Cover of A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline on a ‘tropical forest green’ colored background | Image Source: Goodreads
RUSA SRC – Region #4 Northeast – Maine
3.85/5 Days prior to discovering this book, I saw Andrew Wyeth’s painting Christina’s World featured on a Facebook page I follow. Per usual, I read a little more about the work. Then, I saw A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline listed as a book set in Maine on The Book Girls’ Guide. Check out their post by clicking here.
Check out the Regional U.S.A. (RUSA) Tour by clicking here.
“From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash bestseller Orphan Train, a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion, and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s mysterious and iconic painting Christina’s World... “Later he told me that he’d been afraid to show me the painting. He thought I wouldn’t like the way he portrayed me: dragging myself across the field, fingers clutching dirt, my legs twisted behind. The arid moonscape of wheatgrass and timothy. That dilapidated house in the distance, looming up like a secret that won’t stay hidden.”… To Christina Olson, the entire world was her family’s remote farm in the small coastal town of Cushing, Maine. Born in the home her family had lived in for generations, and increasingly incapacitated by illness, Christina seemed destined for a small life. Instead, for more than twenty years, she was host and inspiration for the artist Andrew Wyeth, and became the subject of one of the best known American paintings of the twentieth century… As she did in her beloved smash bestseller Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline interweaves fact and fiction in a powerful novel that illuminates a little-known part of America’s history. Bringing into focus the flesh-and-blood woman behind the portrait, she vividly imagines the life of a woman with a complicated relationship to her family and her past, and a special bond with one of our greatest modern artists… Told in evocative and lucid prose, A Piece of the World is a story about the burdens and blessings of family history, and how artist and muse can come together to forge a new and timeless legacy.”
I found facets of A Piece of the World intriguing – such as Christina’s grandmother Mamey and the various seafaring journey taken by ancestors. Also, I appreciated the interactions between Wyeth and Christina. I liked learning more about life in Maine — coastal life, New England heritage, etc. Yet, I struggled with reading this book — the austerity of the Olson Family’s life made this tough-going. The narrative, told in present-tense, drove me a little batty at times. I recommend A Piece of the World to anyone wanting a tale behind Christina’s World.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 In this Starlight Book Review (SBR), I look at the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Nahum, and was probably written in Jerusalem in the 7th century BC… The subject of Nahum’s prophecy is the approaching complete and final destruction of Nineveh which was the capital of the great and flourishing Assyrian empire, at that time. Ashurbanipal was at the height of his glory. Nineveh was a city of vast extent, and was then the center of the civilization and commerce of the world, according to Nahum a “bloody city all full of lies and robbery”, a reference to the Neo-Assyrian Empire’s military campaigns and demand of tribute and plunder from conquered cities.”
“The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC. The original text was written in the Hebrew language… Of the three chapters in the book, the first two are a dialogue between Yahweh and the prophet. The message that “the just shall live by his faith” plays an important role in Christian thought. It is used in the Epistle to the Romans, Epistle to the Galatians, and the Epistle to the Hebrews as the starting point of the concept of faith. A copy of these chapters is included in the Habakkuk Commentary, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Chapter 3 is now recognized as a liturgical piece. It is debated whether chapter 3 and the first two chapters were written by the same author.”
“The Book of Zephaniah (Hebrew: צְפַנְיָה, Ṣəfanyā; sometimes Latinized as Sophonias) is the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament and Tanakh, preceded by the Book of Habakkuk and followed by the Book of Haggai. Zephaniah means “Yahweh has hidden/protected,” or “Yahweh hides”. Zephaniah is also a male given name. The original text was written in Biblical Hebrew.”
With my eighth reading of these three books – Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, what stood out most to me was God’s love. Each of these tried to reach the people, to help return them to God. Below are verses which I found outstanding in my eighth reading in 2023.
These verses stood out to me:
7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Nahum 1:7 NIV
4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
Habakkuk 3:4
17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:14 NIV
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Carson, D. A.; Hess, Richard S.; Alexander, T. D.; Moo, Douglas J.; Naselli, Andrew David, eds. (2015). NIV Zondervan Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-31043833-5.
“The Chronology of Biblical Prophets”, Adapted from Hauer, C.E. & Young, W. A., An Introduction to the Bible: A Journey into Three Worlds, p.123, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1994.
Cross, F. L. & Livingston, E. A., eds. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280290-9.
