Hope's Maybe This Time - 2023 Reading

Time for Me to Fly - 2023

I'm going in a little different direction this year! I'm still setting the bar low - 23 books in 2023.

Given that my hometown (and current location) is celebrating its sesquicentennial, the local public library is sponsoring a "Reading through Time" challenge. I'm taking it a little farther with "Maybe This Time" - "time" categories each month and for the challenges I will do.

Do That To Me One More Time

Helpful Hints:

How to force a touchstone:
Left square bracket + title + comma + author last name + right square bracket will usually get you close to the correct (if not correct) touchstone.

The Library, Stewart = The Library, Stewart

If it still isn't the correct touchstone you can look to the right of the "add a message" box where the touchstones display, click (Others), scroll for the correct touchstone, click the link, and ta-da...correct touchstone.

Last way to get correct touchstone: left square bracket + work number + colon + colon + title + right square bracket.

The Library = The Library

To Make a Checkmark: = & # 1 0 0 0 4

To Make a Star: = & # 9 7 3 3

Other helpful "how-to's": http://www.librarything.com/topic/59470#

To insert a cover or other image: img src = "URL_HERE" (take out space around = sign an put in html brackets)

2017 Reading Pyramid - https://www.librarything.com/topic/244325
2018 Readings - https://www.librarything.com/topic/279502
2019 Readings - https://www.librarything.com/topic/300982
2020 Readings - https://www.librarything.com/topic/314462
2021 Readings - https://www.librarything.com/topic/328168#n7647720
2022 Readings - https://www.librarything.com/topic/337837

Pick a Winner: Feels Like the First Time

I'm using this challenge to reread some long-ago favorites - a chance to renew our friendship:
✔ 1. Tizz is a Cow Pony
✔ 2. Mystery of the Witches' Bridge
✔ 3. Life Among the Savages
✔ 4. My Sweet Charlie
✔ 5. Flash of Phantom Canyon
6. The Moonspinners
✔ 7. The Revolt of Sarah Perkins
8. The Edge of Time
✔ 9. Of Mice and Men
10. Calico Palace
11. Ride the Wind
12. Dawn's Early Light

If I can find them, I may substitute in The Funny Guy, The Loner, Harriet the Spy or any of the Katie John books. Also, looking for Just Plain M aggie by Lorraine Beim.

Somewhere in Time: NAPL Reading through Time Challenge

1870's Christmas in Calico by Jack Curtis - 187 p.

1880's

1890's

1900's

1910's

1920's

1930's The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 196 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

1940's The Circus Train by Amitra Parikh - 402 p.

1950's: To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite - 188 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

1960's: My Sweet Charlie by David Westheimer - 220 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

1970's: All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay - 320 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

1980's

1990's The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey - 256 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

2000's

2010's The Dry by Jane Harper

2020's: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill - 265 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Time in a Bottle: NAPL Evening Book Club

January: Time
For One More Day by Mitch Albom - 197 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

February: Love (A book I loved)
Flash of Phantom Canyon by Agnes V. Ranney - 149 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

March: Escape
My Sweet Charlie by David Westheimer - 220 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

April: New
All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay - 320 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

May: Friends
The Revolt of Sarah Perkins by Marian Cockrell - 310 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Wrong Good Deed by Caroline Cooney - 257 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

June: Water
River's End by Leanne Davis - 334 p. - ★ ★ ★

July: Food
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 196 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

August: Mystery
The Dry by Jane Harper
Force of Nature by Jane Harper - 336 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

September: School
To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite - 188 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

October: Night
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf - 179 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

November: Family
Homecoming by Kate Morton - 547 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote - np - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson - 246 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

December: Holiday
Christmas in Calico by Jack Curtis - 187 p. -
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote - 48 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
One Christmas by Truman Capote - 41 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

January: Old Time Rock and Roll

The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout - 257 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★
I Love You: Verses and Sweet Sayings featuring the art of Bessie Pease Gutmann - 32 p. - ★ ★ ★
For One More Day by Mitch Albom - 197 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

February: Too Much Time on My Hands

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill - 265 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★
Flash of Phantom Canyon by Agnes V. Ranney - 149 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

March: As Time Goes By

My Sweet Charlie by David Westheimer - 220 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Last Time as We Are by Taylor Mali - 124 p.

April: If I Could Turn Back Time

All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay - 320 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

May: Time Is on My Side

The Revolt of Sarah Perkins by Marian Cockrell - 310 pages - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Wrong Good Deed by Caroline Cooney - 257 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Mystery of the Witches' Bridge by Barbee Oliver Carleton - 304 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

June: Time After Time

River's End by Leanne Davis - 334 p. - ★ ★ ★

July: Let the Good Times Roll

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 196 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

August: Only Time Will Tell

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh - 402 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 119 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Dry by Jane Harper - 328 p. ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Force of Nature by Jane Harper - 336 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

September: Time of the Seasons

The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey - 256 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2
To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite - 188 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★
Tizz Is a Cow Pony by Elisa Bialk - 94 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Exiles by Jane Harper - 368 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

October: I've Had the Time of My Life

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman - 349 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf - 179 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

November: The Times They Are A-changin'

Homecoming by Kate Morton - 547 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote - np - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson - 246 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★
Christmas in Calico by Jack Curtis - 187 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

December: The Best of Times

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote - 48 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
One Christmas by Truman Capote - 41 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Kids Books: Time Passages

