#XXIX
Title: Esther
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: 7/25/09 - 7/28/09
No. of pages - 5

This book, too, is part of my Bible Study which also asks us to read some of The Writings from the Apocrypha. Esther falls into this group of books. Smith tells us about Esther and the Feast of Purim. “With the temple now completed, the people of Israel are free to go about the job of recultivating the land and reconstructing other buildings in the cities. The resettlement process is laborious, and it will take another 60 years to restore the level of civilization that the nation once knew.

“During this time Darius has thoroughly subdued Egypt, but, as with Israel, has permitted life in Egypt to go on pretty much as usual. When Darius dies, in 486 B. C., he is replaced by his son Xerxes I. Xerxes does not share the tolerant policies of his father and grandfather. He offends the Egyptians and Greeks through repressive measures, and offends even his own countrymen by his high taxes and destruction of a statue of the god Marduk. It is not known what kind of relationship Xerxes has with Israel at the outset, but it does not appear that he has any particular animosity against the Jews. There are still many Jews in his own country and, although they do have enemies there, no official opposition is apparent.

“If Xerxes is the king referred to in other records as Ahasuerus (and there is considerable disagreement on this issue), then it is during his reign that one of the most fascinating stories in all of Jewish history takes place. It is a story of intrigue at the royal palace in Susa. There is plot and counterplot. There is suspense and danger, and unexpected twists of fate. And the final undoing of the villain is delightfully ironic. It is such a wonderful story that it should not be ruined by any preview. Suffice it to say that it takes place over a period of four years (presumably beginning in 483 B. C., the third year of Xerxes’ reign), and features a beautiful Jewish girl whose Persian name is Esther, her father-figure Mordecai, his wicked enemy Haman, and the king himself.”

#46
Title: The Horse You Came In On
Author: Martha Grimes
Genre: Detective Mystery
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, Book-a-Week, Seconds, Fill in the Gaps, Read Your Own Book, Genre
Rating: B -
Published: 1993
Dates read: 6/16/09 - 7/26/09
Number of pages: 371

From the back cover, “The murder is in America, yet the call goes out to English police superintendent Richard Jury. This is only the first unique aspect of a case that would try the keen talent of Scotland Yard’s sleuth. Accompanied by his aristocratic friend Melrose Plant and by Sergeant Wiggins, Jury arrives in Baltimore, Maryland, home of zealous Orioles fans, mouth-watering crabs, and Edgar Allan Poe.

“Amid a puzzling scenario of literary larceny, dubious descendants, football franchises, and monstrous murder, Jury bends elbows with a delicious and suspicious cast of characters who introduce him to the delights of the city. And as the evidence of the murders he’s been sent to solve becomes too tangled to understand, Jury finds answers -- and liquid refreshment -- at a unique tavern called The Horse You Came In On.”

As Sue Ann Wood from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch puts it -- “Grimes is an accomplished writer. She knows how to hold the reader’s interest in her characters.”

#XXVIII
Title: Zephaniah
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: 7/24/09
No. of pages - 2

Smith tells us “With a child for its king, the nation of Judah does not yet have the governmental leadership it needs for spiritual renewal. Spiritual leadership must come from older men; therefore one of the young king’s distant relatives is called into God‘s service as a prophet. Zephaniah, like young King Josiah, is a descendant in the fourth generation from King Hezekiah. Zephaniah’s mission and message is the same as that of the prophets before him -- bringing judgment against immorality, injustice, and pagan idolatry -- and yet his central theme I the coming of ‘the day of the Lord.‘ In one sense, the day of the Lord is coming rather immediately for Judah, when it will be destroyed because of its sins. The day of the Lord is also coming for all the nations which have oppressed God’s people. In another sense, the great day of the Lord is coming at the time when God will bring judgment against all the wicked. In each sense, the day of the Lord will be accompanied by salvation of God’s faithful remnant. But it is God’s terrible judgment against the unrighteous that really calls Zephaniah to his ministry, apparently between 635 and 625 B. C. “

#XXVII
Title: Nahum
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: 7/22/09
No. of pages - 2

“It is about 650 B. C. -- some 50 years,” according to Smith, “after God’s miraculous destruction of Sennacherib’s army. Sennacherib returned from that defeat, in disgrace, to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. When he was assassinated in 681 B. C., he was followed by his son Esarhaddon, who reigned for 11 years. (It may have been during Esarhaddon’s reign that Manasseh was first taken captive and then released to be a puppet king back in Judah.) Esarhaddon is succeeded (in 669 B. C.) by the barbarous Ashurbanipal, who takes his army deep into Palestine and Egypt in 663 B. C. and destroys the Egyptian city of Thebes (No-Amon). The hallmark of the Assyrians at this time is not merely military success but ruthlessness and cruelty. They take great pride in maiming their enemies, and even boiling them in tar or skinning them alive. If the veneer of civilization is thin, Assyria is clearly the last fiber of humanity.