Grudem, Wayne; Dennis, Lane T.; Packer, J. I.; Collins, C. John; Schreiner, Thomas R.; Taylor, Justin, eds. (2008). ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway. ISBN 978-1-43350241-5.
Josephus, Flavius (1958). Vol. VI: Jewish Antiquities, Books IX–XI. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. 326. Translated by Marcus, William. London: William Heinemann. pp. 125–129, XI.xi.2–3.
Kent H. Richards, Nahum Introduction: The Harper Collins Study Bible, (New York: Harper Collins, 2006) 1250.
Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-8308-9482-6.
Cover of How Do You Live? by Genzaburō Yoshino on a light blue background | Image Source: Goodreads
World Tour Stellar Reading Challenge – Japan
Translated from Japanese
4.02/5 I found Genzaburō Yoshino’s How Do You Live? after a search of literature of works translated from Japanese to English. Reading such a work helped me towards accomplishing benchmarks in both the World Tour and the In Translation Journey Stellar Reading Challenges (SRC). In my search, I endeavored to locate a book without too many trigger warnings. The winner, with glowing reviews and a foreward by Neil Gaiman, happens to be this book. I purchased the Audible version read by Brian Nishii.
Check out these SRC by clicking on the following phrases:
“Anime master Hayao Miyazaki’s favorite childhood book, in English for the first time.… First published in 1937, Genzaburō Yoshino’s How Do You Live? has long been acknowledged in Japan as a crossover classic for young readers. Academy Award–winning animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle) has called it his favorite childhood book and announced plans to emerge from retirement to make it the basis of a final film… How Do You Live? is narrated in two voices. The first belongs to Copper, fifteen, who after the death of his father must confront inevitable and enormous change, including his own betrayal of his best friend. In between episodes of Copper’s emerging story, his uncle writes to him in a journal, sharing knowledge and offering advice on life’s big questions as Copper begins to encounter them. Over the course of the story, Copper, like his namesake Copernicus, looks to the stars, and uses his discoveries about the heavens, earth, and human nature to answer the question of how he will live… This first-ever English-language translation of a Japanese classic about finding one’s place in a world both infinitely large and unimaginably small is perfect for readers of philosophical fiction like The Alchemist and The Little Prince, as well as Miyazaki fans eager to understand one of his most important influences.”
In general, How Do You Live? met my needs for a Japanese book without too much content beyond a PG rating. I enjoyed Copper’s relationship with his uncle. I liked his curiosity and his sense of wonder. Some of the tone, however, seemed too “teachy” (didactic, if you prefer). This tone probably factored into how long it took me to read the book. Nevertheless, I felt How Do You Live? deserved a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Next up, in this Starlight Book Review (SBR), I look at the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets Books of Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Obadiah is a book of the Bible whose authorship is attributed to Obadiah, a prophet who lived in the Assyrian Period. Obadiah is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the final section of Nevi’im, the second main division of the Hebrew Bible. The text consists of a single chapter, divided into 21 verses with 440 Hebrew words, making it the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible, though there are three shorter New Testament epistles in Greek (Philemon with 335 words, 2 John with 245 words, and 3 John with 219 words). The Book of Obadiah is a prophecy concerning the divine judgment of Edom and the restoration of Israel… The Book of Obadiah is based on a prophetic vision concerning the fall of Edom, a mountain-dwelling nation whose founding father was Esau. Obadiah describes an encounter with Yahweh, who addresses Edom’s arrogance and charges them for their “violence against your brother Jacob.”
“The Book of Jonah is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) in the Hebrew Bible, and an individual book in the Christian Old Testament. The book tells of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah, son of Amittai, who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but attempts to escape his divine mission… The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular children’s stories. In Judaism, it is the Haftarah portion read during the afternoon of Yom Kippur to instill reflection on God’s willingness to forgive those who repent, and it remains a popular story among Christians. The story is also retold in the Quran.”
“The Book of Micah is the sixth of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Ostensibly, it records the sayings of Micah, whose name is Mikayahu (Hebrew: מִיכָיָ֫הוּ), meaning “Who is like Yahweh?”, an 8th-century BCE prophet from the village of Moresheth in Judah (Hebrew name from the opening verse: מיכה המרשתי)… Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful; while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch… Micah reproaches unjust leaders, defends the rights of the poor against the rich and powerful; while looking forward to a world at peace centered on Zion under the leadership of a new Davidic monarch. While the book is relatively short, it includes lament (1.8–16; 7.8–10), theophany (1.3–4), hymnic prayer of petition and confidence (7.14–20), and the “covenant lawsuit” (6.1–8), a distinct genre in which Yahweh (God) sues Israel for breach of contract of the Mosaic covenant.”
