Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2018

I participate in this challenge every year. I'm a little late in signing up this year, but I still plan to read at least 4 or 5 Christmas-themed books before January 6th. I know it's sappy, but I enjoy it. 
If you want to join the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge, get all the details here and sign up!  
My first selection is 

I love this Penguin Christmas Classics edition and I am collecting the other five books in the series. My Library Classics Club selected this for our December read. 

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Title:   Killers of the Flower Moon

Author:          David Grann

Published:     April 18, 2017 by Doubleday

Hardcover:    338 pages

Awards:         Edgar Award Nominee for Best Fact Crime (2018); Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (2018); National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction (2017); Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History & Biography (2017); Brooklyn Public Library Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (2017)

Summary:     Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann explores the deaths of an incredible number of Osage Indians in the early 1900’s, specifically the family of Mollie Burkhart. The Osage were moved from their lands to a reservation on land that was later discovered to be on top of a rich oil field. The Osage had headrights to these lands and some of the white men, who were appointed their guardians, worked out ways to eliminate the Osage so they could have the money earned from them. David Grann tells the story of Mollie Burkhart’s family and how they were systematically killed so their headrights would be passed on. He also tells the story of how the U. S. Government was involved and the men who started the Federal Bureau of Investigation, some of whom worked on this Osage case. Who was behind all these murders? Was there only one man or were there many white men taking advantage of the Osage?

Overview:      I probably would never have picked this book up on my own, but it was our library book club’s February selection. I was surprised to find that I was very interested in what happened to the Osage Indians at this period in time and I was saddened by the way the white men treated them – as though they were not intelligent enough to handle their own affairs and that they weren’t fully “human.” It was racist and disgusting to me. Even though there were some passages that were heavy on investigation issues that didn’t work out, I didn’t feel that the book dragged.  I was more and more interested in the eventual outcome as I read along. If you like true crime stories, this is the book for you.

Until Tom White took over, the investigation seemed to go several different ways. Mr. White too all the possible leads and followed them to learn all he could and verify the facts given. I don’t usually like crime novels, but this was true and I wanted to find out if the criminals involved were brought to justice. There was nothing offensive as far as sex or swearing involved, however, there was ample violence due to the way several of the Osage were murdered.  I am very interested in details and making lists and checking off items when they are completed. This book was a great demonstration of that being done. Tom White made a lists of all the evidence that was gathered and set out to prove or disprove each item. He got discouraged, but in the end his persistence paid off.

Mr. Grann goes beyond Tom White’s investigation and communicates with descendants of the Osage to discover even more families who were victimized by their white guardians. As I said previously, it was disgusting to think that a nation of people could be taken advantage of in such a way. Although, if you think about it a bit, there were other nations who leaders attempted to destroy because they were deemed “undesirable”. This brings to mind the Nazis and the Jews. How can man be so cruel?

 I gave this selection 4 stars because it wasn't really a page-turner for me, although I did get more and more interested as i read on. 

Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini

Title: Christmas Bells
Author: Jennifer Chiaverini 
Published: October 27, 2015 by Dutton 
The copy I read was paperback and included 336 pages. 

This book will appeal to many groups of people: those who enjoy history, literature buffs, music lovers, and those who enjoy romantic, perfect endings. I am all of those. I got a little bogged down with the historical sections. I felt the pace dragged a bit through there, but it was interesting in retrospect. This novel included so many things. The Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his family, the war in Aphganistan and families at home dealing with deployment of their loved ones, the priesthood and how it affects a family, a Senator's influence and his wife's responsibility serving alongside him. So much, yet it worked. I loved how Ms. Chiaverini wrapped everything up and tied it with a big bow! That's my kind of Christmas tale! I will never hear or sing or play "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" the same again. 

I gave it 5 stars - I thought about giving it 4 stars because the historical parts were kind of long, but in the end it was a wonderful Christmas story. 

Family Tree Reading Challenge

I came across this really interesting reading challenge: the Family Tree Reading Challenge hosted by Becky's Book Reviews. You choose members of your family and read a book that was published in the year of their birth. I am the youngest child in my family, so I chose my youngest daughter who was born in 1991, myself 1954, my father who was also the youngest in his family 1917, my great aunt who was the youngest in her family 1909, my grandfather also the youngest 1894, and the two youngest siblings - twins - of my great grandmother 1860. I looked up the bestsellers for those years and found some interesting choices: 

1991 Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark 
1954 Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier 
1917 His Family by Ernest Poole 
1909 The Trail of the Lonesome Pine by John Fox, Jr. 
1894 Trilby by George du Maurier 
1860 The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot 

That's my list! You can sign up here. 

Library Love Challenge

If you love your library as I do, this challenge is right up your alley. The goal is to read at least 12 books from the library this year. Of course, you can read more if you want. 
I'm going to start with 12, but hopefully, I will read more. 

It's hosted by Angels Guilty Pleasures and you can sign up here. 

There's also a giveaway at the end that you can read about at the same link. 

Good luck! 

Winter's Respite Readathon

It's January - time to start the #Winter's Respite Readathon! I love an excuse to just read, read, read. 
If you want to join, just click on the picture at the top of this page and it will take you to the post. 

I'm starting out continuing one of my Christmas reads: "Christmas Bells" by Jennifer Chiaverini. It is part historical and part contemporary. I'm really enjoying it. I have a couple of other Christmas books that I need to finish as well. 

Christmas Day brought me three new books - one is a children's book in Spanish, the others are "The Other Alcott" by Elise Hooper which I am reviewing for our book club this year, and "My Brilliant Friend" by Elena Ferrante. You may see those on my booklist, too. 

I also have some books on my Kindle that I could read: "Geekerella" by Ashley Poston which my daughter says is really good, and the next Poldark book! 

I'm so glad to have some time to just sit and read this January! Get a cup of tea and cozy up with your book!