The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Magot: A Novel by Marianne Cronin. New York: Harper Perennial, 2021. 322pp. About the Author, About the Book, Read on. *****

Lenni is 17 and Margot 83 years old, together they have lived 100 years. Lenni lives in the section of the Glasgow hospital for those who are terminally ill, where she meets Margot in an art class.  Margot has heart disease.  Both Lenni and Margot find it difficult to relate to people their own age and are left alone without family in the hospital. 

Told in alternating voices, Lenni and Margo forge a friendship and share their life stories in their art.

I received this book as a book club's choice, the Colony of Readers, a Facebook Book Club. 

I am so glad this book was chosen because I probably would not have picked it up myself. There are no happy endings in this bittersweet debut novel, however, the journey is worth it. Cronin doesn't try to soften the blow of being "terminal" however, comparing it to an airport terminal and suggesting "life-limiting “as an alternative label is brilliant! Lenni's interactions with Father Arthur are thought-provoking and humorous. She wants to introduce herself to God before she meets him and, in the process, discovers a friend in Father Arthur. Anyone who has spent time in a hospital with a family member who has a long-term illness knows that the experience can take on a life of its own. The nurses become confidants, the other families become friends and the doctors viewed as saviors. Many reviewers have suggested it is a sad, tear-jerker book, I found it to be touching, life affirming and hopeful. There are so many elements to this story that I highly recommend it for a Book Club. 

Marianne Cronin was born in 1990, grew up in Warwickshire, England, and began writing stories as soon as she could hold a pen. She spent seven years this novel  and now counts herself very lucky that she gets to spend her days while her rescue cat, Puffin sleeps under her desk. In her spare time, Marianne performs improv in the West Midlands, where she lives. 

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Quilt City Murders

 

Quilt City Murders (A Hadley Carroll Mystery Book 1)  by Bruce Leonard. Touch Point Press, 2022. 297 pages. ***

Hadley Carroll is rebelling against being demoted from a general-assignment reporter to placing copies of the Paducah Chronicle inside racks around town. Her solution is to sling the burlap bag of biodegradable papers into the Ohio River, never to be seen or read again. When Hadley sees a shimmer of red in the water that turns out to be the left arm and hand of her former fiancé, she is determined to find out why Matt dumped her and who hated him enough to kill him.  Was it Nick Stoddard who groped her during a Christmas party and caused her demotion? Was Matt secretly working on a news article about N&S Shipping, was that why he sought and received their financial records? Are all police officers corrupt or is Officer Williams an anomaly who likes bullying and beating up people especially Hadley? 30,000 quilters will be attending Quilt Week and Hadley is determined to expose the killer even if it causes unfavorable press about Paducah at the worst possible time. 

Quilters will be able to identify with Quilt Week and the sights and sounds of Paducah, KY. Advertised as a cozy mystery, it is an entertaining debut novel. My only drawback is that when starting the novel, the "voice" of the main character did not ring true for me. Difficult to pinpoint why, the quilting terms and descriptions were correct, however, not the way I think or talk about men or as a quilter. By the end of the book, I found Hadley to be more believable and look forward to the next Hadley Carroll Mystery. One of Leonard's strengths is his advertising campaign for this novel, he has written to Quilt Guilds promoting his book and daily I see an ad on Facebook. 

Bruce Leonard has written for newspapers, magazines and websites and this is his debut novel. He is a writer, editor, and photographer. His  novel Hard Exit, a hardboiled detective novel that takes place in Los Angeles and is narrated by depressed private investigator Jack Drake, is slated to be published in 2023. The sequel to Quilt City Murders, titled Quilt City: Panic in Paducah, is being read by beta readers now. He lives with his wife, Sedonia Sipes, in Illinois and has dedicated this book to her and to his parents, Bruce and Barbara Leonard. 

To learn more about Leonard, click here.

