The Little White House, by Odille Ousley and David H. Russell

The Little White House, by Odille Ousley and David H. Russell

If you have followed my blog for long, you will know that I really like vintage primers and readers, especially the "Dick and Jane" types. This one, The Little White House, was printed in 1953 by Ginn and Company, and was illustrated by Ruth Steed and Ellen Segner.

This book is full of easy to read stories about siblings Tom, Betty, and Susan, their parents, their dog and cat, and also extended family that live out on a farm. We learn about their house, their pony, visits to the toy store, birthdays, and much more. I just love the illustrations in this book, very appropriate for the time period in which it was published, and lovely use of colors. This one will be going into my collection.

 

Apprentice to the Villain, Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Apprentice to the Villain, Hannah Nicole Maehrer

This is the second book in this series, the first being Assistant to the Villain, which is about a young woman who finds herself in the employment of a dashing villain, who may not be as evil as he lets on. This book picks up where the last one left off, with Evie, the assistant, going to rescue Trystan from the clutches of King Benedict, and we learn more about his wicked plans for the magical country of Rennedawn. 

We also get a deeper look into Evie's family members, as well as the uptight secretary to the villain, Becky, which I enjoyed getting to learn more about what made her the way she is.

This book was a fun one to read. I did notice the F word being used quite a bit more in this one, I don't really remember it as much as the last one. Just something I noticed...

This book is one my daughter got for Christmas, and she loaned it to me along with the Villain bookmark. I was really excited to find a bunch of Assistant to the Villain merchandise for sale at Barnes and Noble over the Christmas season...so of course I had to get it for her!

The third book, at the time I write this review, has just been written and is not yet published, but I have heard it will be called Accomplice to the Villain. I can't wait! 

 

The Interior, Lisa See

The Interior, Lisa See

This is the second book in the Red Princess Mystery series, about Liu Hulan, a Chinese investigator in 1990s China. This book deals with murders, coverups, American corporations outsourcing to China and sweatshop conditions, using sex as a means to get what one wants, land grabs, and betrayal. 

Liu Hulan receives a call from an old friend who lives out in the country on a farm, she knew her in their young Communist days. But this friend's daughter was murdered and called a suicide. She was pregnant, and she also had some interesting information that could incriminate the American company she worked for. 

Meanwhile, Liu's American boyfriend, David, a lawyer in the States, receives a new job and upon digging into his first case, calls upon an old friend, also a lawyer, for some information. His friend is killed in front of him, and he narrowly escapes death. David is sent to China, and it is discovered that there are ties between the two murders. Hulan and David both look into it, while also trying to protect client privacy, which makes things even more difficult. Both of them are put in danger as they get closer to revealing the truth about each case and the way they intertwine.

Lisa See is one of my favorite authors right now. I am really fascinated with Asian cultures and learning about them in story form. I appreciate the lengths she has gone to in order to make a great story and let us peek into the culture of another way of life.

 

Books I have Read in 2025

The Great Wide Somewhere, altered art oil painting by me

prints available in my Etsy shop, AmyVanGaasbeckArtist

I thought I was doing alright with reading last year, then the last couple months all reading came to a halt, as we were working (still are) on renovating a room in our house, and I also started working on a mural for a local museum, which between those things and a portrait commission, have been taking a good chunk of time. So new year, time to start over again.

JANUARY:

The Interior, Lisa See

Apprentice to the Villain, Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The Little White House, Odille Ousley and David H. Russell

Images of America: Historic Baker City, Baker County Friends of the Library

On the Edge, The Art of High Impact Leadership, Alison Levine

FEBRUARY

The PMA Method, Faisal Abdalla

The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan

Historic Baker City Walking Driving Tour, Historic Baker City, Inc.

Peter's Family, Paul Hanna, and Genevieve Anderson

Historic Homes of Baker City, Volume 1 The Baker's Dozen, Crossroads and HBC

MARCH

Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah