, this candid, hopeful book is your invitation to consider what you miss out on when you give up on church—and what the church misses out on when it gives up on you.

That last paragraph is the dicey one for me—it fits the title, Why Would Anyone Go to Church?. But I don’t think the book delivers that, at all. That’s what I read the book for, that’s what I wanted to get (don’t get me wrong, I have answers already, I just wanted to see what this “Young Community” had to offer along those lines), but on those counts, I came away empty-handed.

So what did Makins fill these 192 pages with? Well, something along the lines of the subtitle, A Young Community’s Quest to Reclaim Church for Good.* The church that Makins pastors, Eucharist Church in Hamilton, ON, began meeting in 2010 in an impovrished—and largely churchless—part of the city. They struggled with focus, with identity, with location. But what they had—a sense of community and purpose—carried them through. The book outlines their struggles, triumphs, failings, and perseverance.

* I do think it’s unnecessarily combative—also unproven—to say that the Church is in need of any such reclamation. But that’s for another day.

That’s all I found in these pages, and that’s more than enough. It’s an inspiring story. I’m not sure I’d have picked the book up if that’s what was advertised, but I might have. It would’ve been my loss if I hadn’t.

Are there some lessons that new—or established churches—can take from their story? Yes, there are several that can be extrapolated. But as Makins makes a point of—often—this is a congregation that takes its shape and identity from its community. So much of what he recounts isn’t something that can be duplicated, nor should anyone try (I don’t think Makins suggests that, either).

I’ve repeatedly resolved to read outside my tradition, and repeatedly failed—I do it occasionally, but not as often as I could. I’m pretty sure Makins is about as far outside as I can go and still remain in the bounds of orthodoxy. While I have some problems with the book, it was an encouraging read, reminding me of the truth that, “the purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error” and that part of that mix is a faith that can inspire. Just be sure you know what you’re getting into with this book.

If you come into it with the proper expectations, you should come out of it with a valuable experience. If you come for what the blurb and title suggests? You’ll be disappointed.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Baker Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Saturday Miscellany—6/27/20

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On June 27, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.

How is it the end of June already? Seriously…something’s just not right about that. Not much to blather about this week, so let’s just cut to the links!

Odds n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet I’ve been seeing a lot about some Goodreads alternatives lately, The Story Graph—”A site for readers to track their reading and find books that perfectly suit their mood.” It’s in beta now, I’ve seen screenshots of some of their graphs, and it looks appealing. Giving it a shot. Any of you try it?
bullet The other I’ve seen noise for is BookSloth—”Our mission is to help readers discover their perfect book with our personalized recommendations app.” I’m not so hot on the app part, as you all know, I tend to go on a bit when I talk about a book, and the two just don’t mix. Still, giving it a whirl.
bullet 12 SF must reads for grimdark fans—This is a pretty cool list, I’m not sure The Diamond Age is all that grimdark-ish, but it’s something that more people need to read.
bullet “I decided just to write stories”: Rex Stout on his Mystery Fiction—this is a very nice post about Stout moving from “literary fiction” to Mystery–where he found success. (I’ve tried his pre-mystery stuff, and wow did he make the right move). There’s a nice thread about the continued snobbery he encountered throughout his career and how he responded to it. Even for non-Stout readers, this is a good read for people fed up with
bullet Are We Only Capable of Writing Liars?: An author reflects on an attempt to write a truthful narrator.
bullet The Evolution—and the Future—of the Private Eye: Cheryl A. Head on the authors and books ushering PI fiction into the 21st century.—I’m a sucker for a good P.I. novel, and I could live off of this list for a month or two (and am tempted to)
bullet The Great Fantasy Debate: Which Game of Thrones House Would You Marry Into? with authors Jim Butcher and Tochi Onyebuchi
bullet When your job is book blogging but your community wants you to take on every single thing not book blogging—Bookish Enby takes a bold stance (largely one I share, but don’t feel the same impetus to advertise)
bullet How to write a book review in 30 minutes—if only it were that easy. I’m actually envious.
bullet If I Was…—Bookaholic Bex answers several creative “What If” questions
bullet Recommending Books Based on Spam Comments—great concept
bullet Why I read—This is a good post. I think I would share a lot of these reasons, if I examined the idea. Maybe I should (although it’s also tantamount to asking “why I breathe”)


Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome toCathy746books, Kiara McCabe, educater34 MSc, NickMay and NewDogNewTricks for following the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding: BOOK VIII., v.-x.

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On June 27, 2020

In Fiction, Fridays with The Foundling, General Fiction/Literature

Fridays with the Foundling

Tom Jones Original CoverSo our friendly and fairly educated barber, Benjamin, comes back to chat with Tom—he’s heard some gossip about him and would like to confirm it. Tom tells his side of the events, and sure, he reflexively tells the story in a way to make him look better—as people do—but isn’t really dishonest about any of it (although he instinctively withholds Sophia’s name for a bit). The two get a little more chummy, ad Benjamin offers to loan Tom some books during his convalescence (proving that he’s a gentleman of great value, even of the discussion of books goes nowhere).

Tom calls him back the next day, because he needs a little blood-letting, after the firing of the surgeon. While he comes back, Benjamin reveals to Tom that he’s the man who was suspected to be his father. He swears he wasn’t, but as followed the news about Tom and is quite impressed with him. Tom wants to make things up to him for all the trouble his hack of parentage has caused Benjamin. The barber says that’s not necessary, he’d just like to be a traveling companion for Tom and his adventures.

We’re told by the narrator, that Benjamin has an ulterior motive—he wants to patch things up between Tom and Allworthy, and to do so in a way that Allworthy is so overcome with gratitude that he reintroduces him to society.

The two begin their travels and eventually come across the home of someone they learn is called The Man of the Hill, one night while in need of a warm place to say. Tom saves him from a mugging and the two are given some shelter for the night.

This section is filled with interesting characters, odd conversations, and Tom getting the wool pulled over his eyes (even if it’s sort of for his benefit). It’s not the best this book has given, but it’s an interesting read, so I’m not going to complain. We seem to have more of the same in the wings, so that should be good reading for the foreseeable future.

The Friday 56 for 6/26/20

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On June 26, 2020

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Politics/Current Affairs, Quotations, The Friday 56

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it

from Page 56% of:
Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why by Alexandra Petri

N.B. I hesitated to use this book, since I posted about it earlier, but I used my current read last week, and I didn’t want to double-dip. And then my next read is an ARC that, and I try not to quote from them since I don’t know if it’ll make the final cut. So…

His head ached all the time. Once he used his excess mental energy to tip over a glass with his mind, but nobody gave him any credit for it. Just for kicks, he raised and lowered the flag on the Interior Department so that it appeared Ryan Zinke was there when in fact he was NOT, but that was not as much fun as anticipated. Everything began to wear on him. He could not sit through international summits. Everyone spoke too slowly.

Gradually he tried to move things that were bigger and bigger. By the end of the first week he was able to knock rockets out of the sky. He sent a tweet about it, but nobody understood that this was what he was trying to say. All the TV ever seemed to show was people closely misreading his tweets. It was miserable. It was a nightmare.

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why by Alexandra Petri: Laughing So You Don’t Cry at the State of Our Country

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On June 26, 2020

In Politics/Current Affairs

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why

by Alexandra Petri

Hardcover, 214 pg.
W. W. Norton & Company, 2020

Read: June 15-22, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!


Like I do so often, when it comes to non-fiction, I’m going to cheat on the summar part and quote from the official blurb:

These impossibly cheerful essays on the routine horrors of the present era explain everything from the resurgence of measles to the fiasco of the presidency.

In Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, acclaimed Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri offers perfectly logical, reassuring reasons for everything that has happened in recent American politics that will in no way unsettle your worldview.

In essays both new and adapted from her viral Washington Post columns, Petri reports that the Trump administration is as competent as it is uncorrupted, white supremacy has never been less rampant, and men have been silenced for too long. The “woman card” is a powerful card to play! Q-Anon makes perfect sense! This Panglossian venture into our swampy present offers a virtuosic first draft of history—a parody as surreal and deranged as the Trump administration itself.

I’d say that this is some of the most vicious political satire I’ve read, but then I remember all the P. J. O’Rourke that I’ve read. Not to mention Christopher Buckley. Or Jonathan Swift. Or William Langland…. Okay, so maybe I should abandon that idea… I am safe in saying that it’s satire from America’s political Left that could give ORourke a run for his money (although her pieces are shorter than I remember him able to do, therefore punchier).

