Share Your Shelf-December

I think the link up might have been last week, but as per usual I'm easing in to January and not apologizing for it. I'm not someone who charges in to the new year. We're often exhausted as the year winds down and I love taking it slow in the first month of the year, particularly the first couple of weeks. Life will pick up speed and the calendar will fill up, but for now slow and easy down the new year road I go. 

This link up had four hosts previously but Joanne (Slices of Life) is going it alone this year so hop over and add your list of books read the month prior. Here's my short but sweet December list- 

Anxious People by Frederik Bachman

Let me start by saying I really love Bachman's writing. I've read a number of his previous books and enjoyed all. My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry, a creative and original tale where a 7-year old girl is best friends with her grandmother, is my favorite. 

Most of Bachman's books feature quirky yet somehow relatable characters, and most get rave reviews.  Anxious People had many reviewers saying it was just okay, but I really liked it. Four stars for me. 

In Anxious People a failed bank robbery turns an apartment open house into a hostage situation, trapping eight anxious strangers together. The would-be-robber vanishes, secrets come to light, and the captives discover they have more in common than expected. Funny and tender Anxious People explores themes of friendship, forgiveness, and the quiet ways in which people can truly help one another. 

Grace (Sisters of the Heart #4) by Shelley Shepard Gray

A Christmas themed novel given to me by a friend in my book club. She wraps up Christmas books in brown paper and everyone grabs one. So thoughtful! This was mine, and while it was a bit 'Hallmark-y' I liked it. It was the end of the year and light felt right. 

Grace is apparently the fourth in a series by this author, but it was easy to catch up with the main character's back stories. The novel is set in a tightly knit Amish community, specifically in a Bed and Breakfast owned and run by an Amish family, The Brennemans. 

The family is ready to close down for the holidays until two unexpected guests arrive seeking shelter. First comes Levi, angry and insistent on staying. Then Melody appears, nearly nine months pregnant and alone, with no explanation for her journey from Kentucky.  The Brennemans offer warm hospitality, and daughter Katie is determined to uncover the secrets they carry. 

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson 

I'm still on my 'read a classic every month' kick, and this was December's selection. The language and vocabulary alone in these classics make me want to read more. Hubs and I listened on Audible, and I loved it. I don't know if I ever read this as a child, but hubs remembered it well. The narration is top notch and made the listening more fun. 

Treasure Island was published in 1883, and blends moral lessons with adventure. It's had a huge impact, both on later tales of adventure and our perception of pirates,  that still holds true today. 

This is the story of Jim Hawkins, a young boy who goes in search of treasure after finding a treasure map. He faces shipwreck, a pirate mutiny, sword fights and more. It's the story of a young boy who overcomes the odds. 

The tale begins at the Admiral Benbow Inn on England's Bristol Channel where Jim and his parents encounter an old sailor, later revealed to be Billy Bones, former first mate of the famed pirate Captain Flint. 

After Bones death Jim takes the map to Dr. Livesy and Squire John Trelawney, who organize an expedtion to find the treasure. Together with a crew, Jim joins Long John Silver on an expedition to an uncharted island to find Flint's treasures. It soon becomes apparent many of the crew are former pirates under Silver's command and a mutiny is brewing.   

Themes of good and evil, fortune and greed, survival and resourcefulness, loyalty and betrayal are all explored. Five stars for me. 

If you're reading something great, send it my way.