The World's Strongest Librarian

 

The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family is basically a collection of stories that make up Josh Hanagarde’s personal life as well as his experiences working as a librarian. Thankfully, these narrations are told with a sharp wit and plenty of insight. We learn quickly that Josh is a life-long bibliophile, which may explain why his memoir is so well written.

Much of this book is devoted to Josh having Tourette's syndrome and its impact on him physically, mentally and emotionally. Josh describes Tourette’s generally as a condition where the person moves and/or vocalizes involuntarily. These sudden occurrences are called tics. Edifyingly, Josh discusses what having Tourette’s feels like. He compares it to the urge to sneeze. The person has to let the tic out to feel any relief from the urge. I gained a better understanding of this condition by reading this memoir.

Josh’s family, the Hanagarnes, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as The Mormon Church. Josh writes about Church doctrine and how it influenced his family. I enjoyed these parts of the book because I love learning about the teachings and practices of world religions.  Interesting enough, he credits the Church for his happy, supportive family life. Saying something positive about church or organized religion is something you don’t always hear in today’s culture. Yet, Josh admits that he is skeptical about Mormonism and struggles with his faith and prayer life.

During a particularly depressing period, Josh’s father introduced him to bodybuilding. Josh would soon realize that lifting weights made him oblivious to his tics and made him feel more in control of his life. Eventually, Josh learned that the harder he trained, the easier life was for him. That included his Tourette’s symptoms too. So, he immersed himself in this form of exercise using primarily kettlebells. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the book is Josh’s story about the time he spent with a militant weight trainer.

What I really like about The World's Strongest Librarian – other than its wonderful humor - is that it doesn’t leave you feeling too sad for too long. Sure, Josh has had his share of difficult times, but he always seems to receive clarity when he needs it. To sum it up, it’s just an interesting memoir about an interesting life that was delightful to read. I wholehearted thank the person who recommended it. It was exactly the type of book I was in the mood to read. 

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The Wish Collector

 

Maria's Book Banter is off and running in the new year and it’s wonderful to be back! I stumbled on the title The Wish Collector by Mia Sheridan while taking a break from this blog. Its description compared it to Phantom of the Opera; one of my favorites. So, I was eager to get started. As I discovered, this book has many flavors to it, making this review a bit formidable to write.

Professional dancer, Clara just moved to New Orleans to perform with the city’s ballet company. She's having a difficult time adjusting to her new surroundings when she hears the heartbreaking story of the Windisle Plantation and its Weeping Wall. Where legend has it, if a written wish is slipped through a crack in the wall, it will be granted.

Clara becomes obsessed with this haunting tale and eventually pays the Weeping Wall a visit. As she places her wish through a crack, Clara detects movement behind the wall. After investigating further, she could tell that there is someone back there and asks who it is. A male voice answers saying that his name is Jonah.

After some friendly conversation between Clara and Jonah, she learns that he lives at Windisle. Then she realizes that he had the paper that she wrote her wish on and that he probably collects all the wishes that come through that wall. That’s when Clara nicknamed Jonah the Wish Collector. They eventually make a “date” for her to come back so he could tell her about the history of the plantation. This story has gotten off to a good start. I'm happy to be on this journey with Clara and Jonah to see where it takes them.

From there, the narrative takes us back in time to 1860 to Windisle Manor, where we meet Angelina and John. Angelina is the daughter of a slave and slave owner, and John is a soldier. Their love story is the basis of the lore of Windisle Plantation, where supposedly the spirits of Angelina and John are trapped because of a curse. This romantically tragic storyline is revisited throughout the book.

Back to present day, Jonah is a broken man with a mysterious past that left him scarred physically and emotionally. He has been living as a recluse at Windisle for some time. It surprised him that he agreed to meet with Clara again. Was it out of pour loneliness? Yet, there was something about her that intrigued him. Particularly, the wish she wished for; it was something he had never seen. Her wish was to help free Angelina’s spirit by breaking the curse.

Clara would come back to the Weeping Wall time and time again. Jonah recognized sadness in Clara, but he could tell she is a pretty girl with a sweetness to her. He also saw a certain strength about her too. Talking to Clara makes him smile - something seemingly he hasn’t done in a while. 

On her end, Clara opens up to him about her life’s struggles, bringing her peace and making her a better dancer. Was he a Wish Granter as well as a Wish Collector?

From my perspective as a reader, It’s kind of nice to see these two individuals who have such a need for personal connection come together.

Finally, Jonah makes a shocking, regret-filled confession about his life. His startling admission could put him in a completely different light in Clara’s eyes. Clara has really grown to care for him and value their friendship. How would this revelation affect their unusual relationship?

If you have read this blog in the past, you know I'm not a huge fan of romance novels. The Wish Collector definitely has those amorous aspects as well as an overly dramatic ending. However, it is so much more than a simple love story. There are complex characters living complicated lives who have to make difficult choices. It’s also a beautifully written story of hope, forgiveness, generosity and taking risks too.

