Category: Books

Posted in Book Review, Books

Reading Updates for Oct/Nov 2025

Posted on by Melissa

ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain

I honestly thought this was a re-read. However, I either never finished it earlier in my life or I completely forgot the last third of the book because I didn’t remember any of it. I chose to “re-read” it in preparation to read James by Percival Everett. The premise of that book is that it is written from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim in Huckleberry Finn. I know that for many the the dialogue and language in Twain’s book is problematic and harsh to modern day ears. Yet, if you can push beyond that aspect it really is a fascinating read and should remain, in my opinion, as considered a classic. In the end, what you find is that Twain is elevating Huck and Jim, who by society’s standards of the day are the least educated, morally suspect, and almost less than human characters to be seen as actually the most intelligent and righteous characters in the story. Their devotion and care to each other stands out. Their questioning and wrestling of how society works versus what they intuitively feel is right is prominent. I’m glad I re-read (well actually, finally finished) this book.

JAMES by Percival Everett

I am only about 1/3 of the way through this book. It is quite interesting to read it with Huckleberry Finn fresh in my mind. While it is not necessary to read Twain’s book prior to this one, I would recommend doing so if you get a chance. My journey to reading these two books came about because I saw that Percival Everett is scheduled to be one of the authors for the Lenoir-Rhyne Visiting Writer’s series in January of 2026. I am planning to attend that event and wanted to read this book prior to that. I can’t fully review a book I haven’t finished, but I will say that I am enjoying it so far and am looking forward to finishing it.

FREEWATER by Amina Luqman-Dawson

I chose this book to read simply because it was the 2023 Newbery Medal winner and it was available at the library the day I went searching for some books to read. One of my self-imposed reading goals is to read all of the Newbery Medal winners. It has been an interesting journey so far. You can see my progress here: Newbery Winners. I am about 2/3 of the way through reading this book. And I have thoroughly enjoyed it so far. Interestingly enough this book too is about runaway slaves. It is the story of a brother and sister who initially tried to escape with their mother. Their mother due to circumstances was left behind and captured. The two young children find themselves taken in by other escaped slaves who have developed a community living in a nearby swamp. Though Freewater, as it is called, is a fictional place the book is “inspired by the Great Dismal Swamp and the enslaved souls who found refuge and freedom within its confines” which stretched “over fifteen hundred square miles” from Virginia to North Carolina. This was a part of history that I had never heard of before. Even though it is a book written with an audience of young children up to the age of 14, I would highly recommend adults read this as well. It is very rich, deep, and informative.

TO LOVE AS GOD LOVES by Roberta C. Bondi

This was an assigned book for one of my Course of Study books for a class on theology. Its subtitle is “Conversations with the Early Church.” And indeed it is. The book’s premise is to be in dialogue with the writings of early church fathers and mothers, many of whom who chose a monastic lifestyle. The book touches on the subjects of Love, Humility, Passions [what we would recognize as the deadly sins], Prayer, and God. It was a really good and informative read that invites one to engage in those subjects in a new way. From the beginning the author states that agreement with the early ancients is not required because our modern day understanding and thinking is going to of course be different. However, their writings still have much truth to teach us and at least spur us to think about things in a different way. The book is both very accessible to an average lay reader but also provides an avenue to topics and thinking for those who want to go deeper in their theological thoughts.

THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS by Robert Louis Wilken

This too was a book assigned for my recent Course of Study class on Theology. Subtitled “A Global History of Christianity,” this may appear at first glance to be quite an imposing (one might say boring) book to tackle. Yet, this one too has a very good balance of deep historical knowledge but is presented in a way that is accessible to most readers. I say most readers only to say that I think one must have at least a passing interest and curiosity into the history of Christianity from its early beginnings to enjoy reading this book. Wilken, like Bondi above, is able to balance a telling of deep rich heritage within a writing syle that is accessible and understandable. Not that it is a light read to take on a beach vacation for light enjoyment. But it is presented in a way that is not overwhelming to a reader who is interested in this subject and ready to engage with it.

To sum up, this is part of what my brain has been engaged in recently. Hope this is helpful to some one. If none of these books spark your interest, maybe my next set of reading material will. I’ll share that when I can. Otherwise, at minimum will you at least take my advice and read something? Please! Society as a whole is reading less and well, I think in many ways it is beginning to show.

