Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

 

This book has gotten LOTS of buzz.  Good job by the marketing team.

I kinda felt like this started as a short story and got stretched into a book.  There is a love triangle, a farm, a motherless boy and a childless mom, and old flame, and a mysterious death.  There are secrets and sacrifice, etc.  But honestly, nothing really new happens here.  I felt like maybe I had read this before, or that is a conglomeration of plots from other novels.  The writing itself is really good though - soft and flowing and sympathetic, especially to our main character.  But she does something pretty horrible without much backlash and that made me lose my liking of her.  In the end I think everyone is happy but it just seemed unreal to me.  Better if she had woken up in the last chapter and it was all a dream and now she is grateful for what she has.  Meh.

Born Lucky by Leland Vittert

 

This year my husband and I started watching NewsNation, mainly for Chris Cuomo's show.  Right after Cuomo there is a show called On Balance with Leland Vittert.  So of course we started watching that too.

I was not familiar with Vittert or his journalistic career.  But I remember thinking, ok, this guy is a bit different. He talks a LOT and oh I hate it when journalists interrupt!  And he has some great experience on the ground during wartime, as evidenced by his advertised newsletter, War Notes.  Ok, this guy must be pretty on it.

Then I learned he had written a book, and honestly, I thought, " Oh here we go again in Bill O'Reilly style, hawking his book as the best ever written".  But, when I heard the book was not about opinion, and about experience - LIFE experience - and that his experience included autism - well, that changed the narrative.

My husband gave me this book for Christmas (major points!!).  I of course received several other books for the holidays, but THIS is the book I fell into first.  It has been touted as a beacon of hope to parents with special children more than a Woe Is Me tale, and I definitely agree.  Most of what Leland writes is presented pretty factually, and he is not in the business of naming names except for those who helped him, not those who bullied him.  His parents gave him lots of tough love, keeping him in school throughout the bullying and never asking for accommodations for him nor giving him a label.  But they, and especially his Dad, also NEVER gave up on Leland, and NEVER showed any disappointment in him, only support.  Lots of support and time and listening, to prepare him for the real world.  If only all kids had that level of support!

His story is an important one.  Some people diss it because his dad was rich and had contacts that helped Leland.  But, this is what happened.  It is what it is, and Leland's singular focus to succeed is amazing.  This is Leland's story, and the star is the support he got from his dad.  A great read with anecdotes from his time in Libya, his rise in journalism, how he even got to journalism, his struggle to make friends, and even how he met his wife (they got married this summer!).  Highly recommend!

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

 

Yes, I was drawn in by the cover.

Yes, the fact that Reading a Book was part of the title made this an easy choice.

And, yes, I am very glad I picked this one up even though the title really didn't have anything to do with the story. This was just as much a story about found family than anything.  A bookstore is central to bringing all the characters together - the lonely retired widower; the book club leader; the ex-con; and of course the eclectic staff.  These people are all at sort of a new stage in life, and each are having a hard time adjusting to the new norms for varying reasons.  A few books are mentioned, but it is enough that we get insight into each character's "story," most of which are unexpected.  I will definitely put this on my book club's list for next year,  A story about second chances, acceptance, reading discussions and recommendations (poetry!!) and redemption.  Oh, and parrots.