“These atrocities are particularly disappointing in view of the fact that, only 125 years before, the people of Assyria had responded penitently to preaching of Jonah and had been the recipients of God’s mercy. Perhaps it is because the Ninevites have not shown appreciation for his mercy that God now display his wrath. While Manasseh is bringing about reforms in Judah, Nahum prophesies against Judah’s archenemy, Nineveh, and predicts her fall.”

#XXVI
Title: Nehemiah
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: 7/19/09 - 7/21/09
No. of pages - 9

“While Ezra is proceeding with the revitalization of the law in Israel,“ Smith says, “a man soon to be his closest associate is back in the Persian palace at Susa in the position of the king’s cupbearer. That may not sound like a probable stepping-stone to political greatness, or even a very noteworthy position at all, but considering the fact that many kings have met their deaths by poisoning, being a royal cupbearer is a position of great trust. The man who holds that position in Artaxerxes’ house is a Jew named Nehemiah. The relationship between Artaxerxes and Nehemiah is evidently much closer than one might normally expect. It is both a compliment to Nehemiah and a good insight into the character of Artaxerxes.

“It has been some 14 years since Artaxerxes authorized Ezra to lead the second group of exiles back to Jerusalem. In the interim, the further construction of the city and its wall has been hampered by a number of problems, apparently including sabotage by those who wish to see Israel remain weak. Israel’s principal opponents are certain secular-minded and fearful nobles, as well as Sanballat and other leaders of Samaria, who still harbor resentment from the time that Zerubbabel refused their help in building the temple.

“Now, in 445 B. C., a report of this delay comes to Nehemiah through one of his brothers who has just arrived from Palestine. The report so upsets Nehemiah that Artaxerxes notices his sadness and inquires as to its cause. When Nehemiah explains his concern, Artaxerxes agrees to appoint Nehemiah as temporary governor and commissions him to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. It takes little time to see that Nehemiah is a man of action. He immediately travels to Jerusalem, assesses the situation firsthand, devises an ingenious plan for working on the wall, sidesteps his opponents, and completes his primary mission within six months of receiving his commission from the king! “

Once “the wall has been completed, it occurs to Nehemiah that the city is too large for the number of people inhabiting it; it would take a larger population to defend it properly and to maintain it. Therefore, Nehemiah first reviews the record of the initial group of exiles to return and then devises a plan by which 10 percent of the population of Judah and Benjamin will be asked to move into Jerusalem. The record begins with some administrative details.

“Once settled, the people are called together for a reading of the law on the first day of the civil year. Ezra, Nehemiah and the Levites spend long hours reading and interpreting the law. When the people mourn for all the sins they have committed under the law, they are reminded that it is a festival day to be celebrated. And the people soon join in the reinstitution of the Feast of Tabernacles, which commemorates the Israelites’ living in tents during the wilderness wanderings.

“Some three weeks later the law is read again, and the people respond with a great national confession and a written covenant with God. Truly it is one of the finest hours in the history of God’s people. Perhaps the years of exile have served to purge much of the rebelliousness of earlier generations.

“Nehemiah continues to govern Israel over the next 11 years, and then, in 432 B. C., at the of his term of appointment, returns to Artaxerxes in Susa. “ He probably reports on his work and plans to dedicate the wall which he was so instrumental in building. Artaxerxes grants permission to celebrate and dedicate the wall, the latter of which is done after the sins of the people are corrected. These happy events are recorded.

#XXV
Title: Isaiah
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: A
Dates read: 6/23/09 - 7/21/09
No. of pages - 43

“During Uzziah’s reign,“ Smith tells us, “and in the year immediately following his death, perhaps the greatest evangelistic prophet ever known to God’s people begins an active ministry which will last some 40 years. Isaiah will do for Judah what Joel, Hosea, and Amos have done for Israel: he will tell the people about God’s judgment against religious formalism, idolatry, oppression, immorality, and pride, and also warn them of the captivity they are about to face. Throughout his prophecies Isaiah repeatedly refers to the final day of the Lord, when all people will face judgment like that being brought against Israel and Judah. The imagery is exciting and visionary. Isaiah also looks forward to the coming of the Messiah and Savior, who will redeem all mankind from their sins. For this reason, much of what Isaiah has to say will be as meaningful to future generations as it is to those who live in Judah at this time.

