Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

End of November #BookReviews S. E. Hinton, @MelissaMcClone, @bakeandwrite, @DAntion


Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

We’re getting a rare snowstorm on Vancouver Island today, a perfect time to sit with an enjoyable book and a cup of hot chocolate with a dash of Kahlua!

Once again, my interest varied to several different genres, so there should be something here for most tastes.

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“In Tex, the raw energy for which Hinton has justifiably reaped praise has not been tamed—it’s been cultivated, and the result is a fine, solidly constructed, and well-paced story.”—School Library Journal

Fifteen-year-old Tex is devastated when his older brother, Mason, sells their horses in order to feed the teens after their father leaves them to manage on their own.

Mason plans to get out of the situation he’s been forced into by earning a football scholarship and nothing is going to stand in his way- even his little brother.

“In the daytime you aren’t afraid of anything,” Mason said.
That wasn’t completely true. There were people who go places and people who stay, and Mason was going. I was afraid of that.

Hinton, S.E.. Tex (p. 48). Diversion Books. Kindle Edition.

Hurt and angry, Tex undertakes one foolhardy adventure after another in a bid to bury the ache in his heart, but the distance between the brothers grows.

Mason stood up and started to stretch, stopping suddenly. “Tex, you are not stupid, and you’re not all that ignorant. But how anybody as simple-minded as you are has managed to survive for fourteen years is beyond me.”
“Well, I had a wonderful smart sweet brother lookin’ out for me,” I said. I’m not sarcastic by nature, but I reckon you can learn anything if you’re around it long enough.

Hinton, S.E.. Tex (p. 67). Diversion Books. Kindle Edition.

In the end, this is the story of family ties and the strength of the bonds that draw us together.

Love ought to be a real simple thing. Animals don’t complicate it, but with humans it gets so mixed up it’s hard to know what you feel, much less how to say it.

Hinton, S.E.. Tex (p. 211). Diversion Books. Kindle Edition.
Carly Bishop doesn’t want to come home for Christmas. Hood Hamlet is filled with nothing but heartbreaking reminders of the fiancé and brother she lost six years ago. But her family needs her, so Carly must dig deep to unearth her Christmas spirit so she can give her niece and nephew the best holiday ever.

Six years ago, Carly lost her beloved brother and her fiancé on the eve of their wedding. The two men belonged to Hood Hamlet’s Mountain Rescue Team along with their best friend, Jake Porter, and were avid climbers. Even though a storm was moving in, and Carly begged them to stay off the mountain, they insisted it would be fine- except it wasn’t. Nothing would ever be fine again.

Jake wishes he’d gone with his friends on that fateful night. He could have been the difference that let the men come home alive to Carly. Instead, he had the grim job of bringing their frozen bodies off the mountain.

Her brother’s widow remarried a couple of years later and is about to have a baby, just in time for Christmas. Carly reluctantly agrees to return to Hood Hamlet to help give her young niece and nephew (her brother’s children) a holiday filled with the traditions of Carly’s youth. Except Jake is here, too. He’s become an integral member of the family and the children’s honorary uncle, leaving Carly to manage the complex emotions this man stirs.

His Christmas Wish is a heartwarming story of overcoming a tragic loss and learning to live and love again.

The family’s undernourished dogs discover a bird’s nest on Christmas Day and attack and kill the chicks. All except one tiny ball of fluff with luminous bright eyes like drops of oil. The baby bird is in shock, but the four Deanne girls try to save it. Will the Christmas Bird survive?

Stella and her younger sisters foster a baby Hoopoe chick and learn the spirit of Christmas along the way.

The girls must feed and care for the fledgling bird, including catching crickets and other small critters for their carnivorous friend. As Hoopie edges toward maturity and stretches his wings, fear that he will leave the girls behind grows.

How will the sisters handle the loss?

This is a lovely, gentle, short story that teaches children about the cycle of life and the importance of caring for those in need.

Zach and Billy didn’t ask for the paranormal powers that were beyond their capacity to understand, or control. Zach, interacting with his lucid dreams, and Billy, “gifted “with shadowy glimpses of the future struggle to make sense of the world around them.

Told from an adult Zack’s point of view in a conversational format with his daughter, Abbie, this is the story of two boys growing up in the early sixties, which is interesting in and of itself, but these boys are different- special.

We learn of their creative gifts through a series of vignette-type scenes highlighting the difficulties they encounter. People fear what they don’t understand, and this leads the boys to attempt to hide their true nature.

What stood out for me was the support Zach’s father showed when everyone else thought his son was crazy.

Being a sixties kid myself, many of the settings in the story such as the bowling alley, school, and home life were like a trip down memory lane, so thank you, Mr. Antion!

Amazon delivery!

45 Replies to “End of November #BookReviews S. E. Hinton, @MelissaMcClone, @bakeandwrite, @DAntion”

      1. That’s a cat thing, I guess. We try a new food, they gobble it up. We buy a case, and they turn their noses up.

        I am glad so many people have been able to relate to these characters and this story. It’ s my hope people can root for them in the following books.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Fantastic reviews, Jacquie. I’ve read Robbie’s newest and loved it. There are great lessons for children in it. I’ve also read Knuckleheads and can highly recommend it. The other two books have grabbed my interest and I’m off to check them out. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 3 people

  10. Hi Jacquie, thank you for reading and reviewing The Christmas Bird. I’m glad you enjoyed that little story. I have read and enjoyed Knuckleheads and was pleased to see it hear. The other two books also sound lovely, especially His Christmas Wish, what a sad back story.

    Liked by 3 people

  13. I heard about the snowstorm, I hope you are safe and warm inside. I must admit I don’t miss the snow one bit. Some wonderful books here, some on my TBR list. Happy reading.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. I haven’t heard from her yet but if it was just one day, she was probably OK. I hope she has lots of firewood as it looks like it might be a long cold winter. Take care. xo

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I like your Amazon delivery, Jacquie. Just on time for some cuddling as the snow falls. Wonderful reviews as always. I’m read and enjoyed Robbie’s and Dan’s books, and was intrigued by “Tex” and “Christmas Wish.” Congrats to all the authors!

    Liked by 1 person

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