The Kindle version is on sale for 4.99 at Amazon 

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These Precious Days

 

These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett. New York: HarperCollins, 2021. (Large Print) 424 pages. *****

I received These Precious Days as my March read for The Colony of Readers in the Book Hive Book Club. It came in the Large Print Edition which was perfect for me to breeze through it. The Essays are well-written and from the heart. Ann Patchett has a gift for self-analysis and the ability to see her relationships through the lens of self-awareness. 

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of her essays and highly recommend this book for Book Clubs. I envision a lively discussion of which essay is a favorite and why. 

Three Fathers touched me and reinforced the notion if only we could take the best of people and fashion them into one. Each of her mother's three husbands fulfilled a role in Ann's life to support and love her. 

In There Are No Children Here Ann points out the idiocy of the notion she can't be a real writer until she has children. " Ann was told, "Because until you have children, you don't know what it means to love." 

I was most impressed by the fact that in The Moment Nothing Changed, Ann mentions that she turns her cell phone on about ten times a year.  What? How? Definitely makes me rethink my cell phone habits. 

If you are looking for an entertaining, pick up and put down read, this book has it all!

Ann Patchett is the author of eight novels, four works of nonfiction, and two children's books. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. Time magazine names her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the co-owner of Parnassus Books. 

For more information on Ann:  http://www.annpatchett.com/about

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One Breath At A Time

 

One Breath At A Time: The Autobiography of an Artist by David Gerbstadt. Create Space, 2011. 222 pages.

Written in a stream of consciousness, this is the story of a man riding a bicycle who gets run over by a tractor trailer. David sees the blood and instinctively rams his left hand into his wound and over his femoral artery saving his own life until the EMTs arrive. David believes he died in the ambulance and experienced "a deep sense of peace and warm love let me know everything will be okay in the end." What follows next is a long mental, physical, and spiritual journey that would be difficult for anyone and especially someone in recovery from drugs and alcohol. His dialogue is raw and at times painful to read, however, compelling in its honesty. 

I became aware of David's art when a friend purchased "I read banned books" button that he created. Following him on Facebook, I purchased a yard sign, Be Kind Buttons and an original art work. 

His work is so inexpensive I knew that there is a to be a story to be told. (he will mail an original piece of art to anyone who sends him a stamped self-addressed envelope for 1.00) I discovered he had written books and learned a little about his story and wanted to know more. I often wonder if people who have a near death or death experience are changed by it and are more creative afterwards.

Upon further research, I found that he has written a book for children and adults, The Red Heart Book. The original book was a miniature hand drawn version given to his friends for the Christmas Holiday 2007. He sustained his injury right after his generous gift. People saw the little hand drawn book and encouraged David to publish it. His simplistic drawings express love and friendship and will make a perfect gift for everyone you love. 

His books are available through Amazon

I don't think any words of mine will do justice to his message and his need to share his art. It is breath to him and a joy to all who experiences it. 

Follow David on Facebook

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@davidgerbstader #theredheartbook #onebreathatatime 

2022 Monthly Color Challenge - March - Pink Peppercorn

2022 Monthly Color Challenge - March - Pink Peppercorn

Pink Peppercorn

What is pink peppercorn?

Benefits and Recipes

Choosing what color of pink to use wasn't easy for me, I see more red than pink. 

The Pattern and information for this month's block is available on Patterns by Jens blog. Jen's instructions are clear and easy to follow.

Which one to use? 

I decided on this shade of pink.

It’s more of a raspberry color in person than it looks like here. 

Check out the other bloggers to see their color choices:

Faith and Fabric

Patterns by Jen

Sunflower Stitcheries & Quilting

True Blue Quilts

Pink Quilt - pattern - Hope by Gudrun I made this as a baby quilt. Very easy pattern in various sizes. 

Previous Months:

January - Saffron

February - Bay Leaf

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#2022monthltcolorchallenge #march #pinkpeppercorn 

The War Librarian

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong. New York: Putnam, 2022. 289 pages. *****  A Conversation with Addison Armstrong and Reading Group Guide. Publication Date August 9, 2022.

