Three Reviews

I first read the Mitford books in middle school. I was way too young to appreciate them, but I still have a general sense of fondness and comfort from reading them. A few years ago I started craving the coziness of those books and decided to reread. I've been tracing my way through them slowly. Recently, I finished the audiobook of These High Green Hills.

If you are unfamiliar with the Mitford books, they are the chronicle of an Episcopalian preacher in a small town in North Carolina. They are full of the charm of the South, delicious food, and enchanting characters. The books are not what one would call action-packed, but are instead a comforting place to exist for a while with old and new friends.

I love getting to know the characters in each book. I also love the way each experience by each main characters has poignancy to it. There are moments of pain and loss and moments of rejoicing, but each moment has a lesson and seems so relevant to life. I can't finish one of these books without feeling uplifted. However, despite the fact that the book is about a preacher, it never feels preachy. It is simply good, and edifying, and I love it. In a few weeks or months I will return to Mitford in the fourth book, and I can't wait.

4 stars

Warnings: None

Most of you are well-acquainted with my weakness for spin-offs, so when I saw Love, Tink on NetGalley I snatched it up, and was happy a few weeks later when a friend emailed me to recommend it. A spin-off of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Love, Tink returns Peter to his home, which in this case is New York City -- but the love-struck Tinkerbell is compelled to follow him, resulting in an at times awkward, at times amusing transition from a fairy of Neverland to a teenage girl.

I loved the concept of Love, Tink. I think the idea of taking Tinkerbell and Peter out of Neverland was creative. Not to mention the fact that I adore Peter Pan. Love, Tink did well with keeping the plot bouncing along quickly. There were many twists and turns that kept me invested, and I read the book in less than a 36 hour span of time (which is pretty quick, when you're working full time and a mother to a 15-month old). However, the execution suffered a bit in my opinion. At times the writing was a bit childish (and yes, it was a YA book, but no, writing for young audiences does not mean the writing needs to be childish). Also, at times, the events were not believable within the world that Elle Strauss had built. Some of the decisions made by the characters were completely irrational and explained away with, "Fairies are different from people" and nothing more to back-up that concept.

Still, Love, Tink was a fun, romantic story. If you are a fan of Peter Pan and don't mind the fluffiness, Love, Tink makes for a quick, entertaining read.

3 stars

Warnings: None

I have this quirk -- I love to read books that are set in a place where I live, or where I am very familiar with the area. I love to be reading about a place and realize that I have walked down that street or driven past that building. It connects me more, I suppose. So Beautiful Ruins really hit the nail on the head for me, with Italy (which I haven't visited myself but where my husband lived for two years), Los Angeles (where I live now), and Idaho (where I grew up). That quite possibly might have been enough to make me love it, but Beautiful Ruins brought even more to the table -- romance, a unique story-telling format, and excellent writing.

I think one of my favorite things about Beautiful Ruins was the way each chapter was from a slightly different segment of one of the main characters' lives. Rather than telling the narrative in a linear fashion, Jess Walter gives us a series of snapshots that expose rather than inform a certain truth about one of the characters. Finally, everything comes together in the last few chapters. I also loved how some of the chapters, rather than strictly narrative, were a sort of multi-media -- a pitch for a movie, a play, the first chapter in a novel. It kept me interested in what would happen next (an essential for any book) without keeping too much from the reader (something that personally drives me bonkers). The flow was perfect, revealing the pieces of the story just slowly enough to tantalize.

The writing was also exceptional while managing to be highly readable. Many of the works touted as excellent literary fiction are impenetrable. And while I enjoy the occasional challenge of trying to figure out what an author is trying to say through the obscurity of their overwrought art, mostly, I like books to make sense. To make me think, yes, but also to make sense. And Beautiful Ruins does that excellently, keeping a lovely balance between artistry and, you know, making plain sense.

