Here are the books I read in June that were four stars and higher. Click on the book titles for an Amazon link.
The Rabbit Hole: A Short Story
“The Rabbit Hole” is a fresh adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland.” Liddie is in a strange place but finds guidance through her friends, Catty, and Loco Hatley. A special tea helps her clear her head as they go out into this reality. I was a big fan of not only Liddie but Catty and Loco too. Although a fast read, it doesn’t feel incomplete. It’s a fantastic take on a classic with a modern twist. I can easily recommend this well-written story!
“Lunar Gazing Haiku” is a collection of 62 haiku poems that cover subjects including season, moon gazing, supernatural, and emotions. While I enjoyed all the poems, there are a couple that stood out to me, such as: “Passion burns, hurts, scars/The tender flesh of my heart/Feeling life again.”—Passion, “leaves rustle in the trees/withered gold-brown-red treasures/blowing far away.”—Leaves, “Words sprinkle across/The paper like fairy dust/Shining with magic.”—Words, and “Monsters lurk in dark/Corners where nightmares come true/Frightened children scream.”—Monsters. This chapbook is meant for endless reading. If you’re a fan of poetry, I can easily recommend this to you.
“The Last Pilgrim” is an amazingly detailed and well-written story focused on Mary Allerton Cushman’s life. Four-year-old Mary and her family were on the Mayflower, wanting to start a new life with the freedom to practice their religion. They squeezed together below deck with many other families, enduring limited food, water, and no hygiene. The boat faced various obstacles, such as sickness and scurvy, but upon reaching land and finding a suitable place, the survivors had to hastily construct a shelter for the cold winter. They were a hardy group who not only pulled together to accomplish their survival, but I found it captivating how they pieced together a group of people with a dream of a better life into a functioning society. What caught my attention was the strong women with limited voice or rights. They were equal in the colony’s success as the men and, at times, surpassed them. Some medical treatments and punishments given to lawbreakers made me cringe. Mary’s daily life and the surrounding people were as fascinating as the politics and religion. Although a long read, I didn’t even notice because I was so drawn in. I can highly recommend this historical fiction!