The Girl from Everywhere - Heidi Heilig

 A "you should read this because you read X" recommendation.  This book was ok, not a terribly captivating story, but well written with a few interesting concepts.  I always love a good time travel conundrum.  This one had circular logic, which is always fun.  You have to go back in time to leave the map for the person to get out so that they can find you and give you the map to give back to them kinda thing.  The MC didn't deviate because the finder ended up being her grandmother and wasn't about to mess with possibly not being, but I really want someone to not give away the map and see what happens.  That's the kind of chaotic evil I want to see in a time travel book.

This book merges real and fantasy in an odd way, vaguely like Harry Potter where the fantasy is just so absurd and random.  I wasn't too big of a fan there because it was jarring, but at least the author made a good excuse for it.  (The map doesn't have to be a real place to travel to it.)  I did, however, really enjoy the trip to Hawaii before the original local government was destroyed.  I don't know much about history of that region, so it did pique my interest in reading some history on the Hawaiian islands.  

Enna Burning - Shannon Hall (The books of Bayern, Bk. 2)

 A great sequel!  This author does a fantastic job of the YA novel not being too cliché.  The characters are cute but mostly realistic.  The story moves at a good pace and, most importantly, isn't focused on a teenage girl/boy finding the teenage girl/boy to marry crap.  I would highly recommend these books for anyone who likes a nice fantasy novel that's not too weird, gory, or explicit, a good middle ground between fun and realistic.  

Dropshipping Shopify E-Commerce 2020: Learn the secrets to generate a passive income - Steve Gates

 Exactly as the title says! A recently written book on how to break into the dropshipping game and use current models of websites, social media and sales sites to maximize your online store's selling capabilities.  In a few years, the rules and big players may change, but for now, this is a great how-to book on beginning an online dropshipping store.  

The Orphan's Tale - Pam Jenoff

 This was another one of those "recommended for you" books from the library's list.  Overall, it was "meh".  The story was reasonable but not special.  Style of writing fine.  Characters pretty within the normal lines.  Honestly, the only piece of this book that really stood out as special to me was the way the author rationalized the acceptance of the Nazis' atrocities by regular, non-jewish people.  The author explicitly goes over some characters' excuses, which I thought were extremely well thought out.  

"I'm just a poor average Joe.  What can I do?"

"My father is trying to help as many people as he can, so he's had to sacrifice a few Jewish families to keep everyone else safe."

"It's not really that bad.  Those people in camps aren't dying, they're just being kept safe and organized by the government."

"I am already doing all I can hiding two Jews in my business.  There is nothing else I can do."

"My identity is being a German and Germans hate Jews.  So that must be who I am."

Heartfire - Orson Scott Card (The Tales of Alvin Maker, Bk. 5)

 I think I like these books, and all of Cards books for that matter, because the characters are SO logical.  I mean, they have outbursts and anger, but I love how so many of his characters are smart and emotionally intelligent enough to make sound choices regarding other characters.  Most of this book was:  "Well, that person will surely do X, so we better get game plan Y organized".  

I was delighted he addressed the witch trials aspect previously only vaguely referenced in the other books.  I could not think of a better scenario to demonstrate the range of opinions about witch trials.  He has every view covered through the collection of characters.  Though in the end, you know Alvin can do whatever he wants, so it doesn't have that gut wrenching terror that they could burn at any time and the reader is free to focus on the absurdity of it and enjoy the legal wrangling to get out of the trial.  You know the MC gets away in the end with ease, but it is a delightful journey to that point. 

I was less interested in the explanation of the different types of magic, particularly those used by slaves in this book.  I hated how the newly off-boarding slaves gave up their essence and I hated that the return of it didn't coincide with a great (but organized and meaningful) uprising.   However, I'm sure it will come up again.

When I finish all the OSC books, I think I might go back and re-read them all over again when I'm in the mood for a comfort book.

The Bears of Blue River - Charles Major

 For those of you unaware, this is a children's book written many years ago romanticizing America when it was untamed.  Coming from a different era and a completely opposite background as not only the writer but the intended audience, this book came off as beautiful but tragic.  

The MC is a boy in his early teens on the cusp of manhood living in middle Indiana back when it was sparse log cabins and even fewer dirt (mud most of the time) roads.  As a biologist, the portrayal of the untamed wilds of Indiana sing a stunning song of nature.  The angle of the book, as was appropriate for that time, was one of domination over that nature, of bringing her, through the many bears killed, to her knees.  

While I love this side of Indiana, it is now lost, and reading about what I'll never see almost made me sad.  You do want the MC to be successful, but I didn't want him to be at the same time, sort of like watching a lion chase a gazelle.  You want both to win somehow.  

How to Make Tea: The Science Behind the Leaf - Brian Keating & Kim Long

 This is a fantastic review paper for all things tea, covering all the basics. It was super useful, however not terribly exciting to read.  Nonetheless, I would recommend it as an excellent primer for anyone who would like to get into tea, but doesn't have any background and doesn't know what to buy or where to start entering the world of tea.  I know a reasonable amount about tea, and I still learned a few new useful things like water that just reached boiling point is not the same as water that has been boiling for a while.  I have observed the difference but didn't know what the pattern was.  I was amused to learn that when the leaves unfurl in the hot water it is called "the agony of the leaves".  Very dramatic!  Oh, and smelling the tea is absolutely part of the experience and even has some likely health properties as well, so hold that hot tea under your nose and breathe it in.  You'll feel better and it's not all in your head!