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Spookley the Square Pumpkin: A Family to Be Thankful For by Joe Troiano
Super Peppa by Cala Spinner
Toad on the Road by Stephen Shaskan
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Drip Drop by Sarah Weeks
Blueberry Cake by Sarah Dillard
Possum Come A-Knockin' by Nancy Van Laan
Peppa Pig: Happy Diwali!
Animal Numbers Slide & Seek the 123s by Alex Lluch
Peppa Pig: George Goes to the Potty
All about Feelings by Sarah Albee
Read to Your Bunny by Rosemary Wells
Pugicorn by Matilda Rose
Night Night Iowa by Katherine Sully
The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
Be a Hero! (PJ Masks)
Disney Mickey Mouse Let's Explore Outdoors
My Peekaboo Farm
Christmas in the Big Woods
Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton
The Pigrates Clean Up by Steven Kroll
Beat Bugs: Penny Lane by Carl Meister
Max's Dragon Shirt by Rosemary Wells
My Very First Book of Shapes by Eric Carle
More More More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams
The Christmas Bear by Henriette Strickland
Elf by Kim Smith
Little Critter's The Night Before Christmas by Mercer Mayer
Elf: A Short Story of a Tall Tale by David Berenbaum
Spot's First Christmas by Eric Hill
The Night before Christmas illustrated by Douglas Gorsline
A Christmas Carol illustrated by Paul Hernandez
Merry Christmas, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
Peppa Pig: I Can Be Anything
Little Quack Loves Colors by Lauren Thompson
Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell
Suddenly! by Colin McNaughton
Frog and Toad Are Friends

Books by Rating: Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is

5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Last Time as We Are by Taylor Mali
The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote - np -
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote - 48 p.

4 ½ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
My Sweet Charlie by David Westheimer - 220 p.
The Revolt of Sarah Perkins by Marian Cockrell - 310 pages
The Wrong Good Deed by Caroline Cooney - 257 p.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 119 p.
The Dry by Jane Harper - 328 p.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman - 349 p.
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf - 179 p.
Homecoming by Kate Morton - 547 p.

4 ★ ★ ★ ★
The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout - 257 p.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom - 197 p.
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill - 265 p.
All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay - 320 p.
Mystery of the Witches' Bridge by Barbee Oliver Carleton - 304 p.
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 196 p.
The Circus Train by Amita Parikh - 402 p.
Force of Nature by Jane Harper - 336 p.
To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite - 188 p.
Exiles by Jane Harper - 368 p.
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson - 246 p.
Christmas in Calico by Jack Curtis - 187 p.
One Christmas by Truman Capote - 41 p.

3 ½ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Flash of Phantom Canyon by Agnes V. Ranney - 149 p.
The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey - 256 p.
Tizz Is a Cow Pony by Elisa Bialk - 94 p.


3 ★ ★ ★
I Love You: Verses and Sweet Sayings featuring the art of Bessie Pease Gutmann - 32 p.
River's End by Leanne Davis - 334 p. - ★ ★ ★

2 1/2 ★ ★ 1/2

2 ★ ★

1 ★

Did Not Finish

Add to the TBR: No Time/Time Won't Let Me (Carried over from the past five years!)

