Speaking From Among the Bones

Flavia de Luce is an eleven-year-old girl with an unusual interest in poisons who is a very good detective.  She lives with her stamp-collecting father, two older sisters, and the resident handyman at their family estate near the village of Bishop's Lacey in England during the 1950s.

Speaking From Among the Bones is the latest book in a series by Alan Bradley.  I have enjoyed this series from the very beginning.  The writing is intelligent, the pacing good, and the characters well-drawn.

This latest book gives some additional information about Flavia's mother, Harriet, who was supposedly killed in a mountain-climbing accident when Flavia was a baby.  Also, there is a maturing in the relationships between Flavia and each of her sisters.

I highly recommend this series.  Previous titles are The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, A Red Herring Without Mustard, and I Am Half-Sick of Shadows.

The Accidental Bride

Couples getting married accidentally or begrudgingly  and learning to love another is one of my favorite story lines.  That is why I chose this book to read.

Shay and Travis were going to elope when they were eighteen years old, but Travis backed out, humiliating Shay in the process.  Fourteen years later they find themselves re-enacting a historic wedding with the result that they actually ARE married.  

So much heartache for the characters would be saved if only they could be honest with one another and not assume the worst.  The book would probably only be the length of a short story then.

I feel Denise Hunter is a good writer.  As with Secretly Smitten, which I wrote about yesterday, more development of the other characters in the book would have been welcome.  Also, more detail about the setting, which is Montana.

Secretly Smitten

Secretly Smitten is the second book in a series about the fictional town of Smitten, Vermont.  Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter are the authors, with each one focusing on a particular character in the book.

The authors are all contributors to a blog, Girls Write Out, which I read on a regular basis, so I am somewhat familiar with their personalities.  In the first book in the series, Smitten, each author's personality is reflected in the character she writes.  

It was interesting to compare the different writing styles of the authors, but the book as a whole wasn't really very deep or satisfying.  It was pretty much standard romance fare with a little mystery thrown in.  The peripheral characters didn't seem to be fleshed out.  It would have been nice to have some memory-refreshing about recurring characters from the first book, as well.  It had been so long since I read Smitten, that I could only remember snatches of what had happened previously. 

Of the four authors, I have read mostly Kristin Billerbeck's books and enjoyed them.  Her specialty is chick lit, but she has written outside that genre also.  She has a blog of her own that I also read regularly, www.girlygirl.typepad.com. 

Narrow Escape

Narrow Escape is Camy Tang's fourth Love Inspired Suspense book and, I think, the best of the four in that series.

The heroine of Narrow Escape is Arissa Tiong, a young Filipino flight attendant.  Arissa's deceased brother, Mark, was an LAPD officer who was shot while handing over privileged information to a gang. She and her niece are kidnapped by the gang, but manage to escape and turn to Mark's former partner for help.  Evidently Arissa and/or her niece have something the gang needs. 

I was first introduced to Camy's writing through her Sushi Series books which chronicled the lives of four Asian cousins - Lexi, Trish, Venus, and Jennifer.  As a result of those books, Camy Tang became one of my favorite authors.

Then Camy began writing for the Love Inspired Suspense line.  The stories were okay, but not great.  I had had the same experience with another author - loved her first books, but the Love Inspired ones really disappointed.  

Meanwhile, Camy has started another non-Love Inspired series, which is pretty good, and the flavor of that series has carried over to this latest book.

Gone Girl

While Gillian Flynn can certainly tell a story, I found her prose in this book unnecessarily vulgar.

The Tutor's Daughter

The Tutor's Daughter is the latest book by Julie Klassen, one of my favorite authors.  It tells the story of Emma Smallwood, who assists her widowed (widowered?) father in teaching young men at their academy during the early 1800s.

Mr. Smallwood is invited, along with Emma, to become a live-in tutor for the Weston family, who have a family home on the Cornwall, England coast.  Two of the Weston brothers were former students at Mr. Smallwood's academy.  Emma had an amicable relationship with one brother and an antagonistic relationship with the other.  How will she cope when she discovers both brothers are in residence at the Weston home?  And what other mysteries await?

In previous books Julie Klassen has explored themes of unwed motherhood, pre-marital sex and its consequences in the early 1800s, and fleeing forced marriage.  Plus, there is always some mystery to be solved, secrets to be revealed.

A few other books by Julie Klassen are The Apothecary's Daughter, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall.  

The Orphan Report

It is very easy in the United States to become isolated and unaware of what is happening elsewhere in the world.  We are a very self-centered nation, myself included.  We tend to think the rest of the world should live and act and think like us.  Many of us have a bloated standard of living that in some ways we would like the rest of the world to enjoy, too.

