What I Read in January

Harmony on the Horizon by Kathleen Denly

Historical fiction about a school teacher, set in San Francisco and San Diego in the 1860s.

High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt

Interesting story with historical ties to the Ringling Brothers circus.

Return to Me by Lynn Austin

Book 1 in The Restoration Chronicles series. I read Lynn Austin’s Chronicles of the Kings series in December. Excellent novelizations of familiar Old Testament stories!

Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin

Book 2 in The Restoration Chronicles series. This one covers the story of Esther, but not from Esther’s perspective. Both of these books are currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

Unending Havoc by Millie Copper

Book 1 of the Montana Mayhem series which is a continuation of Havoc in Wyoming series. This is a post-apocalyptic survival series that I have enjoyed.

Wyoming Refuge by Millie Copper

Book 0.5 in the Havoc in Wyoming series. In other words, a prequel. I have read the entire series but just now got around to reading the prequel. It was about a completely different family, only marginally related to the main series, so it works as a stand-alone book. It is currently FREE on Kindle!

Running Home by Barbara Ellen Brink

This was a Kindle freebie awhile back. It was predictable and light for a suspense novel but I enjoyed it.

The Year of the Jeep by Keith Robertson

Recommended by a friend and written by the author of the Henry Reed books, this one is out-of-print and hard to find. I read it online at archive.org. Super fun mid-century teen boys’ story.

Meet the Malones by Lenora Mattingly Weber

First in a series about a family of teens whose mother is dead and whose father is mostly gone on business. This one is set during the early years of World War II. I’ve read this series previously.

Beany Malone by Lenora Mattingly Weber

Second book in the series, set 3 years later, when the war is over.

The Boys by Ron Howard and Clint Howard

I was interested to read this memoir because of Ron Howard’s ties to The Andy Griffith Show. It was a fascinating read and I appreciated the strong sense of family loyalty and work ethic throughout. However, they shared some intimate details that I could have done without.

Popular by Maya Van Wagenen

Another memoir I didn’t enjoy as much as I expected to. The premise: a modern teen girl tries, for one school year, to follow the advice from a 1950s book on how to be popular. Things like wearing a hat and gloves… and girdle! It bugged me, though, that much of what she came up with for her outfit was more along the lines of “frump” rather than “retro.” Still, an interesting idea.

The Complete Bee Handbook by Dewey M. Caron

The title is misleading. While this book includes a wide variety of information about bees (including way too much about how they supposedly evolved) it is far from complete, at least for anyone interested in learning about beekeeping, as I am. I did try a recipe for Honey Peanut Butter Cookies that we liked.

Deadlock by James Scott Bell

Legal thriller about a Supreme Court justice who becomes a Christian.