I am not a Liberal*, and have problems with a lot of the politics underlying these essays. However, most of these essays don’t have particular positions or policy’s in their sights. They’re primarily focused on personality, corruption, competency and the culture the current administration fosters. So while I’d differ from her on vital points, I was able to find more to agree with in these pages than not.

* Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

There were a couple of pieces I was personally offended by, but largely I could write up differences in belief, conviction or understanding to a difference of opinion that are worth discussing—and even when I couldn’t I can admit that most of her points would be largely valid from Petri’s worldview. But none of that rendered any of these essays unreadable (there were two that came close for me, probably not for many others). In fact, I think there was only one of the 50+ essays that I didn’t find a point or two that made me smile or chuckle.

Some pieces work wherever you end up on the political spectrum—like, “You May Already Be Running” (how an elected official finds themselves running for President without deciding to), “Raising Baby Hitler” (rather than using a Time Machine to kill baby Hitler, going back in time to raise him differently). The piece about what she’d call a moderate Republican (I’d consider an actual conservative, not a Trump Republican) looking for someone else to stand up to the President was wonderful and haunting.

I don’t recommend reading more than 3-4 a day, I think they’d lose their impact if you went much further (I knocked off six on one day without meaning to, and I regretted it).

This is a refreshing read, it makes you think as well as grin. If you happen to agree with Petri on most of the issues, you’ll enjoy it more than others will. But frankly, a funny piece is a funny piece, even if I disagree with some/all of it. And that kept me turning pages. I enjoyed this, I recommend it, it’ll unsettle you, it’ll make you think, and it might provide a little relief just seeing someone eruditely make the same points you wish you could.

3 Stars

20 Books of Summer2020 Library Love Challenge

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Muzzled by David Rosenfelt: One of Andy Carpenter’s Twistiest Cases Yet

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On June 26, 2020

In Andy Carpenter, David Rosenfelt, Dogs, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Muzzled

Muzzled

by David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter, #21

eARC, 304 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2020

Read: June 20, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!


Wow. Andy Carpenter #21. That’s pretty mind-boggling, I’ve got to say. The way that Andy’s been ramping up the retirement talk over the last couple of books, I can’t help but wonder how many more are in store—but I have to expect we’ll get a few more. Rosenfelt’s army of dogs takes a lot of food. The more the merrier, I say—especially if there are more like this one in the wings.

Andy’s contacted by a friend also in the dog rescue biz—she’s come into possession of a stray and has been contacted by the owner to retrieve the dog. Which sounds pretty straightforward and good up until the point where she tells Andy the owner’s name. He’s the victim of a triple murder a few weeks ago when his boat was destroyed by a bomb of some sort. Yeah, you read me right—the victim. Except he clearly escaped and after being on the run for his life a bit, has decided he can’t run off without the dog. So he risks life and limb to be reunited with his pet. At this point, the reader (and everyone who knows Andy) realizes that if this man needs legal help, Andy will be his attorney. Andy needs some convincing, however.

And Alex Vogel is going to need Andy’s help—if he wasn’t one of those killed, the police would like to know, why wasn’t he? The explanation that makes the most sense to them is that Alex Vogel made and detonated the bomb, killing his friends. The motive is a little shaky, but that’s beside the point.

Alex gives Andy one possible reason that he’d be targeted, and while he doesn’t buy it, he has nothing else to go on, so while Andy tries to come up with an idea of his own, he spends a lot of time exploring that. In a long-running series like this is, it’s the little differences that really stick out and keep things fresh. It took Andy a painfully long time to come up with an alternative theory of the case. And while I found it frustrating that he was so slow, I appreciated that Rosenfelt let things go that way. I also admit that it’s not fair for me to judge, as the reader has access to some third-person narration portions of the novel that Andy doesn’t.

Whether looking for flaws in the Prosecution’s case, running down Alex’s theory, or trying to find an alternative, Andy and his regular band (which includes The K Team now) are as fun as always. The narration is clever, the humor is witty, the case complex, the herrings are red, the dogs are adorable—all the elements of a solid Andy Carpenter novel are there.

As I was mulling over this book this week, I’d mentally drafted a paragraph thinking about this one in the context of the series as a whole. At some point, it seemed pretty familiar, so I looked up what I said about Dachshund Through the Snow, the twentieth novel in the series. I’d said pretty much the same thing about that book as I wanted to say about this one. It doesn’t say much for my originality, but it says something about Rosenfelt.

