The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Set in World War II, The Guernsey Literary etc. etc. (it's an astonishingly long title, truly) recounts, in its own brilliant way, the German occupation of the Channel Islands to the south of Great Britain. I loved everything about this book: the style of the authors' writing (their "voice", if you will), the detail that was used to craft this story out of history (there's that historical fiction again), the way the story is told (as letters written between the characters), and the characters themselves. Oh my, but did I love the characters. I honestly came to love each one of them as if they were real people that I had met. I had half a mind to hop the next boat to Guernsey and settle among them (and that's the other thing this book does: gives one a hankering for island living). With mounting dread I watched the pages left in the book dwindle, almost daring to read no further as I did not want the story to end. Yet I had to know what happened next. The brilliance of this story is that it is told in a series of letters written between the various characters, and I never once felt that I was missing anything because of this. I knew exactly what each person was doing, thinking, feeling via their correspondance.
BOTTOM LINE: Gone to Guernsey to find my friends.

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

I heard lots of great hype about this movie when it recently hit theaters and didn't even realize it was first a book. Some literary type I am, huh? So when I stumbled across it in the New Books section at the library I immediately snatched it up. Books and food are two of my VERY favorite things. I figured I could not go wrong with the two combined. And I was not disappointed - the author married the two scrumptiously. (Ouch, that one hurt, didn't it?)
Let me start by saying that as far as descriptive and hilarious writing goes, I have almost never read a better book. In fact, none come to mind (but that's not saying much as I have a pretty terrible memory at the moment - 3 kids, no sleep, and all that). I knew I was going to enjoy her writing style when, within the first three pages, she used a phrase like "word salad". Her descriptions of her year-long journey with Julia Child to "master the art of French cooking", as well as her mental state throughout said year, are very honestly and straightforwardly written. As a former language arts teacher who taught the traits of writing, may I just say that this memoir is a primo example of "voice". Ok, there, I said it. What I mean by that is the author's personality and character come through strongly in her writing. Ok, on to the
BOTTOM LINE: While I could have done without most (nay, ALL) of the hundreds of F-bombs and misuse of God's name in this book, I more often than not was laughing OUT LOUD. And since it's January, and the winter doldrums are fully enveloping me, I think I can ignore the language this time.

Aaron's Way: The Journey of a Strong-Willed Child by Kendra Smiley

It's no secret to you who know our family that we have wrestled for a couple of years now with a strong-willed child. While he is fun-loving, exuberant, and joyful, he is also downright stubborn and willful. God is teaching me to look at this not as entirely negative (despite the increasing number of gray hairs on my head), and He certainly taught me this through the reading of Aaron's Way. Kendra Smiley and her son, Aaron, co-authored this book about his journey from childhood to adulthood and the shaping of his strong-willed nature throughout. I found myself encouraged by the recounting of their experience and saw much of my son in the pages of this memoir. Some things that I took most to heart were these:
- Strong-willed children are always testing the boundaries to see if they are still there. They need to know that there are limits and they will be adhered to, time and time and time again.
- You must pick your battles with a strong-willed child wisely. The battles you choose to fight, you must win.
- The whole idea of shaping the strong-willed nature into something positive. I don't want to break our child, just reshape him.
- The Smileys impressed me because they knew their child and knew where they wanted him to go. They became his biggest advocate with those who misunderstood Aaron while also not allowing him to get away with wrong choices.

BOTTOM LINE: This book was a quick read but so filled with practical, godly advice for the parents of strong-willed children. I found myself encouraged and equipped for this marathon (not sprint) of raising my child(ren).

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Historical fiction once again becomes the focus of my stolen moments for reading. In the Time of the Butterflies is set in the Dominican Republic during the early-mid twentieth century, centering on the Mirabal family and the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. While the four Mirabal sisters and Trujillo are actual historical figures, the story of what transpired is born out of the author's imagination. The story follows the narrative of, by turns, Minerva, Maria Teresa, Patria, and Dede and their awakening to the murderous regime of their country's leader. Three of the four sisters devote themselves to an underground movement dedicated to overthrowing Trujillo, a decision that endangers their lives and those close to them. Yet it also brings to their lives an urgent sense of purpose born out of their unwillingness to turn a blind eye to injustice.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a story of love, devotion, betrayal, and survival. A story of standing for what is right despite the cost because the alternative is complacency, ignorance; unacceptable. It is a story of remembrance that we may never lose sight of what others have sacrificed in order to live in freedom. A freedom we regularly take for granted. For this reason alone (to remember, to be inspired to put down others' endangerment and suffering) is worth the reading of this book.