Of these three books, I’m most familiar with Jonah. This is perhaps the funniest book in the Bible! I did laugh when he sulked about the Ninevites. Also, I learned that Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.Micah, like Isaiah, also lamented without clothing which truly stood out to me.
These verses stood out to me:
21 Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.
Obadiah 1:21 NIV
17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17 NIV
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NIV
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Allen, Leslie C (1976). The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah. Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0802825315. Micah
Coogan, Michael (2009). A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. Oxford University Press.
“Jonah’s Path and the Message of Yom Kippur”. Archived from the original on 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2009-08-18. United Jewish Communities (UJC), “Jonah’s Path and the Message of Yom Kippur.”
King, Philip J (1988). Amos, Hosea, Micah: an archaeological commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0664240776.
Limburg, James (1988). Hosea-Micah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0664237578.
Mays, James L (1976). Micah. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0664208172.
Nelson’s Compact Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1978, p. 191, ISBN 0-8407-5636-4
Sweeney, Marvin A (2000). The Twelve Prophets. Liturgical Press. ISBN 978-0814650912.
Cover of All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore on a light blue background | Image Source: Goodreads
Local Tour SRC – Local Author – Houston, Texas, USA
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
4.25/5 Early in my study of the Bible, my mom introduced me to Beth Moore’s works. Since that time, I read a number of her books and also seen her speak at many events. Much of that has to do with Moore being based in my hometown of Houston, Texas. When I saw that she wrote a memoir — All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir, I wasted no time adding the book to my To Be Read (TBR) list. Fortunately, one of my libraries owned an eAudio copy which I borrowed and read.
“New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller!… An incredibly thoughtful, disarmingly funny, and intensely vulnerable glimpse into the life and ministry of a woman familiar to many but known by few… “It’s a peculiar thing, this having lived long enough to take a good look back. We go from knowing each other better than we know ourselves to barely sure if we know each other at all, to precisely sure that we don’t. All my knotted-up life I’ve longed for the sanity and simplicity of knowing who’s good and who’s bad. I’ve wanted to know this about myself as much as anyone. This was not theological. It was strictly relational. God could do what he wanted with eternity. I was just trying to make it here in the meantime. As benevolent as he has been in a myriad of ways, God has remained aloof on this uncomplicated request .” – Beth Moore… New York Times best-selling author, speaker, visionary, and founder of Living Proof Ministries Beth Moore has devoted her whole life to helping women across the globe come to know the transforming power of Jesus. An established writer of many acclaimed books and Bible studies for women on spiritual growth and personal development, Beth now unveils her own story in a much-anticipated debut memoir… All My Knotted-Up Life All My Knotted-Up Life is told with surprising candor about some of the personal heartbreaks and behind-the-scenes challenges that have marked Beth’s life. But beyond that, it’s a beautifully crafted portrait of resilience and survival, a poignant reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, and proof positive that if we ever truly took the time to hear people’s full stories . . . we’d all walk around slack-jawed.”
I knew going into reading to All My Knotted-Up Life to expect a deep dive into Moore’s life. Some of her experiences almost broke my heart. I perked up when I read mentions of places near where I grew up, too. My only complaint about the book was structural — perhaps this was only true with the audio but there was a mammoth, hours-long section whereas Moore seemed to have written the book in smaller “chapter” increments. I recommend this book but warn that Moore survived various sorts of abuses. Also, this book would serve well as either an Arkansas or Texas read.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Now, I move on to the Minor Prophets/ Twelve Prophets in this Starlight Book Review (SBR). This SBR pertains to the first three of the Minor Prophets — the Books of Hosea, Joel, and Amos.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Minor Prophets or Twelve Prophets (Hebrew: שנים עשר, Shneim Asar; Imperial Aramaic: תרי עשר, Trei Asar, “Twelve”) (Ancient Greek: δωδεκαπρόφητον, “the Twelve Prophets”), occasionally Book of the Twelve, is a collection of prophetic books, written between about the 8th and 4th centuries BCE, which are in both the Jewish Tanakh and Christian Old Testament… In the Christian Old Testament, the collection appears as twelve individual books, one for each of the prophets: the Book of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Their order, and position in the Old Testament, varies slightly between the Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.
