Preteen/Teen--
Tales of the Kingdom- by David R. Mains. My mom read this to us as a child. I remembered enjoying it. 35 years later I am reading it to my own kids.
It is a peculiar book... not particularly pleasant but full of Biblical allegory. My kids, age 11, 8, and 7 all understood much of the allegory despite being couched in difficult vocabulary and odd imagery. It is the story of a boy’s journey to die to his old self and trust the true King. We see characters who become lovely through the fellowship with the King. Sin is ugly and disturbing, but the King changes hearts and triumphs over all.
Not as I remembered it as a child, but worthwhile for the discussions it provoked. 3/5
Beyond the Reflection's Edge- by Bryan Davis. I picked up this book for my 11 year old son who has been looking for new teen adventures to read. I knew this was labeled Christian fiction but wanted to check it out first. So glad I did.
The book is very, very unusual. I’m not normally a sci-fi fan so maybe there is some of that, but from the get-go the story starts with so much complexity and earthly impossibility that I struggled to even understand what was going on. Eventually (about 20 pages before the end of this 350 page book), I could piece most of the pieces together but still had a lot of unexplained, rather confusing bits. I felt there were just so many seemingly contradictory or unlikely descriptions or outcomes. The idea of parallel but intersecting dimensions in time in our earthly timeline was described in a very convoluted fashion. Especially since they were described at the beginning as completely independent from each other. Suddenly, at the end, the author is now describing the ripples that occur when events are changed (as most time travel stories concur). How they get transported from dimension to dimensions and what the mirrors do is never fully explained, and why sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t keeps it more confusing. It is also very complicated keeping track of who is dead in each period of time etc. And why do the same people in the different dimensions respond to evil or good differently? And why does the main character (Nathan) cement his platonic relationship with the other main character (Kelly) at the beginning of the book only to visualize making her his wife 3/4 way through— especially as a 16 year old teen?
And on that note, also so glad I preread it. It will not be passed along to my son. The first chapter describes an absolutely horrific, brutal murder. Not subtly either. I just skimmed because it was so terrifying. Suspect the murderer is supposed to be a vision of the devil but never clearly delineated. And then, there is the reference to the adultery going on with Kelly’s parents in several parts of the book. Not overt but also not subtle. Kelly herself has had a past and it is referenced as well— in overly descriptive words. The author seems to preach about the importance of keeping yourself pure but it is handled very unusually with such descriptions. Had it not been for some comments of raising our song of worship to God, I would have struggled to know this was a Christian book. And certainly a bit muddied in the area of good vs evil. Yes, the world can be sometimes too since we are still sinners living under grace, but I prefer books that represent the Christian message more clearly.
But because I hate leaving things unfinished, I will likely read the other two in the series in hopes of the bigger picture becoming clearer and the truth being handled more boldly. However, even if my son were older, I probably would not pass this book along. 2/5
Raiders from the Sea (Viking Quest #1)- by Lois Walfred Johnson. We read this as a read-aloud to my kids ages 11, 8, and 7, both boy and girls. They all enjoyed it. Probably best geared for ages 8-12ish. — the same age as all the main characters in the book. I found it a bit predictable as an adult but the kids loved the fact that each chapter ended with a “cliffhanger.” (As does the final chapter of the book). The book describes a bit about history (particularly the Vikings) and has a clear and uncomplicated Christian message. I bought this series for my 8 year old daughter and so glad I did. Some of the lessons in the book are: courage and bravery, sacrifice, and forgiveness. The heroine is young herself but takes heart in her faith despite her whole world being turned upside down. 4/5
Book Scavenger- by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. A book geared for pre-teens but I really enjoyed it as an adult. I love ciphers and puzzles so this book was right up my alley. Love the fact that this book has the underlying premise of a “book scavenger” game that may be purely fictional but is so genius that it’s hard to remember that it is just a made-up game. It is only a background element in this entertaining book but such fun. This book reminds me very much of “Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library.” And unlike most kid books, it wasn’t quite as clear who was the “bad guy” from the beginning— suspicious but not confirmed until a few others also fell under suspicion.
I also appreciated the worthwhile message of selfless friendship. The main character learns what it means to be a good friend— focusing on others first. I appreciated the way characters interacted with each other, including brother and sister. There were some initial tensions but they resolved and practiced kindness and loyalty to each other in a way rare in modern families and culture.
