GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Yentl the Yeshiva Boy

Yentl the Yeshiva Boy 

by Antonio Frasconi

After I discovered that Barbara Streisand's movie, Yentl, was based on a book, I decided I wanted to read it.  The movie actually follows this short 58 page novel well, with a little poetic license thrown in.

Yentl is a girl living in a time when girls were not allowed to study. Her father allows her to study with him, but when he dies, she is afraid she will have to give that up.  She decides to cut her hair, dress as a boy, and join a yeshiva so that she may continue to study the scriptures.

Along the way, Yentl, who has now changed her name to Anshel, meets and falls in love with Avigdor, another yeshiva student.  Yentl's lies become more complex as she devises a plan to 'marry' the woman that Avigdor loves in order to remain close to him. 

The movie remains true to the book in that Avigdor is not allowed to marry his true love because his brother committed suicide; however, in the book, Avigdor marries a widow and is extremely unhappy.  When Yentl finally can no longer live the lie, she reveals herself to Avigdor, who loves her back.  However, Yentl wants to remain a yeshiva student and could not do that if she married.  She sends divorce papers to Hadass, her 'wife,' who never knows what has happened: it remains a mystery to the village. Avigdor divorces the mean widow and marries Hadass. Avigdor and Hadass live happily ever after, naming their first son Anshel.

This is an easy, quick book. I read the whole book while sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office.
I recommend both the book and the movie.

 

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: "Everliving" by Christina Dudley

I sure do enjoy my Kindle Fire!  I get onto Amazon periodically and download free books!  "Everliving" is one of my free finds on Amazon.  This is a 'tragic' love story that takes place in California in an old logged out Redwood forest (or should I say where an old Redwood forest used to be?).

Daphne Linstrom lived in the 1800s and loved the mighty redwoods.  She loved them so much that she became their 'protector' and lived on (as a ghost) for decades after all but one had been logged.

Ben Platt is a graduate student who stumbles across the town where Daphne had lived and not only finds her one remaining redwood, but also 'see's and falls in love with (the ghost of) Daphne!

The book describes what is found in the canopy of a redwood!  I had no idea that other 'forests' or 'worlds' actually existed in the top of a mighty tree!  I just pictured branches, stems, and leaves.  Apparently the branches get so thick as to create a 'forest floor' high in the canopy in which other plants can grow and thrive.  Wow!  Makes me want to take a botany class in California just to study redwoods!

This paranormal love story sounds as if it will be a mush, gushy book, but it really is a great mystery!  Daphne had disappeared a hundred years ago, and this mystery was still alive and creating tourism in her home town of Red Gap.  There are many speculations as to what happened to her, but it is Ben who actually discovers her secrets.

This was a GREAT book to read!  And more doubly enjoyable because it was FREE. Amazon rotates different books to offer as freebies and I happened to catch this when it was free.  The book can be purchased for a nominal price (around $3) for a Kindle, or it is available to read as a 'regular' book found here at Amazon.!  Eiether way, it was an enjoyable find.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: "Smokin' Seventeen" by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum is at it again: she thinks the mob is after her, she gets into hilarious antics with Mooner and ends up with an enhanced photo of herself on Mooner's bus. Of course she ruins another car.
PLUS we get to have our fix of Morelli and Ranger. It seems as though Stephanie CAN have her cake and eat it, too!
I really have enjoyed this series of books! I may need to look into reading Evanovich's "Alexandra Barnaby" novels.  Not sure if Alexandra could beat the amusing antics of Stephanie!

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: "They Popped My Hood and Found Gravy on the Dipstick" by Todd Barnes

If you want a book that will have you doubling over with laughter, THIS is the book to read!

It is an inspirational yet funny book about Todd Starnes' journey through heart surgery and weight loss.  I'm just going to quote some of my most favorite parts of the book here.

