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Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: A Thanksgiving S.O.S.
1:36 PM
I love Thanksgiving, so I always make a point not to decorate for Christmas or even listen to carols until after the turkey's been eaten. While I was taking my Sunday nap the other day, however, my husband set up our Christmas tree (ostensibly to see if the new lights he bought for it looked good or if he needed to return them—uh huh). With the tree up and lit, I've had to succumb(ish) to the start of the Christmas crazy (I do love Christmas, just not too early), so I'm officially changing over to the holiday Top Ten Tuesday banner. It's festive and fun, so there you go.
Today's TTT topic—Books to Read If You Love/Loved X (X can be a genre, specific book, author, movie/TV show, etc.)—is one I've been looking forward to, even though it's had me wracking my brain for the perfect topic. The one I came up with is a little...grim, especially considering we're in the season of gratitude, merrymaking, comfort, joy, and so on. Still, it's one that always appeals to me for some strange reason. Call me morbid, but I'm going to go with Top Ten Books to Read If You Love Stories About Maritime Disasters. Honestly, I don't know why I'm so fascinated with this subject. Something about catastrophe striking in the middle of the sea and people trying to survive in such desperate circumstances just intrigues me.
Before we get to that, though, I encourage you to join the TTT party. It's a fun way to spread some love across the book blogosphere, discover new sites, and—of course—get some great reading recs. Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the info.
Top Ten Books to Read If You Love Stories About Maritime Disasters
1. The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf—Of the many books I've read about the Titanic, this is the one that stands out most in my mind. It's a haunting novel-in-verse that's engrossing and memorable.
2. Dead Wake by Erik Larson—One of my favorite reads of 2021, this non-fiction account tells the story of the Lusitania from the perspectives of not just its passengers and crew but also from that of the operators of the U-boat which torpedoed the ocean liner.
3. Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood—I recently reviewed this middle-grade book, also a verse novel, which is about the S.S. City of Benares, a luxury ship that was torpedoed while ferrying young WWII evacuees out of London.
4. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys—I'd never heard of the M.S. Wilhelm Gustloff—a re-purposed German pleasure cruiser that was packed with civilian war refugees from East Prussia when it was attacked by a Soviet sub in 1945—until I read this gripping YA novel.
5. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White—This dual-timeline novel features three intriguing narrators, two of whom are passengers on the Lusitania when it sinks. It's an engrossing, twisty, and absorbing read.
6. On a Cold, Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell—Told from the alternating perspectives of three women who are huddled together on Lifeboat 21 watching Titanic sink, this novel is more about their lives before and after the disaster. Still, it tells an intriguing tale.
7. My Last Continent by Midge Raymond—When a marine biologist doing research in Antarctica receives a distress signal from the boat carrying the man she loves, she launches a rescue mission that will require her to risk everything in order to save him.
8. Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan—Although I didn't love this novel, I did find it interesting. It concerns Pulaski, a luxury steamship that runs into trouble when an onboard explosion interrupts its journey from South Carolina to Maryland. I'd never heard of this 1838 disaster before, so the book made for interesting reading.
9. The Midnight Watch by David Dyer—Another Titanic story, this novel focuses on the Californian, which was positioned only a few miles south of Titanic when she went down. Although crew members saw the doomed ship's distress rockets and subsequently woke their captain assuming he would order them to go to her aid, the man simply returned to bed. Could he have saved hundreds of lives if only he had acted instead of going back to sleep?
10. Endurance by Alfred Lansing—Okay, this is a cheat since I haven't actually finished Endurance. Yet. I started listening to it on audio, but soon realized it was so detail-filled that I wanted to read it instead of listening so that I wouldn't miss anything. I'm hoping to tackle it soon as I find the story of the Endurance, which became trapped in polar ice in 1915 stranding its crew in deadly circumstances, absolutely fascinating.
There you have it, ten (well, nine) books about maritime disasters that I enjoyed and highly recommend. How about you? Do you enjoy reading these kinds of books? Which would you suggest I check out next? What's on your TTT list today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Friday, November 12, 2021
1 Tiny Baby + 1 Big-Hearted Nurse = A Powerful, Personal Historical Novel
8:51 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
1926—As a nurse working in the adrenaline-fueled, male-dominated field of emergency medicine, 24-year-old Althea Anderson is used to taking orders from the doctors, obeying their commands without question. When another premature baby dies at her hospital because a physician determines it to be "God's will" that only the strongest infants survive, Althea can no longer stay quiet. She knows tiny babies are being saved every day at nearby Coney Island. Yes, they're on public display, another lurid attraction to entertain gawking tourists, but the admission fees are used to employ nurses who cuddle and care for the children, giving them a chance to not just survive but also thrive. "Doctor" Martin Couney's medical credentials might be a bit murky, but Althea knows he's working miracles with his boardwalk babies. Althea's superiors scoff when she suggests sending their newest struggling infant to Couney, so she takes matters into her own hands, changing the course of her life—and the baby's—forever.
