A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

 

I'm not going to lie, this one was hard to get through! But I finished it! Honestly, at first I thought I was going to have to set it aside, but I truly wanted to finish what I had started. I had a hard time grasping what was happening at the beginning of the book. I'd think oh, I see, and then I'd be lost again. I even resorted to reading different synopses on the book so I could get a better handle on what was happening. By the end, which was sad and yet kind of beautiful, I grasped more of what was going on. What I am finding as I read these classics is that the writers of those time periods wrote characters that were very passionate and not afraid to show that passion to others. In this story Lucie shows her love and affection for her father who had been a prisoner for years. Lucie is portrayed as the perfect daughter and wife, almost a saint! The story takes place during the French Revolution. Admittedly I do not remember studying about this and had no clue what it was about. But once I read up on what the book was about things began to make sense. By the end I was following along nicely. The end...Oh my goodness. I even had a couple of stressful moments! The story was of love, vengeance, and self-sacrificing. I'm sure so much more, but this was my uneducated take on it. 

Two of the most famous quotes lines that most people recognize were the first lines of the book and the last lines of the book:

"It was the best of times,

it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom,

it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief,

it was the epoch of incredulity,

it was the season of Light,

it was the season of Darkness,

it was the spring of hope,

it was the winter of despair"

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

Such a sad ending, yet a noble ending for one character. 

This is the fourth book I have read mentioned in the book On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior. A Tale of Two Cities is in the chapter JUSTICE. A couple of quotes from that chapter:

"When the justice system becomes a form of entertainment, it surely is unjust."

"But excessive anger distorts justice, turning it into vengeance."

"It is not mere injustice that brought about the Revolution, but excessive, inhumane, and prolonged injustice."

"The novel's vision exposes the truth that prolonged systematic injustice inevitably bears the bitter fruit of violence."

A Tale of Two Cities is marked for reading by the grades 5th through 12th. I totally couldn't see any of those ages picking up this book and becoming engrossed in it. As I said at the beginning, I had a hard time trying to figure out what was going on and I'm a reader of classics and other literature. But, it might have been easier to understand if there had been a discussion group or class setting to hash out everything that was going on, so maybe, just maybe those grades might find the book interesting in those settings. 

Now for some lighter reading before I start the next book...

Theft of the Magi by Miranda Atchley

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

This holiday season, the halls are decked with thievery.

It’s Christmas, 1922, and Fiona Clery has visions of festive celebrations filled with family and friends dancing through her head. Yet when a string of thefts occurs within her apartment building, the chill of winter puts a damper on her yuletide plans. One by one, various items go missing from her neighbors’ flats. With the help of her friend Max Gillespie and her roommate Rose Ellington, Fiona investigates the thefts. Soon she believes she has the mystery figured out, yet when things take a turn, all her ideas are called into question.

And as Christmas day approaches, Fiona and Max struggle to find gifts for one another. Money is tight and both wish they could find just the right present. Under Rose’s guidance, each believes they’ve found the perfect gift, though it will come at a price.

MY REVIEW:

I enjoyed reading this Christmas story and the author's nod to O. Henry's story The Gift of the Magi. Fiona once again puts her skill for solving mysteries to good use. I love her willingness to help her neighbors and her generous heart. If you love to read Christmas stories right before the holidays then I encourage you to check this story out. It isn't a full-length novel, but perfect for a quick Christmas read just in time to get you in the mood for Christmas. While it may not be necessary to read the first two books in the series, you might want to check them out as all of the characters in this book are fleshed out more deeply in the first two full-length novels. Oh, and once again I have to point out the cover art on this series! I love it!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Miranda Atchley is a history enthusiast and complete bookworm whose passion for books and times gone by have compelled her to write several novels, one of which was a finalist for an indie writing award. When not writing at her home in Arkansas’s Ouachita Mountains, Miranda loves getting lost in a good book, spending time with her dogs, watching period dramas, and learning about her favorite period in time, the 1920s. Visit her blog at: mirandaatchley.blogspot.com

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Once Upon A Punchline by Holly Schindler

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Amazon description:

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…

you were a child. And fairy tales were delightful stories that insisted life wasn’t scary and overwhelming, but magical and sweet. Oh, there were happy endings galore—not to mention plenty of helpful godmothers and wands locked and loaded with life-changing sparkles.

Come on—admit it! That was pretty great.

Now, you’re an adult. And let’s admit this: adulthood isn’t quite as swell as you’d once hoped it would be.

What if you could explore this (ahem) more mature era of life through the same rose-tinted magical lens of a fairy tale?

Once Upon a Punchline is a humorous collection of stories—a little bit parody, a little bit fable, a little bit allegory—and a whole lot of laughs, all aimed at poking fun at the silliness in this era of life called…

adulthood.

MY THOUGHTS:

I found Once Upon A Punchline to be very humorous. I loved how the stories, written in fairytale style, had a lesson to learn. They were entertaining, humorous and thought-provoking.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

In the story Freewheeling:

"The thing is, we're all meant for something." 

I loved this story because it reminded me of a passage in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27. In Freewheeling Spoke Ann is a spoke in a bicycle wheel. She decides to jump off one day and finds how disastrous that is and how much she is needed on that wheel and how much she needs the others. Just as in the Bible passage, we all have a gift and everyone is different but we are all one body. 

"We're meant to be together." 

I loved Spoke Ann's discovery that we all have a job and we are meant for community. A great message in the story!

In the story The Flyover:

"Don't you know the greatest love affair most people have is with stuff?" 

A sad truth! This is a story of people mourning the loss of things. Very sad, but pretty truthful.