     "I hate butter!"
     My declaration was met with stunned silence around the Starnes family table.  I was just a little boy, not even seven years old, and my taste buds had not yet adjusted to the taste of cold yellow slabs of butter pasted onto fluffy biscuits.
     Mom was flustered.  "What do you mean you don't like butter? Of course you like butter. We're from the South. We're supposed to love butter."
     Indeed a Southern boy not liking butter is akin to a kid in the Bronx not liking the Yankees.  Uncle Jerry was so shocked he stopped gnawing on his pork chop and declared, "There's something wrong with that boy."  Uncle Jerry is from Coldwater, Mississippi, and folks there are prone to say things like that. "I told you that boy was too skinny."
     After recovering from the initial shock of the moment, Mom did what any God-fearing mom would do.  "We should pray," she said.
     "But we've already prayed, honey," said Dad, "Besides, the potatoes are getting cold."
     But when Mom said it was time to pray, it was time to pray.  The entire family joined hands and bowed our heads.  "Dear Jesus," Mom petitioned the Almighty, "thank You for butter.  Thank You for giving us the cows that gave us butter.  And thank You, Lord, for buttermilk biscuits on which we can place a dollop of butter. Because, Lord, we know that somewhere in the world tonight little children are going to bed without any butter at all. Amen."
     Well, good grief!  I was just seven years old. I didn't want to disappoint my mom and I sure didn't want to disappoint Jesus. So that day I started eating butter -- and never stopped.


   I just LOVE this chapter!  Another favorite part from this chapter reminds me of ME and my 'Fry day."  I used to fry up fish and/or chicken strips. And since the grease was hot, I would add fried green tomatoes, fried okra, fried dill pickles, fried cheese, fried squash, and french fries.  I had a friend's family over one time for lunch and she is the one who termed my day the 'Fry day'.  And one time a guest to one of my fish fries say she could feel the grease just dripping out of her pores.  I don't have these so much any more, but this sure makes me want to get out my 'Fry Daddy' and cook some chicken and fries.  This excerpt is from page 35:

     I'm not quite sure how we manage to do it, but Southerners have figured out a way to deep-fry the entire food pyramid -- from fried pork chops to deep-fried green beans.

     Hehe. I just get a kick out of this. And (although I did not attend the fair this year) I hear they had deep fried BUTTER!! What a HOOT! I should have gone just for THAT.

     The next chapter is about the author's move to California. He says "There are no fat people in California. I'm not sure why, but it could have something to do with their steady diet of tofu and tree bark.  And a fairly sizable chunk of the state appears to be the offspring of George Hamilton.  I've never seen so many well-tanned Americans.
     "And then, there was me -- a three-hundred-pound white guy with a pale complexion and a Southern accent.  I could just imagine the horror at the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. 'Well, there goes the neighborhood.' I felt like a catfish at a sushi bar."
    When Starnes talks about trying to find his new apartment, he said he asked the policeman who said that Starnes must not be 'from around here,' he answered "What gave it away? My weight or my pasty white skin?"  Luckily the policeman didn't take offense and answered "Your license plate."
     And what a wonderful support system the author has in his friends and church family.  One gal organized a party to celebrate his surgery, calling it the 'Last Supper.' Almost sounds morbid, but it seemed like a fun idea for friends to help relieve the tension and fear that Todd was feeling before his surgery.  He even had a friend come spend a couple weeks with him before the surgery, and two couples who 'adopted' him for his after surgery care.  Todd is really a lucky man.

     Another hilarious part of the story is going in to take blood tests after the surgery. His blood has to be thin in order for the valve to work right. Anyway...

     My first visit did not go so well.  On paper, the Coumadin test isn't so bad.  The nurse pricks my finger with a tiny needle, draws a small amount of blood, and slaps on a bandage.  Unfortunately, I have a problem with needles.  As soon as she poked me, I passed out.  I fell right out on the floor. It was quite a scene.  The next week, it happened again.
     During my third visit, the nurse closed the door and gave me a stern look. "Mr. Starnes. I'm having a difficult day, so if you plan on passing out you'd better tell me now."  Would you believe I stayed upright? Who says tough love doesn't work? After my test, she even treated me to a lollipop.