“Isaiah’s message begins with a condemnation of Judah’s many sins. He insists that Judah’s sins will bring severe punishment, from which neither Judah’s idols nor its leaders can save the people. He challenges the people to come to their senses before it is too late, and to look forward to the last days, when there will be a spiritual renewal and everlasting peace.“

Also during this time Jotham who rules following Uzziah “assumes full control and … Isaiah receives a vision in which he sees himself in the heavenly presence of God. Isaiah is told to go the people of Judah with a message which God knows the people will not accept. Nevertheless Isaiah is told to keep on preaching even until their rejection has brought them utter ruin.”

“Isaiah records the challenge made to Ahaz to King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel, and then relates his own peculiar exchange with Ahaz. God is ready to defend Judah despite her wickedness, and tell Ahaz to request a sign. This he arrogantly refuses to do. Isaiah then says that the Lord himself will give Ahaz a sign, whether he likes it or not. The sign evidently has nothing to do with the pending battle, but rather with the coming Messiah, or Savor. At first it appears that Isaiah is merely telling of impending political and military events: Assyria is bring destruction and, after some time, Syria and Israel will be captured. Assyria herself will then be destroyed, and a remnant of God’s people will be brought back to reestablish a Jewish nation.

“Laced throughout the narrative, however, are messianic prophecies. The Savior will be called Immanuel at his birth. He will be a descendant of King David, whose father’s name was Jesse. He will establish a kingdom and draw to himself a remnant of those who love God. And in the last days there will be justice, peace, and rejoicing in the Savior’s kingdom.

“Ahaz must surely consider Isaiah a crazy dreamer. He probably does not even begin to understand Isaiah’s message regarding the coming Messiah. Moreover, he does not have enough faith in God to believe that he could actually defeat Israel and Syria (and even Assyria, if necessary) simply by trusting God. Foolishly, Ahaz will trust his own military strength instead.

“So, having rejected God’s support and having ignored Isaiah’s warnings, Ahaz joins in battle against Pekah and Rezin. The historical account records the predictable results.

“ … Isaiah pronounces God’s judgment against several nations at this and later times … (which) begin to be fulfilled.”

#45
Title: The Trial
Author: Franz Kafka
Genre: Fiction
Challenges: 1% Well Read, 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, Fill in the Gaps, Support Your Local Library, Audiobook, New Author
Rating: A
Published: 1925
Dates read: 7/8/09 - 7/21/09
# of CDs/hours: 8/9
Read by: George Guidall
Translated by: Breon Mitchell

From the back cover, “If Max Brod had obeyed Franz Kafka’s dying request, Kafka’s unpublished manuscripts would have been burned, unread. Fortunately, Brod ignored his friend‘s wishes and published The Trial, which became the author’s most famous work. Now Kafka’s enigmatic novel regains its humor and stylistic elegance in a new translation based on the original manuscript.

“Thirty-year-old Josef K., a financial officer in a European city bank, is suddenly arrested. He is subjected to hearings, questioning, and visits from officials. Defending his innocence against charges that are never explained to him, he watches his life dissolve into absurdity.

“Whether read as an existential tale or a parable, this haunting story stands out as one of the great novels of our time. Breon Mitchell, a professor of Germanic Studies and Comparative Literature at Indiana University, has received national awards for his literary translations. The renewed energy and power of this classis work are complemented by veteran narrator George Guidall’s superb performance. Publisher’s note, translator’s preface, and fragments are included on the final disc.”

This read like an allegory to me and really had me going as far as the absurdity of the hoops Josef jumps through to anticipate what the charges are, what kind of help his lawyer can give him, what advice others in a similar situation offer him. A bit of surrealism also exists when he refuses to ask directions to the “court house” or when he gets crammed into an airless room a couple of times and feels faint. I expect this is what it was really like in 1920’s Europe and earlier when people were charged with treason for some innocuous word they let slip. But even that isn’t alluded to in this story.

