Monday Mini-Reviews: Two Five Star Reviews and Back to Reality

 Spring Break 2024 is a wrap and today it is back to reality.  I started making a list during the sermon at church today since my mind was wandering and I kept thinking of multiple things I needed to do as soon as I got back to school.  

I did get a few books read over break, but as is typical, I have more I've added to my TBR. These two were both five star reads although I read several others that were also very good.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is one I would typically say is not "my type" of book.  Cassie Andrews is a bookseller that is gifted The Book of Doors, a book that holds special powers that Cassie and Izzy, her friend, explore as they travel anywhere in the world.  But the book is highly sought after since it holds special powers and there is violence and danger following them wherever they go. 

I found myself turning pages as quickly as I could to find out what would next happen.  I wasn't sure who Cassie could trust and I kept rooting for her, yet was skeptical that things could turn out well for her.  The time travel aspect, which is something I usually think I don't like, was so well done.  

My only regret is that in reading it so quickly I am not sure I truly caught every connection within this gem.

Frances Perkins is a woman in history that until now was unknown to me.  March is National Woman's History Month and I've found myself asking students if they can think of any important women in history.  This seems incredibly hard for them and often the only people they can come up with are athletes or musicians.  Frances Perkins is a woman students should know about.  She served as the Secretary of Labor under FDR, and in this fictionalized account of her adult life we see her rub elbows with a variety of influential people of her time, and the many contributions she made to our country.  Perkins' life was certainly unconventional for a woman of her time, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about her.

I'm always thankful for the authors who continue to turn out fictionalized accounts of little known women and love that these books pique my interest and I get to do some more research on my own to learn more.