     Starnes is not a married man, but wanted to find someone.  After his surgery he recalls beginning to date:

     The object of my affection was an amazingly beautiful and kind girl who worked at a coffee-house near my apartment.  She was always friendly, and it turned out she was also a Christian.  And when it came to making coffee, she really knew how to put the froth on my latte.  The hard part was figuring out how to invite her to dinner.  The first effort resulted in total failure. I worked myself up into such a frenzy I had to take a nitroglycerin tablet.  i regrouped and, the next morning, I found the courage to invite her to dinner.  When she accepted my invitation, I walked outside, slumped onto a park bench, and popped another nitroglycerin tablet.  "Sweet mercy," I said. "Dating is awesome, but it's going to kill me."

     The author then accepts a new job in New York. He uproots himself once more, and heads back east.  Thinking of all his wonderful friends who helped him through major surgery and recovery and helped put him on the road to weight loss and healthier living, he began feeling a bit sad.

     Boy, I sure could use a good dose of comfort.
      And a few miles down the road, my prayer was answered.  There was a larger-than-life sign on Interstate 40: CRACKER BARREL -- NEXT EXIT.

     Cracker Barrel is an inside joke with a circle of my cousins, having stopped at all the Cracker Barrels on our road trip.  Makes me smile every time I see a Cracker Barrel.  And this passage in the book really brought a smile to my face.

     I have just thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  It is filled with fun anecdotes weaved into the success story of Barnes' road to recovery from heart surgery, weight loss, and a healthier lifestyle (which included running in a marathon.) He gives all the credit to the Lord, and his good friends (who are the kind of people we should all strive to be).  This is a 'must own' book: Spiritually uplifting, full of encouragement and laughter.


    

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Spider Web by Earlene Fowler

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of another Benni Harper Mystery, and here it is! In Spider Web, Benny is in charge of putting together a memories festival. It sounds absolutely wonderful.  Earlene Fowlder's descriptive writing really makes the story come alive!  The mystery in this story is, believe it or not, NOT a dead body that Benny happens upon, but of a sniper who seems to be targeting policeman in Benny's town.  This book really has you on edge in a place or two as you are concerned not only about Benny's Police Chief hubby, but also her friend's little brother (whom Benni used to babysit) who is also on the police force.
Benny's grandmother, Dove, belongs to a quilt group that is making a graveyard quilt patterned after the one I found HERE.  I was curious and had to look it up and found this blog post on it.  What a unique story behind the quilt.  I imagine one would bring quite a price in real life, just as it did in Spider Web.  It would fit into the whole 'Vampire Mania' that seems to still be going on after the "Twilight" saga.

This is the 15th book in the series, but I cannot get enough. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the Benni Harper mysteries.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick was quite a book to read!  In spite of the tragic details of this true story, it was a captivating tale.
This is the real event that inspired 'Moby Dick'. It says that where "Moby Dick" left off, this tale began!
This is the story of whalers of Nantucket who get attacked by an 80 foot sperm whale in the very middle of the Pacific Ocean and the horrific ordeal that follows in their 90 days at sea in tiny whaleboats.
This fascinating story is filled with details about 19th century Nantucket, the whaling industry, Quakers, the ocean, the whales, the ships, etc.These facts are all inundated in the story of the survivors along with the details of cannibalism that was necessary for survival.  Philbrick even included facts on how the body reacts to starvation and compared what the survivors went through to starvation studies.

I knew that survivors of tragic events could resort to cannibalism of dead companions, but this sad tale explains how the men decided to 'draw lots' for their survival: the first 'short straw' was who would be killed for food; the 2nd short straw was who would have to do the killing.  How terrible to need to resort to killing and eating your friend, cousin, co-worker. It is unfathomable.
Here is a picture I found done by a whaler:

And here's another picture of a sperm whale attacking a whale boat.  This was a dangerous occupation!

