"The Light Before Day" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Light Before Day (Oct. 2, 2018) by Suzanne Woods Fisher.*

Their grandmother was wealthily unhappy in life, and she was also ridiculously wealthy. In her will, she listed twins Henry and Mehitabel “Hitty” Macy as her heirs. Knowing how critical Lillian Coffin was of them in life, they are befuddled as to why she’d name them heirs of her vast estate and significant holdings. But, oh wait, there are parameters that must be met, otherwise the inheritance all goes to their duplicitous relative, Tristram Macy. All Henry and Hitty have to do is keep the fortune on Nantucket Island (simple enough), move immediately into the Grand House (a cold manor with all the warmth of a glacier) and marry a Friend (Quaker) in which one “Sees the Look” within six years, by what would have been Lillian’s 80^th birthday. Six years seems like plenty of time until you consider that the persons you expect the brother and sister to end up with are neither of them part of the Society of Friends.

            Henry is a bookish, thoughtful thinker. He cannot be rushed into making decisions and will struggle if expected to come to a hasty conclusion. But he moves forward with the idea of starting his own newspaper. As editor, he wants to be an objective observer no matter his subjective thoughts. He also acknowledges the pressure of marrying a Friend in good standing.

            Hitty is actually quite astute, even though she doesn’t realize it, lacking the bookishness of her brother or the inventor mind of Isaac Barnard. While reading has always been a sore spot for her, her opinion on too much wealth is wise, and she has a caring heart, especially toward Isaac’s daughter, Bitsy.

            While I’m not much of a history buff, even I can tell that Woods Fisher exerted a tremendous amount of research for this historical romance. And, not having read stories with Quaker characters, I found the novel to be fascinating. Although I did not love the story, I appreciated the grandeur of it: the Nantucket of old to a Nantucket having to literally rise from the ashes, characters from history becoming fascinating historical characters that you want to root for and support, and the dark corners of self-doubt and pressure flooding with the light of determination and hope. I found this story to have strength of plot and a well-rounded array of characters, both main and supporting.

            Note: There is one character I don’t particularly care for. I won’t name names. All I’ll say is, if someone ever says to me, “Thee looks quite fetching sprinkled in sugar,” I will likely laugh so hard that boogers will fly out of my nose. And no one wants that.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rutabaga's Reads 2018: Part 9

I have dubbed this post as Picture Books 2018: Part Two, because it is. You can find Part One here. You will find two repeat authors, but I think it only helps cement that I am fond of those authors’ stories.

Elecopter (Sept. 3, 2013) by Michael Slack.

The savannah has the best elephant on the patrol. Elecopter is an all-in-one firefighter, with her fire-hose nose, and rescuer with the ability to fly. She doesn’t ask for much in return; she’ll literally work for peanuts. No matter the mission, she will succeed!

            Perhaps the most wondrous thing about fiction is that you can be as imaginative as you want to be. A happy little rhyme with pages full of action and color, this book will likely delight a multitude of young ones. In this story, we are introduced to a character full of compassion and care, one who puts others first. A helicopter elephant – an Elecopter – is realistically impossible … but I still wish to know one!

Emeraldalicious (Jan. 29, 2013) by Victoria Kann.

When Pinkalicious Pinkerton makes a new wand, she discovers that it has magical properties. With naught but a simple rhyme and use of the word love, Pinkalicious and her younger brother, Peter, transform a park, which looks like a garbage dump, into a “greenatastic” garden.

            There is a great message in this story to encourage recycling, even though we can’t wave a magic wand and transform a garbage dump into a garden in a few seconds. It also shows a nice bond between sister and brother. Pinkalicious still has her moments where she wants it to be her turn (even if it really isn’t) and she wants it right now, but the bond is strong enough where Peter cedes. The pictures are full of recycled wonder and imagination, but the story fell a little flat for me. Although this is a picture book aimed toward, approximately,  preschoolers to second graders, I was expecting the wishes to be more about the betterment of the surroundings than about what they mostly wanted because it looked pretty or cool.

Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly (Feb. 5, 2008) by Jane O’Connor.

   Robin Preiss Glasser, illustrator.

The fanciest girl around has planned out what to wear to her best friend’s butterfly birthday, but Nancy can’t go. Not only is Bree her best friend, but she’s fascinated by butterflies and is “practically an expert.” Will Nancy hold onto her furiousness? Or will she find a new setting where she can still be glamorous?

            Nancy is a far cooler kid than I ever was and with a marvelously colorful and creative wardrobe to boot! Her fascination with butterflies will hopefully inspire other youngsters to be fascinated by them as well. The writing will perhaps add a vocabulary challenge to some, but the style is meant to be fun. The fun of the writing is enhanced by the illustrator’s colorful illustrations. This is an adorable picture book.

Honey…Honey…Lion! (Aug. 25, 2005) by Jan Brett.

In Africa, it is said that the honeyguide leads the honey badger to honey. The honey badger obtains the honeycomb, and the two share it. But one day, the honey badger is greedy and eats it all, not saving even a morsel of sweetness for the honeyguide. She retaliates by leading him to a candle pod acacia tree to teach him a lesson. What waits for the honey badger at the acacia?

            This story is based on a legend told in Botswana about what happens if you don’t share honey with the honeyguide. Other animals in the story pass along this tale through sounds (shown on the outside margins of the pages), which is called a “bush telegraph.” I enjoyed this tale tremendously, not only because I enjoy Brett’s picture books, but because she didn’t make up the tale for the sake of making something up. She brought in a cultural aspect, a legend from another nation, and created a story with a lush landscape. Her pictures are, well, picturesque. And her main characters show that, even without talking animals, greed and the ideal of teaching a lesson can be written in a beautifully entertaining way.