I will also add that I wasn’t crazy about the part where Clara is trying to break the curse. It wasn’t totally clear to me what her motivation was. Nevertheless, I can overlook this novel’s flaws somewhat because Clara and Jonah’s arc is just so lovely. I wanted to keep reading to see what happens. Would they have a happy ending that I wish for them? If you read The Wish Collector, I think you would feel the same.

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The Sunflower

 

The story of The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans begins on Christmas Day in a Minnesota emergency room where Dr. Paul Cook is working as an ER doctor. Sadly, Paul loses 2 patients that day. One is a heart attack victim, the other is a small boy. Paul is absolutely devastated by these events.

When Christine’s fiancé called off their wedding at the last minute, her fun-loving best friend, Jessica, signs them up for a humanitarian mission in the jungles of Peru to help her get over her broken heart. Not one for camping expeditions, Christine has no desire to go on this trip.

However, after seeing an emotional slide presentation at the trip’s orientation, Christine agrees to go. I think what changed her mind is when the orientation leader said “find yourself by losing yourself in service to others”. Maybe this is what Christine needs at the time.

Christine first meets Paul when a Peruvian boy pickpockets her wallet. Paul catches the dodger and makes him return the wallet. Eventually, Christine finds herself volunteering at The Sunflower – the orphanage that Paul runs.  Predictably, Christine and Paul soon bound over the work and the children there.

The story is a little slow getting started. It seemed like I knew exactly where it was going. It just took its good ol’ time getting there. Maybe because the narrative – at least the first half of it - is filled with mundane details about Christine and Paul’s lives. I also thought the character of Jessica could be kind of silly at times in an annoying way. I guess she's supposed to be the comic relief in this novel.

I chose this book because I thought it would have more substance to it than a typical romance novel, and I suppose there is some regarding the children living at The Sunflower, but I also found it to be the usual, unsurprising contemporary romance novella as well.

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The Book of Lost Names

 

As I wrote in my last blog post, I am a member of a couple of literary Facebook groups. This title, The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel, is another book that came highly recommended by these forums. Here is where we meet Eva Abrams, an 86-year-young librarian and a lifelong bibliophile living in Florida.

The story begins when Eva sees a picture in a newspaper of a special book, a book that meant everything to her. She claims to be the rightful owner of the book and wants it back.

From there, we are transported back over 60 years to German-occupied Paris where Eva lives with her parents. Since they are Jewish, they live with the relentless threat of the Nazis. After her father is taken by the Nazis, Eva and her mother sneak out of Paris with fake identification documents that Eva masterfully created. They embark on an adventurous journey to freedom, but Eva is determined to return to Paris to help her father escape.

Along the way, Eva meets a Catholic priest or should I say he finds Eva and tells her they can help each other. Apparently, his church is part of an escape network that assists those fleeing from the Nazis. He sought Eva out to work in their operation using her paper falsifying skills. In exchange, he would help free her father. This proposition presents a moral dilemma for Eva – Should she stay long-term to work with the priest OR should she leave to rescue her father.

Upon her return to Paris, Eva witnesses the horrific conditions in a Nazi internment camp. Deeply disturbed by the sight, she knows she has to do something about the atrocities. So, Eva starts working at the church as a forger.

In the meantime, she meets a handsome stranger named Remy who also produces false documents for the network. He will eventually become her love interest. Together, they will form a hidden “forgery bureau” in the church’s secret library. 

Doing this work, it became important to Eva that individuals’ true identities weren’t lost forever, especially those belonging to children. She didn’t want a whole race of people to be expunged from history. To honor this wish, Remy invented a complex coding system to keep track of children's real names and their fake identities, which would be hidden in an ancient book about Catholic Masses – The Book of Lost Names. This is the same book Eva sees in the newspaper 60 years later.

At this point, Eva decides to stay on indefinitely working at the church despite her mother’s disapproval. The narrative suggests that she will come to regret this decision. So, I'm curious to continue reading to see what her fate will be.

As I draw closer to the end of the story, I sense sadness coming. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

One part of the story that really struck me is when Eva befriends one of the little refugee girls named Ann. Like Eva, Ann loves books. The two of them have some heartfelt discussions about the books they have both read. Eva learns much about the importance of hope from these conversations with Ann.

If you like historical fiction, The Book of Lost Names is a wonderful choice. With a page-turning ending full of suspense, intrigue and danger, it’s a novel that’s extremely well written. Its description of the impact of books is movingly beautiful in a relatable way. Books changed the world is what Eva believed. If you’re reading this blog, then I'm sure you would agree.

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The Day the World Came to Town

 

I belong to a couple Facebook groups dedicated to books and reading. One particular book came highly recommended. It’s The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede. It’s a compilation of true stories of what happened in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001 and the days that followed. These stories express the fear and confusion that were felt on 9/11 as well the goodness in humanity demonstrated by the people of Gander in the days after it. It was inspired by the Tony nominated Broadway Musical Come From Away.

On that day, the air space over the United States was shut down due to terrorist attacks using airplanes. Thirty-eight jetliners headed for the U.S. were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, a town whose existence is based on the aviation industry. Approximately 12,000 passengers, or the “plane people”, converge there creating what would seem to be a logistical nightmare regarding how to accommodate these unexpected visitors. This book spells out in some detail how the basic needs of the plane people were met during their unplanned stay in Gander.