Overall, a very fun read! 4/5
Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book- by Jennifer Donnelly. This is a retelling of part of the story of Beauty and the Beast (pretty faithfully) but with the main plot being a different behind-the-scenes story.
Love and Death are sisters and place a wager that they will each win out in the case of Belle and the beast. Most of the story is based around Death’s deceptions as she tries to lure Belle into an imaginary fairytale land and attempts to keep her here. We learn later that this land isn’t imaginary at all, but rather that the beauty and pretenses were all false.
I loved this book! It was so thought-provoking with such spiritual undertones. While there was no mention of a Savior or Christ, if you replaced his name with Love, you could see the battle play out. Death brings nothing but bondage while Love sets her free. There was some discussion at the end about Belle “writing her own book” and not letting anyone else write it for her... which is humanistic, but otherwise the analogies are so vivid and spot on. Such a cool book. 4/5
The Gollywhopper Games- by Jody Feldman. I found this book through a “like this... then you’ll like this...” after reading “Book Scavenger.” I almost quit reading a few chapters in, but then I thought about how I couldn’t mark it as read, don’t want to read etc. and it was such a quick read so I continued.
The book is a rip-off of “Willy Wonka” with a bit of “Mr. Lemoncello” thrown in. It is not well written and quite juvenile. And further, not exhibiting the traits I want my kids to emulate. There is a lot of name-calling, bullying, gruesome images, and even sensual imagery of a teenager in her bikini in line for the competition. What??? Why would her parents even let this silly 15 year old dress like this in public in the middle of the city? The characters are all immature and rather dislikeable, including the “hero.”
And many of the puzzles in the book are far too complicated for most kids to solve, at least not until after the method is given. Oh, and I love, love, love puzzles of all types but didn’t really love these.
Overall, it is geared toward late elementary preteen age but I wouldn’t want my kids reading it. So many better choices out there. 2/5
Mystery of the Silver Coins (Viking Quest #2)- by Lois Wilfred Johnson. Another fun read aloud for my three kids— and my husband who pretended he wasn’t listening. This is the second in the series. The storyline goes back and forth between brother and sister in their own storylines. Both deal with anger and bitterness with God in the midst of extremely difficult times and seeing Him work differently than they requested. But God draws them back to Himself. Good spiritual lessons without being preachy. Each chapter ends on a cliffhanger which keeps you reading.
We are looking forward to starting the next one. 4/5
The Unbreakable Code- by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. A sequel to the Book Scavenger. Fine but not great. It did take me almost 2 months to finish this “teen” read because it never inspired me to read it. I also knew who the “bad guy” was from earliest mention of him. I do like how the author interweaves local history with the fiction. 3/5
The Puzzling World of Winston Breen- by Eric Berlin. Found this book from “similar to..” It is probably geared for preteens. The puzzles in the book are likely too hard for all but the best young puzzler though. I figured most out without checking the back, but I have lots of experience with puzzles and am an adult. The story is as much a tale of sibling relationship as it is a puzzling adventure. Not a “sweet” book and a bit more modern than I prefer but mildly entertaining. I gather there are more in this series although I don’t plan on investing more time in this series. Not a page-turner. 3/5
Christian Living--
The Gospel Comes with a House Key- by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. Part memoir, part self-help/inspirational book. I read this to be able to discuss with a friend.
The premise: an open-door policy for neighbors and strangers is an opportunity to share the gospel. Because of the family I grew up in, this is not a new concept. I did find the lengths to which she opened up her life thought-provoking. Would I be willing to do the same? And yet, I don’t know that everyone is called to such extremes but rather to live with intentionality and purpose exactly where God has put them— even when it isn’t always comfortable or when it requires sacrifice.
I did get confused with the moving back and forth from present day to past and back again. In fact, because of the lack of introduction, I didn’t pick up immediately on the fact that Rosaria, the pastor's wife, was the same person as the lesbian professor who was also the same person as the only child with a dysfunctional home life. As a purely inspirational book, I felt the main theme was a bit disjointed (less so as a memoir) I also felt like there was a bit of repetition in her stories and in drilling home her point. 3/5
Liturgy of the Ordinary- by Tish Harrison Warren. Not my favorite genre anyways but I really really struggled to get through this book. Thought I would have lots of little nuggets because I knew the premise, and it had come recommended. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t a new concept. Perhaps it was because it kept getting “heady over practical”. Perhaps it was because I had a hard time following the theme or even the thought process from idea to idea.