1950—While Stella Wright isn't sure she wants children of her own, she pours her heart and soul into nurturing the students she teaches in her special education class. School administrators believe the kids aren't worth the effort; Stella is determined to prove them wrong. By day, she battles for their rights while by night, she helps her veteran husband fight the demons that haunt him night after night. When her beloved mother dies, Stella is wracked with grief. A curious letter found among the dead woman's things mystifies Stella, sending her on a puzzling journey into her mother's past. As old secrets are revealed, she learns shocking truths about her mother—and herself.
Because of my experience with premature birth, I have always found Martin Couney's work fascinating. I've never read a novel about the subject, so I was keen to give Armstrong's a go. The Light of Luna Park features sympathetic characters who are admirable for their kindness, compassion, and bravery. Althea is likable, while I had a harder time with Stella, although she did grow on me as her story progressed. As usual with dual-timeline setups, I enjoyed the past story in this book better than the present one. Still, both are compelling in their own way. Plot-wise, it's obvious from the get-go how the novel's two storylines are going to merge, but that really doesn't make the tale less engrossing. There are a few holes that make the story less believable. On the whole, though, The Light of Luna Park is an engaging, thought-provoking novel that brings to light an interesting piece of history most people probably don't know about. Even though I knew the basics, I still found the novel to be a fascinating, enjoyable read.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards as well as books by Susan Meissner and Diane Chamberlain)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, disturbing subject matter, and mild sexual content
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Love Christian Historical Fiction? Check Out This Giveaway!
1:12 PM
Lark recommended this series on her blog. I'm so glad she did as I am loving it! I enjoyed the first two books and am looking forward to the third. Since some of you have expressed interest in the series, I thought I'd share:
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Regina is celebrating the end of her American Wonders Collection series
with a huge giveaway! Check out her note, series, and giveaway below.
Note from the Author
I’m
so excited for the conclusion of my American Wonders series! I have
always loved the wonder and majesty of our national parks, in part
because my father introduced me to them. He would have been tickled with
A View Most Glorious, set on Mt. Rainier, because that was his
mountain. We hiked or camped on it nearly every weekend when I was
growing up, and I live 45 minutes from the gates of the national park
today. In celebration of the release of this third volume, I’m delighted
to offer this prize pack, with each of the books in the series in
paperback, a collection of nine vintage-style postcards from the parks
featured (the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Mt. Rainier), and a poster
that speaks to the heart of the story: The best view comes after the
hardest climb. May all your views be glorious!
—Regina
—Regina
A View Most Glorious
(American Wonders Collection #3)
By Regina Scott
Christian Historical Romance
Paperback, E-book & Audiobook, 368 Pages
October 5, 2021 by Revell
Reluctant socialite Coraline Baxter longs to live a life of significance and leave her mark on the world. When her local suffragette group asks her to climb Mount Rainier to raise awareness of their cause, she jumps at the chance, even though she has absolutely no climbing experience. If she can do it, any woman can do it. And after her mother issues an ultimatum--that Cora marry the man of her mother's choosing if she is not successful--Cora must do it. But she can't do it alone.
Noted mountain guide Nathan Hardee initially refuses to help Cora, but has a change of heart when he sees what is at stake. He knows enough about the man Cora's mother has chosen to know that the headstrong young woman should have nothing to do with him, much less marry him.
Climbing Rainier will require all of Cora's fortitude and will lead her and Nathan to rediscover their faith in God and humanity. These two loners make unlikely partners in righting a wrong and may just discover that only together is the view most glorious.
(Affiliate links included)
Other Books in the Series
(Linked to Amazon affiliate links)
About the Author
Regina Scott started
writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know
it, she didn’t sell her first novel until she learned a bit more about
writing. Since her first book was published, her stories have traveled
the globe, with translations in many languages, including Dutch, German,
Italian, and Portuguese. She now has had published more than fifty
works of warm, witty historical romance. Regina Scott and her husband of
more than 30 years reside in the Puget Sound area of Washington State
on the way to Mt. Rainier. She has dressed as a Regency dandy, learned
to fence, driven four-in-hand, and sailed on a tall ship, all in the
name of research, of course. Learn more about her at her website.
Tour Giveaway
Ends November 19, 2021
Tuesday, November 09, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Five Fictional Favorites, Ten Great Quotes
12:32 PM
One of the many pleasures of reading is coming across great quotes. I love skillfully-crafted paragraphs, vividly-described passages, and cleverly-worded dialogue. They thrill me, truly, but I'm not good at remembering them or writing them down, which makes TTT topics like today's—Top Ten Memorable Things Book Characters Have Said—a bit difficult. So, I apologize in advance because the quotes I'm sharing today are very well-known and most of them will probably appear on other people's lists. Also, I had to Google all of them so if they're incorrect, you know who to blame!
Want to join in the TTT fun? Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Memorable Things Five of My Favorite Book Characters Have Said
Atticus Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”
Jo March
Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott
“I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.”
“I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle--something heroic, or wonderful--that won't be forgotten after I'm dead. I don't know what, but I'm on the watch for it, and mean to astonish you all, some day. I think I shall write books, and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream.”
Albus Dumbledore
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Anne Shirley
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
“Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.”
“The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and storytellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.”
Hermione Granger
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
"Books! And cleverness! There are more important things—friendship and bravery."
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