Book Bracket for February '26
Even with a slightly shorter month, there were plenty of books this month - including two ebooks. There were also a few books that I ended up putting down.
Hattie Big Sky, by Kirby Larson, narrated by Kirsten Potter**
Hattie drops out of high school to "prove up" on the Montana claim her Uncle Chester left to her and tests her mettle as a homesteader during the prejudiced times of WWI-era America.
Why I picked it up: I'm sure I saw this book recommended somewhere at some point and added it to my to-read list. I found this one available through the state's e-library.
My impressions: This book takes a look at homesteading from a slightly more modern perspective and explores some of the fearful atmosphere that hung over life during WWI. I appreciated the look at homesteading from a less distant time - that in itself was a history lesson to me. I think the feel the author created for the time was authentic enough, although it's hard to know for me to know since I didn't live during that time. Larson wasn't afraid to detail how Americans wronged their neighbors based simply on the origin of last names or country of birth. There were some very light moments of romance which I skipped through, but super safe and nothing to be concerned about. I was rooting for Hattie to make it and earn her claim through the whole book. There was sadness, of course - not surprising for a book taking place during war time - but one part towards the end was particularly heartbreaking. The ending, though not a "twist", surprised me all the same - and yet it still felt like a pretty good ending. I'm curious about the sequel, but not sure I'm ready for it just yet. This could be a good book for middle grade readers and older who enjoyed the Laura Ingalls Wilder series or books about pioneering on the American frontier.
Don Bosco's Memoirs, by St. John Bosco*
St. John Bosco, under obedience to Pope Pius IX, wrote about his life of ministry, dividing his account into the first three or four decades of his life; the work does not cover the entirety of his life.
Why I picked it up: This is the choice of my book-club of two; I found a cheap ebook version on Amazon.
My impressions: It's good to have read something written by a saint - it's not a deep theological work, but it is a wealth of knowledge about St. John Bosco, who has been on my shortlist of saints I like and want to learn more about. I liked hearing about St. Bosco's life from himself and found his writing extremely readable and quick to move through. I liked hearing about all the myriad experiences he had throughout his life, and it was very interesting to see God working through even Don Bosco's more secular hobbies, like acrobatics, to provide a means of preaching the Gospel. Don Bosco did relate some stories in which he showed failings or communicated he was struggling with pride. It also provides a case study of discernment - he realized that he needed to give up acrobatics after a certain time, although it had been alright for him to do it earlier in life. I think it shows that something that isn't inherently bad might be something God asks us to give up for His glory or to make room for something else. Multiple times, I wondered what the specific dangers were that young men faced during this time - he didn't give any details about why feast days in particular were so dangerous for them, and it would have been nice to know a bit more about that. I was pleased to find a chapter on his dog-friend-protector, Grigio. In this particular version, the two introductions were less interesting to me, less readable, and more skippable; however, I found the afterward provided some helpful context to all the upheaval and change that was taking place in Italy at this time. I'm interested in reading a book about St. John Bosco's dreams after reading this work. This would be a book for Catholics wanting to learn more about this saint, but I'd say high school is the youngest I'd recommend to tackle this simply because it's hard for those unfamiliar with Italian history to make sense of the described events without a lot of context.
Sweet Home Alaska, by Carole Etsby Dagg, narrated by Susan Denaker**
Terpsichore's family, brought low economically by the local sawmill closing, migrates to Alaska for a year, but Terpsichore hopes to convince her mother to stay there permanently when she finds friendship and purpose creating a library.
Why I picked it up: I saw this book on Audible, and found it for free on my state's e-library. I figured I'd try it out.
My impressions: I'd never heard of the this time or situation in American history, but for all that novelty, it wasn't the best homesteading historical fiction middle grade novel that I've come across. The characters were developed well enough, but I was bothered by how easy it was to find a reconciliation between folks to resume friendship after a pretty significant betrayal. I admit that this is more a poor reflection upon myself than upon the book. Some parts of the book felt like it drew authentically from history, but the fictional family of the main character, as well as the story surrounding its members, felt a little more like fiction. In any case, it was alright to read, but I wasn't super impressed with it and don't think I'll ever turn to it again.
Mister Max: The Book of Secrets, by Cynthia Voigt
Max's adventures as a 12-year-old detective, or "solutioneer", as well as his difficulty in maintaining anonymity, continue as calls for his services stream in from all sorts of local figures, as well as his parents, who were shanghai-d into a dangerous stint of ruling a troubled South American country.
Why I picked it up: I really enjoyed listening to the first book in this series, and thought it would be fun to tackle this one next. This one comes from my local library system, since I couldn't find it for free as an audiobook.