This is altogether a wonderful tale of nature, disaster and survival.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: "I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced" by Nujood Ali

When I think of arranged marriages, I think of loving father's trying to do best for their children. I think of Sleeping Beauty and how she is promised to Prince Charming.  I often think it would be wonderful if I could pick the husbands for my daughters!   And, I am sure that there ARE wonderful fairy tale endings. I picture the act of children being 'betrothed' or 'married' as more of a 'promise' to get together as adults. They would still continue to live at home, but grow up knowing they are promised.  I like to dream of a picture perfect world.

 I cannot imagine hurting children because I think they are life's greatest treasures. I think my children are my greatest asset -- I am greatly blessed because of my wonderful children, and as they grew up (and sometimes still) I have taken on the role of mama bear: I would do ANYTHING to protect my children and keep them safe.

I just finished reading a story about the plight of a ten year old girl who was married off against her will to an older man. It is a heart breaking story, because this girl was not treasured by her parents or her 'husband.' The father gives her to an unkind man who ends up being a child abuser. Nujood's mother-in-law stands idly by as her son molests an innocent child and also mistreats the girl.  When Nujood tells her family of her abuse, she is told to go back and honor her 'wifely duties.'

Luckily, Nujood has a strong spirit. She recalls watching court tv shows with a friend and runs away to a courthouse, where she tells the judge that she wants a divorce. The judges, who seem to be loving parents themselves, can hardly believe what she is saying, but they do believe her and quickly step in to protect Nujood.

Nujood is granted her divorce and makes national news, which gives other children the courage to run away and ask for divorces also.  She seems to have paved the way for other girls to speak up for themselves. And now laws have been passed making it illegal for anyone under the age of 17 to get married.

This book has a happy ending, but I am sure that this kind of abuse still happens. Just as child abuse happens everywhere, even here in America.  There are wicked people in all races, cultures, countries.  But I have to believe that Nujood's story is the exception to the rule and not the typical life of the children in Yemen. Nujood does talk about the judges who helped her, and she had an uncle take her in while the divorce proceedings were going on. Yes, I have to go on believing that most people are good!  But sometimes we have to hear the sad stories to remind us that life is not always a fairy tale.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

This is the first book in The Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong.  The focus of this book is Paige Winterbourne, a witch, and her half witch/half demon foster child, Savannah.  In this book, Armstrong gives details of the 'politics' of witch covens and sorcerer cabals (which are similar, it seems to me, to 'mob families.')  Paige gets involved with Lucas, the son of a major cabal, and together they are trying to solve crimes in which cabal children are victims. Things are complicated by the fact that cabal sorcerers don't look highly on witches, and Paige has been kicked out of her coven for associating with sorcerers and Savannah.  It was another fun book to read.  I am looking forward to reading the next book which is centered around Savannah's mother.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

This is the first of Orson Scott Card's science fiction books that I have read. I did read his "Women in Genesis" series of novels and LOVED them!

This book takes place on a planet called 'Garden' which is inhabited by descendents of humans from earth.  The main character, Rigg, lives on the planet in a wallfold (an  area of the planet sectioned off by an invisible wall).  He has a special ability to see 'paths' of where people have been -- where ALL people through time have been.  He has a friend, Umbo, who can slow down time (or speed you up in time, depending on how you look at it). Umbo can use his ability along with Rigg's ability to see paths that people have taken, and push people back in time.

Their adventures (losing a father and a brother, finding a sister, getting caught up in political turmoil, and finding a way across 'the wall') made this a fun book to read.  Among all the happenings of Rigg and Umbo, the tale of how the planet became inhabited by humans and how it ended up divided into 'wall folds' is also told.

There is no racy scenes, no cursing, and no immoral behavior (other than steeling a knife from a person in the past who has been dead for hundreds of years, so not sure if that counts!). 