To understand how it was accomplished, I think you have to know what the citizens of Newfoundland are like. They are friendly, cooperative people who are always willing to lend a helping hand. Specifically, Gander is the type of small town where residents keep their doors unlock and think nothing of it. The hospitality illustrated in The Day the World Came to Town was simply amazing - just an extraordinary effort by the citizens of Gander. Reading about it was fascinating and fabulous.

As for the author’s writing style, DeFede describes the events and colorful characters captivatingly and with a bit of humor when appropriate. There is also an edifying discussion on aviation and the unique challenges that were faced on 9/11 as well as the art of air traffic control.

However, the most important lesson from these stories is the importance of kindness, community and genuine human connection. At a time when there is so much emphasis on maintaining good mental health, these 3 simple things are often overlooked. If you're looking for a book that will restore your faith in humanity. I suggest you take a gander at this one. Do you see what I did there?

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The Golden Couple

 

I do love a good psychological thriller. I was excited when I heard about The Golden Couple, co-authored by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. It sounded like a great book, making for a great blog post.

Avery Chambers is a psychotherapist who recently lost her license to practice because she used extremely unethical approaches to treat her clients, but that hasn’t stopped her. No longer held to industry standards, Avery is now free to apply unconventional methods of psychotherapy. She's a shrewd cookie when it comes to human behavior. Her insightfulness is throughout this book, which makes for enlightening reading. She takes on Marissa and Matthew Bishop – the golden couple. In their first session with Avery, an infidelity is confessed.

In the first few chapters, we are quickly immersed into Avery’s personal life. She's a young widow, but is dating someone, has a stepdaughter and adopts a dog. She's also made some dangerous enemies along the way. Because of this, Avery has to be extremely careful about her personal security – something that heightens this narrative’s suspense.

Likewise, a lot is learned about the Bishop family. They have an 8-year-old son name Bennett. Matthew is a lawyer. Marissa is a small business owner. They too have secrets of their own.

Avery’s techniques for treating Matthew and Marissa are indeed intriguing. She tells them that she needs “free reign in your lives”. What that means is that Avery does some independent detective work or snooping to find out more about them. She literally spies on Marissa and Matthew aggressively and uses the intel during therapy sessions. Avery senses the Bishops are a couple with many complexities. More so than most of her clients. She has to dig deep into their lives to gain more information about them.

Diving into these 3 characters’ lives and their interactions with each other, I sense something major is coming – a big twist. I'm paying close attention for clues. There are several secondary characters to keep an eye on as well.  All kinds of crazy scenarios about how this will play out are running through my mind. However, as I continue to read, I grow impatient waiting for this surprise to happen.

Inching towards the end of the story, the tension slowly, but surely escalates. Then, finally, secrets about Marissa and Matthew’s relationship are revealed.

While The Golden Couple is a bit slow in the middle, it has a gripping ending that kept me engaged and wanting to read more – a true psychological thriller with a conclusion fitting for this genre. Honestly, it kept me guessing until the end, particularly, about the true nature of these characters and their motivations. If you liked The Silent Patient or Girl on the Train, then I think you will really enjoy The Golden Couple.

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Home to Chicory Lane

 

Judging by its description, Home to Chicory Lane by Deborah Raney is not the type of book I would normally choose to read, and even as I start writing this blog post, I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with it. I expect it to be kind of corny predictability, with not a lot of intrigue, but I'm willing to be proven wrong – I guess.

Audrey and Grant Whitman are about to open the Chicory Inn when their daughter, Landyn, shows up unexpectedly at their door with an U-Haul packed with all her belongings. Landyn’s marriage is in disarray and she has nowhere else to go. To follow his dream to be a professional artist, her husband, Chase, has made some decisions about their lives without consulting Landyn. She strongly objects to Chase’s choices and leaves him to go home to her parents.

Landyn’s sudden appearance is not good timing for Audrey and Grant since they are expecting their first guests at the inn in a few days. Three weeks go by and Landyn is still not going back to Chase. Her parents grow frustrated and want her to gain control over her life. The truth is, Landyn is at a crossroads and she doesn’t know which direction she should take. At this point, I am curious to see what Landyn does.

Told with much hokeyness, this is basically a story about a newlywed couple who aren’t managing their lives too well. Landyn and Chase must figure things out – and in a hurry, but life’s challenges and complications are getting in their way. We’re privy to their thought processes, and believe me, it doesn’t make for enjoyable reading. Much of this book is conversations about their situation, which can get monotonous and doesn’t do anything to advance its plot.

How far does someone go to support their spouse’s dreams is a major theme in this story as well as family strife, discerning God’s will and finding gratitude in difficult circumstances.

There are a few surprises in store for Landyn and Chase towards the end of the story, but nothing too compelling to say I was riveted. Home to Chicory Lane is the first book in a series. I don’t see myself continuing with this series.

It’s hard to find books to be enthusiastic about, which is why I'm constantly seeking recommendations for this blog. If you know of a book that would be a great topic for a future post, please e-mail at mariabookbanter@gmail.com.

 

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