Nevermore: The Supreme Gift, Rebel of the Regency, Carrying Albert Home

 

Nevermore 4-21-26 Reported by Rita

 

The Supreme Gift: Love Is the Greatest Thing in the World by Paulo Coelho

The Supreme Gift is an invitation for reflection, a clear and concise response to life's biggest questions. Inspired by a 19th century sermon by Henry Drummond offering a deeper understanding of love, here Coelho explains love as the culmination of nine elements, which we can incorporate into our everyday lives for an instant connection to life's most important gift: patience, kindness, generosity, humility, gentleness, dedication, tolerance, sincerity, and innocence.

I liked The Alchemist better. This book is a bit preachy.      -HM     2 stars

 

Rebel of the Regency: The Scandalous Saga of Caroline of Brunswick, Britain’s Queen Without a Crown by Ann Foster

The dramatic, absolutely outrageous story of Caroline of Brunswick, a beloved icon of the Regency era, who uplifted the voice of the public and unabashedly defied society's expectations, yet was shockingly robbed of her crown, from the host of the Vulgar History podcast. Caroline Amelia Elizabeth, Princess of Brunswick, was born in the northern German town of Braunschweig. Her mother and father, the duke and duchess, instantly knew one thing: there was something irrefutably untamable about their daughter. She grew up a wild child, sequestered from others to protect her family's reputation--an 18th-century Rapunzel. She was freed from this gilded cage by an unexpected marriage proposal from George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales and the eldest son of George III and Queen Charlotte. Caroline was entirely unprepared for the backstabbing mean girls of the royal court. Always staying true to herself, she stepped into her role of queen-to-be without compromising her character, showing off her affinity for fashion, her many eccentric hobbies, and ultimately, her infallible spirit, despite being ostracized as an outsider by her in-laws. And so Caroline became the unlikely figurehead of the anti-monarchists, aided by the just-emerging tabloid press. Yet, despite her status as a revolutionary heroine, Caroline's name faded away following her death. Until now.

This was an easy read. I found it funny and fascinating. Really good.    -PP     5 stars

 

Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of A Man, His Wife, and Her Alligator by Homer Hickam 

Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam (the father of the author) were high school classmates in the West Virginia coalfields, graduating just as the Great Depression began. When Homer asked for her hand, Elsie instead headed to Orlando where she sparked with a dancing actor named Buddy Ebsen (yes, that Buddy Ebsen). But when Buddy headed for New York, Elsie’s dreams of a life with him were crushed and eventually she found herself back in the coalfields, married to Homer.

Unfulfilled as a miner’s wife, Elsie was reminded of her carefree days with Buddy every day because of his unusual wedding gift: an alligator named Albert she raised in the only bathroom in the house. When Albert scared Homer by grabbing his pants, he gave Elsie an ultimatum: “Me or that alligator!” After giving it some thought, Elsie concluded there was only one thing to do: Carry Albert home.

I thought this book was great. It was fun and nostalgic.     -MH    5 stars

 

 

Other Books Mentioned

 

Gray Mountain by John Grisham

Son of Nobody by Yann Martel

The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren

Ellie Dwyer's Ultimate Challenge by Diane Winger

A Hymn to Life by Gisele Pelicot

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments by Alex Boese

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Strangers by Belle Burden

The Unlikely Thru-Hiker by Derick Lugo

 

New Books

 

The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods

In the Fields of Fatherless Children by Pamela Steele

The Dangerous Shore by Sara Vladic

We the Women by Norah O'Donnell

Reparenting the Inner Child by Dr. Nicole LePera

Nevermore: Triple Agent, Sam Houston, Kristin Lavransdatter, more

Reported by Kristin

Nevermore began with a serious book: The Triple Agent: The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA by Joby Warrick.  Humam Khalil al-Balawi was a Jordanian who had worked his way to the inner circles of al-Qaeda as well as into the CIA.  Published in 2012 by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Warrick, this chronicles a betrayal of the CIA at a time when they were most focused on avenging 9/11.  Our reader was very surprised by the façade that al-Balawi was able to maintain, fooling even his own father.

Another reader was currently enjoying the story of Sam Houston: The Life and Times of the Liberator of Texas, an Authentic American Hero by John Hoyt Williams.  With only about a year of formal education, Houston read law and passed the bar to become an attorney.  A military man and politician, he held such titles as the Governor of Tennessee, the 1^st and 3^rd President of Texas, a United States Senator from Texas and the Governor of Texas.  Our reader exclaimed about Houston, “What a conman!” and also “A fascinating life.”  Another history buff in the room responded, “You have been too kind to him.”