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
Insight by Tasha Eurich
Missoula by Krakauer
The Child by Fiona Burton
Gone without a trace by Mary Torjussen
A Life Intercepted by Charles Martin
Deadliest Sea by Thompson
Abandon All Hope by Schiller
Losing It by Carmack
Killer of the Flower Moon
Finding Rebecca
Dennis LeHane - title?
What the dead leave behind
Then she was gone by Lisa Jewell
A Prayer Before Dawn by Billy Moore
Hank and Jim: The Fifty-Year Friendship of Henry Fonda and James Stewart by Scott Eyman.
*Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman
The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith
The End of Everything by Megan Abbott
The Great Typo Hunt / Jeff Deck, Benjamin D. Henson
*Mary Oliver poems
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Five Families by Raab
To sleep with ? By Cowan
Summer Hours at the Robbers Library - Halpern
The Phantom of Fifth Avenue: The Mysterious Life and Scandalous Death of Heiress Huguette Clark by Meryl Gordon
Lies of the Heart - Michelle Boyajian
Inside the O'Briens - Lisa Genova
In a Dark, Dark Wood - Ruth Ware
To Sleep With the Angels: The Story of a Fire - David Cowan, John Kuenster
The Downstairs Girl by Lee
*Furious Hours (Harper Lee and the trial inspiring TKM)
Simply Dead by Kuhns
The Murmur of Bees
Edgar Sawtell
Words of Silk by Sandra Brown
Border Bride by Arnette Lamb
Waiting for Deliverance
Fortune is a Woman - Adler
The Most Fun We Ever Had - Claire Lombardo
Song for the Missing - Stewart O'Nan
Women Talking - Toews
The Winter Men - Kold
*A Killer's Mind - Mike Omer
A Prayer for Travelers
Drive your plow over the bones
She's leaving home
Playing House
Highway of Tears - Macdarmuid?
28 1/2 Wishes (Rec by Janene)
The Flying Circus (Rec by Donna)
The Gown by Robson
The Roanoke Girls - Amy Engle
The Ruthless – David Putnam
Love and Other Consolation Prizes - Jamie Ford
The Night Swim - Megan Goldin
The Woman Outside My Door / Rachel Ryan
Every Secret Thing Laura Lippman
Sold on a Monday - Krista McMorris
Yellow Wife
Before We Were Yours - Wingate
The Professor and the Madman
You Should Have Known
Boys Life - McCammon
L.A. Witt - Bad Behavior series
Julie Mulhurn books
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey (true crime memoir)
We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper (True crime memoir)
Charlie Adhara - Big Bad Wolf series
Nana - Brandon Massey
Perfect Family - Robyn Harding
On the way to Birdland - Marelli
Hotel - Alex Hailey
Grand Hotel - V.Baum?
Martin Dressler - Millhauser
The Aster Orphan - Aldrich
Mad about the Marquess
A Promise of Spring
A Compromised Lady
Seducing Charlotte
Temporary Wife
Once upon a Marquess
Gone so Long - Andre Dubas III
Conversations with RBG
Honestly, We Meant Well - Grant Grinder
Be More RBG
Electric hotel - Dominic Smith
Local Woman Missing - Mary Kubrica
Grange House - Sarah Blake
This Tender Land - William Kent Krueger
Gilead - Marilynne Robinson
Housekeeping - Robinson
We Were Rich and We Didn't Know It - Tom Phelan
Twenty-one Truths about Love - Matthew Dicks
This is How I Lied - Heather Gudenkauf
Irena's Children - Tilar J. Mazzeo
Suzanne's Children - Anne Nelson
GI Brides - Duncan Barrett
Grayson - Lynne Cox
Army Wives - Midge Gillies
Hidden Valley Road - Robert Koelker
The Dinner List - Rebecca Searle
Ethel Rosenberg - Anne Sebba
Battle for the Bigtop - Les Standiford
Your Brain is always listening - Daniel Amen
My Name is Selma - Selma Van de Verre
Obit by Victoria Chang
Crying in H Mart - Zauner
On Earth We're briefly Gorgeous - Vuong
Cider with Rosie - Laurie Lee
Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
A Country of Strangers by Conrad Richter
Tenderness of Wolves - Stef Penny
Every Man Dies Alone
The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers
Prodigal by TA Moore
The son - Phillip Meyer
Wall of Silence - Tracy Buchanan
One of Us Is Lying
One of Us Is Next
The Cousins - mcManus
The Shootist - Swarthout
The Last Ride - Tom Eidson
Her Final Words - Brianna Labuskes
The Trauma Cleaner - Sarah Krasnostein
How to Disappear - Roat
When We Were Mermaids
Mary - A tale of the Old West - Janis Hoffman
Lost Children Archive
A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost
Rural Rebellion by Benes
Playing Nice by J. Delaney
Shuggie Bain by Stuart
The Chosen
Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
The Best of Richard Matheson
The Johnstown Flood
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto
The Boat Man by Dustin Stevens
The Monsters We Make by White
Pictures of an Exhibitionist by Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake, and Palmer)
What you never knew by Jessica Hamilton
The Boy in the Field by Livesey
Grief Cottage by Godwin
The Deep Deep Snow by Freeman
The Personal Librarian by Benedict
A Single Thread by Chevalier
The Safe Place by Downes
The Last Train to London by Clayton
Fresh Water for Flowers by Perrin
We Keep the Dead Close by Cooper
The Library of Lost and Found by Patrick
All the Frequent Troubles of our Days by Donner
The Fortnight in September by Sherriff
The Lamplighters by Stonex
The Weekend by Wood
An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by ThurstenT
More News Tomorrow - S Shreve
Such a Fun Age by Reid
The Postscript Murders by Griffiths
Come Fly the World by Cooke
Tisha by Specht
Rose Cottage by Stewart
Lest Innocent Blood be Shed by Hallie
Montauk by Harrison
The Bride Wore Black by Woolrich
Haunting Paris by Chaudhry
A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska by Jacobs
An Elegant Woman by McPhee
The Paris Library by Charles
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories
In the Unlikely Event by Blume
The Left Handed Twin by Perry
Everything We Didn't Say by Baart
Mr. Nobody by Catherine Stead
The Great Hotel Murder by Starrett
Quiet in her Bones by Singh
The Bookshop of Second Chances by Fraser
A Town Called Solace by Lawson
Flight of Dreams by Lawhon
The History of Love by Krauss
The Night She Disappeared by Jewell
Village of Lost Girls by Martinez
The Dead Letter by Regester
The Whispering House by Brooks
The Temple House Vanishing by Donohue
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Chase
The Last Flight by Clark
The Plot by Korelitz
The Hollywood Spy by MacNeal
I Found You by Jewell
The Room on Rue Amelie by Harmel
The Last Garden in England by Kelly
The Paris Hours by George
When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
I Had My Underwear On the Entire Time by Michael and Amy Blair
Children of Men by PD James
Dyatlov Pass by Eichar
The Personal Librarian by Benedict
River Lady - Jude Deveroux
How the Penguins Saved Veronica
Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
One Left Alive by Phifer
The Family Across the Street by Trope
Lessons in Chemistry by Garmus - read ASAP!
Steve Thayer (a few of these are rereads - read before I started tracking on Shelfari)
Meet Me in the Margins by Ferguson
Not My Child by Samantha King
Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone by Stevenson
The Lost Village by Sten
Three by Perrin
Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins
Local Woman MIssing by Kubica
The Love of my Life by Walsh
Two-Way Murder by Lorac
The Woman in the Library by Gentill
The Last Bookshop in London by Martin
The Book of Lost Names by Harmel
The Bookseller's Secret by Gable
The Book Thief by Zusuk
The Paris Library by Charles
The Stationery Shop by Kamali
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Jurczyk
About the Author by Colapinto
An Unwanted Guest by LaPena
One Hundred Saturdays by Frank
Horse by Brooks
The Body in the Garden by Schellman
The Last Diving Horse in America by Branigan
The Latecomer by Korelitz
The Birdcage by Chase
Last Call at the Hotel Imperial by Cohen
The House in the Orchard by Brooks
Daisy Darker by Feeney
The Last Train to London by Clayton
Confessions of a Bookseller by Bythell
Christmas by the Book by Ryan
A Summer House Party by Fraser
The It Girl by Ware
The Ride of her Life by Letts
Miss Julia Speaks her Mind
The People We Keep
Saving CeCe Hunnicut
The House Maid
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Way from Here
A Dark-adapted Eye by Vine
The Confession by Burton
Always, Always by Lane
The Witch Elm by French
The Hand that First Held Mine
After You'd Gone by O'Farrell
Hooked on the Game by Owens
The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson
Mrs. March by Virginia Fielto
The Lager Queen of Minnesota
The Midnight Library
Missing Daughter - Rick mafino
After You've Gone - Maggie O'Farrell
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart - Holly ?
The Night Riders of Hardin County - Lance Hansman
The Last Chance Library - Sampson
Daisy Darker - Feeney
How I'll Kill You - Ren Destefano
The Library of Lost and Found - Patrick
The Weekend - Wood
The Plot - Korelitz
I Found You - Jewell
The Whispering House - Brooks
The Temple House Vanishing - Donohue
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor - Chase
The Last Flight - Clark
Miss Julie Speaks her Mind
The People We Keep
Saving CeCe Hunnicutt
The House Maid - McFaddin
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Lost Ticket
Sunshine Girls - Fader
A Family Recipe - Henry
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Little Wartime Library
Stay Awake - Golden
The Night Swim - Golden
The Improper Life of Belezia Grove - Gregg