“The Book of Hosea (Biblical Hebrew: סֵפֶר הוֹשֵׁעַ, romanized: Sēfer Hōšēaʿ) is collected as one of the twelve minor prophets of the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) in the Tanakh, and as a book in its own right in the Christian Old Testament. According to the traditional order of most Hebrew Bibles, it is the first of the Twelve… Set around the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Book of Hosea denounces the worship of gods other than Yahweh (the God of Israel), metaphorically comparing Israel’s abandonment of Yahweh to a woman being unfaithful to her husband. According to the book’s narrative, the relationship between Hosea and his unfaithful wife Gomer is comparable to the relationship between Yahweh and his unfaithful people Israel: this text “for the first time” describes the latter relationship in terms of a marriage. The eventual reconciliation of Hosea and Gomer is treated as a hopeful metaphor for the eventual reconciliation between Yahweh and Israel… Dated to c. 760–720 BC, it is one of the oldest books of the Tanakh, predating final recensions of the full Torah (Pentateuch). Hosea is the source of the phrase “reap the whirlwind”, which has passed into common usage in English and other languages.”
“The Book of Joel is a Jewish prophetic text containing a series of “divine announcements”. The first line attributes authorship to “Joel the son of Pethuel”.It forms part of the Book of the twelve minor prophets or the Nevi’im (“Prophets”) in the Hebrew Bible, and is a book in its own right in the Christian Old Testament. Joel is not mentioned elsewhere in either collection… The book of Joel is a short collection of prophetic poems that are both powerful and puzzling. This book is unique among the books of the prophets for a few reasons, starting with the fact that there’s no explicit indication of when it was written. It’s most likely set during the time period of Ezra-Nehemiah, after the return from the exile, because he mentions Jerusalem and the temple but not a kingdom. Another aspect that sets this book apart is that Joel is clearly familiar with many other scriptural books, as he alludes to or quotes from the prophets Isaiah, Amos, Zephaniah, Nahum, Obadiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi, as well as the book of Exodus. Finally, Joel never accuses Israel of any specific sin. Like the other prophets, he announces that God’s justice is coming to confront Israel’s sin, but he never says why. This is because Joel assumes that, like him, you’ve been reading the books of the prophets and already know all about Israel’s rebellion.”
“The Book of Amos is the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the second in the Greek Septuagint tradition. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah,was active c. 750 BC during the reign of Jeroboam II (788–747 BC) of Samaria (Northern Israel), while Uzziah was King of Judah. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah but preached in the northern Kingdom of Israel.His major themes of social justice, God’s omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy.
Of these first three of the Minor Prophets, my reading of Hosea stands out the most. The Prophet Hosea and his relationship with Gomer inspired many including the band Third Day and author Francine Rivers (Redeeming Love). What struck me most with Hosea as well as Joel and Amos with my 2023 reading was the timelessness of their content. Also, below are verses from each book that masterful.
2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
Hosea 6:2 NIV
32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:32 NIV
15 Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
Amos 5:15
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Cook, Stephen L. (1989). HarperCollins Study Bible; New Revised Standard Version With the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books Student Edition (San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers, Meeks, Wayne A. ed., p. 1193.)
Dearman, J. Andrew (2010). The Book of Hosea. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 9781467423731.
Finkelstein, Israel. The Forgotten Kingdom: The Archaeology and History of Ancient Israel. Atlanta: SBL, 2013. Ancient Near East Monographs, Number 5. p. 4.
Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.
Jerusalem Bible (1966), Introduction to the Prophets, p. 1135, London: Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday and Co. Inc.
Keller, C. A., 28. Joel, in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary Archived 2017-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, p. 578
Sweeney, Marvin A. (2000). The Twelve Prophets: Volume 1: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814682432.
Cover of The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America’s Forgotten Capital of Vice by David Hill on a light turquoise background | Image Source: Goodreads
RUSA SRC – Region #4 Southeast – Arkansas
4/5 I found The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America’s Forgotten Capital of Vice, a gem of a book ,on The Book Girls’ Guide under recommendations for readings set in the state of Arkansas. Check out their post by clicking here, Gnomies! Upon this discovery, I recalled a family road trip through the Natural State with a stop in Hot Springs. With this sense of familiarity, I soon located a hard copy of The Vapors… at one of my libraries and later cashed in an Audible credit to read with my ears.
