Quick Lit: Mini Reviews of Some Recent Reads - January Edition

I'm trying to read more books that I choose for my own reading enjoyment. Not for review, but because I've been wanting to read them or they caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don't really need a full review. But, I'd still like to give them some space here on the blog.

I'll be linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit link up. Be sure to head over to see others link up their Quick Lit posts. 

I'm finally back into a reading groove and I've got SO MANY books that I can't wait to dig into. I've got some full reviews coming up soon and below, I'm sharing some mini-reviews from books I read in the last month. 

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR HOME WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND

Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets

By: Dana K. White

Published: November 8, 2016

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Format: eBook

I've been a fan of Dana's blog and podcast for a while. Her blog A SLOB COMES CLEAN is funny yet she tells it like it is. She doesn't have the perfect house or the perfect life. Nor does she make everything look like the perfect Pinterest or Instagram picture. She is just like you and me, trying to stay ahead of the mess and maybe, be able to have people over without hiding all the mess in a closet at the last minute. 

Her book talks you through the basic steps of handling the daily care and upkeep of your home, starting with doing the dishes...every day. Waking up with no dishes on the counter or a dishwasher of clean dishes makes a huge difference. Her book is hilarious yet spot on. "Methods don't clean your house. You have to clean your house." She also tackles the clutter and helps you get rid of all the stuff that makes cleaning your home harder. The end of the book offers a 28 Day step-by-step process for tackling your mess. 

It's practical, it's funny, and it's straightforward. A good read and motivator for getting stuff done.  

HELLO MORNINGS

How to Build a Grace-Filled Life, Life-Giving Morning Routine

By: Kat Lee

Published: December 5, 2017

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Format: Audiobook

I remember several years ago, finding Kat Lee's blog and following her simple action plan for handling a morning routine. My life was much different then. I was a stay-at-home mom and had young children. Then I saw this book recommended by Sheila at The Deliberate Reader and it piqued my interest. I didn't realize the author was the same person until I went to her website. 

Lee approaches her morning with a three-minute process of God - Plan - Move. Obviously, this approach will eventually take more than 3 minutes, but it starts with building a habit of these three things, every morning. 

Lee reads her own audiobook and I found her voice calming and reassuring during my morning listens. I wish I had a physical copy of the book but her website has several printables and tips that are from the book. I haven't necessarily put her whole plan into place, but I have started every morning with a glass of water since I listened to her book. It's a good read if you are looking to create a new structure or routine for your morning. 

THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME

By: Fredrik Backman

Published: October 31, 2017

Publisher: Atria Books

Format: Hardcover

A quick read (under an hour) to remind you that every life is a gift. Backman wrote this in one evening while reflecting on his own life and family. Since it is set on Christmas Eve, it felt like a great choice to read during the Christmas season. 

It's a novella and is read quite quickly, but it packs a powerful punch to the gut. A young girl is suffering on a hospital floor from cancer. A man has survived a car crash. Can one life be exchanged for another? The woman in the grey sweater with the file folder says no....or can it? Is one life more valuable than another? Can you redeem your life choices by saving another? 

It was a thought-provoking read, but I wouldn't recommend purchasing the hardcover version unless you are adding it to your Backman collection. It wasn't worth the $12 or maybe not the $4.99 Kindle either. I think it is more a $1.99 Kindle Deal. 

GATHER 'ROUND THE SOUND

By: Paulo Coelho

Published: December 8, 2017

Publisher: Audible Studios

Format: Audiobook

This was a free download from Audible. I like choosing books to read around the Christmas season that involve a Christmas story. Unfortunately, the only enjoyable story from this collection was Zip Code 12345. It was the type of story I was hoping to hear during the Christmas season. This story involved a group of employees at GE that give of themselves to make sure they bring the spirit of Christmas to children all over the world. The rest of the stories, I lost interest pretty quickly. 

This post includes affiliate links. If you choose to purchase from the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Quick Lit: Mini Reviews of Some Recent Reads - October Edition

I'm trying to read more books that I choose for my own reading enjoyment. Not for review, but because I've been wanting to read them or they caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don't really need a full review. But, I'd still like to give them some space here on the blog.