"Two women. One secret. A truth worth fighting for."  Told in the alternating voices of Emmaline Balakan and Kathleen Carre, I was immediately drawn into their lives during World War 1 and 1976. Each woman is fighting a battle to make a difference in a man's world and to find relevancy for themselves. Emmaline Balakan, modeled after a real-life war librarian, Mary Frances Isom, travels to France to bring and distribute books to injured soldiers in army hospitals. Emmaline is shocked to see the living conditions and segregation at the hospitals and the fact that the government restricts certain materials from being read. 

Kathleen Carre, against her grandmother’s wishes enrolls as one of the first women at the Naval Academy. The men make it quite clear that the women are not welcome and even go so far as to manufacture and lie about Kathleen's actions to get her kicked out. 

Both women face discrimination, less than ideal living conditions, isolation, etc. and accusations of sedition. Their stories are connected by a secret from Kathleen's Grandmother's past. 

It's frustrating that in the year 2022 many of the same issues are discussed and fought -- discrimination, censorship, hazing, etc. While the issues of book banning and censorship are different in the military during war time, who has access to books and book burning is still relevant today. Even though I have a Master of Library and Information Science, I have never heard of war librarians or the ALA's efforts in supplying books to soldiers. This historical fiction book has new insights and information to offer, Armstrong does an excellent job of weaving their stories together. Librarian books are in vogue right now and this will make an excellent book club choice. I highly recommend it. 

Additional Information: 

1917

Library War Service

Women Librarians

When America's Librarians Went to War

Women Inducted into the US Naval Academy

About Addison Armstrong "I’ve wanted to be an author since I was a five-year old writing stories about talking school supplies and ants getting their revenge on exterminators. While a junior at Vanderbilt University studying elementary education, I wrote my first historical fiction novel, The Light of Luna Park, and sold it to G.P. Putnam’s Sons in January of my senior year. Now that I’ve graduated with my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Language & Literacy Studies, as well as a Master’s in Reading Education with an ESL endorsement, I’m teaching third grade English language learners in Nashville and continuing to write."

For more information about Addison Armstrong, click here

#bookstagram #worldwar1fiction #warlibrarians #americanlibraryassociation #usnavalacademyfiction #historicalfiction  

The Last House on the Street

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain. New York, St. Martin's Press, 2021. 344 pages. Author's Notes and Acknowledgements. *****

Told in the alternating voices of Kayla and Ellie during the years 1965 and 2010. Growing up in a privileged family in Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley is awakened to the plight of blacks in the south and the extreme poverty encountered there. Kayla Carter and her husband, both architects, have built their dream home, the last house on Hockley Street. Unfortunately, her husband has an accident and dies before they can move into the house. Rumors have been spread about the house including tales of ghost and accidents. Kayla dismisses her uneasiness about moving into the house until unexplained events occur and her daughter is missing. 

Having gone to school in the tumultuous 60s, I was immediately drawn into Ellie's story. The schools I attended were not diverse and my neighborhood was white and predominantly Catholic. There were black girls in my all-girl Catholic high school, but I can't recall a name or a face. The 60s nightly news was filled with images of the inequities in the voting process and voter intimidation, it is so hard to believe that in 2022 we are still talking about these very same topics. Chamberlain tells the tale of two teenagers in a forbidden love that ends tragically. Secrets never stay hidden for long. Some of the reviews have been mixed and unless you lived through that time, it may be hard to believe the brutality that existed. Chamberlain chooses a societal issue and brings it into the light. The Last House on the Street is an excellent choice for a Book Club, filled with many relevant issues to discuss. 

Previous books 

Big Lies in a Small Town

Dream Daughter

Stolen Marriage

Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 27 novels published in more than twenty languages. Influenced by her former career as a social worker and psychotherapist, she writes suspenseful stories that touch both heart and mind. Additional information: here

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