Posted in Book Review, Books

MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER: McMASTERS GUIDE TO HOMICIDE by Rupert Holmes

Posted on by Melissa

Most murder mysteries start with the victim and then the rest of the story revolves around trying to discover who committed the crime. This book flips that on it’s head. Instead, we start by knowing who the murderers (or deletists as they are referred to) are from the beginning. The mystery, or the question left to be answered, is whether the three deletists will be successful in their endeavors.

The premise of the book is that Dean Harbinger Harrow of McMasters Conservatory, a secretive and secluded educational institution dedicated to the teaching of the homicidal arts, has endeavored to share the accounts of three of their students as case studies. The reader is invited to follow along with Cliff Iverson, Gemma Lindley, and Doria Maye as they each develop their individual thesis (that is how they plan to murder/delete their subject), attend classes to learn best methods and how not to get caught, and then observe the success or failure of the execution of their plan.

Admittedly, a part of me has some qualms about both the fact I enjoyed this book and am suggesting to others to read it as well. My moral code does not in any way endorse the act of murder. And if I thought that this book would indeed drive someone to consider such an action, I would not heartily recommend adding it to one’s reading list.

The fact is, that it is entertaining, engaging and a creative piece of work. The pages are full of puns and wordplays which elicited a lot of smiles, chuckles, laughter, and the occasional groan – which in my world is one of the highest praises for a well crafted pun. This is all done under the guise of what the narrator is purporting to put forth as a serious, sober, professional, and high-minded account and treatise on the purpose of this particular unique educational training.

Additionally, it it’s own darkly comic way the book does indeed pose questions of morality, friendship, loyalty, and obligations to family and friends. Again, I had to do some soul-searching as I found myself often hoping to see the three murderers/deletists successfully graduate by completing their murder/thesis.

Lastly, the twists and turns that take the reader by surprise are also well-crafted. They are plausible, well-timed, and if they were fore-shadowed (I would have to re-read the book to determine if I missed anything) it was done very subtly. I truly found myself not being able – and something rare for me – not even wanting to try to figure out what was coming ahead. I was able to just let myself drift along wherever to plot stream took me.

If you have found yourself stuck in, or at least gravitating to, a particular genre of reading lately, then I highly recommend adding this one to your list. It was an enjoyable trek down a different reading path for me and may be the same for you as well.

Posted in Book Review, Books

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

Posted on by Melissa

Hitty is a small wooden doll of about 6 inches with movable arms and legs made from white ash by a peddler for the daughter of a sea captain in the 1820s. Now residing in an antique store in the 1920s, she has put pen to paper and written the memoirs of her various adventures and travels. This book was the 1930 winner of the Newbery Medal given for children’s literature and was inspired by a doll owned by the author Rachel Field.

I can say as a child I probably never would have read this book and would have given the stink-eye to any librarian who suggested it for me. I was not the kind of young girl who played with dolls. I only picked up and read this book because of my goal of reading all the Newbery Medal winners throughout the years. As an adult I am still not a “doll” person, yet I did find this to be an interesting story to read. I could see how the appeal of a tale from a doll’s perspective could be intriguing to a youngster who does like to play with dolls. And perhaps even to an older individual who collects dolls as a hobby.

Written from the first person view of the doll is a creative and imaginative decision by the author. Within the accounts of her adventures the reader is giving small glimpses into changes of society throughout Hitty’s hundred years of life. Over that span of time she travels by carriage, whaling ship, train, and finally in an automobile. She comments on the various thrills, excitement, and fear that each of these evoke from her. She ends up living in places such as Maine, India, New England, and New Orleans. Likewise, as she finds herself passing from owner to owner, mostly by being lost by one and then found by another, she remarks on the changes in clothes that people wear, family dynamics, and social issues of the day. Obviously, none of this is delved into very deeply by the author, but again I found the idea of seeing such changes through the doll as an impartial and outside observer an interesting way to view such things. As a book for children, it at the least might have inspired them to want to learn more about some part of history or culture that is only lightly touched upon within it’s pages.

As a book written in 1929, it must be noted that it does contain some dialect ascribed to certain characters and words ascribed to natives of an island that may seem offensive to modern readers. An astute and mature reader can, or at least in my opinion should, be able to take such things in stride and take into account the always changing attitudes in what is the norm of a certain period of time. I personally, don’t even think these few problematic passages are enough to “corrupt” the thinking or attitude of a young reader today. But I also admit I am not an expert in childhood development nor am I a children’s librarian with experience and knowledge on what books are best to recommend to children.

All I can say is that as an adult reader (and secret aspiring writer) I found the story idea unique and well-written and well-crafted.

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Posted in Books, Personal Thoughts

I’m Still Here!