Kristin Lavransdatter, a classic trilogy written by Sigrid Undset, is about a 14^th century Norwegian woman.  Kristin, a devout Catholic, nonetheless falls in love with Erlend, although she has already been promised to Simon.  Our reader loved the imagery presented in the prose; the snow and the sky seemed so vivid.  Although written in the 1920’s, the books have had periodic resurgences and are popular still today.  Undset received the 1928 Nobel Prize in literature, partially for this Middle Ages saga.  The trilogy is sometimes published separately as The Wreath, The Wife, and The Cross.

Continuing in fiction, another reader enjoyed The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka.  Private investigator Roxane Weary is digging fifteen years into the past to when teenager Sarah Cook’s parents were brutally murdered, and Sarah disappeared the same night.  Sarah’s African-American boyfriend Brad Stockton was convicted of the murders and is still awaiting his sentence of execution.  Our reader said that it was a very good book and that it fooled her because it didn’t end the way she thought it would.

October Sky (aka Rocket Boys) by regional author Homer Hickam has been read and enjoyed by several readers, and also was a BPL Book Club pick in October.  A story of a young West Virginia boy dreaming of space in 1957, Hickam decided that he wanted to build rockets.  He eventually became a NASA engineer, fulfilling his childhood dream.  Our reader said that she loved this book and that there were many poignant moments.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne duMaurier is the BPL Book Club’s pick for December, but our reader found the classic novel exhausting.  Set in 1832, young lady Mary Yellan is traveling to live with her Aunt Patience at the titular Jamaica Inn in Cornwall.  However, the crossing of the moors with everything black and raining distressed our reader.  Not every book is for every reader!  For a new selection every month, join the BPL Book Club on the 3^rd Thursday at 6:00 p.m in the Frances E. Kegley Conference Room.

Nevermore: Graveyard Book, Alone, October Sky, Glass Houses, Little Fires Everywhere

Reported by Ambrea

We kicked Nevermore off with a review of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which tells the story of an unusual boy who lives in an unusual place—the local cemetery.  After the murder of his entire family, Bod has spent much of his life being raised by the otherworldly denizens of the cemetery.  But when Bod wants to see the world of the living and learn there’s more to the life than the dead, he’ll discover that the graveyard he’s come to know and love may very well be the safest place to be.  Our reader said The Graveyard Book was really neat and interesting.  “It’s gruesome,” she admitted, “but somehow amusing.”  It’s a weird, but fun story that offers a classic story of good versus evil—and a wild ride.

Next, Nevermore checked out Alone  by Michael Korda, which carries the wordy subtitle Britain, Churchill, and Dunkirk:  Defeat into Victory.  A stirring epic of remarkable proportions, Alone reconstructs the events that lead to the Battle of Dunkirk and its immediate aftermath.  Interwoven with Korda’s own family history, Alone is a thoroughly researched and well-written account of one of the most pivotal moments of World War II.  Our reader enjoyed Michael Korda’s book immensely, noting that the author writes incredibly well and offers a piece of beautifully crafted nonfiction.  He recommended it highly to his fellow history buffs.

October Sky (originally titled Rocket Boys) by Homer Hickam also proved to be popular at our Nevermore meeting.  In his wonderful memoir, Hickam tells the story of his adolescence in the small mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia—and his inspiration to build rockets when he first watched Sputnik travel across the sky.  Our reader said she and her husband really enjoyed reading their shared copy of October Sky.  She noted that Hickam was incredibly candid and introspective, providing a surprisingly detailed description of his hometown and a brutally honest portrayal of himself, his friends, and his family as they endured a time of great change and discovery.

Next, Nevermore looked at Glass Houses by the ever popular Louise Penny.  The thirteenth book in the Chief Inspector Gamache mystery series, Glass Houses is an intriguing mystery that the book jacket claims “shatters the conventions of the crime novel to explore what Gandhi called the court of conscience.  A court that supersedes all others.”  When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines during a bitter November day, Gamache is wary of the dark shadow it casts.  He waits and watches—and then a body is discovered.  Months later, in a courtroom in July, Gamache must reckon with his actions on that fateful day.  Our reader admitted that she’s a big fan of Louise Penny.  After reading the rest of Penny’s series, she was excited to pick up this latest mystery and she said she wasn’t disappointed!

Last, but certainly not least, Nevermore picked up Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.  In Shaker Heights, a picture-perfect suburb on the outskirts of Cleveland, Elena Richardson lives with her picture-perfect family.  But when Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl arrive, Elena’s idyllic bubble is quickly shattered.  When her distrust becomes an obsession, Elena will discover the dangers that lurk behind perfection.  Our reader said he enjoyed Little Fires Everywhere immensely.  It’s a fascinating novel that delves deep into family and neighborhood dynamics, and it takes a long hard look at the cost of perfection.  He pointed out that perfect was insidious, noting Elena makes things perfect, “like a steamroller makes a road flat.  It’s perfect, but it crushes things along the way.”  He highly recommended it to his fellow Nevermore members, and he soon passed it on to the next reader.