I’ve read them all—some twice—and while I’ve never read a bad Andy Carpenter book, there were a few that were simply “fine” (that’s not a complaint, I’ll take a fine book over a lot of others), but there’s been a resurgence in the last five or so, particularly in the last two. In both of them Rosenfelt has done something I couldn’t/didn’t see coming, breaking his tried-and-true formula. Rosenfelt has no reason to do that at this point, he could keep churning out these books and his fans (including me), would keep gobbling them up. But he’s taking risks, he’s doing relatively daring things (while remaining true to the world he’s created).

I really liked this book on its own merits, I loved it in the context of the rest. Does that mean a new reader has to read the other twenty before this one? No—any of these novels are a good jumping on point, you’ll end up wanting to read some/all of the earlier ones though. A smart legal thriller—great stuff out of the courtroom, and amusing antics in it (I’ll never tire of reading Andy cross-examining a witness). Muzzled is one of the best in this great series.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this. As always, my opinions remain my own.

4 1/2 Stars

20 Books of Summer

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you.

WWW Wednesday, June 24, 2020

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On June 24, 2020

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

It’s the 24th day of June, which is a Wednesday, it’s time to ask those three magic questions!

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading How the Wired Weep by Ian Patrick and am listening to The Fangs of Freelance by Drew Hayes, Kirby Heyborne (Narrator).

How the Wired WeepBlank SpaceThe Fangs of Freelance

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished Alexandra Petri’s Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why and Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher, Kate Reading (Narrator) on audio (which was just so good, I’m going to have to re-read this series more often).

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is WhyBlank SpaceCaptain's Fury

What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn (which’ll make it 3 dog-centric out of the last 5 novels I’ve read) and Briev Cases by Jim Butcher, with Narration by James Marsters, Jim Butcher, Cassandra Campbell, Julia Whelan & Oliver Wyman on audiobook, I’ve been holding off on this until now, so I can be primed and ready for Peace Talks in a couple of weeks.

Of Mutts and MenBlank SpaceBrief Cases

Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! (no, really, do it!)

Quarter 2: #ARMEDWITHABINGO Check In

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On June 24, 2020

In Books, News/Misc.

I forgot to do a March Check-in, so I haven’t talked about this Reading Challenge since December. I’m not doing too bad—I’ve got 2 Bingos and am not that far from others/clearing the board. My other challenges aren’t doing so well, to be honest—but I’m not terribly worried about any of them. For this Bingo Card, several boxes could have many entries, by and large, I went with the earliest book I read that would fit (for the 1 or 2 of you who wonder how this sausage is made).

Here’s my Board:
ARMEDWITHABINGO June

For the less-graphically inclined (also, those who might want to read the categories…), here’s the list with links to whatever I might have written about the book.

SERIES SPOTLIGHT: The Annie Oakley Mysteries by Karen Bovee (and GIVEAWAY)

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On June 24, 2020

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

I’m very glad to welcome the Series Spotlight tour for Karen Bovee’s The Annie Oakley Mysteries today. I jumped at the chance to do my part to promote these books. While I haven’t read them (mostly an issue of time), my mother is a big fan, so I’m pretty much a fan by proxy. You should check out these historical mysteries, and we even have a Giveaway at the bottom of this post to help you do that!

Without further ado…

 

Series Details:

Book Title:  The Annie Oakley Mystery Series by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 83 to 332 pages
Genre:  Historical Mystery
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release dates:   Shoot Like a Girl (2019); Girl With a Gun (April, 2020); Peccadillo at the Palace (April 2020); Folly at the Fair (June, 2020)
Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020
Content Rating:  R for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.

Book Details:

Book Title: Shoot Like a Girl (A Pre-quel Novella to Girl With A Gun) by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 84 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release date:   November 2019
Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020
Content Rating:  R for Mature themes and some violence. No bad language.
Book Description:
Shoot like a Girl depicts the historically fictive tale of a young Annie Oakley’s struggles before she becomes the most famous sharpshooting woman of all time. After the death of her father, Annie is sent to the Drake County poorhouse where she learns to cook, sew, and keep house for other families to help her mother make ends meet. Annie ends up at the McCrimmons, a couple whom she comes to refer to as “the wolves.” Cruel and neglectful, the McCrimmons push Annie to the brink of despair. The only bright spot in her dreary existence is Buck, a beautiful buckskinned horse, and the two form a bond. Despite her resolve to help her family, Annie loses hope of ever seeing them again, as life at the McCrimmons’ becomes more oppressive, and she is cut off from all outside communication. Physically and emotionally weak from illness, hunger, and abuse, Annie resigns herself to a life of servitude to the abusive couple. But, when Mr. McCrimmon’s continued cruelty to Buck finally threatens the horse’s life, Annie takes matters into her own hands and formulates a plan for escape.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads
Book Details:

Book Title: Girl with a Gun (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 316 pages
Genre:  Historical Mystery
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release date:   April 2020
Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020
Content Rating:  R for one explicit sex scene. There is some swearing, violence, mature themes.

Book Description:
In an exciting new historical mystery series, award-winning author Kari Bovee brings the beloved American icon, Annie Oakley, into the world of mystery and crime as a plucky, amateur sleuth. Fifteen-year-old Annie Oakley is the sole supporter of her widowed mother and two younger siblings. An expert markswoman and independent spirit, she hunts game to sell to the local mercantile to make ends meet instead of accepting a marriage proposal that could solve all her problems, including the impending foreclosure of her family’s farm. After a stunning performance in a shooting contest against famous sharpshooter Frank Butler, Annie is offered a position in the renowned Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Finally, she has a chance to save her family’s farm–and make her dreams come true. But after her catapult to fame, a series of crimes takes place in the Wild West Show, including the death of Annie’s Indian Assistant. The coroner claims the death was due to natural causes, but Annie is unconvinced. Then her prized horse, Buck–a major part of her act–is stolen, and she realizes that someone is out to get her. With the help of a sassy, blue-blooded reporter, Annie sets out to find her horse, solve the crimes, and clear her good name–before everything she’s worked for is destroyed.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title: Peccadillo at the Palace (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 332 pages
Genre:  Historical Mystery
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release date:   April 2020
Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020
Content Rating:  R for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.

Book Description:
In this second book in the Annie Oakley historical mystery series, award-winning author Kari Bovee brings back the lovable character, Annie Oakley, as an amateur sleuth. It’s 1887, and Annie and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show are invited to Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebration in London, England. But their long journey across the Atlantic takes a turn for the worst when the queen’s royal servant ends up dead and Annie’s husband, Frank Butler, falls suspiciously ill. Annie soon discovers that the two events are connected–and may be precursors to an assassination attempt on the queen. In London, it becomes clear that there is rampant unrest in the queen’s kingdom–the Irish Fenian Brotherhood, as well as embittered English subjects, are teeming in the streets. But amid the chaos, even while she prepares for the show, Annie is determined to find the truth. With the help of a friend and reporter, Emma Wilson, the renowned poet Oscar Wilde, and the famous socialite Lily Langtry, Annie sets out to hunt down the queen’s enemies–and find out why they want to kill England’s most beloved monarch.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title: Folly at the Fair (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 322 pages
Genre:  Historical Mystery
Publisher:  Bosque Publishing
Release date:   June 2020
Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020
Content Rating:  R for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.

Book Description:

She never misses a target. But unless she can solve this murder, she’ll become one… Chicago World’s Fair, 1893. “Little Sure Shot” Annie Oakley is exhausted from her work with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. But when a fellow performer scuffles with a man who threatens her harm, she has to keep her eyes peeled. And when the heckler is found dead under the Ferris Wheel, Annie won’t rest until she proves her defender is innocent. Before she can rustle up any clues, an old friend asks Annie to protect her young daughter. And as more bodies turn up around the grounds, she’s going to need all her sharpshooting skills just to stay alive. Can Annie live up to her reputation and put a bullseye on the killer? Folly at the Fair is the third book in the Annie Oakley Mystery historical fiction series. If you like strong heroines, Wild West adventures, and suspenseful twists and turns, then you’ll love Kari Bovee’s fast-paced whodunit.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads
Meet the Author:

When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her action-packed novels. Empowered women in history, horses, unconventional characters, and real-life historical events fill the pages of Kari Bovée’s articles and historical mystery musings and manuscripts. An award-winning author, Bovée was honored with the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards Hillerman Award for Southwestern Fiction for her novel Girl with a Gun. The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the Mystery/Crime category, and is a Finalist in the 2019 International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards and the International Chanticleer Goethe Awards, as well as the Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel Grace in the Wings is a Finalist for the 2019 International Chanticleer Chatelaine Awards and the International Chanticleer Goethe Awards. Her novel Peccadillo at the Palace is a Finalist in the 2019 International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards and the 2019 International Goethe Awards, as well as a Finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical Fiction category. Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant. She and her husband, Kevin, spend their time between their horse property in the beautiful Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, and their condo on the sunny shores of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

