Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion by Justine Tiu

Lynnie

craft

 

I am just learning to crochet, thanks to a couple of kits from the Woobles, so I heard they had a book and I wanted to look through it. Crochet Amigurumi for Every Occasion is a nice collection of projects with similar easy-to-follow instructions for those who are learning to crochet using their kits as well as others who have various skill levels.

I like that Justine Tiu offers very clear instructions, lots of pictures that show exactly what they are talking about for more complicated stitches, and QR codes that point you toward tutorials and references. While I have a few projects to try (& retry), I am definitely looking forward to making a few of the projects in this book and I'm glad to know that it's available as a reference when I get stuck as I continue my amigurumi journey.

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

Amy  

historical fiction

Five Little Indians focused on the lives of five indigenous Canadian people who had been sent to “Indian School”, stolen from their families without warning and sent to a Christian boarding school run by a violent staff. The resulting trauma to both the kids and their bereft families was significant.  Those kids who made it to age 16 were sent out into the world, with no real life skills and no tools for finding their long-lost families. They all struggled to support themselves and find their footing.

Michelle Good’s novel was a tragic one.  The protagonists handled life after the school differently, some better than others. All were haunted by their childhoods at the hands of the church clergy who ran things. Some of them were able to connect with other former classmates who became their family. The terrible stories about the abuses these kids lived through were painful to read. But there was hope for their future and many of them found some resources to aid them in stabilizing their lives.

These Canadian “residence schools” were horrible. The tactics employed to force the native Canadian children away from their homes was inexcusable. And the abuses these children suffered at the hands of adults charged with caring for and educating them was criminal. Many kids never made it out alive. These facts were already known to me but reading about these five examples really brought attention to this dark part of Canada’s past.

I attempted to listen to the audiobook first but I could not take the narrAAAYtion!  The narrator was wooden and made the last word of every phrase emphasized and the vowel sound drawn out and brEEEathy.  It was so annoying I couldn’t even pay attention to the stOOOry.  So I abandoned it after about 30 minutes and waited for the library’s e-book to arrive. 

   

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

Amy  
Lynnie

women's fiction

Sam is literally forced to wear Someone Else’s Shoes when she accidentally grabs the wrong bag from the gym locker room and has no time to return before her business meeting. The shoes in the bag she grabbed are Louboutins’, neither fitting her style nor her bank account. But she finds that she is treated differently while wearing them. And they make her feel more powerful. Meanwhile, the Louboutins’ owner, Nisha, discovers the mistake at the same time that her uber-wealthy husband abruptly throws her out of his life, leaving her with no way to purchase new clothing and no place to stay.

Amy's Review

Jojo Moyes is back! I hadn’t loved the last novel she wrote because it was lacking her trademark wit and charming characters/situations. This crazy story was just what I’d hoped it would be. I had such fun listening!  I was rooting for both Sam and Nisha. And all the other characters were perfect. But Moyes sure did put her poor protagonists through the ringer! I loved the threads of female friendship, support, and encouragement and was so pleased with the way things turned out.

The audiobook narrator, Daisy Ridley, was terrific. She had a huge repertoire of accents (including an amazing American accent, which was especially appreciated since I’d recently heard a couple non-American narrators with poor ones), was a fantastic voice actor, and brought the story to life. One thing that confused me was regarding the few song portions in the novel. Ridley failed to sing You Are My Sunshine but then later sang part of hymn. Further on, she did sing the first line of You Are My Sunshine when it again appeared in the novel. That was a disappointing inconsistency since singing narrators are a personal favorite of mine. But I still give her an A.

Lynnie's Review

I generally enjoy Moyes' writing (having read several of her other books, most notably, Me Before You and its sequels, One Plus One, and Paris for One) and Someone Else's Shoes was no exception. Distracted and in a hurry, Sam Kemp grabs Nisha Cantor's similar-looking gym bag by mistake and of course, shenanigans ensue.

Neither of them could have predicted that would be the day that Nisha's life would collapse around her and she would be stranded with nothing; not even the clothes she had on when the day began. Nor could anyone have predicted what a change in footwear would do to upend Sam's own perspective on the life she was quietly leading. As their stories progressed, I was eager to see how they would eventually come together- because it was clear that was where things were headed- and Moyes did not disappoint.

A book about female friendship, believing in your own worth, and the power of a good shoe. What more could a woman want? I listened to the audiobook during a road trip and Daisy Ridley did a wonderful job bringing all of the characters to life. I was very impressed with her variety of voices and accents- I would listen to her narrate any day. A+ from me.