Within the past couple of years I have learned that there are orphans and there are Orphans.  The first are children who may have lost one or both parents to death, desertion, or other reasons, but they do have family or others in their communities who are willing to care for them.  The second are true Orphans.  While they may have a parent or family living, for whatever reason no one is able or willing to care for them. When money is given for orphan care around the world, the children in the second group are generally overlooked.

Joe Knittig, CEO of The Global Orphan Project based in Parkville, MO, has written The Orphan Report.  In the book he details the history of orphan care, what children are considered to be orphans, and how to proceed if you care about orphans.

This is a very eye-opening book and I HIGHLY recommend it.  Keep in mind that this is a report, not a novel or the typical non-fiction book, so grammar and editing may be not up to your standards.

If you would like to know more about The Global Orphan Project and the ways you can become involved, visit their website www.goproject.org.  I love to read the reports of the great changes going on, not just in other countries, but in the lives of people here.

The Scent of Rain

Daphne Sweeten is a "nose."  That means she has been trained to distinguish 5,000 different scents.  Her sense of smell is her livelihood.  When she loses that ability after being dumped at the altar, it jeopardizes not only her career, but also her life.

Three locations are mentioned in this book - San Francisco, Paris, and Dayton, OH.  Many of author Kristin Billerbeck's books are set in the San Francisco area and it seems to be the setting she does best and in this book it is Daphne's hometown.  Paris is only mentioned as the place where Daphne trained and worked prior to her ill-fated wedding and where she wants to return.  The main setting is Dayton, which isn't described much and came across to me as a bleak place to live.

Author Kristin Billerbeck has written many books that I have enjoyed.  I would place The Scent of Rain somewhere in the middle if I were to line them up in order of preference.   The story is good, but the pacing seemed hurried at the end.

Books by Kristin Billerbeck that I would recommend are Split Ends, The Spa Girls series, and What a Girl Wants series. 

44 Scotland Street 

Alexander McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, wrote in the introduction to 44 Scotland Street that the book was written in a serial format for newspaper publication.  Therefore, the chapters are short and there are plenty of them.  

44 Scotland Street is about the residents who live at that address in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the people with whom they come in contact. 

I have no strong feelings about this book.  The characters were okay, but they weren't very deep.  As this is the first book in a series of eight, I hope the characters will be fleshed out more in future books.  I doubt I will be reading those books, though.  Too many other books in the pipeline.

A knowledge of Scotland and Edinburgh in particular would have enhanced my enjoyment of the book.  Locations and Scottish notables were mentioned which were unfamiliar to me.  If you do read this book, I would recommend a bit of research into Edinburgh to pave the way.

As a side note, if you have not seen the television series based on the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, you are missing a real treat.  Unfortunately, only one season has been made so far, but it is excellent.

Violet Incredible, Authoress

Recently I read Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. In case you don't know, Sarah was the voice of Violet in The Incredibles. Assassination Vacation is Sarah's account of travelling around to sites associated with three U.S. presidents who were assassinated - Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Interestingly, Robert Todd Lincoln, Abe's son, had some sort of connection with each assassination. I must say I learned a lot from this book. Not just about the presidents, but about our country and its policies and politics. It might surprise you to discover what people will actually place in a museum to commemorate a person or occasion. Although Sarah Vowell and I differ in some of the beliefs we hold dear, I find her to be an entertaining and informative writer.

A Simple Gift

What would you do if you found out that your grandfather had done something noble while at the same time perpetrating a lie about his background? If you are Ted Gup, you write a book entitled A Simple Gift.

In December 1933, during the Depression, a man calling himself A. Virdot put an ad in a Canton, OH newspaper offering to send $10 to 75 people who would write and tell him their stories. The response was so great that he decided to halve the amount given and double the number of people helped.

In 2008, through the gift of an old black suitcase filled with papers, Ted Gup discovered that A. Virdot was his grandfather, Samuel J. Stone. He eventually began a journey to discover the stories behind the recipients of the gifts and the true history of his grandfather. A Simple Gift is the result of that journey.

This book gives insight into what it was like living through the Depression and what is was like to be an immigrant to the United States, just to name two themes included.

My thoughts after finishing the book are these. Even though my family experienced some lean times when I was a child, we experienced NOTHING like those in the Depression era. As a WASP (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant), I have not experienced the prejudice or distrust of others because of my heritage, faith, or skin color. I have not had to live in fear that I would be persecuted or thrown out of the country because they no longer wanted people of "my kind" living here.