Whatever it was, I took one thought from it which really wasn’t new, but I having been mulling over. “When suffering is sharp and profound, I expect God will meet me in its midst, but in the struggles of my average day, I somehow have a feeling that I have a right to be annoyed.” This does prove so true for me. I can handle a flood (or two), infertility for years, medical diagnosis or job loss, but the daily struggle of parenting, homeschooling or loving my husband well is often all it takes to bring about a sinful, complaining attitude in me.
I wish there had been more development of this but I really struggled to understand how the pieces fit together if it was there. I did finish the book quickly but primarily so I could move onto a better book. 2/5
Competing Spectacles- by Tony Reinke. Probably would have given this four and half stars if allowed in Goodreads. If it weren’t for a few chapters that I struggled to grasp, I felt the book earned 5 stars.
God brought this book at just the right time in my life. What could possibly be more of a “spectacle” than watching the coronavirus go throughout the globe and the economy sink into major recession/depression all while martial law has ordered us to stay at home??? And perhaps even greater is the drama with which the media has blown it so out of proportion that is has now caused mass hysteria where you cannot even get normal staples in the grocery store? God used this book to convict me that I have let the quest to stay on top of this in the news be my “spectacle” and take the place of the best and greatest spectacle of all times— Jesus' life, death and resurrection!
Reinke's whole premise is that God provided Jesus’ death in an intentionally spectacular way and nothing should ever compare to that spectacle. We so often shift our focus in our zero-sum world where we have limited attention and time. We fill that attention with other things that, by default, take the place of the only true and satisfying spectacle. “The true scarce commodity is now human attention.” Modern technology only enables this.
Some good quotes: every time I see images, I should be asking myself, “what do these images want from me and who grows more powerful if I give it?”
“Sleep is the chief competitor” to Netflix and the like “Entertainment giants win when they can keep us binging into the night.”
“Praying without ceasing claims the momentary transitions in our day, the rare empty moments of silence and turns our attention on God Himself” vs giving those moments up to other entertaining spectacles.
He talks about worthless spectacles. They are worthless because they are “without profit” and “evil in the sight of God”. Why? Because “we are heirs of eternal, glorious wealth so our lust for any worthless thing is a direct offense against God.”
And we are then to not only turn away from worthless things but to embrace the eternal things. At the end of the book he talks about how it is not the spectacles themselves that have the power but we who give it the power through our attention. We are to intentionally turn to Christ for He has broken the bondage to the worthless things that draw our attention. He supernaturally makes our taste for Him sweeter than our appetite for other attention grabbers.
Such a practical book with no hint of being judgemental. 4/5
Grace is Greater- by Kyle Idleman. I struggled to tie the pieces together from this book. Yes, the common theme is Grace, but much of the book is talking about grace in forgiving others and then suddenly it switches over to God's Grace but in context of understanding pain etc. Didn’t feel the two concepts tied together too well without a missing transition. Perhaps a good read for someone who holds on to bitterness. I couldn't relate to a lot of the emotions though. Can’t quite pin it down, but not my favorite author. Felt a bit immature in places and not exhibiting the same humility I so admired in my last read. 3/5
The Ragamuffin Gospel- by Brennan Manning. Touted as a classic. Wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t find it as radically life-changing as Michael W. Smith (via intro) because so much of it I have already learned, but it was very thought provoking in parts. His premise-- we must become ragamuffins in front of the Lord to understand the gospel. It is not a study in self-discipline or anything we can do to improve. In that scenario, “God is a benign old spectator in the bleachers.” We are a beloved child, living by grace, set free to trust. Nothing can separate us from His love (not even covid-19). And when I find myself taking his mercies too for granted, ask for a sense of wonder. “Don’t cling to cheap, painted fragments of glass when the pearl of great price is being offered!” And “faith means you want God and want to want nothing else.” He is sufficient and the only satisfaction to our souls. 3/5
Biography--
Kisses from Katie- by Katie Davis. Started the first two chapters and then put it down while finishing other books. Wasn’t super enthusiastic about the book from that first cursory look. Katie is so young and seemed a bit immature— not that I was faulting her. The book was written when she is only 22 years old maybe?