Orson Scott Card actually has a trailer for this book on his official website. Go there to see -- it makes the book sound exciting (and it IS).  It is supposed to be the first of a new series, but it stands alone quite well! I do hope for more, and am anxiously awaiting the next book, but it is not necessary to finish the story. I do recommend this book.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: You are Still Being Lied To ~Russ Kick, editor

You Are STILL Being Lied To: The NEW Disinformation Guide to Media Distortion, Historical Whitewashes and Cultural Myths is a collection of essays by various authors that supposedly 'reveal the truth' about various things ranging from the news media and large corporations deciding the 'truths' to be given to the people to the lies of AA.

I will just hit a few points from some of the essays and give some of the quotes that stand out..

One essay, entitled "The Truth about Corporations" states that one of the big reasons for the American Revolution was colonial opposition to corporate power.  Some of the statistics given about corporations include: 1) You are 50 times more likely to be robbed by a corporation than by a person, 2) You are six times more likely to be killed by a corporation than by a person, and 3) Under the early American system, corporate charters tended to be granted sparingly, in keeping with the widespread belief that the potential for corporations to accumulate power rendered them inherently dangerous to democracy.  One more quote given in this essay is attributed to Abraham Lincoln: "As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

A second essay, "What's Missing from the Picture?" by Jim Marrs follows various crimes throughout history in which the crucial evidence had gone missing.  These  include missing pages from Booth's Diary (Lincoln Assassination), missing minutes from a tape (Nixon's Watergate scandal), missing code book, brain, and casket (from the John Kennedy Assassination), missing gun and evidence of shots in door panels (from the Robert Kennedy Assassination), high resolution photos from space which Astronaut Gordon Cooper said were "unbelievable close ups of license plates", etc.

"The Unkindest Cut" by Tristan Taormino compares the way we view male circumcision compared to female circumcision. We 'vehemently oppose this when it's done to women and see it as a way of mutilating their bodies, controlling their sexuality, and limiting their sexual pleasure." Yet in America 60% of the male population are circumcised as compared to about 20% world wide.

Another of these eye opening essays is entitled "Cheap, Crappy Food = A Fat Population: How Corporations and the US Government Create the Obesity Epidemic" by Steven Greenstreet, Bryan Young, and Elias Pate.  They say "When it comes to powerful lobbyists and moneyed corporations influencing the government to implement policies that endanger the health and safety of its citizens, the issues surrounding obesity are no exception."  When we think the food pyramid and daily food recommendations changes because of new research, think again. The authors say that these are the target of some of the fiercest lobby efforts in the government, and they give the reasons for this to be so. My favorite quote from this essay is "In a bizarre world where one salad can cost as much as five burgers, and water costs more than soda, all biological and economic incentives seem to line up against the healthy options."  I have actually found this essay online. Click here to read it.

I could go on and on about the various topics brought out in this book. But it would be better if you just read it for yourself.  Since they are short essays, you can read in increments rather than needing a large time frame.  This book has moved from my 'books to read' list to my 'books to own' list.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Nightseer by Laurell K. Hamilton

What another fun Laurell K. Hamilton book! This, I believe, was actually her first novel.
It is a wonderful fantasy fiction about Kelios, an 'herb witch' who is trying to avoid the amorous affection of Lothor, a dark hearler/prince and who wants to avenge the death of her mother.
Kelios is at a 'keep' where many go to hone their magical abilities, and a traitor caused it to fall.
This movie has witches, demons, sorcerers, and dragons. It has love and loss, murder and betrayal, and loyalty.
And, a bonus, it does NOT have explicit love scenes. :)  (It could be because Kelios wants to avoid Lothor as much as he wants to marry her.)
But, good, clean, fun.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Stolen, by Kelley Armstrong

This is the 2nd of Kelly Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series.  Again, we have Elena the werewolf from "Bitten" along with her pack members Clay and Jeremy.  In this book, Elena and the others are invited to a counsel of other supernatural beings who believe they are all being targeted for kidnapping.  Among these other beings, Elena meets witches, sorcerers, half demons, etc., but the real 'monsters' are the humans that have kidnapped the supernaturals.  Elena struggles with her captivity, escape, and return to the compound to help the others escape, too.  Lots of adventure in this book.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: The Uninvited by Dorothy Macardle

I found this wonderful 1942 book while visiting a friend who was watching the movie of the same title.  I love this thrilling ghost story!  The setting is in England, so the language is all prim and proper as you see on the movies of this time.