Authors:
Jo Nesbo
Henning Mankell
Donald Harstad
Shari LaPena
Jane Harper
Lisa Wingate
Karin Slaughter
Helene Thursten
Simone St. James
Lucia St. Clair Robson
Janice Woods Windle
Ann Cleaves

Comments, Musings, and Other Ideas . . . Foreplay/Long Time

"You don’t have to keep books to be a reader. And you certainly don’t need a reason to keep them. But if you grew up on stories, if your memories are infused with what you read where and when and who you talked about it with, books aren’t that different from photographs. They remind you how, and when, and why, and what you did with that knowledge, and how it fits into your life even now."

Landmark Childhood of Famous Americans series
Sunfire Series - Jessica by Mary Francis Shura
The Forest of Coubron - painted by Jean-Baptistie-Camille Carot - The art hanging on our wall!

Mosser Jennifer miniature glassware

Jeffty Is Five by Harlan Ellison
Spending a Day at the Lottery Fair by F. Pohl

Poem: For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon
High Flight by John Gillespie Magee

Block Optic
Tea Room
Pyramid

Red Gallagher

You Owe Me a Murder - Ellen Cook - rec by T Balthas

Little Witch by Anna Elizabeth Bennett

Hope! What a great reading list, and thank you for a whole bunch of time-traveling earworms now going through my brain.

And I owe you such a huge thanks for the reminders about how to do stuff on LibraryThing, like add a photo and other helpful topics that were on your helpful topic thread posting thing. And checkmarks! I used those when I had complete a challenge here.

I've also noticed readers posting the .jpgs that are on phones and FB now, the smiley faces, presents, congrats, etc. Is that on one of the helpful LT threads?

Dancing away like Cyndi Lauper singing "Time After Time" now . . .

>22 threadnsong: I haven't tried posting an emoji. Maybe I'll give it a shot this week!

The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout
257 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

In the late 1850's, Mary Bee Cuddy, a single woman living on the Nebraska prairie, steps in for her neighbor to transport his wife and three other women who have had mental breakdowns during the long winter to transport them to a church in Iowa so they can be returned to their families. The women's stories are heartbreaking: one was terrorized by wolves during a snowstorm, one tried to kill her husband, one killed her new baby because she couldn't abide the poverty and hunger in which they lived, and the last one, nineteen-year-old Arabella Sours, lost all three of her children to diphtheria. Cuddy finds a man trying to avoid a hanging (his own) who agrees to help her. The novel tells their stories as they head east with their odd "cargo."

Wow - this one was very good! In as afterward, Miles Swarthout, son of the author Glendon Swarthout, tells how his parents wanted to tell the stories of "the losers" - the people who went west and weren't the heroes or were the ones beaten down by life.

I really was most interested in the stories of the women who suffered the breakdowns. My own great grandmother suffered a breakdown in the 1880's after her little girl died (little Minnie died after drinking milk from the milch cow that no one realized had eaten some poisonous weeds.) She sat in her rocking chair holding a doll for a few years. She eventually got better and went on to have my grandfather and great aunt.

I Love You: Verses and Sweet Sayings featuring the art of Bessie Pease Gutmann
32 p. - ★ ★ ★

Hmmm - I found this when I was looking for two books up in the guest room where all of my "not to be immediately read" books live. I remember buying this one mostly for the artwork. I like Bessie Pease Gutmann's work. The poems included are so-so, but they do work well with the art.

For One More Day by Mitch Albom
197 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

This is the story of a mother and a son, where the son gets to spend one more day with his mother. Charley "Chick" Benetto is a broken man, lost in a bottle and regret. He's lost his job, his wife, and his daughter, who did not invite him to her wedding. He decides to kill himself by throwing himself off the old water tower in his old hometown. When the fall fails to kill him, he walks to his old house, only to discover his mother - who died eight years previously - still living there. They spend one more "ordinary day" together, talking, explaining, forgiving, as Charley tries to sort out his life.

