Teri M. Brown's Blog, page 32

Book Review: South of Heaven

South of Heaven by ​Patti Frye Meredith​ is a contemporary family fiction that is filled to the brim with amazing characters, as well as a delightful and though-provoking storyline. In fact, if you have family - and we all do - you'll relate to miscommunications, slights, white lies, bold-faced lies, and reinventions of the past that often occur between those we love.

Fern made a poor choice when she was barely accountable for such things and has lived with the consequences every single day since. Except for her son, her aunt, and one friend, she has kept to herself, hoping to somehow atone for her sins. Her sister, Leona, on the other hand, seems to have it all, moving beyond their rotten childhood. But what happens when truth - old and new - becomes headline news?
​
I love this story because it is one of redemption and love. We all make mistakes. We all try to cover those mistakes up, usually with disastrous results. We all find a way to love family, despite it all. This is a wonderful novel, and I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Alpha Bette

Alpha Bette by Jennifer Manocherian is a contemporary fiction told from the viewpoint of several characters who revolve around the matriarch Bette Gartner. At ninety-five, Bette has lost her husband, most of her friends, and even her granddaughter. She has to rely on help from her housekeeper and night nurse after a fall that left her reliant on her wheelchair.

One morning, after what she is sure is a sign from her dead husband, Bette orchestrates a dinner party. The entire story takes place in one day giving readers a glimpse into the past and present of Bette and those around her: housekeeper, aide, two neighbors, daughter and son-in-law, great-granddaughter, and what Bette hopes to be her eventual great-grandson-in-law. Throw in a cremated parrot, political prisoners, a spoiled puppy, a cancer scare, and a medium who Bette believes can speak to her husband, George, and you have a dinner party you'll never forget.

This book reminds me a bit of My Grandmother Told Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman and The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. I think it is because we get into the heads of so many characters and see how they touch one another's lives.
​
Manocherian states that people either love or hate the ending. I'm in the love category, but that may be because I saw it coming! This is another must-read.

Book Review: It's Okay Not To Be Fabulous Every Day

It's Okay Not To Be Fabulous Every Day by Ally Dalsimer is an inspirational read reminding us that although we should have goals and strive to reach them, we don't have to be at the top of our game every single day. In fact, it isn't possible to do so. When that is our aim, we are sure to become disappointed in ourselves.

Dalsimer began this book as a book of 'lessons learned' for her children as they began to move away from home and start their adult lives. In the end, Dalsimer realized that everyone needs these bits of wisdom.

Each chapter has quotes from sources you will recognize, such as Martin Luther King, Jr, but she also throws in Yoda. In fact, she is willing to share truth wherever she finds it to help each of us live a more fulfilled life.
​
I think this book would be a perfect source of daily inspiration and could easily be used for prompts for daily journal writing. It is not a 'one and done' book. Instead, it will stay on your bedside table for easy access whenever life seems just a little bit too hard.

Book Review: The Worth of a Ruby

The Worth of a Ruby by Lya Badgley is her second novel. I thoroughly enjoyed her first (The Foreigner's Confession) and was super excited to get my hands on this one - also set in Burma.

Badgley writes edgy international crime/suspense and gets the reader into the mind of her characters. Mallory Jones, a chef, like the author, wanted to open a restaurant in Burma but not because she was in love with the area. Instead, she was running from her past.

However, as is wont when folks try to escape their past by running from it, the past found a way to erupt. As plans for a restaurant fall through, we see a side of Mallory that isn't evident in the beginning.
​
The Worth of a Ruby has it all: great characters, amazing backdrop, kidnapping, blackmail, murder, and a bit of Burmese magic. Plus, in the words of the author, " I like ambiguous endings." Don't miss this book!

Book Review: Neena Lee is Seeing Things

Neena Lee is Seeing Things by Sheila Athens is a contemporary fiction looking back at the marriage of John F Kennedy to Caroline in 1996 and their death in a plane crash in 1999 through the eyes of a journalist, Neena Lee.

Neena has suffered loss and hold herself responsible. Her latest lost left her hospitalized in a mental health facility and without a job. She needs to write this article about John Jr to prove her abilities and save herself financially. However, when she 'sees' John Jr standing in the church, she is sure that her mental illness has taken a turn for the worse.
​
I enjoyed how Athens connects those visiting the island today with issues Neena and/or John himself needs to face. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, which is quite appropriate with the upcoming 25th anniversary of John and Caroline's death in July.