It is the story of Pamela Fitzgerald and her brother, Roderick, who buy a house together. The house once belonged to Stella's parents. That is where her mother and a house servant died. It is they who haunt the house.

Towards the end of the book, they hold a seance to communicate with the ghosts. I do not endorse having a seance, but I thought it was fun to see the description. The following excerpt is from page 258:

     



     
       Ingram returned with his cards and laid them in a circle on the table in order; the alphabet was broken at opposite points by cards marked "Yes" and "No." He inverted a wine-glass in the centre and said that our preparations were complete.  No hymn-singing, no plunging the room into darkness. I was relieved.
    
I thought this was fun to read because their game seems to be a card version of the Ouija Board game. It used cards rather than a board, and an upturned wine glass rather than a planchette.

And of course, there is a love story intertwined in all this: Roderick falls in love with Stella, but not until the end does he receive a shy kiss from her -- which seems to seal a marriage agreement!  Very sweet.


It was refreshing to read a complete novel with no mush and gush or gore!  It seems many of today's authors should take a lesson from Ms. Macardle: a complete story with full plot can be quite entertaining and does not need R-rated details (or worse) .  I do recommend this book.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Just finished Bitten. It is so good to have my new contacts!
This Kelley Armstrong novel (which I believe was her first novel) is about Alena, who is quite an anomaly: she is the only female werewolf known to exist.  She is torn between the human world, where she desperately is trying to make a life for herself, and between the world of the pack, where she feels trapped; after all, she was bitten, she wasn't born a werewolf.

Of course there is a love twist. Alena has a human that she loves, but who knows nothing about her. She also has Clay, the werewolf who turned her (whom she was engaged to at the time, but had no idea what he was).  There are some very modest, discreet love scenes, but then there are a couple racy scenes -- no idea why writers feel the need to include some of those details in a book, UGH!

I actually liked the story line, but I do like supernatural thrillers.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Blameless by Gail Carriger

I just finished the 3d of Gail Carriger's "Parasol Protectorate" novels in which poor Lady Maccon (Alexia Tarabotti) finds herself in more trouble.
 In this book, Alexia finds herself with child.  Her husband thinks that because he is a werewolf that he cannot sire children, so blames her of wanton behavior.  However, the rest of the supernatural sect believe her and are trying their best to kill her because they are afraid of the offspring of a preternatural (her 'soulless state) and a supernatural (her werewolf husband).
These are such a hoot to read because of the Victorian details to manners and speech. It is also fun to imagine some of the scientific inventions described -- things that one could imagine being really invented during this time period.
We follow Alexia's adventures from England to Italy and her husbands adventures as he goes from broken-hearted drunk (drinking formaldehyde and eating the pickled crunchy snacks contained in the specimen jars) to the realization that he was wrong in his accusations and his attempt to re-conciliate with his wife.  Her adventures include a run-in with Templar's, his include rescuing a vampire drone from the Thames.  All in all, it is a light hearted, fun book to read. I am looking forward to "HEARTLESS, The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fourth" which is due out in July 2011.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

This is the most recent of the the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books.  I started to say that she has gotten away from the vampire hunting, but she actually was trying to get the "mother of all vampires" (Mommy Noir).. she didn't actually go after her physically, but was able to deflect the 'father of death' vampire metaphysically by turning a 'blood bath' into a 'love bath'.  (too many graphic details..)
Yes, Anita Blake has gone a LONG way from the little gal out to get the bad guys.. she no longer raises the dead, although that is still her job: we just don't see this in the story line. 
Richard, former werewolf lover, is back in the novel, actually being 'good'.. which it totally out of character of him.  We've seen Anita, Richard, and others evolve throughout the series, but I'm a fan of the original couple of books.  I don't quite know what to think about this series any longer, except that I definitely would not allow my kids to read it. What happened to the Anita Blake that had high morals?  She sure didn't last long.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: State Fair by Earlene Fowler