Wow! This one sucked me in right away! Beautifully written. The first paragraph: This is a story about a family and, as there is ghost involved, you might call it a ghost story. But every family is a ghost story. The dead sit at our tables long after they have gone.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
265 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Four strangers are sitting at a table in the Reading Room at the Boston Public Library, when a scream sends the library into lockdown. The strangers strike up a conversation and become friends. Each has a reason for being in the library that morning. One's reason was murder.

Very tightly plotted and cleverly crafted. This is appears to be a story-in-a-story. The story starts out with Winnifred, Cain, Marigold, and Whit in the Boston Public Library, but then it appears they are characters in a novel being written by Australian author Hannah Tigone, who is sending her chapters to Leo in Boston. Leo's letters to Hannah show up at the end of each chapter, as do a few letters from the FBI. A very satisfying read!

Flash of Phantom Canyon by Agnes V. Ranney
149 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Gabriel, a boy living in Idaho's Salmon River Valley, is being reared by two old trappers. He is part white and part Nez Perce. He's never really thought much about his heritage - until he becomes closer to his neighbors Mac and Sarah McLain and their children Jean and Brian. He bottle feeds a colt - Flash - while earning the milk by doing chores for the McLains. When Jean asks him his last name, he doesn't know, and goes home to ask Captain and Lars about his past. A few years later, he needs to make a decision about his relationship with the McLains.

This was one of my favorite books when I was nine-ish. I reread it for a challenge, and I am glad I did. It was a satisfying read. Very interesting - the Scholastic book order price was 45 cents. I'm sure my copy was from one of the book orders.

My Sweet Charlie by David Westheimer
220 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

A hidden gem from the '60's, My Sweet Charlie tells the poignant story of two people on the run. Marlene is an uneducated Southern seventeen-year-old pregnant white girl who has been thrown out of her home. Charlie is an black lawyer from the North who is hiding from the law after maybe killing a white man at a protest march. They unwillingly share a deserted summer house on Texas's Gulf Shore, and, as time goes on, come to respect and care for one another.

The made-for-TV movie (1970 - starring Patty Duke and Al Freeman, Jr.) skips across my memories every so often. I read the book for the first time in either 1970 or 1971 - whenever I could get my hands on a copy of the book. (I bought this copy from either Amazon or Abe Books - not sure what happened to the box of books I kept from my teen years.) Rereading this was kind of tough, though. Unfortunately, in some respects, very little has changed in the way of race relations over the past 50 years. Westheimer did a great job of portraying the two characters and the subtle ways their relationship changes as the story progresses.

The Last Time as We Are by Taylor Mali
124 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Slam poet and former teacher Taylor Mali published some of his work in this volume. His best poems, I think, are his school poems. As a retired middle school teacher, I can definitely relate - and he wonderfully captures the chaos of the middle school years.

All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay
320 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

One November day in 1975, Miranda Larkin arrives home from school and finds her mother missing. Jane Larkin is gone, sparking speculation about what happened to her. Investigators suspect her husband Dan, a criminal defense attorney with some shady clients. The problem - there' no body and no evidence linking Dan - or anyone else - to a crime. Decades later, Jane's remains are found, and the three Larkin children must choose sides.

I first read Landay a few years ago - Defending Jacob - and knew there would be some twists and turns along the way, and his most recent novel did not disappoint. Told in four voices - Phil (a friend of the children), Jane, Jeff (one of the children), and Dan - we ultimately find out Jane's fate, and understand the family's reactions, loves, and loyalties.

The Revolt of Sarah Perkins by Marian Cockrell
310 pages - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

A delightful reread! Visiting Sarah, Alice, and Luke is like visiting old friends. Our story starts with Luke, a widower in 1869, who is the president of the local school board. He's upset, as his little town of Belle City, Wyoming, has lost yet another school teacher to matrimony. He comes up with a plan - ask the applicants for pictures and hire the homeliest one. When the pictures - er - applications - arrive, he is disappointed. A few are too pretty, one is too mean looking, and one has a light in her eye. One looks patient and resigned - Sarah Perkins. Sarah has taught her brother's children, and on a whim, decided to apply and was hired. The townspeople were relieved - they had a permanent teacher. Sarah arrived in town, and within a week, has caused enough trouble to have a town meeting called. They soon learned that when Sarah feels strongly about something, she can make it happen - whether it is requiring money to be spent on the school or allowing a Native American child to attend school.

I have a long history with this book. My mom read it in the 1960's when it was published and loved it. She had my dad read it, and he loved it. I remember him laughing out loud at it - he especially loved the part where Sarah makes Luke read from the school book about "bad, willful Ned" being eaten by a hungry hyena because of his misdeeds. I read the book in high school, and a few more times since then. I think it has aged fairly well, and Cockrell's dry humor has also aged well. (Cockrell wrote for several TV shows, including Batman.) Delightful!

The Wrong Good Deed by Caroline Cooney - 257 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

"But it was Dodo's experience that in fact, you always knew what you ought to do. The question was - would you do it?"

Helen/Clemmie (from Cooney's Before She Was Helen) is attending church with her South Carolina Sun City friend Muffin Morgan. Just before the service ends, Muffin tells Helen that they have to leave NOW. On their way home, they come across an accident - two girls have missed a curve and totaled their pickup truck. Muffin is upset and hides in the back of Helen's car. When they arrive back in Sun City, Muffin tells Helen her story - one of racism, violence, and secrets. It seems that Helen isn't the only one with a hidden identity. As Muffin's past begins to play a more important role in her life, Helen begins to wonder about her own secret coming to light.

An excellent read! Muffin had a very compelling story. Neither she nor Helen truly knew the other, nor their other friends in their community. I took off half a star because Cooney didn't refresh readers more about Helen/Clemmie's past, and I had trouble remembering the details of her story.