Posted on by Melissa

I thought I needed to drop in and let anyone who is interested know that I am still here and have not abandoned this blog. I know my posts over the past few months have decreased in frequency. It is definitely not for lack of interest or for lack of things I want to say. I also still have many older writings and poems I want to share and I do want to keep my reading lists (both the ones I’ve read and want to read) up to date, including more book reviews. So please don’t give up on me yet. Keep checking in on here periodically. I promise I’m going to do my best here.

Back in May I announced to family, friends, and my local church that I am considering a call into full-time ministry as a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church. This includes a time and process of discernment that I have to proceed through. This has been taking up quite a bit of time and mental/emotional/spiritual energy and has kept me from devoting the time I would love to spend on this.

With that said, I would like to repeat something I know I’ve shared in other places here. I do not claim to be the most read individual or the smartest individual. You can find better writing and more sophisticated thoughts in many other places. My goal for this has always been to just be a part of a conversation at large. Though not the smartest, I feel I do (at least occasionally) have something worthwhile to add. So, I wanted a way to share that with others who may be interested in my perspective on things. Additionally, as I am only one individual I do not claim that any of my thoughts on spiritual and faith matters should be taken as a full representation of the United Methodist Church. My views, while certainly influenced by my membership of and love of this denomination, are my own. I am an imperfect person trying to work out my own calling from God and my own spiritual journey as best as I can. I always encourage (respectful) push back and commentary on anything I post. I am not unwilling to examine and consider viewpoints that are different from my own. Our life experiences shape and mold who we are, how we engage the world, and even how we encounter God. I hope I never get to a point where I am unwilling to admit I may be wrong about something. But, I do promise that the things I write come from the heart and out of a true desire to understand God’s love and to share it with others.

One area I would love to get back to is adding more Book Reviews. I hope that I will soon be able to carve out some time for this. Until then, however, I have at least come up with a Rating System I am somewhat satisfied with. I say satisfied because I have a lot of trouble rating and reviewing books. (I’m sure I’ve said this before elsewhere as well!} I respect anyone who puts time and energy into writing, because I know and understand how difficult it can be. Thus, I have a hard time being too critical about a book at times – mostly out of sympathy for the author. But, below I have included my current rating system. I hope maybe it will help if you visit here in the hopes of getting some reading suggestions. Again, applying to my lists is a work in progress, so please be patient. Though I hope it will go quicker than writing actual reviews. And as always, I welcome any questions about any particular book and I’ll respond as quickly as possible.

★★★★★ Awesome! Tops on Re-Read List. Want with me if ever stranded on a desert island.
★★★★☆ Great! Would Re-Read if have time.
★★★☆☆ Good. Would Re-Read if nothing else available.
★★☆☆☆ Okay.
★☆☆☆☆ Not Good. Struggled to Finish.

(No Rating) Usually means is a sort of niche book assigned or read for a particular personal reason.

Thanks for visiting. I hope that something here on this blog will be helpful to you on either your reading journey, spiritual journey, or just life in general. Thanks!

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Posted in Books, Personal Thoughts, Religion

What Should a Christian Read?

Posted on by Melissa

Well, the obvious answer is of course the Bible. There, blog post done and I can now go eat lunch. But, no, that is not the full answer to the question above, even if it is a true and good answer.

While writing a book review the other week, as well as working on the lists I have shared here of both books I have read and would like to read, a thought occurred to me. Since I also share reflections regarding my Christian faith, I wondered what people would think regarding my reading habits and if they would find them compatible with my profession as a believer in Jesus Christ.

I will say up front that not everything I read would or could be called wholesome Christian literature. Many, though not all, are novels that deal with gritty subjects that are only suitable for a mature audience of readers. They often include sex, violence, addiction, and other related subjects. Likewise, they may or may not even include any mention of faith, religion, or redemption. So, does this dis-credit my testimony as a Christian? In the minds of some it may very well do so.

In Philippians 4:8 Paul writes, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (NIV translation.)

If I am reading books with such subjects as I mentioned above, can I still say I am following Paul’s advice about what things I should think on? I believe the answer to that question is yes. It is certainly important and vital to our personal Christian development to be mindful of the things we think about. Our thoughts, both positive and negative, are powerful and can exert a mighty influence on our actions taken on behalf of ourselves or in relation to those around us.