Also, the romance. It's been a while since I've really gotten caught up in a good romantic read. Some of the teen books seem far-fetched (find true love between your lunch hour and gym class), while many literary fiction books seem too hopeless. Beautiful Ruins struck a good balance -- yes, people are imperfect, and yes, circumstances may contrive to keep you apart, but you can find happiness with a lot of hard work and a little luck.

So, yeah, I would recommend Beautiful Ruins.

4 stars

Warnings: Language, non-graphic descriptions of sex and scandal, some drug use

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

Title: At Home in Mitford
Author: Jan Karon
Series: The Mitford Years #1
Genre: Christian, contemporary fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books, 1996
Source: Library
Read for: Fun

Father Tim, an Episcopalian priest and a bachelor set in his ways, is tired, lacking the drive to continue in his work. However, as new people and experiences come into his life, from a diagnosis of diabetes to a pretty and whimsical new neighbor to the mystery of an international jewel theft, Father Tim finds that life in Mitford is never slow.

In general, I avoid Christian fiction. This is not for any lack of belief or aversion to hearing about Christianity as I am a Christian myself. However, I have found in much of the genre that stories follow a standard plot with many characters that seem the same. This is not the case in the Mitford books, a series I first picked up when I was in sixth grade. I'm not sure what my eleven-year-old self found to enjoy in reading about the escapades of a small-town Episcopalian priest, but I remembered the books with nostalgia and have lately felt impelled to pick them up again. I was not disappointed on my reread, finding Father Tim's adventures to be refreshing and wholesome -- something that is often hard to find in modern literature.

The plot is somewhat episodic, following Father Tim and his congregation through the triumphs and trials of day-to-day life. He deals with his own changes in life, such as being diagnosed with diabetes and his growing distraction from his pretty neighbor, a children's book illustrator. He has a congregation member waiting for a heart transplant, another with large sums of money hoping to make a contribution, one with schizophrenia who needs help managing her large home. He meets a rough-around-the-edges boy who needs supervision, a homeless man who has more wisdom than most, a huge dog that brings him out of his self-imposed isolation. There are multiple sub-plots going at once, and in general this was positive. The book has a slow, relaxed overall tone, and the multiple stories kept my interest strong and invested. My one complaint is that at times, the movement from scene to scene was a bit abrupt, and because it wasn't extremely connected, I would lose sense of the time frame, thinking that more time had passed than actually had.

I love the characters, all of them quirky and unique. There are no stereotypes or cookie-cutter cut-outs here (unless you count the stereotype that small towns are full of quirky people). Father Tim is adorable; at times set in his ways, but always giving, always trying to improve himself. I love how human he is; instead of being portrayed as this mighty, infallible man of God, he has his own struggles, his own areas in which he needs to improve. I also enjoyed his extremely quirky neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith; a woman who goes on picnics by herself, captures small animals in order to draw them, and a tendency to leave curlers in her hair. I thought she was an interesting foil for Father Tim -- they are a pair I would never have thrown together, but their differences allow them to grow and have new experiences despite their ages. The supporting characters are also strong and unique, populating the book with interesting people at every turn.

The inspirational aspect of the book was also a success for me. Christian books run the risk of being off-putting by being too preachy, but At Home in Mitford does not fall into that trap. It packs powerful messages of love, redemption, faith, and personal growth, but it delivers them in an unassuming, gentle way that is actually inspiring, rather than a guilt trip. I felt so uplifted by this book -- every time I sat down to read it was an absolute pleasure. The book wasn't all cheerfulness and sunshine -- there were dark moments and struggles for all of the characters. However, instead of giving in to adversity and hard times, these characters overcome through their faith and determination. I loved reading that -- so much of what I come across is dark, illuminating the defeat and the ugliness in the world, and it was nice to be reminded that it is possible to rise above situations.

So overall, this lovely little reread was the perfect comfort novel. I further appreciated the fact that it wasn't just a fairy tale of perfect, happy little people -- there were problems, and things to learn, and personal growth for all of them. I am looking forward to revisiting the rest of this series.

4.5 stars

Warnings: Nada.