Recap Book Chat

We end 2022 with a great book from Kristin Hannah called the Winter Garden . Kristin Hannah is also the author of the The Nightingale and The Four Winds .  The Winter Garden takes place during modern times with flash backs to Russia during WWII. Hannah does a superb job of bringing to life the generational affects of war and the family dysfunction that is born from lack of communication. This stor...

Published in 1991 but set during the great depression, this novel shows that even in the worst times our best selves can be found. Nothing to Fear The story which was inspired by Koller's family history follows Danny, a thirteen year old boy and his journey of self discovery and survival. This book gives us a picture of growing up in the mist of great difficulty. We felt like this novel was the ma...

A great read to jump start the new year by understanding habits! Charles Duhigg breaks down the mechanics of habits and explains the process of creating, changing and tweaking them. An overarching theme of the book is intentionally. Charles explains why our brain is constantly trying to make habits and how we have to be intentional to develop the habits we want. Duhigg uses many stories and exampl...

Set in the mountains of Tennessee, William Steele paints us a picture of what life would of been like for those caught in the middle during the civil war. This was a quick, historical accurate, powerful read. With deep relatable themes and a timely message for our current society, this novel is an adventurous book not to miss.

Do you feel like you always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop? Do you wish you had some tools in your belt to help when negotiations in you life come up? One Step Ahead by David Sally may hold the answers you are looking for. A challenge and dense yet illuminating read! David Sally writes of many different stories, research and examples to help show the most effective ways of negotiating.

I was so honored to get to meet author and veteran Jamie Cole at my sons Veterans Day program at school. She was gracious enough to grant me an interview where we got to sit down and talk about her new book and what inspired her to write it. Jamie was able to get Jake and now Shay from the organization Veteran Assistance Dogs of Texas.   If you are wanting to connect with Jamie her number is 325-6...

In the spirit of November and in this season of Thanksgiving we felt compelled to compile a list of our top 10 books we are grateful for. Enjoy!

“If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek.” In honor of our one year anniversary on the Recap Book Chat podcast this October we wanted to do a bit of a scary read. Robert Louis Stevenson delivered. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written in 1886 gave us a lot to talk about even though it was not very long. The novella only took Stevenson three days to write. Masterfully done, witty and...

A compelling WW2 historical novel that follows the life of a Jewish forger in occupied France. This is a book that will stay with you. Full of great quotes and extreme courage The Book of Lost Names is a well written look back in time.

This epic classic did not disappoint! Dickens tackles issues dealing with poverty, class and the choices we make head on. It was so fun getting to read the book from which so many adaptations have come.

A quick and easy read that packs a punch! Tai Ann shares so many wonderful nuggets in just a few pages. She is able to discuss huge topics around parenting and children's identity in a manageable and yet practical way. This book opened our eyes and encouraged our souls on communicating with kids. There are many simple yet powerful tools that are mentioned that every parent needs in there tool belt...

Today we take a look at some of our favorite film adaptations of books. Let us know what some of your favorites are! Shelia’s List      Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Pollyanna by  Eleanor H. Porter True Grit by Charles Portis Secretariat by William Nack Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Christy by Catherine Marshall To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Anne of Green Gables by  L. M. Mont...

Set in the 1950’s this is a brilliantly constructed story and coming of age story of troubled teens. Warning there is a spoiler section at the end where we discuss the surprise ending but we give a warning before diving into what happened.

A compelling and engaging historical fiction novel set in London during World War ll. We loved getting to discuss the gritty and compassionate characters and glean wonderful quotes from them. If you want a front row seat to living in London during years of bombs and rationing we highly recommend giving this book a read. Here is a link to the milkman photograph that Sheila mentioned in the episode....

Published in 1953, this noir mystery novel took us back in time with a Dick Tracy feel. This was a quick and fun read and our first of Rex Stout’s, a well know mystery writer of his day. Do not fret, we did not give any spoilers or disclose who the killer is. If you want to know that, you will have to read the book!

The story finds Honey, Cussy's daughter, alone at 16 and faced with navigating survival, grief, prejudice, corruption, love and hate. The Book Woman's legacy is shown beautifully through this sequel of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. This book is full of courageous women who fought against injustice and ignorance in order to pave the way for those that followed after them. If you haven't hear...

This classic well know story is still powerful and applicable today. Our Kid Lit Locker group explores some of the simple yet needed life lessons we learned from Pinocchio.

Our first memoir to read together was a treasure trove of reading possibilities showing how daily reading is so impactful. Alice Ozma’s debut novel was sincere, authentic, and brilliantly captures how her fathers daily read aloud habit enriched both there lives.

A 1988 compelling story full of wisdom an inspiration to follow one’s dream. We take a look at the life of Paulo Coelho before the Alchemist was written and elements from his personal life that are whispered though out his book. We also discuss how the book impacted us and our favorite takeaways. A top shelf read for sure!

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a Shakespearean comedy, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by several to be Shakespeare’s first play. It was so fun to jump back in time and read the literary genius’s beginning works.

When your past shows up at your door what do you do? This book follows Allyson Cole’s journey of heartbreak, adoption, trauma and reunion. Give a listen to our discussion of What I Left Behind to see if it is a fit for you.

Today my old friend and now middle school teacher Amanda Daughtery joins us to discuss Projek 1065, a book she suggested earlier this year. This is an excellent read for WW2 buffs and reluctant middle school readers. Alan Gratz does a beautiful job of blending history and fiction in this story of an Irish family working as spies in Berlin. You won’t be able to put it down!

This 1949 classic Newbery Award winner is a must read! Set in medieval times, a 10 year old boy is stricken with an illness that leaves his legs paralyzed. With help from a monk and a minstrel Robin learns lessons in kindness, grit, skill, and patience. Come along as we dive into this uplifting story of finding a door in the wall.

The Queen of mystery, Agatha Christie takes us for a ride in this 1940 novel that she described as her most difficult book to write. This novel was so creatively crafted and entertaining to read. With over 100 million copies sold, this book is the world’s bestselling mystery novels of all time. So, buckle up and hang on as we dive into this exciting read!

Today we opened up our kid literature locker and pulled out three books from the adorable series, The Miniature World of Marvin & James. With the help of some pretty cool kids we recapped and discussed the books they had listened too. If you are on the hunt for some perfect first chapter books give a listen and see if Marvin and James are the right fit!