It doesn’t take long living in this world to discover that life is sometime hard and difficult. This is true no matter how hard we try to stay upbeat or positive and “look on the sunny side of life” as one song tells us to do. Babies cry, two-year-olds throw tantrums, teenagers push back and rebel, and adults find that adulting is not the promised life of easy living we dream of as children. Life is too often gritty and full of things that are messy and hard to deal with. The good news is that the Bible can and will help with any issue that life throws at us.

So, if the Bible can address and teach me how to deal with such things what do I find beneficial in reading works of fiction without a Christian worldview?

My reading experience over the years has taken me to places I have never been before. Including places I would never want to go to ever. Those places, those worlds, those lives lived by others (even if not real people) have taught me how to interact and deal with the very real lives of people I do encounter on a daily basis. It reminds me that every single person lives a life of their own pain, their own wounds, their own past histories that influence who they are and how they interact with and view the world around them. As a Christian, the best way, and perhaps the only way, to introduce and point someone to Christ is to meet them where they are not where I think they should be. Telling someone “Jesus loves you” is not going to get the same initial reaction from everybody in exactly the same way. Some people aren’t going to be at a point in their life where they even want to be loved.

So, for me these books open my eyes to how the world sometimes is in people’s lives. The Bible teaches me how the world should be and can be when we allow God to work in and through us. It is often a tricky balance to live in the world but not of the world. Yet, the truth is we can not turn a blind eye to the reality of the world. That is what I get out of reading such types of books.

My hope is that my reading list is not a stumbling block to anyone. To answer the question posed in the title of this post as to what a Christian should read, the best I can say is that it depends on the Christian and their individual relationship to Christ. My personal stance is that as long as the books I am reading are not influencing me in negative ways and turning my worldview away from what God wants from me, then they can be useful to me.

I confess, that my reading diet could use more books that encourage and challenge me along on my faith journey. That is something I am planning on adding to the table over the next couple of months. So, even if you happen to not like my fiction choices, please stick around and hopefully I’ll have some forthcoming reviews on books of a more spiritual nature.

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Posted in Books

LRU 2021-2022 Visiting Writer’s Series

Posted on by Melissa


This Thursday, September 16th kicks off Lenoir-Rhyne University’s 33rd annual Visiting Writers Series. This program offers a chance to hear a diverse group and genre of authors share about their works and the writing journey behind them.

Year after year, this literary series always delivers with an outstanding line-up of quality and award winning writers. Additionally, they offer it all free and open to the public. This season has a mixture of In-Person and Virtual events. Click the link below to see the schedule.

Over the years I have attended at least a dozen of these events and have enjoyed each one. Some were writers I was familiar with and excited to see. Others were new names to me which steered me to avenues of reading I would have otherwise missed out on experiencing.

2021-2022 Visiting Writers Series

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Posted in Books, Personal Thoughts

My Reading Bucket List

Posted on by Melissa

Starting in 2006, I began compiling several reading lists that I wanted to challenge myself to complete. In part, this came about because although I had been a huge reader since childhood, I became aware that my reading diet was Vitamin C deficient. That is, I felt like I had not included enough Classics throughout that time spent in the pages of various books. I had decided that one way to remedy that was to read all the Pulitzer Prize Winners, so that was one of the first lists that I put in my bucket. Around that time as well the book 1001 Books to Read Before You Die was published. Even with such a daunting title I decided to toss that one in as well. During my time at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I took a class in Children’s Literature. This spurred me to add the winners of the Caldecott Medal Award and the Newbery Medal Award. The bucket was beginning to get quite heavy, but I didn’t stop there. Along the way I came across other compiled lists and award designations that interested me as well. In addition, my interest in both history and politics merged together in the great idea to read at least one biography of each of the presidents of the United States of America.

The result is that I now have a total of 1,491 unique titles (I use that designation because in some cases short stories are included on some of the lists) in my Reading Bucket. As of this writing, I have read 108 of the titles on all the combined lists – a mere 7% of the total. Considering I have only been averaging reading 20 books a year for the past several years and still have 1,383 titles left to read, I only need 69 years to complete all the lists. The only problem with that is that at the age of 46 I am quite sure I can not count on living for 69 more years. So, I guess I am going to have to accelerate my pace of reading. Regardless of whether I actually complete this challenge in its entirety, it has been an interesting journey over the past several years. I have read books and authors that I probably never would have encountered otherwise. It would be dishonest to say I have enjoyed every one of the books; in fact, some I had to kind of view as the un-desired vegetable on my dinner plate – the item I had to make myself consume so that I could have my dessert after the meal. But for the most part it has been enlightening, educational, and personally satisfying to make my way through this and I look forward to the other surprises that lie ahead for me.

