Grateful Wed and Book Reviews

Welcome to Grateful Wed where we all count our blessings in the middle of the week! OF course, I have a countLESS number of blessings, so I highlight the ones of signficance to me on any given Wednesday.

I am grateful for the great teachers my children have. (Yesterday I dropped off my kindergartener at school, and as he scurried into the building, I wasn't sure if he was coming or going because HIS PANTS WERE ON BACKWARDS! OOPS! So I called his darling teacher (couldn't stop up the carpool drop off line by switching his pants then and there!), explained the situation, and when I arrived to volunteer later, he was straight!)

I am grateful for fabulous literature. In a down economy, we should all stay home and read lots of great books. Today I'll recommend a couple of new ones for your list.

I am grateful that my laptop still works after a little accident yesterday.

I am grateful for plans to meet up with Chautauqua friends in NY next month.

I am grateful for facebook reconnects.

Okay, time for some yummy reads!

First on my list, UNDER A WAR-TORN SKY by L.M. Elliott. This book is a treasure. Set in WWII, young Henry, a farmboy from Virginia, is a young pilot in his Air Force squadron. A gifted pilot, he's a leader and a level head in turbulent times. Then, his plane is shot down, he parachutes into enemy territory. Just when you think there are plenty of YA WWII novels, this one takes a fresh perspective and tells a riveting story. Its depiction of the French Resistance makes it a likely pick for teachers, as well. ANY READER will benefit from this story. I thoroughly enjoyed every word. Thanks, L.M. Elliott for a lovely addition to any library or reading list.

Now from a North Carolina author, CELESTE'S HARLEM RENAISSANCE. Set in Raleigh, NC and Harlem, NY around 1920, our winsome protagonist, Celeste, tearfully leaves her sick father and cruel aunt to go live with her favorite glamorous aunt in Harlem. While her aunt's life isn't exactly as she pictured it, she has wonderful brushes with significant historical characters and events throughout the story. It never feels forced or contrived, rather it is a natural, enjoyable immersion into the past where the reader falls more in love with Celeste on every page. Her aunt's character is well-written, as well, believeable and simultaneously annoying and endearing.

Happy Reading!