Book MYView: Carol, A Story for Christmas by Bob Hartman

Jack O'Malley hates shopping, snow, and even Christmas. All three at once is Jack's idea of a very bad day. Storming into a Starbucks seeking escape, Jack runs smack into a beautiful and mysterious stranger, almost knocking her over and unintentionally changing his life forever. In this one moment his entire life—who he once was, who he is, and who he has the potential to become—flashes before his eyes. In this humorous rendering of Charles Dickens' classic tale, timeless lessons are reexamined through the lens of modern society. The result is funny, moving, and ultimately thought-provoking. (Lion, 2009)

My thoughts: This novella reminds readers that everyone can make a difference in the lives of the hungry children in Africa. The scene when the main character transforms into a baby was eye opening and very effective. I have to admit I felt a bit “heard this all before” until I read that scene!

This isn’t your typical Christmassy, feel-good read, but it is definitely a story for Christmas as the title reads. Surely here in America we could give up the money we spend on trivial pursuits to help people in need

Book MYView: Who Do I Lean On by Neta Jackson

You can only walk forward when you learn how to lean.

Just months after her husband threw her out of their penthouse and sent their two sons away, Gabrielle Fairbanks is finally getting back on her feet. She has a job she loves at the homeless shelter, an apartment for her and the boys, caring friends, and even a new love interest. Best of all, an unexpected windfall has given her a brand-new dream--a House of Hope for homeless mothers and their children.

Piece by piece, Gabby's new life is coming together--but the old one keeps dragging her back. First her husband Philip hints at a reconciliation...then hits her up for a loan to pay his gambling debts. And when Gabby tells him no, he makes a desperate move that puts them all in harm's way. How can she even think of embarking on a new venture when so much is up in the air?

Gabby is realizing that she needs something far greater than her own strength or even that of her friends. That to move forward, she must first lean on the only One who knows what the future holds. (Thomas Nelson, 2010)

My thoughts: Neta Jackson is by far one of my favorite go-to authors. You know the ones who are a comfort read no matter how interesting the plot. So of course, I enjoyed reading every word of the story, but I must admit some slow spots slowed down the story. I think I’m so used to reading about the different personalities and stories from the Yada series that just reading about Gabby seems slow at times.

One great aspect of Who Do I Lean On? is we get reacquainted with several cast members from the Yada Yada series. It is good to catch up and read what they are up to. I think we are going to be hearing from them more in the next book–at least I hope. I’m just sad to learn that Who Is My Shelter? is the last one in this series! I really hope Neta Jackson has contracts for more books because I need my Yada Yada fix. (I hope she’s not tired of writing about them.) We haven’t heard about Josh’s sister in a long time and I feel there are so many Yada Yada sisters dying for their own spin-off stories. To be honest, if Neta Jackson IS tired of writing about these characters, I’ll let her off the hook and enjoy whatever she writes.

Find out more about Neta Jackson and her books here.

P.S. That is such a great cover for the last book! For those of us familiar with the series, you wonder if Gabby will end up with her husband or her lawyer. Now I can't wait until March!

Introducing: Emily of Deep Valley by Mitali Perkins

Often cited as Maud Hart Lovelace’s (of Betsy-Tacy fame) best novel, Emily of Deep Valley is now back in print, with a new foreword by acclaimed young adult author Mitali Perkins and new archival material about the characters’ real lives.

Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. The gulf between Emily and her classmates widens even more when they graduate from Deep Valley High School in 1912. Emily longs to go off to college with everyone else, but she can’t leave her grandfather. Emily resigns herself to facing a “lost winter,” but soon decides to stop feeling sorry for herself. And with a new program of study, a growing interest in the Syrian community, and a handsome new teacher at the high school to fill her days, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed...

In addition to her beloved Betsy-Tacy books, Maud Hart Lovelace wrote three more stories set in the fictional town of Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Carney’s House Party and Emily of Deep Valley. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be delighted to find the Deep Valley books available again for the first time in many years.

If you would like to browse inside Emily of Deep Valley, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from Mitali: Who In The World Is Mitali Perkins?


That's a good question. I've been trying to figure it out myself, spending most of my life crossing borders.

I was born Mitali Bose in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, and always tried to live up to my name—which means “friendly” in the Bangla language. I had to! Because my family moved so much, it was the only way I could make new friends.



By the time I was 11, I'd lived in Ghana, Cameroon, London, New York and Mexico before settling in California just in time for middle school. Yep, I was the new kid again, in seventh grade, the year everybody barely makes it through.

My biggest lifeline during those early years was story. Books were my rock, my stability, my safe place as I navigated the border between California suburbia and the Bengali culture of my traditional home.

After studying political science at Stanford and public policy at U.C. Berkeley, I taught in middle school, high school and college. When I began to write fiction, my protagonists were often—not surprisingly—strong female characters trying to bridge different cultures.

Mitali Perkins is the author of several books for young people, including SECRET KEEPER (Random House), MONSOON SUMMER (Random House), RICKSHAW GIRL (Charlesbridge), and the FIRST DAUGHTER books (Dutton).