Mystery of the Witches' Bridge by Barbee Oliver Carleton
304 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Young Dan Pride has come to live with his Uncle Julian at Pride's Point. The Prides are still battling rumors from the days of the Puritans when Samuel Pride was pressed to death as a witch. They have an ongoing feud with the neighboring Bishops, thinking the Bishops had Dan's grandfather killed and his money stolen. Dan must navigate the intricacies of new friendships with Pip and Gilly, figuring out his Uncle Julian, making friends with the vicious dog Caliban, and figuring out what handy man Billy Ben Corey is up to, as well as searching the area for his grandfather's briefcase.

I first read this story when I was in third or fourth grade. I think this is the book that sparked my love of mysteries! It has aged fairly well, although the descriptions of the bogs and marshes were a little "meh." All I needed to know is that they were dangerous. The map in the front of the book was necessary to place locations on the island and nearby points.

River's End by Leanne Davis
334 p. - ★ ★ ★

Jack Rydell sees nothing but trouble for himself, his ranch, his brothers and his two sons when he sees Erin Poletti pull into his yard. She's there to stay with her brother, who sort of works at the ranch. He has made himself useful to youngest brother Joey, in spite of the fact that he's a horrible person. Erin's self esteem is at all time low, and she accepts less than ideal treatment from others. Jack starts to teach her that she deserves better, but when their feelings for each other collide with the needs of his sons and brothers, things start to get really complicated.

Not a bad story. Actually, I liked that the heroine wasn't as pure as the driven snow (she was more like a muddy mess) and came with a whole cartload of baggage. There was a lot to tackle in the novel, and it was done decently.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
196 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

1934 Harveyville, Kansas, is in the thick of the Depression's Dust Bowl. There are no jobs nor raindrops. Twenty-four-year-old Queenie Bean is mourning the loss of her pregnancy and having had a hysterectomy, her ability to have children. Her best friend has moved away. She and her husband Grover have it a little better than most - their farm is still prosperous and they have a little money. She also has The Persian Pickle Club - a neighborhood quilting group. When Grover's best friend Tom returns home from college with wife Rita, Rita receives an invitation to the club. Rita wants to focus on her writing career, though, and when the body of Ella Crooks' husband is found, Rita starts writing newspaper articles about him. The Persian Pickle Club (named for a piece of paisley fabric one of the founders shared) bands together to support and protect each other.

I had read an excerpt or condensed version of this in the mid-90's when it was first published. I think it was in Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, or another women's magazine that my mom subscribed to - which makes me think it was LHJ, as she didn't subscribe to GH until later. I really only remembered the crime, the who did it, and the talk about quilting. Because of that, the last line of the book didn't surprise me like it probably should have. Still, it was a very enjoyable read! I also enjoyed the historical parts of a small midwestern town in the '30's.

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh
402 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Lena Papadopoulos has never found her place within the circus, even with her father Theo as the greatest illusionist and headline act. Lena, who uses a wheelchair due to the polio she contracted as an infant, prefers the world of science and knowledge. Her world changes, though, when she finds Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past. The two become fast friends as Theo mentors the boy in the art of illusion and encourages their friendship. Clara, her tutor, encourages her to sit for an exam to earn a place at an English boarding school. As World War II begins to cast its shadow over the circus train, its owner - Horace, makes a deal with the S.S., and Alexandre and Theo are sent to Theresienstadt, a "town" created by the Nazis where the arts were encouraged. Lena, believing her friend and father dead, tries to move forward.

A very good read and an interesting story. I found the description of the circus train a little confusing, and I'm not sure how Lena rolled her wheelchair through the train as it was winding through Europe. I liked Lena, Theo, Clara, and Alexandre. Theo's story is quite compelling, as is Alexandre's.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
119 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

George - a small man drifting through Depression-era California as a ranch hand. Lennie - a giant of a man but with a child's mentality. George looks out for Lennie and feeds him the dream of owning their own land, with chickens and a pig and an alfalfa crop that Lennie could feed to the rabbits. But Lennie's actions bring about the end of the dream.

One of my re-reads, I first read this as a junior or senior in high school. Fifty years later, it is still a relevant and moving tale.

The Dry by Jane Harper
328p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Federal agent Aaron Falk hasn't been back to his hometown of Kiewarra (Australia) since the day he left twenty years ago. He wasn't planning on going back at all - even when he's notified that his childhood best friend Luke is dead and his family has been murdered. But then Aaron gets a note: Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral. Falk goes back home for the funeral, where Luke's parents beg him to investigate. They don't think Luke killed his wife and young son before turning the gun on himself. Luke agrees to help for a day, feeling he owes it to Luke's parents, who always welcomed him into their home. Few others welcome Falk back, though, as they recall the death of Luke and Aaron's friend Ellie twenty years ago. No one was convinced Ellie's death was a suicide, and the community has always wondered about Luke's role, as well as Aaron's, in Ellie's death. In the middle of the worst drought the country as ever faced, long-buried mysteries resurface, as well as the lies that were told, with a new mystery for Falk to solve.

When I first read a blurb about this book, I immediately added it to my TBR. It finally surfaced and made its way into my hands. A very good book - and I will be reading the two more Aaron Falk books Harper has published. It took me a while to get the suspect list narrowed down - my kind of mystery!