In the story of To Be Frank:

"That's how it always goes. One day, you're in your prime, and the next__The old man gestured toward the hill, the crest of which was now behind Frank." 

Ack! Before we know it we are "over the hill" Sigh...FACT!

In the story Princess Karen and the Ogre:

"The thing was, Princess Karen was afraid" 

Ahhh, the crux of why some people act the way they do...fear. I loved this story even though I hate the calling of someone a "Karen." I happen to have a sister named Karen and she is the least "Karen" that I have ever met. But, back to the story...Karen has slowly become a demanding and cranky and ugly princess and doesn't even know it until she meets an ogre apparently stalking her. I love the lesson that this Karen learns.

In the last story Once Upon a Punchline part 2:

"So many others had agreed with her that waiting in the tops of family towers was actually as useless as wearing glass slippers (they chafe, in case you were wondering, creating blisters the size of ox testicles)."

This made me laugh! 

"I don't know about you, Esperanza said, but I have no grudges against men. Why, my own royal family has plenty of not-half-bad princes. There still have to be more than just a few males out there who do, in fact, have an intrinsic value far greater than being gator food." 

I liked the fact that there wasn't a big "men-bashing" scene in this story. The princesses that decided to be on their own didn't hate men, they just chose a different life than other princesses. 

FURTHER THOUGHTS:

All in all Once Upon A Punchline was entertaining, educational and a delight to read! I think that maybe Princess Karen and the Ogre may have been my favorite of all the stories. I enjoyed the lessons and the word pictures of real life. A fun read!

It's a Mad, Mad Murder by Cindy Vincent

 

Maddie Montgomery is a famous mystery writer, mother of two and a widow. Now she is going to have to be an indie author. But no worries, her son has her covered on that front. When Maddie's overly-secretive neighbor Spencer Poe asks Maddie to look into another neighbors mysterious death Maddie can't help herself. Poking here and there Maddie discovers that her neighbors are not all sweets and sunshine! Dealing with jumping into the dating world again, solving mysteries in her writing and in real life, being harassed by her HOA, and keeping a constantly starving teenaged son well-fed, Maddie rolls with the punches and gets the job done.

I truly enjoyed It's a Mad, Mad Murder. I loved the humor of the main character and her ability to stand up for herself. Go Maddie! I enjoy when an author has pets in their stories and Maddie's cats Ellery and Agatha were perfect for offering comfort and an ear to listen. I was surprised at the who-done-it reveal but it was perfect!  I can't wait to read more about mysterious Mr. Poe! I really am going to enjoy this series!

Marriage Can Be Mischief by Amanda Flower

 

I love The Amish Matchmaker Mysteries! I especially love Millie and Lois! They are at it again trying to solve a murder. This murder occurred 40 years ago and of course the Sheriff has no interest in resurrecting the crime. I hope that we learn soon why he is so against the Amish. Millie's goats are up to their normal antics! They make me laugh. I love Amanda Flower's cozy mysteries because they always make me laugh along with bringing some anxious moments when the killer is just about to be revealed! A great addition to the series and as always, I'll be waiting for the next one!

Goodness and Mercy by Debbie Viguie

 

What a thrill ride! I mean un-put-downable. Except I had to keep putting it down because I was so stinkin stressed out! Author Debbie Viguie sure knows how to write suspense. And not just a scene here and there, she keeps the readers heartbeat and blood pressure raised until the very end. And I'll tell you what, I finished the book this morning, but I am still hanging out with Joseph, Geanie, Mark, Traci, Jeremiah and Cindy trying to process, calm down, and figure out what the heck is going to happen next! 

The series is winding down and things are starting to come together, but there are still many loose ends and many questions of who can be trusted and how do the pieces all fit together. Plus I am hoping that ultimately we will get to see Cindy and Jeremiah get married, but I'm afraid they are going to have to survive more attacks and more murders and maybe even betrayal. Five more books to go and as much as I hate waiting for one to come out, I know that when they do they are going to be excellently written and full of excitement! 

Night Prey by Susan Sleeman

 

Malone is at her high school reunion. She has too many bad memories of high school to be there. Especially where Junior is concerned. But when Junior tells her that he has some information about her parents' death Malone is curious and goes to meet him in a separate ballroom. Just as she is about to hear the information Junior has, someone guns him down and conveniently frames Malone for the murder. Ian is at the reunion also. A crush that Malone had when she was in high school. He is now a police detective which suits his personality of being her rescuer in high school. Now Ian has to arrest Malone for murder. Can the two of them prove that Malone didn't kill Junior? Was the information that Junior wanted to share about her parents the cause of Junior's murder or was there more going on in Junior's life? 

Night Prey is the last book in the Nighthawk Security series. While Malone isn't exactly a member of the Byrd family her brother is married to one so in Peggy Byrd's mind that makes Malone family! Malone has been featured in other Nighthawk stories and it was so good to have this book dedicated to her story. I loved how once again the Veritas Center and the Nighthawk gang surround one of their own and provide their services. Both Ian and Malone had pasts that had prevented them from becoming close to anyone they ever dated. Neither of them were prepared to act on the attraction they had for each other. I liked them as a couple but I did want to have a "sit down" with them and give them a "come to Jesus" talking to! Thankfully Peggy Byrd did that to Ian and got him thinking! Night Prey also had some exciting scenes of danger and suspense and the conclusion definitely surprised me. As always the characters had spiritual lessons to learn about trusting God with their fears, doubts and insecurities. I always love to see how they ultimately run back to the Lord and get back on track. A great conclusion to a fantastic series! Bring on the next series Susan Sleeman! I can't wait to read more about the Steele family!