The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart, 494 pages

  I first read and liked this book as a high school student, and the time finally presented itself for me to reread Mary Stewart’s Arthurian saga. Hooray! The Crystal Cave is book one of four (followed by The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, and The Wicked Day).

  Thirty extra years of my own life between readings of the series brought me a deeper appreciation for the story, so it was worth the reread.

  As an old man, Merlin reflects on his life, narrating his own story beginning when he was six-years-old. The Crystal Cave is about Merlin himself, how he comes to understand who and what he is and what his role in the kingdom will be. The story is full of mystery and great story telling  with not as much magic as one might expect. 

  Book one ends with Arthur’s conception, which, of course, means the story has barely begun. Even as a re-read, I can’t stop here. Onto the next book I go!

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, 368 Pages

I had to read All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda after recently reading The Perfect Stranger, also written by Miranda,  last week. I had high expectations because I enjoyed her other novel, and every review I read said that it wasn't even close to being as good as All The Missing Girls. This book did not disappoint. It had me on the edge of my seat, and I actually stayed up last night just so I could finish this one. This is also unique, because the story is told in reverse, so it gets you hooked from the very beginning. 

Nic has returned home to help her brother, Daniel, fix up their childhood home. Their father is in a nursing home, suffering from dementia, so they are forced to put the house they grew up in on the market to pay for his care. Nic left her hometown and started a new life for herself after her best friend, Corinne, went missing when they were in high school and basically everyone around her was a suspect. Shortly after returning to Cooley Ridge, another girl goes missing in very similar circumstances, and Nic finds herself not only caught up in the current investigation, but also trying to cover up secrets from her past. 

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, 203 pages

I saw a movie preview for "A Wrinkle in Time" and thought I better read this classic children's book that I missed reading when I was actually a child.

The book begins with the cliche, "It was a dark and stormy night" which made me giggle.  I missed out on a lot of great books when I was a kid because I didn't think I liked science fiction and fantasy.  You live, you learn.

This is book one in a five volume series.  Kids, adventure, space travel and a little magic.  Great fun!

An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation by David A. DeSilva, 975 pages

  Yes, I read reference and text books when I can make it happen. Do you? If so, you'll probably be happy as I am to explore the library reference shelves.

  This text was written as a resource for Christian pastoral preparation and was used heavily in a seminary class I took. It took me five years or so, but I finally finished reading it in full, hand in hand with simultaneously rereading each book of the New Testament as needed to best understand the content. 

  As with other similar handbooks, this resource examines each New Testament book separately. DeSilva uses the socio-rhetorical interpretation model of exegesis aiming to explore how the words and texts spoke within and to their original contexts. Four chapters precede the examination of each New Testament writing: the New Testament as Pastoral Response; The Environment of Early Christianity-Essential Landmarks; The Cultural and Social World of the Early Church-Purity, Honor, Patronage, and Kinship; and The Four Gospels and the One Jesus-Critical Issues in the Study of the Gospels. Each chapter focusing on a book of the New Testament ends with a section relating the New Testament book to ministry formation. Photos, maps, footnotes, and four indices all add value to this learning resource.

  This textbook has already been and will likely continue to be one solid resource from which I draw as I continue to learn, teach, and serve in various aspects of ministry.

The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley, 558 pages

  Until I read this book, I wasn’t even aware that I had never spent any time wondering anything at all about Greenland. Now I have.

  Yes, the book contains ice, snow, details about the geography of Greenland, and hardship. It also contains tales about ships with people visiting from the European continent, bringing goods to trade and news from their world. But mostly, the book kept me engrossed in the drama between rival families over the course of a few generations, the escapades of Roman Catholic priests in all their imperfect humanity being transplanted to a foreign land, and the story of a woman who earned a life-sentence of exile because she followed her heart rather than custom.  

    I enjoyed the adventure of reading about people living in 14^th Century Greenland. The personalities and actions of Asgeir Gunnarsson and his family and the Catholic priests in-residence were memorable and have come to mind every now and then for the last four months or so since I reached the end of this story.

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani, 256 Pages

There was SO much talk around this book, so I was extremely anxious to read it... and then extremely disappointed after reading it. This one just didn't do it for me. All of the excitement happens in the first chapter, and then the rest of it is just very dull suspense, without any twists or shocking moments. 

Myriam is a mother of two, who finds her life at home with her children very boring. When the opportunity arises for her to go back to work as a lawyer, she jumps at it, even though her husband isn't 100% on board. They decide against daycare, and start searching for a nanny. They are absolutely thrilled when they hire on Louise; the kids love her and she goes above and beyond for the family. But, they quickly realize that there's just something off about Louise. She loves this family so much and desperately wants them to accept her as one of their own, but also seems to harbor lots of jealousy and hatred toward them. A shocking event verifies the family's worst fears about Louise. 

Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks, 512 pages

  After hearing Gwendolyn Brooks read her poetry in person aloud once in her 72^nd year of life, I learned to listen for her voice as I read her poems. Blacks contains a large selection of her work from 1945-1971, poems vividly depicting particular black people with lots of interesting, individual characters in particular settings doing particular things characteristic of themselves . . . like word video portraits. I own this volume and return to it now and then . . . always glad to spend a little time with a former Poet Laureate of my home state of Illinois. Gwendolyn Brooks was an admirable woman of words and remains so beyond her lifetime thanks to her poetry.

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda, 337 Pages

The Perfect Stranger was the first book I've ever read by Megan Miranda, and I wasn't disappointed. This was one that I didn't know what the outcome was going to be until the very end, which I really enjoy, because I read so many books in this genre that I've gotten pretty good at guessing what is going to happen next. 

Leah Stevens was a journalist in Boston, when a story that she published blows up in her face. Restraining orders and potential lawsuits ensue, and she is forced to leave the place she calls home. She runs into an old roommate, Emmy, whom she hasn't seen in over 8 years. Emmy suggests that they relocate together, and they quickly find themselves in a small town in Pennsylvania. Leah is settling into her job at a local high school, when a woman is found on the verge of death by the lake near Leah's house. On top of this, Leah's roommate, Emmy, is missing. As everyone in town tries to figure out what happened, Leah tries to find Emmy, and she begins to question who she was living with. 

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins, 386 Pages

I'm torn on how I felt about this one, honestly. I really loved The Girl on the Train, so I had extremely high expectations.. and unfortunately, this just fell flat. I think what bothered me so much about it was that it had so many different characters, and the story flips back and forth between each one, so it was hard for me to follow and keep track of who is who. 

Nel Abbot was found dead in the river near her home, which has been the setting of similar deaths, including that of her daughter's best friend, Katie. Nel grew up obsessed over the information about these deaths that took place in this body of water, referred to as the "Drowning Pool". Nel leaves behind a teen-aged daughter and a sister, whom she hadn't spoke to in years. Secrets start to unravel, and everyone realizes that there may be more to these deaths than what was originally seen. 

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman, 304 Pages

This is an absolutely hilarious tale of the politics that come with being a "class mom". If you are like me, and are currently drowning in PTA meetings, carpool lines and elementary holiday parties... READ THIS BOOK AND FIND THE HUMOR IN IT ALL! 

Jen Dixon is a mother of three- she has two daughters in college and one son in kindergarten. She reluctantly signs up to be the class mom for her son's class after some persuasion from her best friend, who happens to be the head of the PTA. None of the other parents seem to understand, or appreciate, her snarky sense of humor and seemingly do everything in their power to make her job more difficult than it already is. Throw in a nutty teacher, a huge age gap between Jen and the rest of the parents, and an old high school flame, and you've got plenty of drama and laughs to keep you entertained.