I just finished reading State Fair. It is the latest of the Benni Harper mysteries written by Earlene Fowler. Benni Harper is the curator of a folk art museum in California, so the books have wonderful crafty elements in them. As a matter of fact, all the names of the books are names of quilt blocks and, of course, there are quilts in the story!  In 'State Fair", the quilts are on display at the state fair. In this story, one of the quilts is stolen from the fair exhibit and wrapped around a murder victim.. (aahhh!!  I know, quilt sacrilege!)

Benni is married to the local sheriff, who frowns on her exploits! I just love all these books: there is no foul language nor any explicit sex scenes.  Benni is very family oriented, living close to her father and grandmother and cousin. I really enjoy these wonderful books and wouldn't think twice about having my children read them!

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: The Parable of the Chocolate Chips by Sharon Larsen

This is the sweetest book about a kingdom that cannot eat chocolate: it is very bad! The story tells how it is slowly infiltrated into the lives of the people in such tiny steps that it was hardly noticeable, and before long, chocolate was a common confection.
Sharon Larsen is NOT trying to say that chocolate is bad!  She has written a wonderful parable in which  evil or sin is represented by chocolate.  It starts out as chocolate chips -- after all, there's hardly any chocolate in the cookies.. and before long , there is chocolate cake and eclairs! Pretty soon things that were once taboo have become acceptable practice. It reminds me of how immodesty crept it's way into television.  I remember some of the first bra commercials.  There was a black mannequin and a white bra. And we thought, "Yuck, who wants to see a bra commercial?!"  Soon after that, a model was in the commercial wearing a bra over a black turtle neck T-shirt. Then it didn't take long until she was modeling the bra without the shirt under it: and we see a LOT more than that now!  It didn't happen over night, but was a gradual thing where just a little was done until it became common, then a little more, then a little more. It is just a beautifully written little book that teaches a wonderful lesson -- to beware of the little sins because they grows and grows until they are out of control.

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

When I started reading this, I didn't realize it was book 11 of Kelley Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series. It is a stand alone book and makes a complete novel by itself, although I felt as though it could be continued in another book.  The book is about Savanna, a witch, who is also a beginning private detective who is looking into a couple murders that could have supernatural overtones.  "Witch" in this novel is not a practicing Wiccan, but is another 'species' or a non-human with distinct biological differences than humans.  The book follows Savanna as she works on her first solo case and leaves me wanting more of the story filled in: Does Savanna lose her powers permanently? Do Savanna and Adam get together? Does Kayla get reunited with her grandmother? These unanswered questions make me think that there might be another book, but it looks as though the books in the series might not necessarily have all the same characters. I'll let you know when I read some more of this series! (which I definitely will).

GRANDMOTHER'S LIBRARY: Soulless by Gail Carriger

This is book of of the Parasol Protectorate series of books whose main character is a Victorian, prim and proper spinster, one Miss Tarabotti.  The book begins with the following paragraph:
"Miss Alexia Tarabotti was not enjoying her eveing. Private balls were never more than middling amusements for spinsters, and Miss Tarabotti was not the kind of spinster who could  garner even that much pleasure from the event.  To put the pudding in the puff: she had retreated to the library, her favorite sanctuary in any house, only to happen upon an unexpected vampire."  When the said vampire tried to attack her, she says, "I say! We have not properly been introduced."  Her prim and proper manners are too funny to read!  Miss Tarabotti is most upset by the vampire falling over the tea tray and ruining the treacle tart.
It seems that Miss Tarabotti has no soul, which negates any supernatural abilities in others: vampires teeth retract, werewolves cannot turn all hairy, and ghosts can be exorcised.  She seems to be very outspoken for a woman of these times, yet is always the picture of perfect etiquette!  This is absolutely a fun book to read!!