#44
Title: Moses Supposes His Toeses are Roses and 7 Other Silly Old Rhymes
Retold and Illustrated by: Nancy Patz
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, Book-a-Week, Seconds, Support Your Local Library
Rating: B
Published: 2007
Date read: 7/10/09
Number of pages: 26

From the front fly page, “From old American and English rhymes that have been told by parents to their children for generations, Nancy Patz has selected eight and retold them with wit, charm, and just a few changes that tickle her fancy. Some are nonsense rhymes, some tongue twisters, and some are funny poems about funny people.

To accompany them she has created wonderfully exuberant two-color drawings inspired by eighteenth and nineteenth century Pennsylvania Dutch hand-painted certificates called fraktur. The pictures capture to perfection the rollicking spirit of the rhymes, and the result is a lively book that children will love and chuckle over..”

This is a funny book for kids. The rhymes include Betty Botter, Sweetie Maguire, Dizzy McPete, Algie and the Bear, The Tooter, Mary and her Little Lamb, Esau and Kate and of course, Moses and His Toeses.

#XXIV
Title: Lamentations
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: (7/17/09)
No. of pages - 5

Jeremiah is probably the author of Lamentations and Smith tells us “It would be altogether reasonable for Jeremiah to gloat over the fall of Jerusalem. After all, he stood virtually alone in predicting its destruction, and suffered a great deal of persecution as a result. Now that his prophecies have come true, it would be natural enough for him to say ‘I told you so!’ But that would not be consistent with Jeremiah’s character. Like the God he serves, Jeremiah is grieved at the loss of Jerusalem and the scattering of God’s people. He is both angry and sad. He is angry at the priests and prophets whose sins made the destruction necessary. His angry at the nations which have either directly overthrown Judah or failed to come to her rescue. But mostly Jeremiah is sad. This weeping prophet, who so many times lamented his own sufferings, now lament the suffering of his fellow countrymen.

“ The poem expresses the many mixed feelings which this aging and weary man of God must have. Sometimes he speaks from a personal viewpoint about his own sufferings and persecutions; sometimes he voices the nation’s collective horror, grief, confusion, and yet hope. So poignant is this beautiful lament that even to this day it is read by these Hebrews’ descendants each year on the anniversary of the temple’s destruction. From a literary standpoint alone, the poem is a classic. Far beyond that, however, it is one of the most powerful and moving expressions of human emotions that one will even read, and it bears a timeless message which is nothing less than sublime.”

#XXIII
Title: Ezra
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: (7/17/09 - 7/18/09)
No. of pages - 7

Now we’re up to ca. 535 - 425 BC and a period of restoration with the first return to Jerusalem.

“The rise of the Persian Empire,“ Smith tells us, “will prove to be a real blessing to the exiled nation of Israel. Unlike the Assyrians and Babylonians, who believed in the uprooting of their captives, Persia’ policy is one of repatriation and maintaining the status quo of the political, social, and religious situation to the extent possible. The idea, apparently ,is that a happy people will be less likely to rebel. For that reason, as well as for the fulfillment of God’s promised restoration, a very important step is taken by Cyrus the Great in 539-538 B.C. He issues … (a) decree encouraging volunteers among the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.

“Imagine the excitement and celebration which must come when the news of this decree makes its way to the captives in exile! And yet there is an immediate dilemma. After over six decades away from their homeland, the people of Israel are pretty well entrenched in the Babylonian-turned-Persian society. Those who took Jeremiah’s advise have bought or built homes, begun businesses, and learned a new language and way of life. There is also a whole new generation of Jews, as they are now called, who have never even set foot in Palestine. Therefore it will take a real pioneering spirit to leave a prosperous situation for the desolation of the Palestinian landscape.

“ Despite the hard decision, over 42,000 decide to return under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, who is appointed governor. Relatives and neighbors give what they can to support the resettlement and reconstruction programs. Even Cyrus assists by returning the temple articles which Nebuchadnezzar had looted. All is set, and the great migration takes place in 538 B. C. Within two years, in 536 B. C., the initial resettlement has been completed and the foundation of the temple laid -- 7- years after the first deportation, in 605 B. C.! And yet, even as they get started, the people are met with opposition. Restoration will not come easily.”

#XXII
Title: II Chronicles
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: (5/12/09 - 7/14/09)
No. of pages - 21

As with I Chronicles I finished this book ahead of schedule because I’m doing another Bible study. II Chronicles runs concurrently (ca. 971 BC) with I Kings. It covers King Solomon‘s reign, building of and dedication of the Temple, construction of cities and royal palace and end of his reign. From 930 - 725 BC the Kingdom is divided with Israel to the North, Judah to the South.