My impressions: This sequel was not a disappointment! It continues the story smoothly, and while at least one element seemed like a re-envisioned version of something from the first book (a young woman in trouble with a young man desperately wanting to help her), I wasn't able to guess at mysterious identities nearly as soon as I did in the first book. This book also manages also to up the ante for Max's detecting work. I found that reading this book, rather than listening to it, made it a little hard to get into - but only at first. Once I got over missing how excellent the narrator of the audiobook had been, I hit my reading stride and found the prose just as delightful as it had been in the first book. I finished the book with a sense of awe, and a desire to write the author and tell her how much I appreciate this book, which was written over 10 years ago - I'm amazed, because it felt like such a new series to me I was worried the next book wouldn't be out. Great writing, realistic characters, disguises, mysteries, unrequited love, peril - this book has it all! My only two complaints about this book: one character says something about Max "not even being able to take a --", using a crude word for "pee", while another mentions that the crew should dress as fortune-telling gypsies and she could learn tarot cards quickly (yikes! no thanks!!!). Other than that, completely clean, a great adventure, and it makes me curious about how much I'll like the third book, which is setting up to be very different from these first two books. Minus those two one-off objectionable comments, this book would be great for middle-grade readers who like adventure and mystery.
On to Oregon! By Honore Morrowe*
The seven Sager children, orphaned on the Oregon trail, continue their pilgrimage to the state halfway across the continent, facing down starvation, disease, and perils of all kinds along the way.
Why I picked it up: I came across the title at some point, heard the premise, and thought I'd really like to try it out! I found this one for cheap as an ebook.
My impressions: This book was intriguing enough to make me want to know what happened next, but it wasn't a thriller, and it had some flaws to it. It took the angle of showing a boy heading in the wrong direction getting things turned around when responsibility is thrust upon him. Based on a true story, it was a pretty incredible thing that the children achieved. Some of the author's commentary made the book feel a little old-fashioned, but that wasn't too terrible. I was uncomfortable with the portrayal of Indians, who were most often described as being "dirty" or being shown to be thieves or violent murderers. Even the folks shown to be good and upright did not seem to have as much time spent on them as it was on other minor characters. In any case, the children, especially the main character are flawed, but you get to see him change, and you get to see how the children get by in absolutely drastic straits. People joke about the computer game of the Oregon Trail, how so often you die from dysentery - but reading about it, and seeing it delay or kill so many characters was intense. One issue I took with the book was that the story ends, but we don't know what happened to them, or to the folks they worked so hard to catch up with - as far as the reader knows, those fellow travelers may had died from dysentery (they were suffering from it the last time the reader encountered them). Did the children ever make it to the Willamette? Was the baby able to recover from near starvation? These are questions the author did not feel the need to explain in an afterward. As much as I wanted to like this book, I can't say I really loved it. It could be good for readers who like adventures and survival or learning about Westward Expansion, but it isn't one that I'm going to be telling people they need to read.
Prince Caspian, by C. S. Lewis
The Pevensie children are summoned to Narnia to assist Prince Caspian, the rightful ruler of Narnia, as he faces his usurping Uncle Miraz in an age when Aslan is considered a legend.
Why I picked it up: I'm continuing a delightful read-through of "The Chronicles of Narnia" series with my cousins, and this is the one to be discussed at our next meeting.
My impressions: A solid sequel to the original, in which we get to rediscover Narnia, a Narnia that looks and feels very different from what we encountered in the first book. Since I'm reading it with an upcoming book discussion in mind, I was sensitive to potential deeper meanings in a way I haven't been in past readings. If Narnia is a symbol of the spiritual life, like one of my cousins suggested after listening to a podcast, then I definitely think I'll have some ideas to add to our discussion. Good action, some excellent moments of choosing to do what's right even when no one else does, and the healing and release of things that have been forced underground. Some bittersweet moments - not quite like in the first book, but a lovely feeling of growing a little with the characters in the story. I'd recommend this book to most readers, old and young and in-between.
The House of Dies Drear, by Virgina Hamilton, narrated by Lynne Thigpen**
Thomas and his family move into an allegedly haunted house that once was a pivotal location in the Underground Railroad, but the groundskeeper acts strangely and the family senses some locals may be hostile to their moving into the house.
Why I picked it up: I was originally going to read a physical copy from the school I work at, but found it available as an audiobook through the state e-library.
My impressions: This book has some elements that are pretty good, and creepy without being too creepy, but there were definitely some aspects that made me uncomfortable. This book is steeped in history and something of an adventurous feel, but also in everyday family experiences, which was a cool blend. I really did not like that the main character becomes convinced that the groundskeeper, Pluto, is actually the devil - and this idea pervades throughout the entire span of the book, even after Thomas realizes Pluto is just an old man. It was a weird focus, and an uncomfortable one. The stakes are high for the family, and there is a mystery to solve, and it's cool to follow Thomas' reasoning as he tries to figure things out before his father. It's a unique story - I've not read anything like it before. However, even with its good qualities, there was a lot of that weird fixation on suspecting someone is the devil, and that didn't sit well with me. I wouldn't recommend this book, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad book - just some elements of it are off.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, by David Grann, narrated by Dion Graham**
The subtitle explains much - this story is about an English war ship that is scuttled near the tip of South America in pursuit of a treasure-laden Spanish galleon, and the violence and division that afflict the crew in harsh starvation conditions.