​Connect with the author:  Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram
~ Pinterest

Enter the Giveaway:

    

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Anna by Laura Guthrie: A Charming Look at One Girl’s Pursuit of Happiness

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On June 23, 2020

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, YA/MG/Children's Books


Anna

Anna

by Laura Guthrie

PDF, 180 pg.
Gob Stopper 2020

Read: June 9-11, 2020

I knew this should have been a happy thing. Maybe happiness just didn’t feel like how I thought it ought to feel. It certainly seemed a small reward for such a lot of chasing by so many people in so many different times and places. But if Dad seemed to think it was worth chasing as hard as he did, for as long as he did, and in the many different ways that he did, then there must be something to it.

Anna is a thirteen-year-old girl with Autism Spectrum Disorder (she identifies as Asperger’s syndrome), we meet her on a bus bound for her mother’s house in Scotland. Her father has recently died (under circumstances it takes us a while to learn), and after a brief period in Foster Care, she’s on her way to live with her mother—a woman she has had no contact with for over a decade.

It takes no time at all for the reader to see that Mom wasn’t ready to take custody—in any sense. Anna’s confused by her new reality—as anyone would be, exasperated by ASD. She wanders around the neighborhood meeting people. There’s a varied and colorful cast of characters that we’re introduced to—of various ages, social levels, professions. Anna’s interactions with them tell us plenty about her as well as them all.

Anna’s a delightful girl with her own particular way of looking at the world. It’s a pleasure to see things through her eyes and watch the way her mind works. The people she surrounds herself with—both by circumstance and choice—are almost as fun and rewarding to read about. For example, her mother learns how to be a mother—actually, she learns how to be Anna’s mother—and finds some healing for the circumstances that led to her separation from Anna and her father.

Happiness is the theme—and not a subtle one—of the book. Anna’s focus on it is one of the first things we encounter when we meet her and she doesn’t let us lose sight of it. She sees a lot of different ways that happiness can be found/expressed, but her goal (something her father taught her) is to find it in all circumstances. This perspective is catching, and her new friends and family start to do it—I think I spent a bit more time looking for it while I read the book, too.

An unexpected highlight for me was the way Guthrie used Christians and Anna’s mother’s church in this book. This is not Christian Fiction—and bears none of its hallmarks. But it is filled with solid, believing, Church-going people. Not morally perfect, hypocritical or judgmental, or any of the too typical ways that Christians are generally depicted. But people of faith, who’ve made mistakes, sinned against each other, and have found/are finding restoration—and along the way, are aided by the others in the church. I also liked the church services—the way Anna’s mother explains them to her brought a huge smile to my face. There’s no preaching to the reader involved, but we get to see faith in action and its effects.

I have two, related, complaints with the book. The first is that the book is just too short—this is really more of a backhanded compliment. I think each member of her extended family could’ve used more time, more character development. Maybe it’s just because I enjoyed spending time with all of them—and it’s clear that we only get the highlights of the relationships in the novel. But I think it’s a little more. If scenes had been given just a little more space to develop, I think it’d have been a little stronger of a novel.

The second complaint is along the same lines—it was too rushed, too compact. It felt like Guthrie knew where all the plotlines were supposed to resolve and didn’t want the book to go beyond a certain page count. So, the material we get in the last 10% of the book feels like it should’ve been given at least twice (maybe three times) the number of pages.

This is a charming read, full of heart, humor and love. It’s not what I typically read—but when I find this kind of book, it makes me happy. I hope this sounds like the compliment it’s supposed to be, but Anna feels like it’d be the kind of thing to introduce to your older MG/younger YA reader if you want them to grow up into a Fredrik Backman reader—the same kind of collection of interesting characters, an idiosyncratic protagonist, and a heartwarming feel. Guthrie’s not in Backman’s league—yet—but I can see her getting there. I’d enjoy reading more by her in the future, and in the meantime, I’m glad I got to read this—and recommend it to anyone else.

3.5 Stars

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided.

Love Books Group

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