Book Review: The Psychologist's Shadow

The Psychologist's Shadow by Laury A Egan is a psychological thriller that had me hooked from the first chapter.

Ellen Haskell is a psychologist who recently moved her practice to remove herself from a bad situation. Somehow, it seems that 'bad situations' follow Ellen, and she soon finds herself in the middle of an obsession.

Egan does a wonderful job casting light on several patients and even a family member who could be behind the phone calls, notes, and trinkets.

I didn't figure out the stalker. I had ruled out some because they seem to obvious and others because of specific things that happened during the action. I actually thought it was one of the patients that I didn't want it to be! I even suspected patients ruled out by Ellen figuring she was missing something. Finally, I suspected a past boyfriend. Although I hadn't ruled out the real stalker, I certainly wouldn't have bet my life on it!
​
Egan did a great job keeping the reader guessing. Although I tend to shy away from thrillers because they often get too graphic, Egan provided all the suspense necessary without adding gratuitous violence. This is a must-read!

Book Review: The Road to Moresco

The Road to Moresco by Mark Jamilkowski is a story about Maria-Luisa Moresco. As a woman in the early 1900s, she was ahead of her times and wanted more than the traditional life of motherhood. Unfortunately, her life was not easy, and the reader follows her as she pushes her way forward despite such things as earthquakes, war, and murder.

I only gave this book three stars and here is why. The story and characters were really good. The historical research that went into the novel are also phenomenal. However, Jamilkowski had a difficult time intertwining the story with the history. I often felt like I was reading a great novel interrupted by a strong history lesson.
​
Jamilkowski states he would like to learn more about blending fact with fiction and potentially release a second edition of the book. I hope he does, because the story is a wonderful portrayal of strong women in a time when women were meant to be something else.

Book Review: Balance of Power

Balance of Power by Krystal B Clark is the first in The Chozien Path fantasy series. In the past six weeks, I've now read two fantasy books and have enjoyed them immensely. I'm realizing that I do enjoy a well-written fantasy with strong characters.

In Balance of Power, we see different orders looking for The Chozien, the one the Great Spirit has sent to rule the earth. We follow the Chozien from infancy through early adulthood as he trains and learns and begins to accept his role. But not everyone is happy and there are some who wish to steal The Chozien for their own order - because the order with the boy has immense power over the future.
​
I enjoyed the characters, and the world, though different from my own, had enough similarities that I didn't get bogged down. The only thing I didn't like was the cliffhanger at the end. Of course, Clark has ensured that I will read the next installment!

Book Review: Kino and Kinder

Kino and Kinder: A family’s journey in the shadow of the Holocaust by Vivien Sieber is a family memoir. The story of Paula Ticho and her family focuses on life around WWI until Paula's death decades after WWII.

Paula, a co-owner with her sister of a theater in Vienna, enjoyed great success until the Nazi takeover. We see her get her son to safety and beg her family to leave, before eventually fleeing to England.

Penniless, Paula works as a matron to a hostel for Jewish girls who have fled the Nazis. What was supposed to be a temporary shelter for girls, turned into an orphanage spanning several years.

Sieber uses letters from these girls, extensive research, and her grandmother's memories to create a story that helps others understand the atrocities of the Holocaust - and how this period of time negatively impacted Jewish people even if they were fortunate enough to escape a work or death camp.
​
This family memoir is a must-read.

Book Review: Great Crossing

Great Crossing by Judalon de Bornay is a wonderful historical fiction novel about Julia Chinn, a slave, and Richard Johnson, a man who will later become Vice President of the United States.

I was amazed by this story because it is, for the most part, true - and I had never heard the story. To be honest, I knew very little about VP Johnson, and absolutely nothing about his wife and children.

Judalon's research helps the reader understand what was going on in the world and in Richard's life. Much of Julia's life - her thoughts, desires, even her day-to-day activities - had to be assumed. Judalon is a master at blending historical fact with her fictional scenarios.
​
I enjoyed the book from page one. I encourage those who love well-researched historical fiction, to dive into this one!