After reading this book, how can I not feel thankful for the relatively easy life I have had. I have done nothing to deserve all the blessings that have come to me and my family. It's all grace.

The Typist and The Girl in the Gatehouse

For different reasons, I find I am not reading as much lately. I have read a couple of books, so I'll give my opinion of them.


Julie Klassen has written historical books that I have really enjoyed - Lady of Milkweed Manor, The Apothecary's Daughter, and The Silent Governess. Her latest, The Girl in the Gatehouse, is another success.

Mariah Aubrey, for reasons that are not immediately divulged, has been banished from her family home by her father. She and her companion are sent to live on the estate of an aunt she has not seen in some time, where they take up residence in the abandoned gatehouse. As the story plays out, we discover why Mariah was banished and the secrets that abound in the lives of the characters of the story.

One reason I like Julie Klassen's books is that her characters are flawed. She addresses life circumstances that are not confined only to the 1800's, but are worthy of our consideration even now. But for the grace of God, we could find ourselves in situations that cause us shame and social alienation.

Another book I read is The Typist by Michael Knight. I saw a recommendation for it in the Books section of the Kansas City Star and decided to give it a try.

Francis Vancleave is a typist in the U.S. Army assigned to work in Tokyo during the post-war occupation period in Japan. In the course of his work and life there he comes into contact with various people, the most notable being Gen. MacArthur and his family.

Thankfully, this was a very short book. It gave me a small desire to further research the post-war period in Japan. The main character, Van as he is known, was not very interesting in comparison with the other characters in the book. Unfortunately, those characters were not fleshed out to the extent they could have been. This book could have been a lot better than it was.

A Resolution Kept

I am not usually one to make New Year's resolutions.

I have only made two that I kept for the entire year. One year I decided to go to one new restaurant a month, and it couldn't be one of the national chain restaurants. That was the year I discovered Smokehouse Barbeque, which until this year, was my favorite barbeque restaurant.

This year I resolved that I would read one book a month by an author I had not previously read. I work in a library. How hard could it be? Well, as it turns out, it was fairly difficult. Over the years I have seen books by very popular authors on the shelves. Why are they so popular, are they interesting? I was curious.

I am not going to mention every new (to me) author that I read. A few really stood out, and I will mention those later. Of the "popular" authors I did read or started to read, I was not impressed. The story or characters did not interest me, the language was too foul, the subject matter was better left unwritten - for whatever reason, I doubt I will read books by those authors again. Thankfully, there are many more authors out there to sample.

The first book I read that really stood out was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I had put it on hold at the library and then when it came in, I couldn't remember why I wanted to read it. A friend told me it was on the bestseller list, so I decided to give it a try. It was a good read and caused me to think about a painful and unjust period in our nation's history.

The second book that made an impact was Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb. It is about the hunt for Adolph Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal. What an eye-opener this book was in terms of who helped Nazis escape after the war. And no, the United States is not innocent.

The third book I would recommend is Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas. It is a biography of Deitrich Bonhoeffer, who was a noted theologian. He was also a spy and involved in a plot to kill Hitler. The meatier theological aspects of this book were hard to absorb at times, but it really caused me to think about what part one's nationality can play in how the Christian life is lived.

The last book I want to mention is Faithful by Kim Cash Tate. It is a book about four friends, who each ponder what it means to be faithful. It is written by an African-American woman and that only adds to the take-away value as it is a perspective that I need to acquire that as a follower of Christ.

Now I'm reading Muslims, Christians, and Jesus by Carl Medearis. I've already learned a lot, and I've barely started the book. I think I'll try to make this seeking out new authors a habit rather than just a resolution.

The Pressure to Know What You Want

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs, Stuff Christians Like, when I realized I needed to get something written. The blog was about "I am _______, but_________." Meaning I am doing something with my life now, but it isn't what I really want to be doing. It is not my intention to go into what that means for me. My thoughts actually turned to my son.

My son just started 10th grade about a month ago. He is taking a couple of classes at the high school in the morning and then going to a career center in the afternoons to eventually learn a trade. It had not been our intention prior to this Spring for him to attend the career center, but he was allowed to apply and was accepted. Our intent has been that he will attend college. It still is our intent, but we feel that it can only help him to learn a trade also.

I am learning as the days go by that high school is a high-pressure environment. Get ready to take the ACT. Decide now what course of study you want to pursue and what field you want to work in.

I am feeling stressed.

Years ago my son asked me what he should be when he gets older, and I responded that I wanted him to be whatever God wanted him to be. His response to that was "You want me to be a pastor?!" I laughed then and I still think it is humorous.