Force of Nature by Jane Harper
336 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Five women enter the forest for a corporate retreat none of them wanted to be on. Four of them show up late three days later. Alice Russell, who may have been cooperating with Aaron Falk and his partner Carmen Cooper find evidence of her employer's money laundering, is missing. The other four - Jill, Lauren, Bree, and Beth - each tell slightly different stories about Alice and her disappearance. Jill, one of the owners of the company, insisted Alice go on the retreat, even though Alice requested that she be excused. Lauren has known Alice since their school days. Bree is Alice's administrative assistant and mentee, and will do most anything to win Alice's favor. Beth, Bree's twin sister, has a history of theft and drug abuse, and is working in the data retrieval and storage section of the company. As Aaron and Carmen question the women (as well as the men who had been on a similar retreat) they realize that no one will really miss Alice. To make matters worse, the area of Australia they are searching is famous for being the area where a serial killer operated twenty years before. While he died in prison, there is speculation that his son may be in the area looking to pick up where his father left off.

A very good sequel to The Dry, this story is told from various points in time. The first follows the women through their retreat weekend. The second story thread follows Aaron and Carmen as they try to find Alice in order to save their money laundering case.

I had one problem with the novel, which is why this story didn't score higher (and I debated scoring it lower.) At two points in the novel, a man is watching the women in the remote cabin they have stumbled across. It is never explained who he is and he has no tie to any of the action or characters. I'm not sure whether Harper meant to flesh this out a little differently - I thought it might actually be the company's owner who had more than one reason to harm Alice - but there was no other mention of this man. So maybe crappy editing?

I was pleased to see Aaron's character develop more as he explores his relationship with his deceased father.

The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey
256 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

September 1999, siblings Matthew, Zoe, and Duncan Lang are walking home from school when they discover a young man lying in a field. He is bloody and unconscious. Their intervention saves the boy's life, and each of the siblings deals with their emotions differently. Matthew actively searches for the attacker; Zoe comes on to various men until an American student returns her interest; Duncan decides his birth mother (first mother) is looking for him and he decides to look for her. Each of the siblings starts to realize their parents' marriage has cracks in it, and they each meet Karel, the boy in the field, trying to draw wisdom from him.

This might be one of those books that I need to think about for a while. I thought I was getting a mystery. Instead I was getting a coming of age novel, as each of the three siblings confronts their approaching adulthoods. I can't say that I really loved any of the characters, although I found Duncan to be fairly appealing, and Matthew wasn't too bad. I wanted a little more action and a little less introspection. I did like the ending - set several years after finding the boy in the field and letting us know what happened to the family. I liked seeing the strength of the sibling bond.

To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite
188 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

After the end of World War II, British pilot and engineer E. R. Braithwaite tried to find a job. When he would show up for an interview, thus revealing that he was Black, he would be told the job was filled, they no longer needed an engineer, or was given a courtesy interview that never led to a job offer. Moping by a pond one day, a retired professor encouraged him to become a teacher, as there was a severe shortage of teachers in London. Braithwaite is hired to teach at the Greenslade School in London's East End. The students, having driven off more than one teacher, try to drive Braithwaite off. He decides to push them academically and socially, tying most lessons to how they would use the information once they were out of school, treating and addressing them as adults. He becomes a respected teacher - even beloved by some.

I read this book years ago - maybe when I was in high school. I reread it for my book club, which had the September theme of "school." I liked the book best when I pictured Sidney Poitier in the classroom, maybe with Lulu singing in the background. Parts of the book don't play well with modern sensibilities: students - especially girls - are described quite physically, with the word "fat" used a lot. Other parts are still playing out: the racism that Braithwaite encountered hasn't changed a lot in the 60 plus years since the book was written. A few things that made the reading a little more difficult for me: I never have understood the British system of labeling the educational "grades." I finally figured out these were fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds, but they were also in their last year of school. Braithwaite refers to them all as "children" - I suppose "kids" was too informal - but I'm not sure I ever referred to my 6th graders as "children," as it now refers to kids much younger than mid-teens. What I found really unusual about the school was that the students stayed with one teacher all day, other than a few special classes. Braithwaite taught math, English, history, science, geography, and PE to the same group of 42 kids. Wow!

One night when I couldn't sleep because of my foot, I was up and decided to read a little about Braithwaite. Some who were in his class said they respected him, but didn't love him. Braithwaite himself said that Poitier played him too soft in the film.

Tizz Is a Cow Pony by Elisa Bialk
94 p. - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Tracy and her brother Don go to Uncle George and Aunt Kate's ranch in Colorado for the summer. Tracy takes Tizz, and she and Tizz have adventures working cattle. Tizz is stolen by local vagrant Loco, but finds his way home to Tracy.

When I was in second grade, we didn't have a library in our school. Mrs. Fett, who was not my favorite teacher, had a selection of books in her room. That's where I discovered Tizz. The Tizz books (there are at least 19 of them, and Mrs. Fett must have had at least 10) cemented my love of reading. I wanted a pony just like Tizz. One problem - I thought I was rereading the first one in the series, but this is actually the fifth one.

Exiles by Jane Harper
368 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Aaron Falk has been asked to be a godparent to Greg Raco's son. The baptism was supposed to be held a year ago, but was postponed due to the disappearance of Raco's brother's ex-girlfriend Kim Gillespie. Her new husband was dining with his parents, Charlie - Raco's brother - was working his stand at the community's wine festival, and Kim's new baby was found wrapped up in her stroller at the entrance to the festival. One year later, her 17-year-old daughter that she and Charlie share, makes an appeal at the festival, looking for new information into the case. As Aaron and Raco examine the evidence and talk with Kim and Charlie's friends, they uncover old crimes and unresolved tensions.

A good mystery! I had one of the old crimes figured out and the guilty party in Kim's disappearance was on my suspect list. I've really enjoyed Aaron Falk as a character.

