Unexpectedly, Milo by Matthew Dicks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was given to me by my aunt years ago as part of a family book exchange, and I had never started it before now. The character Milo will stay with me for quite awhile because he made me think about the distinctive pop from and grape fragrance when you open a jar of Welch's grape jelly; I searched for a Youtube video of Nena singing, 99 Luftballons, and I wondered what movies I might watch repeatedly for reasons of my own.
My favorite quote from the book is, "All of this encouragement to be yourself and find your own way was meaningless to those beyond the curve of normality."
I recommend it to readers who enjoyed Turtles All the Way Down.


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The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




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The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawana Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ebook was downloaded for free from Barnes and Noble in 2012. It is historical fiction, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy reading books in this genre for entertainment. It is also Christian fiction, just enough for characters of the period and to move the story along.


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Shining City by Tom Rosenstiel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This ebook was the Jan 2019 Serial Reads selection from Barnes and Noble. I have difficulty knowing how much progress I should take credit for each day. At first I thought there were only 21 chapters. Then, the information said 57 chapters and I had to recalculate. I previously gave myself about 3 or 4 percent per day, and that is what I may do from now on.
Back to the book and why I give it three stars instead of 4: this last chapter feels more like a set-up for the next book than a satisfying conclusion. Most of the conclusion occurs in chapter 56.


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Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondō
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished listening to Marie Kondo's audiobook in 2015, and went through with my clothes, books, and paper before LIFE got in the road. I started reading this book on November 27, 2016, about the time my husband and I decided to consider selling our home of 40-years and downsizing to a smaller home. We donated or discarded things that we would not need in 2017 and used 2 storage units to hold stuff we imagined would be useful in our new home or stuff that was sentimental and I could not make a decision to let go. We moved into our new home in June 2017. We found homes for everything, even the "sentimental" stuff stored in boxes on shelving units in the garage. I loaned this book to two other readers during that time.
I started reading this again in Dec 2018 as I want to finish all the tidying up before our community has a May 2019 garage sale--even the sentimental stuff-- and let go of sentimental papers and other stuff that I no longer need in my present life as I make room for new hobbies and activities.
I highly recommend all readers read both books and follow Kondo's system. I also found helpful a Facebook group that invites members who have read the book and want to discuss their success or seeks answers to problems they encounter.


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Suckerpunch: Round One in the Woodshed Wallace Series by Jeremy Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is well-written, but I do not recommend it for anyone who cringes at MMA fights, or even WWE wrestling.


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True Places by Sonja Yoerg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the book but I took away a half star because I found myself disagreeing with the writer about how Suzanne and Whit behaved in parts of the book because I thought their behaviors were forced to make the story move along instead of what the characters might do.
This might make a good book for club discussions.


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All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I downloaded this free ebook into my Nook library from Barnes and Noble in Sept, 2012.
I enjoyed this memoir of a year of traveling in Latin America and hosting book club meetings with readers of Spanish translations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
I have been to three of the cities as a tourist, and that shared information made some of her memories more vivid in my own mind.
I recommend it to readers who enjoy Jane Austen's works and to readers who enjoy travel memoirs.


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