“The incredible true story of America’s original—and forgotten—capital of vice… Back in the days before Vegas was big, when the Mob was at its peak and neon lights were but a glimmer on the horizon, a little Southern town styled itself as a premier destination for the American leisure class. Hot Springs, Arkansas was home to healing waters, Art Deco splendor, and America’s original national park—as well as horse racing, nearly a dozen illegal casinos, countless backrooms and brothels, and some of the country’s most bald-faced criminals… Gangsters, gamblers, and gamines: all once flocked to America’s forgotten capital of vice, a place where small-town hustlers and bigtime high-rollers could make their fortunes, and hide from the law. The Vapors is the extraordinary story of three individuals—spanning the golden decades of Hot Springs, from the 1930s through the 1960s—and the lavish casino whose spectacular rise and fall would bring them together before blowing them apart… Hazel Hill was still a young girl when legendary mobster Owney Madden rolled into town in his convertible, fresh off a crime spree in New York. He quickly established himself as the gentleman Godfather of Hot Springs, cutting barroom deals and buying stakes in the clubs at which Hazel made her living—and drank away her sorrows. Owney’s protégé was Dane Harris, the son of a Cherokee bootlegger who rose through the town’s ranks to become Boss Gambler. It was his idea to build The Vapors, a pleasure palace more spectacular than any the town had ever seen, and an establishment to rival anything on the Vegas Strip or Broadway in sophistication and supercharged glamour… In this riveting work of forgotten history, native Arkansan David Hill plots the trajectory of everything from organized crime to America’s fraught racial past, examining how a town synonymous with white gangsters supported a burgeoning black middle class. He reveals how the louche underbelly of the South was also home to veterans hospitals and baseball’s spring training grounds, giving rise to everyone from Babe Ruth to President Bill Clinton. Infused with the sights and sounds of America’s entertainment heyday—jazz orchestras and auctioneers, slot machines and suited comedians—The Vapors is an arresting glimpse into a bygone era of American vice.”
Overall, I liked reading The Vapors… Hill’s connection to one of the figures in this narrative struck a chord with me. I appreciated Hill’s voice which linked mid-century Arkansas life to the present. As a visitor to Hot Springs and a reader of Melba Beals’ Warriors Don’t Cry, I recognized some of the names Hill mentioned. Of course, I knew of Bill Clinton. Also, I adore the cover of The Vapors… Yet, forgive the pun regarding a town known for its curative bath houses but, some parts came across as dry. For this and a lack of images, I deducted a star. Still, I encourage anyone interested in learning more about Hot Springs in addition to Arkansas, to read The Vapors…
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Cover of Triptych (Will Trent #1) by Karin Slaughter on a light green background | Image Source: Goodreads
RUSA SRC – Region #4 Southeast – Georgia
4/5 I admit that I watched ABC’s Will Trent before I cracked the spine on an any of the books by Karin Slaughter which inspired the show. I enjoyed becoming acquainted with Will, Angie, Amanda, and, of course, Betty the Chihuahua. Still and all, I thought Triptych might be just the ticket for literary travel to Atlanta, Georgia in the Regional U.S.A. (RUSA) Tour Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC).
Trigger Warnings (TW): Triptych contains the following which may require TW for readers — Trigger warnings: murder, rape, mutilation, kidnapping, sexual relationships between teenagers and adult men, drug abuse, child abuse, mentions of self harm, death of a parent, slut shaming, misogyny, wrongful conviction, wrongful imprisonment.
“In the city of Atlanta, women are dying—at the hands of a killer who signs his work with a single, chilling act of mutilation. Leaving behind enough evidence to fuel a frenzied police hunt, this cunning madman is bringing together dozens of lives, crossing the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries too. Among them is Michael Ormewood, a veteran detective whose marriage is hanging by a thread—and whose arrogance and explosive temper are threatening his career. And Angie Polaski, a beautiful vice cop who was once Michael’s lover before she became his enemy… But another player has entered the game: a loser ex-con who has stumbled upon the killer’s trail in the most coincidental of ways—someone who may be the key to breaking the case wide open…”
Slaughter surprised me from the beginning of Triptych with her first point of view – third person omniscient for Michael Ormewood. Maybe the fault of this falls to watching the show before reading any of the books. Yet, as I considered the title of this very book — Triptych — I realized the need for three separate points of view. While definitely gritty, rough, and even brutal (much of John Shelley’s experience made me squint, poor guy!), I liked the sweet gems offered throughout Triptych. Will’s interactions with Betty stand out the most in this regard. Also, I enjoyed reading a little about Georgia – Agnes Scott College, Stone Mountain, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. I might read another in this series when I’m in the mood for something darker because I found Will Trent in particular rather intriguing.