The thing is that I found my thinking on that starting to change. I began thinking that we need to really knuckle down and get all those classes in to make him a sterling college candidate. We only have three years to get him ready for life.

Yes, we do need to get him ready for life. But his life is ultimately in the hands of a gracious and loving God. We need to seek His wisdom on how to proceed and help our son develop into the man God wants him to be, not what we want him to be.

It is so easy to get caught up in keeping up with society. Having the wonderful degree, owning the right accessories (iPod, cell phone, big screen TV), going on the foreign vacations, living in the nice houses, etc. That is not what my focus should be, though.

I want to help my son discover who God created him to be. What are his gifts, what is his passion, what energizes him? If he is involved in something that involves those things, he will be on the right path.

A Joyful Noise

My car radio is usually tuned to one of two stations - Air1 (91.9 on your radio dial) or K-Love. I prefer Air1, but will switch it over to K-Love if I'm not thrilled about the song on Air1.

Sometimes I will sing along to the radio, but I really like it when my son sings along to a song. When he sings along, I realize that he IS hearing the good lyrics of the songs, and that pleases me greatly.

First, let me just say that I love my son very much. Secondly, let me say that he does not necessarily stay on key when he sings. It doesn't matter that he sings off key. I absolutely love to hear him sing. At least part of it is that I know he is internalizing what he is hearing and is letting it out, participating in the music.

The Bible says we are to make a joyful noise. So often I look around at church and notice that people are just standing there during the time for worship through music. I hope they are involved in the music and that their souls are being fed. Are they not singing, though, because they feel their voices are not good enough to share with others?

If I feel such joy when I hear my son sing, imagine the joy God feels when He hears His children sing. Even if they don't sing well or on key.

Ready, Set, Speak!

I like to think that I am a fairly open person, transparent if you will. But I'm not really. I am actually superficial. There is a lot going on inside me that only God and I know about. I need to work on sharing myself with others.

My husband often complains that I don't talk. My response usually is that I don't have anything to talk about. WRONG! What I should say is that I don't want to share my deepest thoughts with him, that I want to (as the British would say) keep myself to myself.

Yesterday when I was working at the library I happened to notice a young man (probably late teens or early twenties, very sweet looking) who was attending a magic program being presented. I'm pretty sure he has some kind of developmental disability. When I saw him, my heart pretty much just broke. Why? Because, but for the grace and kindness of a very loving Heavenly Father, that could have been my son sitting there.

When my son was about four years old, he was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. Pervasive Developmental Disorder is like a big umbrella under which are other diagnoses such as Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. My son had some autistic behaviors, but evidently not enough to make that diagnosis. He has received assistance through the school system and since that diagnosis has made incredible progress both academically and behaviorally. Incidentally, he no longer has some of those behaviors he exhibited as a child.

I have not yet shared the incident at the library with my husband. It really was not until this morning as I was praying that I processed my thoughts and feelings about it. I was convicted, though, about how little I share with my husband (and others) about what is really going on inside my heart and mind. I doubt it will be easy, but I must make more of an effort to go beyond the surface in my relationships.

On Exhibit

I like history and I like to go to museums and places like that. I do not feel the need to read every word of every display sign, though, so I don't think I've reached museum nerd level yet.

We have discovered the Kansas City branch of the United States Archives. It is located next to Union Station and if you are not paying attention, you can drive right past the entrance and miss it. I recommend finding it, though.

The first time we went was for the Deadly Medicine exhibit, which I have already written about. In June we went to see Mugged, a small exhibit on the history of Leavenworth Penitentiary and some of the prisoners there. Coming up is an exhibit featuring items loaned by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Admission and parking are free. There is a bookstore, which for me is always a bonus. The only thing missing is a squashed penny machine. Maybe I'll suggest it next time we go.

The Recovering Glutton

I have been overweight for most of my life. There were some times when I lost quite a bit of weight, only to gain it back and then some. One thing didn't change no matter what weight I was, though. I was worshipping food. I was a glutton. That is hard to admit, but there it is.

Sometime in April I was listening to Air1, the radio station I usually listen to in the car. The announcer was talking about how Jimmy Needham had been a guest at the radio station and that he had lost 50 pounds. She then mentioned the website of the program that had helped him. It was settingcaptivesfree.com. I remembered the website so I could check it out later.

I went to Setting Captives Free and looked at the program, called The Lord's Table. It consists of 60 daily devotions to do online. They provide a mentor to review the responses given in the lessons and to offer prayer and encouragement. It is also suggested to have at least one other accountability partner who receives your lesson responses by e-mail. To help the participants develop disciplined eating habits, a 60-day eating guide is also provided.