According to Smith, “Just as Solomon experienced a rise to unprecedented heights of personal prosperity and security, only to fall victim to moral weakness and political conflict, so too his kingdom, in the hands of his son Rehoboam, is headed toward certain disaster. By attempting to levy even greater burdens than his father and apparently ordered in his later years, Rehoboam will cause rebellion among the people of Israel. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin will remain with Rehoboam, while the rest of Israel -- all the northern tribes -- will appoint a man by the name of Jeroboam as their king.

“Ironically, even under such a king as Rehoboam it is the nation of Judah which remains somewhat faithful to God. In the north, Jeroboam quickly leads Israel into idolatry, and over the next 25 years Israel will prove to be so wicked that even self-proclaimed prophets of God will be seen lying to each other. The Levites, and others who are righteous in Israel, are forced southward to join with the people of Judah.

“The division is permanent, and the fall is great, Civil conflict will last for years, as will wars with foreign enemies, who are quick to notice the vulnerability of this once-unified but now-broken people. And Judah, as well as Israel, will turn its face to idolatry.”

The once-powerful nation of Israel after 25 years of being divided into two kingdoms finds the character of each “fairly set for the remaining three quarters of a century. Judah, blessed with two good leaders in Asa and his son Jehoshaphat, will remain largely faithful to God. Both men will bring about reforms in Judah and reinstate appreciation for the law.

“In Israel, by contrast, none of the next seven kings will bring moral enlightenment to an idolatrous nation, and civil war will continue to divide God’s people. It is a sober reminder that God’s people will, through the ages, face division and strife when they forsake their God.

“Two of the most wicked people who ever lived just happen to be married to each other -- King Ahab of Israel, already described as the most e3vil king to rule Israel, and his wife, Jezebel, whose name even centuries later will be used to describe a treacherous woman. Ahab, however, is now seen in one of his best lights, as Israel is attached by the Syrians of Aram under the leadership of Ben-Hadad. In an effort to get Ahab’s attention, God gives him the victory, only to rebuke him for what is an uncharacteristically merciful act on Ahab’s part. King Jehosphaphat of Judah is also rebuked for joining in alliance with his northern brethren. Apparently the lesson to be learned is that God demands strict obedience even when certain acts seem entirely appropriate -- perhaps even righteous -- according to human notions. But God also shows his readiness to forgive a penitent King Ahab.

“God works so hard to get his people’s attention! Even when man is at his worst, God does not forsake him. In fact, it is frequently during times of spiritual crises that God shows his power most dramatically. Surely it is true for both Judah and Israel during the reigns of Jehosphaphat and Jehoram in the south and Joram in the north, for God brings wonder after wonder upon his people.”

#43
Title: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Author: David Wroblewski
Genre: Fiction
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, A-Z, Fill in the Gaps, Support Your Local Library, Audiobook, New Author
Rating: A+
Published: 2008
Dates read: 6/21/09 - 7/8/09
# of CDs/hours: 18/21.75
Read by: Richard Poe

From the back cover, “Author David Wroblewski‘s brilliant debut novel has earned an impressive collection of starred reviews and drawn glowing praise from established authors. After reading the book, Stephen King said, ’ won’t read another one this good for a long, long time.’

“In the remote reaches of northern Wisconsin, young Edgar Sawtelle and his family raise a unique breed of intelligent, companionable dog. Into this idyllic setting strolls Uncle Claude -- a charmer with a touch of menace. When Edgar’s father dies, Edgar and a loyal pack of dogs escape to the backwoods, suspecting Claude has committed murder. But no matter where they run, they cannot avoid the creeping hand of fate.

“Evoking Hamlet while remaining startlingly original, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is an immediate classic.“

I stayed up nights listening to this spell-binder, weeping at the tender moments, holding my breath at other times so enraptured was I. Then I went back and re-read/re-listened to the prologue. Because this is book my f2f group will discuss later this month I wanted the book as well. It helped, too, when the tracks of the CD were unintelligible to have the book handy to fill in the blanks. And I learned how to pronounce Chequamegon (Shoe wam a gun) which is a real National Forest as is the town of Mellon.

