Share Your Shelf-November

Hello Readers. It's time to for the once a month Share Our Shelves link up hosted by Marilyn (Memphis Bridges), Jen (Overflowing With Thankfulness), Joanne (Slices of Life) and Tanya (The Other Side Of The Road). Here's what I read in November-

 1. The Angel Answer Book by Robert J. Morgan

I found this book to be a little gem. If you have questions about angels or just a curiosity about the topic of angels, this is a really good book, written in an easy to read style. The author uses a question and answer format so you can take your time with one question a day or read the whole thing in one sitting. Biblically sound with a lot of scripture to back up his answers. Enjoyed this one very much and I feel like I have a new perspective about the spiritual world all around us. 

2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck 

Our book club wanted to read a classic this year and we chose The Good Earth  as our January selection. Originally published in 1931, The Good Earth won the Pulitzer in 1932. I read it decades ago and was happy to see the story holds up, which I guess is what makes a book a true classic. The writing is beautiful. 

The plot is built around family life in an early 20th century Chinese village. The author grew up in China as the daughter of American missionaries, and she wrote The Good Earth while living there. Much of the story is drawn from her own observations of village life. The story follows a poor young farmer (Wang Lung) beginning with his wedding to a local slave girl (O-Lan), through the ups and downs of farm life, famine, land ownership, a reversal of fortune, child rearing, and on into old age.

I loved it. Five stars for me.    

3. The Last Flight by Julie Clark

This story is part mystery, part domestic drama and is told from two different character viewpoints.  Through a somewhat unbelievable circumstance, two women, both needing a fresh start-clean slate, make a deal to switch plane tickets and escape their current unhappy situations. Naturally their rapidly concocted plan does not go off without a hitch, but it does make for a pretty good read.  I gave it three stars. 

4. Mad Honey by Jodie Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Not my cup of tea. At all. My book club will discuss this next week and I think it will be 'lively'. I'm following the Supreme Court case happening currently relating to the topic of children and gender transition. 

Finney-Boylan, Picoult's co-author for this book, is transgender and wrote the chapters of the book which are told from the trans character's point of view. Here's my Goodreads review-

"I know I'm in the minority, but honestly would not have finished this one if it were not our Book Club selection in December. I've read many Jodi Picoult books, and think she's an extremely talented writer. She tackles controversial topics and social issues, and doesn't feel the need to tie things up with a pretty bow. Mad Honey was different though. It started off strong, but took a turn less than halfway through. 

I truly dislike a book where the author shoves an agenda in your face, or hits you over the head with it page after page. Not just one agenda either, but every 'hot topic' in today's culture and public conversation was jammed into this one. Gender, transgender, gender transition, LBGTQ, suicide, race, abortion, domestic abuse, police brutality, the list goes on. And on and on. It felt like a huge one-sided lecture, and was completely off putting to me as a reader. I gave it two stars because I found the bee portions of the book to be quite interesting and something a little different too."

5. No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister 

A very original book! A book within a book? Almost a collection of short stories cleverly illustrating all the many ways a single book can touch readers and impact their lives. 

Young author Alice Wien writes and publishes her first book, a novel entitled Theo. We're given glimpses of the content but we never actually read the book ourselves. That's not the point. Once Theo is published we see how Alice's novel, in the hands of nine different readers, impacts each one in different ways. An imaginative, enjoyable, easy-to read tale...I gave it four stars. 

What about you? Tell me something you've read and loved recently.