What We Read in December

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Katie:

• Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
• Defending Jacob by William Landay
• The Healer's Keep by Victoria Hanley
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Made it to 50 books! Only half-way to the original goal of 100, but still probably twice as many as last year. I enjoyed all of this month's books to varying degrees. Till We Have Faces was, as I've previously stated, my favorite book I've read this year. Unsurprisingly, I also loved A Christmas Carol. I will probably re-attempt the 100 books goal in 2017.

Sarah:

This is Katie, writing on behalf of Sarah. She wasn't able to finish any books this month. While I had December off of school, Sarah did not. In fact, she started taking an online course through our local community college, meaning she even had more schoolwork than usual. She will be setting a reading goal for 2017, though! Hopefully she'll join me in trying again to reach the elusive 100.

God's blessings to you all in 2017!

Sunday Book Talk: Top 5

What follows are our favorite books we read this year. We restricted ourselves to stand-alone works of fiction that were first-time reads. (Okay, technically A Wrinkle in Time and Code Name Verity are the beginnings of series, but both books also work as stand-alone novels.) These titles are listed in the order in which they were read.

Katie:

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - This macabre children's book tells the story of Nobody Owens, a boy whose family is murdered when he is very young. By chance, he escapes and ends up in a graveyard, where he is raised by ghosts.
• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd - We talked about this book last week.
• O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Willa Cather uses beautiful, descriptive writing to tell a story of the frontier and the people who settled it. Protagonist Alexandra Bergson is a pioneer girl who grows up on a Nebraska farm. Her tenacity and devotion to the land shape the course of her life.
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Set during World War II, this piece of historical fiction is told from the perspectives of two young British women, a spy and a pilot, who end up behind enemy lines. The author did her research, and the story felt real on both a factual and emotional level.
• Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis - This book is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. It's highly allegorical and has an entirely different purpose and focus from the original myth. Narrated from the perspective of Psyche's older sister Orual, Till We Have Faces is a tale of moral development, self-sacrifice, and love.

Sarah:

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - Originally aired as radio broadcasts, this book masterfully presents the fundamentals of the Christian faith to believer and non-believer alike. Lewis phrases complex doctrine with an ease and fluency that I have never heard from anyone else.
• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd - We talked about this book last week.
• Countdown by Deborah Wiles - Set in Washington D.C. during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, this children's book tackles tough issues while keeping a sense of optimism and hope. The 12-year-old heroine, Franny Chapman, is an endearing character for readers of any age.
• Othello by William Shakespeare - The main themes of this intriguing tragedy are the dangers of jealousy and misplaced trust.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - This marvelous sci-fi read follows an adolescent girl who sets out on a journey through time and space to find her father. The story rings with tasteful whimsy, an offbeat sense of humor, and syntax that is elegant and expressive.

Granted, the year isn't over and we might read something else that is worthy of a "Top 5" list. We'll let you know at the end of the month!

Also, we realized that Christmas falls on a Sunday, so there will not be a post next week as we will be taking a break from blogging for the holiday. See you on the 31st.

Sunday Book Talk: A Snicker of Magic

This year, we both read A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. This middle-grade book is the story of Felicity Pickle, her family, and Midnight Gulch, a town rumored to have once had magic. 

Felicity's mother has a wandering heart, but when they arrive in Midnight Gulch, Felicity dares to hope that perhaps they've finally found a home. With her word-collecting abilities, a new friend, and just a snicker of magic, maybe she can break the curse on the town and convince her mother to stay.

Sarah: The reason for my initial interest in A Snicker of Magic was the cover art. I decided to read it on a whim, and my first impressions did not disappoint. The story and writing style were quaint, and just a little bit quirky. I especially liked the small town setting, and the Southern speech patterns were lots of fun. As someone who has always loved poetic things, I appreciated the beautiful words and the descriptions, which were romantic without being too flowery. The book explores deep themes in a gentle sort of way without talking down to the audience - a feat that many middle-grade authors fail to accomplish. It's always a wonderful surprise when you stumble upon a children's book that can be enjoyed by anyone, and A Snicker of Magic is most certainly one of those rarities. 

Katie: Sarah recommended A Snicker of Magic to me after reading it herself. I checked it out from the library as an audiobook and listened to it on my way to and from school every day. (At that point in the year, I didn't have a car yet. The commute on the city bus was where I got a lot of my reading, writing and daydreaming time in.) I was quickly captivated by this story, its quirky characters, the setting of Midnight Gulch, and the magic woven throughout. The year of 2016 has left me a bit discouraged and a touch more cynical, and this book ended up being one of those "It came to me just when I needed it" scenarios. A Snicker of Magic acknowledges life's difficulties, but it doesn't wallow in them. Rather, it retains a sense of sweetness, optimism, and innocence, culminating in a happy ending. We all need a happy ending once in a while. The reader for the audiobook also deserves a mention, as I really enjoyed listening to her and thought that she did justice to the narration of protagonist Felicity Pickle. I heartily recommend this "spindiddly" story to anyone who enjoys a good middle-grade read.

Let us know if there are any specific books we've read this year that you would like us to cover in a future post! We're considering carrying "Book Talk" into the new year.

Sunday Book Talk - Intro

December is upon us, and it's high time to finally make good on our promise of discussing some of the books we've read this year in a little more depth. For now, we're just going to briefly talk about the last books we finished, but next week we will dive into some more lengthy discussion.

Katie: I just finished C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces, and it might be my favorite book I've read this year. It's a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. I recommend reading anything by C.S. Lewis, but this book is particularly good. It is a quick read and I found the story captivating. It's also very allegorical and prompts a lot of discussion. I'll have to mull it over and then talk about it more in a post later this month.

Sarah: I haven't done much in the way of reading recently, but the last book I finished was Lois Lowry's The Willoughbys. It's dark humor, which I usually love. The idea was fantastic, but I didn't think it was carried off well. The story felt rushed and the characters had no time to develop. There were some very cleverly written passages, and I really enjoyed the book references scattered throughout, but other than that, it wasn't anything special. If you want some great dark humor, read Lemony Snicket's books.

We'll see you next Sunday!