Every diet I have been on, the focus has been on food. This is not a diet. It is a plan to change allegiance from food to where it belongs - bringing glory to God.

I consider May 1st to be day I began my journey to freedom. I feel so much better, I have lost some weight, and I have hope that food will never be be my master again.

The most important thing about all this is that in my own flesh, none of this would have been possible. It is quite evident to me that it is only the Holy Spirit living inside me that has given me the strength to do this. All the praise goes to Him.

Am I the Answer?

As a follower of Jesus Christ, my desire is that everyone else will also have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I cannot force that on anyone, though. It must be a choice that each person makes for himself or herself.

There are people I love who do not have a personal relationship with Christ. I have friends who love people who do not know Christ. And many times we are the last people those we love will listen to when it comes to speaking about God. Why is this? I don't really know.

Knowing that those we love perhaps will respond better to someone else in their sphere of life, some of us have been praying that God will place godly people in our loved one's lives. How many times have I gladly received a bit of wisdom from someone outside my family, when my parents had told me that and I just ignored it? We have been praying that someone else, who has the respect and/or friendship of our loved ones will be heard where we cannot.

It was brought to my attention that there is a very good chance that I may be the answer to someone else's prayer on behalf of a loved one. Just like I don't personally know the person(s) I am asking God to send to my loved ones, the person who is asking that God sends me probably doesn't know me, either.

Will I step up to the plate and be an answer to someone's prayer? Are there people praying for my work associates, friends, and acquaintances - asking God that He will send someone to befriend them and influence them, to show the way to a relationship with Christ?

It's a scary thought, isn't it? Here's the reassuring part, for me, I think. God isn't asking me to be someone else and influence others in the way someone else would. He has given me gifts and a personality that are unique to me. As I am controlled by the Holy Spirit, I should just let Him do what He does best. I need to relax and be obedient.

Becoming a Part

If you are apart from something, it means you do not belong to it. If you are a part of something, it means you do belong to it. Have you ever stopped to think about what it takes to go from apart to a part? Or vice versa?

It's all about involvement and taking a step in the right direction, whichever direction is best. Sometimes taking steps away are best, especially when you are involved in something wrong or unhealthy, and that could be something others think is perfectly okay. But that is not what I am going to write about.

I am a fairly quiet person when people first meet me. When I first join a group, I don't necessarily jump right in and start introducing myself to everyone. It is for people like me that it is very helpful for groups (and I really mean churches) to have "get-to-know-us" type events. It helps to be with others who are also trying to acclimate themselves.

When my family first started attending Vineyard KC North, I did not know anyone that currently went there. I had been the AWANA leader years ago of a young woman who attended Vineyard, but she had since moved to Colorado, and I hadn't had contact with her for many years. My husband knew a married couple there, so he was doing better than I was.

Vineyard offers assimilation classes, Vineyard 101 and Vineyard 201. My husband and I attended Vineyard 101. Everything seemed to check out, so we continued on to Vineyard 201. Through the course of the two classes, we met some lovely people and learned a lot about the church and its mission to our community and world.

In the Fall, we decided to take the Alpha class so that our son would take it. The Alpha class answers some of the most basic questions about Christianity. We felt it would give our son a good foundation in his faith. We did learn, and we made even more friends.

As a result of taking the Vineyard 201 class, we felt that it would be a good idea to find a small group to join. But which one? Would they even want us? Would it be like so many churches, where everyone else already had their groups of friends and didn't really need or want to include me? I needn't have worried. At the end of Alpha it was announced that a couple were going to start a small group. If we were interested, we could sign up, which we did. We have a great group (and you can come join us if you want).

I was invited to start a small group of my own. I attended a small group of people interested in beginning small groups. I decided that I wanted my group to be a women's group, and with the help of others, that group started this past Friday.

Then Friday evening and Saturday morning my husband and I attended a class on How to Minister Like Jesus. I knew from the description it was going to focus on praying and ministering to other people, but I did not know until I got there that there would be "ministry time." My only other experience of that was during the Holy Spirit weekend at Alpha, and that was an uncomfortable time for me. I am very often fearful of that which I do not understand. Again, I needn't have worried. As I let the Holy Spirit work, I found myself going with the flow and actually looking forward to what He wanted to do. It was a very meaningful weekend.

So what does all of this have to do with being apart or a part? For me to make that transition, all I had to do was take the next step, and then the next step. Who but God knows what awaits, but I know that I can trust Him. He has given me courage all along the way to step out of my comfort zone again and again.

Come on! Take your shoes off and dip your toes in! Then keep going steadily. Become a part of what God is doing!