Skippyjon Jones: Cirque de Olé (Oct. 16, 2012) by Judy Schachner.

Is it a bird? Or a plane? No. It’s the Siamese-kitten-imagined-handsome-Chihuahua called Skippito Friskito. He’s a tightrope-walking, triple-spin-backflip-diving acrobat-ito that his sisters term a Chi-wu-lu. He needs to become los músculos for his muchachos so they do not crumble-ito. The pint-sized star is ready for his moment of glory. ¡Olé!

            For those who work with or have young ones who are most entertained by busy stories, not just in prose, but in illustration, then this is a picture book to add to your collection. The rowdy feline and his Chihuahua alter-ego feature in illustrations colorful and vibrant, which suggest they are as tireless and unruly as the star of the show. Schachner’s writing is high-octane to match Skippito Friskito, and the dual-lingo continues. “Circus berserkus” indeed! (clap-clap)

Rutabaga's Reads 2018: Part 8

I will be the first to admit that I rarely read nonfiction novels. And when I do, they are on the humorous side. In this compilation, you will find featured nonfiction literature to tickle your funny bone. Granted, there are only two books, but didn’t I already mention that I rarely read nonfiction novels? If you’ve read any funny nonfiction lately, please share in the comments!

Scrappy Little Nobody (Nov. 15, 2016) by Anna Kendrick.

Hey! It’s that girl from the Twilight films! And the gal from all of the Pitch Perfect movies. So, even if you don’t know her (most of us don’t), you’ve probably heard of her or can remember that you did see her in that one movie and are just now realizing it. This is Anna Kendrick’s memoir. Despite being a “child actor” (her Broadway debut was at the age of 12 – did you know that?), she had a fairly normal upbringing: parents, a brother and the very real role of the unpopular girl at school (because, yes, she went to school and sat in classrooms like most of us). She talks of her big move to Hollywood and the struggle of seeming like she had it all ($1,000 shoes!), when what she really had were a couple pieces from IKEA and a small bank account, while sharing an apartment with two guys and a tar-stained floor. Quite the opposite of glamorous, but very real.

            The actress and singer’s wit do come through the pages. I found her writing to be self-deprecating and droll, but I also got the impression that being an “obstinate, determined little ball of anxiety” fits her to this day and not just her three-year-old self. Most of us are anxious human beings, but I expect that she over-thinks things more than she should, which just confirms that she isn’t wholly unlike the majority of us. I certainly laughed aloud at times and actually found her non-adoration toward fashion to be refreshing, as it seems that all famous people (or the ones we see photographed in magazines) are all up on fashion trends and designer labels. Not saying she isn’t now that she’s successful, but someone who doesn’t mind wearing sweatpants and lounging while watching Netflix and eating a bowl of mac ‘n cheese is all right in my [hypothetical] book. This scrappy little nobody is, these days, a snarky, still little*, somebody.

            * Take heart, Anna Kendrick, as, if Google is correct, you have an entire one inch over me**.

            ** Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. And, even then, I’m still short.

Unqualified (Oct. 24, 2017) by Anna Faris.

The book’s author has advice for us, but she is unqualified to give it. It will not stop her from sharing advice and stories, though. From her fairly ordinary upbringing surrounded by loving parents and an older brother to simultaneously love (because you have to) and annoy (because it comes naturally) to the travails of college relationships (or in general) to tackling Hollywood (in her own way), the author brings us candid and sympathetic stories, often from a humorous standpoint. In between all of that are her first relationships, failed relationships, Chris Pratt and their son, Jack. This book is part memoir, part relationships, part  “Unqualified Advice” and all Anna Faris.

            Overall, this book was reasonably entertaining. From the viewpoint of someone who’s not familiar with her podcast, I felt like this story was written with her podcast audience in mind. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but there seemed to be too much over-sharing (which I won’t go into for those with sensitive minds). I appreciated her candidness, in spite of (or, perhaps, because of) her inclusion in Hollywood, and there were definitely moments – plural – that I chuckled aloud. Her chapter on son, Jack, was sweet, funny and stressful (he was premature). In that chapter, you felt like you were looking at fragility of life with both parents and baby fighting to persevere and be strong. In the way she writes, she comes across as personable and engaging. It would definitely be cool to run into her on the street. And, Anna? If you still feel like the Short Girl, let’s talk. I once had someone use “Shorty” in his pick-up line to me. Did he really think that line was cool? Because no. Just no.

The Positive Page-turner's Challenge: Take 5

Months have passed since my previous Page-turner’s Challenge, so I figured I’d get another one underway before the frenzy of holiday fun and stress and busyness are upon us. Knowing there’s a good chance I won’t read as many books as I want to, I am making this a two-part personal challenge.

1.)    Donate $10 for each book you see in this photo. (There are 19.) Easy! Complete! Check written out for $190 for my home church’s Haiti Fund!

2.)   For the months of October and November, donate a package of bar soap (eight-count or greater) for every book read (chapter books on up). For example, if I read 12 books between the two months, I will buy 12 packages of bar soap. This soap gets boxed up and will eventually go on a cargo container when next GoServ Global sends one to Haiti. In addition to GoServ Global’s website, you can find their blog here.

If anyone reading this has put in volunteer efforts or is participating in one’s own personal challenge, please share it in the comments. I don’t want to make anyone feel guilty about what they are or are not doing. But if you’re doing, I definitely want to celebrate it and live vicariously through your passion projects. Plus, who knows what fun ideas I can gain from others? And we from each other?

P.S. I am VERY behind in my reading. Looking at this photo, I have only read three of these books as of this posting date!