Here is a link to my Reading Bucket List. I am currently in the process of creating page links to each individual list that highlights my current progress in each one. Check them out, and perhaps you may want to add a couple to your own bucket.

Posted in Book Review, Books

THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by Jed Rubenfeld

Posted on by Melissa

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed…

A compelling murder mystery that combines the psychology of Freud, musings on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and descriptions of New York at the beginning of the 20th Century. Part of a group entertaining Freud during his first and only visit to America, a young doctor is asked to apply this burgeoning practice of psycho-analysis on a young woman suffering from amnesia who is believed to have been attacked by the murderer of another woman. Not everyone is convinced this new type of therapy is sound medicine as evidenced by an inner plot line that reveals another set of men trying to undermine Freud’s work. Consisting of believable, well fleshed out characters, as well as an adequate but not mind-numbing amount of twist and turns, The Interpretation of Murder is a pleasant and enjoyable read. A few times I was a little perturbed to begin a new chapter hoping for the action of the previous one to be continued only to be met with one of Rubenfeld’s digressive depictions of some part of New York society or architecture. However, they were deftly kept short, informative, and interwove themselves well within the story so I usually became unperturbed very quickly. Overall, would recommend this book to anyone looking for a murder mystery that contains a little depth of inner reflections as well.

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Posted in Book Review, Books

TRUE GRIT, by Charles Portis

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True Grit by Charles PortisA truly delightful and entertaining book. This adventurous tale of fourteen year old Mattie Ross and her single-minded pursuit to avenge the death of her father is one for the ages and for all ages of readers. On one level, there is a simple straight-forward plot that tells a wonderful story. Yet, there is another level on which Portis offers up observations and commentaries on issues of morality, justice, and human nature. Most are subtly woven into the narrative or dialogue, often with a dry dead-pan humor that left me chuckling out loud. There are, however, a couple of overt passages where Mattie delivers a miniature Sunday School lesson complete with encouragement to look up certain Bible verses which back up her position or ideas.

Despite her pious notions of right and wrong, Mattie shows no compunction in her hiring of the meanest and less than up-standing U.S. Marshal around to accompany her on her trail of vengeance. Narrated and re-told by on older Mattie, the fourteen year old’s voice for the most part dominates the story, simultaneously revealing both a naivete appropriate to her age and wisdom beyond it. Written with language, setting, and characters true to its time and place, i.e. Arkansas and Indian Territory of a post-Civil War West, Portis artfully delivers on themes and issues that are relevant to any time and place.

First published in 1968, this book has since been made into a movie twice, first in 1969 and most recently in 2010. I have yet to see either one, and thus can offer no commentary on the merit of either one. They are both on my to be seen list, however, and I will certainly post an update when that task is complete.

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Posted in Book Review, Books

CALEB’S CROSSING by Geraldine Brooks

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Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine BrooksBrooks once again takes a kernel of historical fact and uses it to unfold a compelling narrative. The kernel in this case is that in 1665 Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard. The rest of the book, including Caleb’s friendship with Bethia, the novel’s narrator, flowers from the author’s story-tellying prowess. Caleb and Bethia forge their secret friendship prior to his joining her family’s household to receive educational and religious instruction from her minister father in the settlement of Great Harbor, known today as Martha’s Vineyard. Circumstances then allow her to accompany Caleb and her brother Makepeace to Cambridge where she is able to remain as a sisterly companion and confidant to the young Native American youth trying to make his way in a culture foreign to his upbringing.

It is through their interactions, discussions, and mostly Bethia’s innermost musings that Brooks examines the clash of culture, thought, and religious belief ever-present in the novel. Outwardly, Bethia perserveres in her Puritan rearing while inwardly questioning if the white settler’s ways are in fact superior in every aspect. Similarly, she also struggles within the confines of strict societal norms for women regarding education and the ability to make her own personal choices.

Brooks provides all the right elements for an engaging, wonderful reading experience. The setting is described in rich, illustrious detail, while a well paced plot provides pertinent revelations when and where they are best suited. In addition, she populates the novel with complex, multi-dimensional people who are believable, imperfect and thus fully humanized making them accessible for the reader to connect to. Her dedication to historical research shines through in her attention to detail, both in language and prevailing thoughts and beliefs of the period in question.

As with her other novels, one should not expect a mushy, feel-good story. There is plenty of pain, sorrow, and loss interspersed with moments of love, peace, and contentment. It is the embodiment of life’s journey in all of its trappings. Compelling and creative, Caleb’s Crossing is a journey worth taking.

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