I'll be linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit link up. Be sure to head over to see others link up their Quick Lit posts. 

I'm finishing up my third week of subbing and it has been quite an adjustment to be working every day for someone who hasn't done that in a very long time. I am awed by all the women who work full-time, make it to every single one of their kids' events and still find time to shower and sweep their floor. Most of my free-read time has been spent grading papers and doing other things that I need to catch up with at home. But, I did read some books and short stories for my classes and listened to an audiobook. I'm feeling accomplished!

A MAN CALLED OVE

By: Fredrik Backman

Published: July 15, 2014

Publisher: Atria Books

Format: Audiobook

After reading BEARTOWN this summer, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It had been on my list for quite awhile. The audio version came up on my Bridges library account and I flew through it. Since I'm not driving around as much, I listened to it while I got ready for school every morning. It's only nine hours long and once I started I found ways to listen to while washing dishes and cleaning the house. Then when I was done, I missed Ove, Parvaneh, Rune and wanted to keep hearing about Ove's day. 

Ove is a crotchety man who still has a lot of life to live. But sadly, he doesn't feel like he can go on any longer after his wife's death. So, he starts each day, planning to kill himself, and each day, something gets in the way of that. His new neighbors with a baby on the way and his long-time neighbors keep needing him to help them and slowly, Ove is brought out of his shell. 

A MAN CALLED OVE is another favorite book for me this year and I would highly recommend reading or listening to it. 

ANTIGONE

By: Sophocles

Format: Textbook

I read this along with the sophomore honors class at school. When Antigone decides to go against Creon's law and properly bury her brother Polyneices, she starts a firestorm among the people of Thebes, the gods, and Creon. Creon is unable to see past his stubborn pride and what follows is what makes the story of Antigone a true tragedy. 

We had numerous great discussions about pride, about family values, and about doing what is right even if it is against what someone else expects you to do. 

THE SCARLET IBIS

By: James Hurst

Format: Textbook

This short story tells the story of a young boy who is frustrated by his brother's disabilities. So, he takes in on himself to help him learn to walk, swim, and other activities. The story is full of symbolism and is a great teaching tool.

THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

By: Sandra Cisneros

Format: PDF

In looking for a short story that I could have students read, another teacher recommend this book because the chapters are all kind of a story in and of themselves. Some of the chapters are just a couple paragraphs so it made it easy for me to assign just a few of them to a group of students, yet they could still have enough to read and talk about the content. 

I found a lot of the students could relate to THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. The characters are forced to move around a lot and finally, this house on Mango Street belongs to them. But it isn't exactly how Esperanza, a latino girl, pictured a home to be.

_____________________________________________________________________________

So, even though I'm not reading the typical books on my shelves, I'm still reading....every day. With the students, I'm currently reading OF MICE AND MEN, OEDIPUS REX, and JULIUS CAESAR. That will be enough to keep me busy this month!

Hope you have found something good to read this month!

Book Review: Seven Threads By Jason Atkinson

SEVEN THREADS
A Book of Short Stories

By: Jason Atkinson

Published: July 4, 2017

Publisher: Mascot Books

Fiction/Short Story



Iowa City based author, Jason Atkinson, hasn't always been a reader. Hoping to identify both with those who love novels and those who maybe like reading shorter books, Atkinson has written a collection of seven short stories. Each of these stories involves someone dealing with a troubling situation and human compassion offered to give hope. Since these are short stories, you can read one in a less than an hour. The stories aren't connected so you can read one story at a time without worry of forgetting characters or situations. But, there is a recurring theme of not giving up and there can be a way out for those who are struggling.

These seven stories include a man accused of murdering his friend, a man who was once respected in his community has found himself homeless, a lonely man whose life is changed by a chance meeting in a coffee shop, a scientist who gets involved in a government conspiracy, and a brother who says his final goodbye. But my favorite two stories involved a runaway teenager on a train and a checkout clerk who brings joy to a family at Christmas. Both of these stories left me wanting to know more and elicited emotions from me while reading. Maybe it has to do with my own personal interests or maybe because these two stories felt real to me and the author was spot on in his descriptions.