But then I finally picked it back up again to finish it. Her repeated theme—Why is she so blessed when millions of others are dying and in such need? This message resonated with me a bit after our Harvey experience. Despite its significance, I felt that the first half of the book was a bit repetitive with this theme. Then, she picked up her life story and the story of those around her a bit more. I began to understand the depth of her sacrifice. But not as she would describe it. It is the reflection of God's love to those around her— not a sacrifice but a privilege and a response to One who gave all for her. My admiration grew as her transparency revealed the hardships of raising not always perfect children (14 of them), her inner struggle to add the extra burden of one who was disabled or needed extra care, her exhaustion of loving not only her 14 but 400 additional children and hundreds of neighbors, her willingness to love and touch even the most gruesome sick, her willingness to resign everything— including marriage— for the sake of Christ. And all at just 20 years old. The repeated theme for the second half struck me far deeper. All of this is beyond her. She cannot do it. She has no strength, she is not brave. It is truly only Christ in her that strengthens and provides. That brings joy and peace.
Very convicting to realize she did not take the easy path and her obedience led her to the seemingly impossible. What has Christ called me to do? 4/5
Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution- by Sally Humphries. Given to us by family heavily entrenched in the Sons of the American Revolution. They had heard the author speak at an event. I picked it up as an easy read with short chapters, reasonably big font and color pictures. However, I found myself reading it as quickly as possible just so I could finish it and move on to a different book.
The stories are ok although not super tightly written, but by about the third story, there is so much repetition from chapter to chapter that I feel like I am reading a disjointed book that was written originally as separate periodicals. I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt until later in the book there was reference to something as had been described “earlier in the book.”
On a good note, I did find some of individuals lives quite interesting— even if not altogether unsung. Reads more like a textbook and may use it for my son for school. Did find at least one typo. But I couldn’t help comparing this book to a similar style book by Glenn Beck, "Miracles and Massacres." His was far easier to read. 3/5
Becoming Kareem- by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I picked up this book because I had received it as a free audiobook several months ago, and my favorite genre is biographies. I am old enough to know Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s name but knew very little about him otherwise.
I almost quit reading this book early on but so glad I did not. The book was a fascinating look into the mind of many like him. He is obviously well educated and interestingly, as the narrator of the audiobook, bears little to no accent giving away his cultural heritage. He is a consummate liberal with a huge chip on his shoulder. I acknowledge that he is old enough to have lived through a period in American history where racism was quite more openly acceptable than now, but he is very openly mistrusting of whites and bitter toward how the blacks have been treated as a whole group, only rarely acknowledging the stereotypes are not universal truth. I can see how his life experiences would leave him bitter if he chose to be (which he displays, despite declaring otherwise). I can see why he felt disillusioned with the Catholic Church. He equates Catholicism with Christians. And with few exceptions blames the Christians as a whole of being hateful toward blacks. His storyline is the modern “black lives matter.” I gained so much insight into this mindset because of this book. His conversion to Islam was merely a denial of Christianity and a desire to fill his spiritual hole with something else. He chose Islam not because of its beliefs but because it seemed to him to fit his black culture best. I sorrowed that he did not understand the difference between the church as a whole and genuine Christians who still sin but strive to live and forgive others even as Christ does.