Check out an article about Will Trent the TV Show and its adaptation to screen by clicking here.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Part of a series of Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) on Old Testament (OT) Books. Click here to see other OT SBR.
* The following post transparently exhibits my Christian faith.
5/5 Gnomies, I continue my Starlight Book Reviews (SBR) for the 2023 Sacred Texts Journey Stellar Reading Challenge (SRC). This SBR pertains to the last of the Major Prophets — the Book of Daniel.
Click here to check out the Sacred Texts Journey SRC.
The Major Prophets is a grouping of books in the Christian Old Testament that does not occur in the Hebrew Bible. All of these books are traditionally regarded as authored by a prophet such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. The term “major” has nothing to do with the achievement or importance of the prophets, rather with the length of the books. In comparison to the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets, whose books are short and grouped together into one single book in the Hebrew Bible, these books are much longer.
“The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th century BC setting. Ostensibly “an account of the activities and visions of Daniel, a noble Jew exiled at Babylon”, it combines a prophecy of history with an eschatology (a portrayal of end times) both cosmic in scope and political in focus, and its message is that just as the God of Israel saves Daniel from his enemies, so he would save all Israel in their present oppression.
As a girl, I remember my Sunday School teachers held me in their thrall with the passages of Daniel in the lions’ den as well as those of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Yet, early in my faith, I read the Book of Daniel and the more prophetic verses scared me. Many years later, with each read of this book, I find bits and seeds of hope. The following verse serves as a great example of the promises within Daniel:
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 2:44
Select Bibliography (Alphabetical Order by Author’s Surname)
Brettler, Mark Zvi (2005). How To Read the Bible. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 9780827610019.
Collins, John J. (1984). Daniel: With an Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802800206.
Reid, Stephen Breck (2000). “Daniel, Book of”. In Freedman, David Noel; Myers, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 9789053565032.
Cover of The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia on a green background | Image Source: Goodreads
World Tour Stellar Reading Challenge – Mexico
Translated from Spanish
4.25/5 I first learned of Sofía Segovia’s The Murmur of Bees on The Book Girls’ Guide. I felt The Murmur of Bees had two pros which made me select it as my read set in Mexico — 1) a book translated from a language different from my own, and 2) Segovia was a “new to me” author. While I glanced at other books from Mexico, as well as set in Mexico, I ultimately chose The Murmur of Bees for its solidly positive reviews and connection to Monterrey, Mexico, a place I traveled through as a teenager on mission trips.
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Trigger Warnings (TW): The Murmur of Bees contains murder, dismemberment (eyes), death, grief, gore (injury detail), discrimination, epidemic, and mass grave; references to sexual assault
“From a beguiling voice in Mexican fiction comes an astonishing novel—her first to be translated into English—about a mysterious child with the power to change a family’s history in a country on the verge of revolution.… From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can—visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats—both human and those of nature—Simonopio’s purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined… Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution and the devastating influenza of 1918, The Murmur of Bees captures both the fate of a country in flux and the destiny of one family that has put their love, faith, and future in the unbelievable.”
As I often do, I chose to The Murmur of Bees with my ears via Audible and am glad for that decision. Audio often adds texture to my reading experience with the benefit of hearing the pronunciation of unfamiliar words. The talents of narrators Xe Sands and Angelo Di Loreto transcended into an incredible joy; they brought this work of magical realism to life. I liked the Morales Family, and, of course, Simonopio. In particular, I adored how Francisco and Beatriz Morales just accepted their godson with no conditions. A few things caused me discomfort – the abundant racism and sexism (predictable for the eras, I’m afraid) as well as the description of the 20th Century pandemic – the Spanish Flu, haunting in that we deal with a pandemic these days. Yet, I think this may have been one of my favorite works of fiction read this year.
Quotes come from book flaps/cover and are featured on color blocks.
Starry Night Elf 
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