Why I picked it up: I saw the cover of this book at Barnes & Noble, and when I found it was available as an audiobook through my public library, I decided to give it a try.
My impressions: While an intriguing tale about disaster near the southernmost parts of the world, I kept thinking that Andrew Lang's Endurance is a better book about a somewhat similar situation. The book was well-researched, drawing from historical facts and making reference to poetry and literature throughout. Some descriptions of bodies afflicted by disease or death were graphic enough, but I didn't mind it at 2x speed in an audiobook. It was interesting to see how the ordeal ended in drama that played out in the public eye since both parties published different accounts of how events happened on the disastrous trip. There was more focus on the evils of European colonialism, and the attitudes attendant upon it, than I have seen in other books that treated on the same time period. I felt like the conclusion of the affair was something of an anticlimax, but one can't help history being the way it was. This book was alright, but I wouldn't recommend it - in its place, I'd highly recommend the book I mentioned earlier, Endurance, by Andrew Lang.
Mister Max: The Book of Kings, by Cynthia Voigt
This final book in the Mister Max trilogy follows Max and his friends as they finagle their way into being a real ambassadorial party that infiltrates Andesia in the hopes of rescuing his parents, the current monarchs of that fictional South American country.
Why I picked it up: I'd enjoyed the first two books so much that I had trouble putting off the finale.
My impressions: I knew this last book would have to be quite different from the first two - and while it was still very good, I felt that it missed some of the elements that made the prior two books so charming. There wasn't as much "solutioneering" for Max to do. It made sense, given the situation in which the party found themselves, but his disguising himself and going around incognito were missed. Pia also was absent for a good chunk of the book; again, it was a development that made sense, but she had been quite a fundamental part of the first two books. There were a few elements that I predicted would happen before they were revealed, but they still felt good when they occurred. I felt the ending made one character at the end look more conflicted than bad...and his attitude of "I hope I don't have to kill someone innocent, but I will if I need to to save the country" is actually very awful. However, one great part about the ending is the feeling that Max will continue to have lots of adventures and will be able to maintain the independence that he built up during the first two books. I think this book is a pretty good finish to the series, although I would say I liked the first two books better in some ways. This would be a good book for those who enjoyed the first two.
Bracket Play
I couldn't quite finish a last audiobook before the month closed out, so I gave Lewis' Prince Caspian the bye. In the first round, I paired weaker books with stronger ones so the winners would be easy to decide. In the second round, Hattie Big Sky had to go against Prince Caspian, and the latter was the winner, no contest. The two Mister Max books (2 and 3 in the series) also faced off, and I ended up deciding number two was the stronger of the books. The trilogy closer was good in its own way, but different enough from the first two that I felt it lacked some of the elements that made them so charming. This is another month where I felt bad that a good book by a saint didn't win, but Prince Caspian is accessible to a wider audience without as much context needed (other than the first book, I suppose). Those memoirs are still excellent and would be well worth a visit. Lewis' book won in the end, the classic fantasy tale being a widely-known classic, and the the runner up being a good book, but perhaps not with the wide appeal and staying power that Prince Caspian enjoys.
Books Attempted and Put Down
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 2, by Beth Brower, narrated by Genevieve Gaunt**
Emma M. Lion continues to record her doings and those of her cantankerous relatives, lovable friends, and even some potential love interests, but still misses deceased Maxwell.
Why I picked it up: The first book was so delightful! This second one became available far more quickly than I anticipated from my local library e-system.
Why I put it down: I'm still too sensitive to even mild romantic stuff, so I felt more peace about putting it down at 70% than I would have if I'd pushed through it. Maybe I can come back to it someday - a great series for some people, and I've recommended and/or gifted it already to friends, but it's not for me right now.
The Green Ember, by S. D. Smith, narrated by Joel Clarkson**
A fantasy series for children about the rabbit siblings, Heather and Picket, beset by enemies, including wolves, birds of prey, and sometimes their own.
Why I picked it up: My sister-in-law is borrowing the series from me, and of course, loaning it out made me want to revisit it.
Why I put it down: I've read this before, but it wasn't bearing good fruit for me. I realized that I needed to put it down for now, and maybe I'll get back to it in ebook form.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, narrated by Cassandra Campbell with Bahni Turpin**
The story of the woman who provided a much-used lines of cells for biological experiments and the shady ethics regarding how those cells were acquired.
Why I picked it up: I saw this book on the shelves when I worked in a university library and the back cover made it sound interesting. I saw it was available as an audiobook through the library, so I figured I'd give it a try.
Why I put it down: I realized this book would be a long one. I wasn't sure I was feeling up to a story that would be sad (Henrietta died from cancer) and probably heavy (bioethics), so I put it down in favor of some other things to listen to.