I did find it interesting to hear about Coach Wooden, his UCLA coach. After reading just a few interactions with Kareem, I googled Coach and his faith to discover that he was an outspoken Christian. Interesting that Kareem would have had such respect for him and unwittingly even have described him within the first few pages in such a way as to cause me to recognize his Christian walk. I hope, like Coach Wooden, I respond in such a loving way to others as to cause them to know there is something different about me. 3/5
The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg- by Nicholas Dawidoff. I picked this book up after reading the back at Goodwill. Sounded fascinating. The first chapter was rough going, but I continued to plow through. This biography is written in the 90s about a secretive man who was born in 1902. Therefore, it reads like investigative journalism rather than a cohesive story. The entire book is blurbs and snippets of conversations by individuals with Moe Berg... many of whom he spent time with briefly and very superficially. I picked up a bit of history in this account. And found the look into this man rather sad. As the author concluded in the last chapter, this is the story of a very insecure man who never felt like he measured up (particularly to his father). The author clearly doubts many of the stories or the significance of Berg's work, but he also notes that the directors in the OSS did obviously value Berg. A genius who was scared to expose his true self to anyone. A man who built up his stories to his benefit. Very reminiscent of Frank Abagnale from Catch Me If You Can fame. 3/5
Becoming Dallas Willard- by Gary W. Moon. I typically love biographies but this was not my favorite. Didn’t know anything about Dallas Willard before I read this. I love how his wife described him. She said she didn’t think she could marry him since he sat and philosophized non-stop. (That changed when he wrote her a love poem.) I felt a bit like that listening to the book. And most definitely wouldn’t have wanted to marry him! He is a deep thinker and even the description of his life required a bit too much mental strain at times. I agree with his concept that we are to live eternally for Christ today but after reading this, I would be interested in knowing more about his place in the conservative Christian world as a lot of his teachings sound quite mystical and a bit new age. 2/5
History--
Tear Down This Wall- by Romesh Ratnesar. This was another freebie audiobook. Wasn’t sure what to expect nor where the author stands politically.
The book details all the finer points of Reagan’s speech to Gorbachev “tear down this wall.” It started rather slowly. Gave a brief, very brief intro to Reagan. Guessing the author is not a huge conservative fan, but he did a good job all the way through the book of keeping it fairly unbiased and more like the rare journalistic article with facts rather than feelings. I pushed through so I could finish the book. I did find a lot of the history interesting because although I lived through this time period, I was too single-focused on my little high school issues half a world away to appreciate the details or ramifications. The book gives the glory ultimately to Gorbachev for his willingness to set a different course, a course that he knew would ultimately end in the death of the Cold War and the communist regime. 3/5
Business--
Eat That Frog- by Brian Tracy. Recommended by a blogger “friend” so when I found this book in my audible account (must have gotten free years ago), I decided to tackle it. Only 2 1/2 hours long in audio form. The author is a self-made man who has been successful and is teaching out of his “lessons-learned.” I found the book extremely well organized and easy to follow and apply. Each chapter is clear, concise and short. He also summarizes the whole book again at the end of the book. The “frog” could be defined as your most important work of greatest impact. He encourages the reader to do that work first— no matter how ugly it appears at first. His external quotes further enhance and illustrate his points. Lots of excellent application whether you are an employee, self-employed or simply a housewife. This book would have been five-star except that it is written from a purely secular perspective. There are times that his advice is worldly-wise but doesn’t take the eternal into account. God's ways are not always man's ways. Found this true, particularly when the author started defining success. But taken with a grain of salt and lots of prayer to follow Christ’s direction, the principles will most often apply to both Christians and non-Christians. One of the more manageable and application-centered business books I have read. 4/5
Fiction--
All the Crooked Saints- by Maggie Stiefvater. Selected because I had received the audiobook free months ago. Very different from my usual genre.
The book is a cross between a Hispanic tall-tale and didactic fable with moral. I found it unexpectedly thought provoking.
The tale is about a family and the pilgrims who live in a small town in Colorado. The Soria family has a saint who performs miracles on the pilgrims. But each miracle shows the pilgrim as he or she truly is with all their “darkness” exposed. Only a second miracle performed by the pilgrim themselves will reverse this darkened state. But even the saint himself ends up in darkness after breaking family taboos. This is the effort to end the darkness and save the lives of those affected. As a Christian, I found the allegory for sin quite vivid. But the solution, unfortunately, did not involve Jesus' atonement but rather man's own striving (occasionally accompanied by a nebulous external miraculous force) Nevertheless, some fascinating Christian principles and very well written. Unusual book but gave me a glimpse into Hispanic Catholicism as well as clear visual of the total depravity of man. 3/5
The Blue Rajah Murder- by Harold Macgrath. So sorely disappointed. We had happened upon this author years and years ago. Loved his books. This is the first I have read in many years.