#42
Title: Babies Don’t Eat Kimchee
Author: Nancy Patz
Illustrator: Susan L. Roth
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, Book-a-Week, New Authors, Support Your Local Library
Rating: A
Published: 2007
Date read: 7/3/09
Number of pages: 22

From the front fly page, “When a baby sister comes along, it seems she is just too little for anything! Will she ever be big enough to play? To whisper secrets? To eat Kimchee? Will she always lie there? Scream for no reason? Be so helpless and little? When a baby sister is just TOO LITTLE to do anything, what’s her big sister to do but wait and wait and WAIT … and dream about what’s to come.”

Again, this is a story that pulls at your heart strings and shows how special it is for a big sister to get a new baby sister and fantasize in Roth’s brilliant reds, oranges, greens and blues.

#41
Title: Clara Caterpillar
Author: Pamela Duncan Edwards
Illustrator: Henry Cole
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, Book-a-Week, A-Z, New Authors, Support Your Local Library
Rating: A
Published: 2001
Date read: 7/3/09
Number of pages: 30

From the front fly page, “Clara is a cute cabbage caterpillar. But to Catisha, who is catty and crimson, Clara is only a common caterpillar with no hope of becoming a colorful butterfly. Sure enough, Clara comes out cream colored. And during an encounter with a hungry crow, Clara proves that being colorful and conspicuous doesn’t compare with being common, content, and courageous.

Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole’s comic and compelling alliterative collaboration is captivating!“

I loved reading this book to my granddaughter if we only got through the first have, if that. Like Aesop’s fables, there is more than one moral to the story - one of which could “A friend in need is a friend indeed”.

#40
Title: Me With You
Author: Kristy Dempsey
Illustrator: Christopher Denise
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, Book-a-Week, Read Your Own Book, New Authors
Rating: A+
Published: 2009
Date read: 7/3/09
Number of pages: 27

From the front fly page, “Here is a special twosome. From tea time to game time, in singing or swinging, in the good times and even the grumpy ones, too, this granddaughter knows her grandpa loves her. Indeed, they are ’ pair beyond compare.’

“With simple rhymes and delightfully charming illustrations, Me with You celebrates the sure love that comes from a grandfather and grandchild who dare to be ’completely themselves’ with knowing that together -- they are even more!“

A friend who works in a children’s book store gave this book to my husband this Father’s Day. Not only does she have good taste in books but intimately knows our family. We all adore her. The story is so fitting of a grandpa and his granddaughter and the illustrations are perfectly perfect.

#39
Title: The Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Genre: Fiction
Challenges: 100+, Read and Review, Pages Read, A-Z, Fill in the Gaps, London 2012, Around the World, Support Your Local Library, Audiobook, New Author
Rating: A
Published: 2001
Dates read: 6/8/09 - 7/2/09
# of CT/hours: 11/8 1/2

From the back cover, “Barcelona, 1945 - Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, and a boy named Daniel awakes one day to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world. Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a book that will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the book he selects, a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact he may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Before Daniel knows it, his innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love.

“An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller’s art.”

Amen! I really liked the way this book started and ended and most of the parts in between. I loved that Daniel’s life paralleled Julian’s and that in the end …. Oops -- don’t want to give away the ending. You gotta read this if you’re a book lover. And even if you’re not.

#XXI
Title: I Chronicles
Book: The Daily Bible in Chronological Order 365 Daily Readings, New International Version (NIV) with devotional insights to Guide You through God’s Word.
Commentary: F. LaGard Smith.
Genre: Religion
Challenges: 100+, Read & Review, Operation Actually Read the Bible, Pages Read
Rating: B
Dates read: (3/30/09 - 6/26/09)
No. of pages - 21

I finished this book ahead of schedule because I started a new Bible study, Disciple (Under the Tree of Life) which includes I and II Chronicles in The Writings portion of the study. I Chronicles runs concurrently (ca. 1011 BC) with I & II Samuel, and all the way to the end of the Old Testament. I Chronicles also covers the genealogies from Abraham, Judah, including David and Solomon, tribes east of the Jordan, and the Levites, tribes of the north, descendants of Benjamin, people of Jerusalem after the exile, death of Saul, David anointed king, bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, psalm of praise, God’s covenant with David, David extension of the kingdom, census and plagues, preparation for building the Temple, Levites and their duties, division of worship heads, military division, civil officials, and Temple personnel.

Following the genealogies, according to Smith, is “a record of the people of Jerusalem, but the specific time, either before or after the exile, is not entirely clear. It does seem to correspond most closely, however, to similar listings in Nehemiah’s accounts. “ If so, they are of the families living in Jerusalem at the very time that these national archives are being compiled.