December was a great end to my 2022 reading year. I read some interesting, entertaining and informative books this month and enjoyed them all. Here's a brief review of each one.
The Fire Thief
by Debra Bokur
What do the murders of a young native Hawaiian surfer and and an elderly grandmother have in common other than they both take place on the island of Maui in Hawaii and seem to have been committed by a ghost? That's what Deterective Kali Mahoe and her police captain and uncle Walter Alaka'i have to figure out before there are any more deaths. Sightings of a faceless, malicious spirit seem connected to the grisly crimes, but is it just superstition? Are the killings somehow connected to Hawaiian folklore? This book grabbed my interest from the beginning. The island setting connecting paradise to deadly dark secrets immediately got my interest. The characters, especially Detective Mahoe are strong and well-developed, and while flawed, they are likeable. Although the book seemed to drag a bit with investigative details in the middle, the ending was fast-paced and the plot tight. I enjoyed this book and will look for the second installment in the Dark Paradise Mystery series by author Debra Bokur, The Bone Field. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. (Own paperback copy purchased from Dollar Tree).
The Screwtape Letters
by C.S. Lewis
I have recently taken a couple of online classes about C.S. Lewis, but until now I had only read one of his books, Mere Christianity. The Screwtape Letters is considered a true classic of Christian literature. It is written in a satirical tone as letters from a wordly-wise demon, Screwtape, to his demonic nephew and novice, Wormwood. In the letters, Screwtape tells his nephew how to win souls to "Our Father Below," Satan himself. The letters are interestingly entertaining, ironically humorous and thought-provoking as Screwtape tells Wormwood how to use human nature to secure the damnation of a young man whom Wormwood has been tasked to take to hell. The addition at the end of the book, written several years later, Screwtape Proposes a Toast, takes on a political tone and comments about government and education in the 20th century, specifically the post WWII world. In today's "Cancel Culture" society, I'm afraid that C.S. Lewis might have been in real trouble, but much of what he wrote rings true, and gives even the 2022 reader much to contemplate. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. (Library audiobook).
Failure to Launch
by Mark McConville, Ph.D.
This is a wonderful book about parenting young adults - especially those who are having a difficult time as they transition from adolescence to adulthood, which is happening more and more in our society. In fact, sociologists can pinpoint a birth year - 1995 - when young people began to change in ways that made them more isolated, depressed and anxious. Young adults are now waiting much longer to move out of their parent's home, marry, go to or finish college and achieve other "adult" milestones. While there are certainly economic factors that could be causing some of this, some sociologists are convinced that smartphones and social media have had a MAJOR impact on what has come to be known as I-gen (Internet Generation). My youngest son was born in 1996, and I have seen this very phenomenon in my own family. That is why I decided to read Failure to Launch. The book is interesting and highly readable, and extremely informative and helpful. I had heard the author, Mark McConville, who is a Ph.D. and family therapist, on a podcast last year, and the things he said really resonated with me and our own family experience. I then asked my own family therapist about this book, and he gave it a resounding endorsement. This is an excellent book for any parent who is trying to help a twenty-something child, grow up, deal with issues like anxiety and depression, and make his or her own way in the world. It also has great ideas for any kind of challenging family communication, which many people experience. Highly recommended reading, especially for parents and grandparents of teens and young adults. I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. (Own hardbound. Purchased from Amazon).
When It Doesn't Make Sense
by John Bytheway
John Bytheway is one of my favorite religious authors and podcasters. He is also a religion professor at Brigham Young University. In his latest book. When it Doesn't Make Sense, Bytheway talks about how to make sense of what doesn't make sense, or at least hold on with faith. Life brings hard things to all. Faith in God comes with lots of questions. God has not given us all the answers to everything. Some things we just simply will not have answers to until we get to heaven, but that doesn't mean we have to throw away all the good, all the miracles, all that the word of God teaches us. We can hold on with faith and give the hard things to God. We don't have to throw our faith away just because we cannot see the entire picture of God's plan perfectly. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. (I listened to the audio of the book on Deseret Bookshelf Plus).
A New York Christmas
by Anne Perry
When Jemima Pitt, the daughter of an influential British enforcement officer, crosses the Atlantic with an acquaintance who is marrying the son of a wealthy New York aristocrat, she could not imagine the dark family history of her new friend, that would lead to murder. When Jemima is accused of killing her friend's estranged mother, it seems that the coming Christmas holiday will hold little hope. As Jemima, desperate for answers that will clear her name, trudges through the strange and snowy streets of 1904 New York City, she finds help from a young police officer who also wants to find the truth. This was my first Anne Perry book, but I doubt that it will be my last. This book was a quick read, and while it started off a bit slow, the plot developed quickly and by the end, I knew I would have to have to stay up past my bedtime to solve the mystery. The plot was interesting, unpredictable and compelling, and the connection to the Christmas holiday did not seem at all contrived. All in all, I enjoyed this quick and readable little holiday mystery and will read another Anne Perry book soon. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads. (Own hardbound, purchased used as former library book).
The Christmas Candle
by Max Lucado
A candle-maker and his wife in England in the 1800s experience a miracle when an angel touches one of the candles they have made for the church Christmas Eve service. The person who the candle is given to then gets the special blessing they pray for. But what happens, when the candle-maker doesn't know which special candle has been touched by the angel? Who of the many needy people in the town will get the special blessing? What if the candle maker and his wife have the greatest need of all? This book is a nice, little quick read, that has an overall good faith-filled message about Christmas. It was OK, but I have read more memorable and inspirational Christmas books. I gave this book 3/5 stars on Goodreads. (Own hardbound book, purchased used at thrift store).
That's it for my reading in 2022. I read 73 books in 2022, which is a new reading record for me! I am looking forward to more fun, thrilling, uplifting, interesting, inspirational, compelling, informative and fascinating books in 2023.
Happy reading in the new year!
Until Next time
😊Deb💖
"Keep reading. It's one of the most marvelous
adventures that anyone can have."
~Lloyd Alexander