The book is written in 1930– wholesome and old-fashioned, right? Wrong. Prostitution, drugs, bootlegging, murder etc. and the attitude of the main “heros” and “heroines” is so selfish. Perhaps mild by today’s standards— not graphically portrayed but nonetheless so secular and hedonistic. The author's other books often boast suspense, mystery and sweet romance. The mystery in this book is most often ruined the next page by explanation. The romance feels full of lust and without substance. The book is written in two parts. Almost as if it was originally two short stories. Each is a complete concept to itself although they do link.
And the beauty of old books is often the well-written prose. I found this book hard to understand with stilted sentences and curious illustrations.
Fortunately a fast read but such a disappointment. 2/5
****The Eighth Sister- by Robert Dugoni. This came as a recommendation. The book is thick— 450+ pages but it reads very quickly. The chapters aren’t long and there are multiple sections within a chapter. Add to that, the heart-pounding action in the first half of the book and it is hard to put down. I could feel my shoulders tense as I read it. The second half of the book is also interesting but more from a legal side than thrilling action. While this is not written from a Christian perspective, it is almost completely clean. The main character is loyal and admirable. And a big part of the book is his quest to tell the truth (and the truth will set him free— John 8:32– a quote from the Bible that he repeats regularly.)
Definitely will explore some other books by Dugoni. This one was one of my favorite fiction I have read in a long time. Looking forward to the second one coming out soon!!! 5/5
Mightier Than the Sword (Clifton Chronicles #5)- by Jeffrey Archer. Like the others, well written and definitely pulls you in. It is lengthy-400 pages- but flows well.
But this one started with a pretty graphic torture scene. Even though short, definitely not necessary. There was also far more sexual content: (Fairly discreet but very present) including adultery and living together prior to marriage. And like much of the modern world, the author has no qualms with these situations as long as it is done in “love.” And also, so descriptive of our current world— the politician who commits adultery, is a good candidate since his personal life shouldn’t have anything to do with his ability to do his job, right???
The book ends on a cliffhanger. I plan to finish the series with only two left in the seven book series, but this was by far my least favorite. I will be curious to see if it only gets morally worse. This series follows a family line through the ages. As our world has changed over the years, morality has definitely declined and immorality is now celebrated. I see this series as the natural progression of our modern world— what was once hush-hush, is now loudly and boldly shouted from the rooftops. 3/5
Cometh the Hour (Clifton Chronicles #6)- by Jeffrey Archer. No further comments. See below for disappointing ending of series. 3/5
This Was a Man (Clifton Chronicles #7)- By Jeffrey Archer. Unfortunately— I kept reading to the series conclusion. Not only does this book feel like it drags out the original story into unnecessary lines (and the main character is no longer the main character), but it became more and more modern and more and more amoral. To the degree that the main character Harry performs the “assisted suicide” of his beloved wife. What??! It deals with the free love of the 60s and open sexuality. Definitely not a sweet read. Very little suspense. This series is interesting and the books well-written but I recommend you stop about book 3-4. 2/5
The Kill Artist- by Daniel Silva. ** spoiler alert ** I first heard about this author in an interview of one of my favorite authors, Joel Rosenberg. Joel had read the 19th book in this series and loved it. Compared in style to his political thrillers. Never one to start in the middle, I decided to start at the beginning. The book plot was pretty fast-paced but unlike Rosenberg, the author is not a Christian. The book started with brief but rather vivid sexual exploit descriptions. Short enough to sort of gloss over but it picked up again midway through (the main antagonist was sadistic). What bothered me even more was that the main protagonist had had an affair years earlier and was toying with one again. Spoiler alert: big twist when you discover his wife isn’t dead. The book is a bit violent but no language (or almost none).
From past experience with favorite authors, I have often seen first books far racier than later ones that follow so figured he may have toned down by 19th book. Due to availability, I read the second in series right afterward. See below for review. 2/5
The English Assassin- by Daniel Silva. The second book in the series. Went into it hesitantly after previous experience with the first one. The author did have more brief graphic details (both torture and sexual encounters) but far fewer than the previous book. The plot was more fascinating as it involved actual history and the pillaging of Jewish artifacts by the Nazis and later the Swiss. Once again, there is a main female protagonist opposite Gabriel Allon. A different character than previous book. The attraction between them is never developed but so unnecessary— especially since we learned in book one that his wife is still alive.
Overall, better but I’m going to wait to read more until mom has given thumbs up or thumbs down on book 19 which she purchased. 3/5