Since these are all short stories, they are without the details I'm used to in reading longer novels. In these stories, the author gets right to the point without adding any extra information or time between situations. But, the stories still include depth and description to offer the reader emotion and visuals into the character's situation. Since most of these stories offer sadness, the author has to convey these emotions without being too wordy and he does so succinctly. The only story that I felt too rushed and contrived was the scientist story. It didn't seem to go with the rest of the collection and was a bit too unrealistic for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this short story collection because in each story there was a glimmer of hope that the character would recover from their situation. The encouragement and compassion in these stories reminded me to look for those situations in which I can offer empathy to another as I go about my day. 

Jason Atkinson

Jason Atkinson is 32 with a wife of over 10 years and one son, Ian of 17 months. Jason recently published his third book while living in Iowa City, Iowa where he has recently relocated. Originally, Jason was born and raised in the U.K. where he lived until he was 16 and then moved to the United States. 

Jason has written books to help others in their pursuit to become better individuals, both personally and professionally, and also wrote a workbook to help couples achieve a more enjoyable and well-rounded life together. His recent book, however, was written for those that love to read for fun. The book of short stories is full of twists and turns with a sense of inspirational awareness towards other human beings. 

You can always see more and contact Jason directly by going to his website. www.alifeofheart.com 

To purchase a copy of SEVEN THREADS, click the photo below:

Check out this short video of Jason Atkinson talking about his book:

Thanks to the author for sending a copy of his book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: The Settling Earth By Rebecca Burns

THE SETTLING EARTH
A Collection of Short Stories

By: Rebecca Burns

Published: December 16, 2014

Publisher: Odyssey Books

Fiction/Historical Fiction/Short Stories



Ten short stories are woven together through settings and characters around life in New Zealand. Each story is very character driven as we are given a peek into their lives and what brought them to this place. Many of the stories share sacrifices and mistakes made. A few will fill you with sadness. One story even uses a mythical creature to carryout the character's final moments. The final story is written by a guest writer, Shelly Davies. She brings in the Native American piece and builds upon one of the previous stories, tying them together.

Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read.  Since I read this on my kindle, it wasn't as easy to flip back and forth and remind myself of certain characters. You may want to keep a list of characters from each story as you read, since many appear again.  Women are the main focus in each story, but there are strong male characters as well, although they will likely make you angry.  Burns writes in a way that you can feel the anger, despair, and solitude of the women's lives.

"She would brush the memories of today into a pile, not to be disturbed..."  

"She wanted to tell him everything, to wipe away his questions with her spit."

I can't really say that I had a favorite of the stories, but I found "Dottie" to be one that I am still thinking about. In "Dottie" a lonely widow becomes a place for unwed mothers to leave their babies, hoping to return with they can get back on their feet. Unfortunately, there are no babies when they return. "Dottie" tells the story of a woman who tells herself she is doing a good thing, a baby fighting back against her destiny, and a community who can't believe the kind of woman she was.

If you like short stories or historical fiction then I would expect you to enjoy this collection. It is a quick read, but you could also read each story at your leisure, especially if you keep a list of characters.  The stories are a bit depressing, but you will be able to find a slivers of hope.

About the author:
Rebecca Burns is an award-winning writer of short stories, over thirty of which have been published online or in print. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2011, winner of the Fowey Festival of Words and Music Short Story Competition in 2013 (and runner-up in 2014), and has been profiled as part of the University of Leicester’s “Grassroutes Project”—a project that showcases the 50 best transcultural writers in the county. In November 2014 she won the Black Pear Press short story competition with her story, "Seaglass".

Rebecca's debut collection of short stories, "Catching the Barramundi", was published by Odyssey Books in November 2012. In March 2013 it was longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Award.
The Settling Earth is Rebecca's second collection of short stories. For more on Rebecca Burns, check out her website, http://www.rebecca-burns.co.uk/.

If you would like to purchase a copy of THE SETTLING EARTH, click the photo below:

Thanks to the author for sending a copy of this book for review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase a copy of this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having a pay a cent more for your purchase. Thank you for supporting SincerelyStacie.com.