   

The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain

Amy  

historical fiction

In 1944, Tess is on the cusp of marrying her long-time sweetheart. But her life plans are dramatically changed after a fateful night resulting in an unexpected pregnancy.

After the Prologue describes a tragic event, Chapter 1 begins at a chronologically earlier time. The story unspools from there. It was a wise choice for Diane Chamberlain to put this event first, giving me a reason to keep reading to find out how Tess reached that point.

I really liked the story of The Stolen Marriage. Chamberlain is a terrific story teller and all of her tales are different. This one had a fun fantasy aspect but the rest was entirely realistic and the setting and characters of 1944 North Carolina came alive with the realities of segregation and war rations. I believe this was the first novel I’ve read which dealt with the polio epidemic about which I’ve never known more than the basic outline.

The narrator, Susan Bennett, has read all the other Diane Chamberlain audiobooks I’ve heard and she was wonderful as usual.  She has a great repertoire of voices and accents and is a talented voice actor as well. I give her an A.

   

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Amy  

fiction

Franny lives in a future world where the animals of Earth are mostly extinct due to human carelessness.  Fish are hard to find in the sea and very few birds still take to the skies. She has an innate need for adventure and travel, never able to stay in one place for very long. She is passionately studying the migrations of the last Arctic Terns from the northern end of the globe to the southern end and manages to talk her way onto a desperate fishing vessel heading south. But Franny has a mysterious past. She has been long-separated from her husband, a famous ornithologist.

It started slowly. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but decided to stick with it due a good friend’s recommendation. Migrations definitely has a slower pace than I normally like to read. But the story was well-built and the mystery of Franny herself pulled me through the novel. Charlotte McConaghy hopped between Franny’s current and past, revealing new bits of information about her little by little. She would drop an interesting tidbit and then the reader would wonder about it for many chapters before a background passage would solve the mystery.

McConaghy’s world building was clear and I often felt cold while reading about the frozen environments in which Franny and the crew resided. I could practically smell the saltwater on the ship. As a character, Franny had extreme aspects. Early on, she explained that she had inherited her need to keep moving. She was impulsive, brave, stupid, careless, lonely, obsessive, and resilient. I disliked her much of the time, not yet understanding her motivations, but then she would do something honorable and worm her way into my good graces. It is a story centered around guilt caused by death and destruction.

The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, was spectacular with wonderful voice acting and an astounding vocal repertoire including a ton of accents. A+!

   

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Lynnie

sci-fi

 

I've read a few books by Blake Crouch (Dark Matter and Recursion) and have enjoyed them, and Upgrade lived up to my expectations. Logan Ramsay has history. He's the son of the world's most famous (and infamous) geneticist, and he shares responsibility for the death of millions. As humans have begun to truly understand and take control of genetic material, and therefore evolution, a new government organization- the Gene Protection Agency- has been created to ensure his family's mistakes aren't repeated. As one would expect, they fail spectacularly and mayhem ensues. 

Once again, Crouch has created a compelling story, based on a just-plausible-enough idea. His characters are likable, unless they aren't supposed to be, and it's easy to root for Logan as he tries to figure out what's happening to him and stop the destruction of humanity.

Filled with action and ethical dilemmas, fans of sci-fi and Blake Crouch will enjoy the ride.

 

 

In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber

Amy  

magical realism, women's fiction

Cora Bee, who has survived an ugly divorce and serious car accident, is now living back in her hometown next door to her Great Aunt Glory. Since Glory raised Cora Bee’s mother, she views Glory as a grandmother figure. Meanwhile, Glory’s long-lost granddaughter, Emme, has recently been found (her mother had left town with Emme when she was an infant) and has accepted Glory’s invitation to “come home” to meet her family.

As with Heather Webber’s other novels I’ve read, this one follows her formula.  (Check out my review of South of the Buttonwood Tree for my summary of her formula features.) This sweet tale is about family ties, overcoming hurdles and obstacles, second chances, and self-empowerment. It’s a feel-good story.

Since Webber’s books have similar themes, I'm finding it increasingly harder to come up with unique reviews about each one. In the Middle of Hickory Lane is definitely its own story with its own characters but the underlying plot points are all the same as the other Webber novels I’ve read. I will say that this is my second-favorite of the ones I’ve read. I found the characters’ situations to be realistic and I loved the elements of magic in this one as well as the resolutions.  However, I’m not sure whether I’ll read any more of her novels due to too many similarities.

The audiobook was narrated by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, the team that has also narrated the other two Webber audiobooks I’ve heard. Again, I give them an A for a job well done.