A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories

Posted on August 30, 2019September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories (1994) by Robin McKinley

This is a re-read for me, although like so many books, I had hardly any memory of the stories. There are five stand-alone tales included in the book. The first four are of an old-timey nature, including hints of magic and fantasy. The last, “A Knot in the Grain,” is the story of a modern teenager. While not a book I feel compelled to own, the tales were quite enjoyable and hard to put down. My favorite, “The Healer,” tells the story of a young woman who is a healer without the ability to speak. When a stranger shows up who is able to communicate to her telepathically, Lily is thrilled, and the beginning of a romance ensues.

Matchmaking for Beginners

Posted on March 3, 2019July 17, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Matchmaking for Beginners (2018) by Maddie Dawson

It is so rare that I read a book for adults. This is probably because A) I use reading as an escape, so I don’t want to hear about adult difficulties, and B) There are SO many adult novels out there, that I usually have no idea where to begin to find a book I’ll like.

After a few suggestions of 2018 releases, and a couple ones that just weren’t for me at this time, I finally fell into Matchmaking for Beginners. And while it does cover “adult” topics like failed marriage, death, infidelity, and tragedy, I still managed to zip right through it.

Elderly Blix Holliday is a bit of an eccentric and the “oddball” of her extended family. She meets the young Marnie, her grandnephew’s fiancé at a family gathering and immediately connects with her. While Marnie is a bit unsure of herself at the time, both women find out they can sense people’s energies and use it to find good love matches for other people. Not so great at love matches for herself, however, Marnie’s doomed marriage ends during the honeymoon. She sets about trying to piece her life back together in her childhood home. Meanwhile, Blix is dying but hasn’t mentioned it to her family. When Blix unexpectedly leaves her Brooklyn home to Marnie, instead of family, everyone is surprised. Marnie has no intention of staying in the home, of course, but during her time in Brooklyn she becomes involved in the lives of those around her, finding herself in a role of helping others find love, including herself.

While I wouldn’t say that matchmaking is the central theme of this novel, despite what the title says, I found myself glued to the story and unable to stop myself from starting new chapters way past bedtime. A very enjoyable read, even if it is a book for grown-ups. =D

Stargirl

Posted on October 26, 2018September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Stargirl (2000) by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl is a homeschooler come to join the ranks of a typical American public high school. Nobody at the school knows what to make of this free spirit in her flowing long skirts with her ukulele serenades. Leo Borlock is smitten, but he also hates drawing attention to himself. As Stargirl’s popularity at the school ebbs and flows, she continues on, unfazed, sharing acts of kindness, rooting for both teams at the game, and, of course, breaking into spontaneous song and dance. Her passion and individuality leave the student body speechless, mesmerized, angry, and puzzled.

This is a re-read for me and a favorite. It speaks volumes–not just about high school life, but also human nature. Even amongst those who might fancy ourselves individuals or accepting of others, how many shun or ridicule people or ideas that are different? How many of us stand up for these different ideas or people if we know full well we might be thrown out of certain friendships or circles because of it? This is an awesome book for those in the middle of the teen years, but I think it’s also an important book for adults as well. I’m looking forward to re-reading the sequel now.

“She was bendable light: she shone around every corner of my day.” ch 20

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Posted on September 28, 2018February 20, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks(2008)
by E. Lockhart

Frankie is a sophomore at an elite boarding school. While she spent her first year there in some of the outsider groups rarely being noticed, her body has done a transformation over the summer and people, especially popular, senior guys, are taking notice. Frankie quickly lands a Senior boyfriend. But when she starts learning about some of his secrets, Frankie begins some pretty brilliantly planned secrets of her own.

Some people praise this book as a feminist story, while others are disappointed in Frankie’s priorities. Some people wonder why it was so important to Frankie to impress the guys, while others appreciate her cleverness over them and her commentaries.

I had to read some reviews before writing this, because, honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. I spent the first part of the book wondering why I was still reading it. The information covered is all very necessary for the story, but it all felt so “high school”—this person is dating this person, but used to date this person, and here’s a Friday night party… I kept reading though, because there was enough spunk to Frankie to keep my attention. And once her pranks began, I seriously zipped through the whole rest of the book without setting it down. Some of Frankie’s desires don’t seem to match up with her character. But I think it’s because her actions are so clever, because she is such an activist and is full of such feistiness that it’s easy to forget she’s still fifteen. Not that this book implies all 15-year old girls act a certain way about boys, but I like to think of Frankie two years down the road wondering why on Earth she was pining over Matthew and his crew in the first place.

All in all though, an engaging and fun book.

I Capture the Castle

Posted on July 18, 2018July 8, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I Capture the Castle (1949) by Dodie Smith

“Journaled” by 17-year old, Cassandra Mortmain, I Capture the Castle tells the story of the endearing and slightly eccentric Mortmain family. Although extremely poor, the family lives in an old English castle. At the beginning of the story, their lives seem destined to continue in the same manner forever, but things quickly change for them after meeting their new neighbors, The Cottons. From the lovely Midsummer’s Eve rites to the hilarious meeting of Simon and Neil, Cassandra captures everything and everyone perfectly in her “journal.” Her humanness and appreciation of life make me feel I’ve found a true kindred spirit. Cassandra takes on such a life of her own that she really feels like so much more than just a character in a book.

One review of this book says, “It’s as fresh as if it were written this morning and as classic as Jane Austen,” which sums up my thoughts perfectly. Full of humor, surprise, romance, family, and self-discovery, I Capture the Castleranks as one of my all-time favorite books. I read it at least once a year, and it’s a treat every single time. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

(I refuse to see the film version, of course, as I feel Cassandra (Dodie Smith) has done such an excellent job capturing life at the castle that I see everything very clearly played out on the pages, and I couldn’t bear to ruin that.)

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Anne of Green Gables