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
349 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

The Thursday Murder Club is back at it. Right after Christmas, Stephan's old friend Kuldesh Sharma is found murdered in his car. Chris and Donna start the investigating the case, but it is soon taken over by the National Crime Agency. The gang suspects that a missing shipment of heroin played a role in Kuldesh's death, and they use all of their resources to figure it out. Against this backdrop, we see Stephan becoming more lost to Alzheimer's, as he and Elizabeth try to plan for their future.

A nice, but sad, visit with old friends. Stephan's confusion is becoming frightening to both him and Elizabeth. The mystery is complex and multi-layered, with a satisfying conclusion.

Days of death are days when we weigh our relationship with love in our bare hands. Days when we remember what has gone, and fear what is to come. The joy love brings, and the price we pay. When we give thanks but also pray for mercy.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
179 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

In Holt. Colorado, seventy-something Addie Moore pays a visit to her seventy-something neighbor Louis Waters. They've both been alone for years, as his wife and her husband each passed away several years ago. His daughter rarely visits, and her son is largely absent. Addie finds the nights to be so lonely. She proposes that Louis come over to her home and they sleep - nothing more, just talking and sleeping - together. Their actions raise a few eyebrows in the community, while gaining approval from others. When Addie's six-year-old grandson comes to stay for the summer, they have adventures and fun, even getting Jamie a dog. When Addie's son comes to visit, he starts to make life difficult for the pair.

A very quiet book, sparely written (I like sparely written books!) Grief, love, and family are all explored in this gentle tale.

Homecoming by Kate Morton
547 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

From Amazon and the inside front cover: Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959: At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek on the grounds of a grand country house, a local man makes a terrible discovery. Police are called, and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most baffling murder investigations in the history of South Australia.

Many years later and thousands of miles away, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for two decades, she now finds herself unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call out of nowhere summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and is seriously ill in the hospital.

At Nora's house, Jess discovers a true crime book chronicling a long-buried police case: the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959. It is only when Jess skims through its pages that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this notorious event – a mystery that has never been satisfactorily resolved.

An epic story that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home.

A very good read. Anyone familiar with Morton's work will see where some of the twists are headed, but it is beautifully told, with the theme of home and what we do for those we love.

Edited to add that this book pays tribute to the power of books and reading. Two of the characters bond over books, and reading was important to all of the characters.

Edited to add this quote from page 543: She herself had been thinking about "home" a lot. Home, she'd realized, wasn't a place or a time or a person, though it could be any and all of those things: home was feeling, a sense of being complete. The opposite of "home" wasn't "away," it was "lonely." When someone says "I want to go home," what they really meant was that they didn't want to feel lonely anymore.

The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote
np - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Buddy and his closest friend - Miss Sook, an eccentric elderly cousin - love getting the big old house ready for Thanksgiving. At school, Buddy is tormented by Odd Henderson. Miss Sook invites Odd to Thanksgiving dinner. Hurt and feeling betrayed, Buddy looks for revenge, and then learns the depths of Miss Sook's love and loyalty.

A companion to A Christmas Memory, this is one of my favorites.

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson
246 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

Most people associate Shirley Jackson with horror. I, having first read her stories about her family, associate her with humor. As a kid - maybe age eleven or twelve - read "Charles" in a literature textbook my mom had lying around the house. Then I read more in her copy of The Family Book of Humor. I adored reading about Laurie, Jannie and Sally (with Barry arriving at the end of this book.) Jackson's chatty humor about her family's antics made me laugh.

Now - many years later - it still makes me laugh. Maybe not quite as much as it used to, as I have read that her children (now adults older than I or around my age) wished she would have respected their privacy a little more. I do understand that, although I hope she used a lot of poetic license and exaggeration. Still, a good read, and one I happily revisited.

Christmas in Calico by Jack Curtis
187 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

This is a delightful holiday reread. Sort of an "Ebeneezer Scrouge meets the Old West," the story centers on young pregnant widow Rose Cameron, her sick 8-year-old son Tommy, and drifter-with-a-heart-of-gold Joel Reece. The Nevada drought has forced Rose and her late husband to borrow from the bank. When her husband died, her neighbors helped themselves to her livestock and each is hoping to acquire her land when she pulls up stakes. Rose leaves her home in the hands of drifter Reece when she takes Tommy into nearby Calico seeking help from the doctor. Denied lodging and food because she cannot pay, Rose stumbles into Calico's back alleys, where she is met with kindness and help. Meanwhile, Reece does what he can to help save Rose's ranch - including getting her flock of turkeys ready for sale.

A satisfying read with some moral lessons thrown in. Rose's neighbors are shamed by their wives to deal honestly with her, Joel is the hero on a black horse, and the greedy banker learns a valuable lesson which serves Calico well.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
48 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

One of my all-time Christmas stories! Buddy and his distant cousin/best friend Miss Sook celebrate their Depression Era Christmases by saving their money all year long and buying the ingredients to make fruitcakes for those who value them - President and Mrs. Roosevelt, the tinker who stops by, the mailman, and others. Buddy details his relationship with Miss Sook, and presents us with a character study of the shy and delightful friend who helped raise him.

One Christmas by Truman Capote - 41 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

A new read for me, this tells the story of the time Buddy (Truman Capote) was sent to celebrate Christmas with his father in New Orleans. Not nearly as heartwarming as A Christmas Memory, the story tells how Buddy figured out what his father was really like and how he learned about Santa Claus. The reader learns much about why Capote's parents divorced, and you feel for the little boy that he was.