Bev's 180 Book Challenge

[Beverly]

Ice by Linda Howard
1 star

I actually picked this up to satisfy a challenge in one of my groups. I was so disappointed. Luckily I listened to it on a trip to my mom's and so finished it in one trip and got on to my next audiobook. This just seemed so predictable and a way to get two people who've known each other since high school into bed with each other. Much ado about nothing in my opinion.

[Beverly]

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
4 stars

I really enjoyed this book and I shouldn't be surprised because I loved her book "The Scorpio Races". Blue Sargent comes from a psychic family. She is only an can only amplify things, which means that the psychic person she's with feels things more strongly. So, every year she goes with her mother to watch the parade of souls that are slated to die within the next year. This year, however, she sees and speaks to one of the souls, a young man who is a student at the private school Aglionby. She can't get the occurrence out of her mind and shortly she actually meets the young man and his friends in person and gets drawn into their search for ley lines and into a bigger mystery which involves the murder of a former student. I had no trouble buying into this amazing world. The characters are well drawn and in spite of the subject matter, the magic rang true. I'm very interested in reading the next book in the series to see what happens next.

[Beverly]

Murder on the Bucket List by Elizabeth Perona
3 stars

I've met Tony Perona, father to Elizabeth and co-author of this book, on a number of occasions at Magna Cum Murder and he is a very nice man. I've never read anything of his up to now but since he's coming to our Mystery Book group and we're discussing this book, I thought I'd better break down and read one! His daughter may also be there or may Skype with us during the meeting. This was a cute book. A great little cozy with a setting in Indianapolis (where the authors are from and I grew up just north of) that has a great cast of older ladies who are all friends and seem to have a tendency to stumble into situations that could be troublesome--like finding a dead body! These women are all attempting to go through their "bucket list" items and investigating the death of a local personage involved in car racing seems to present a lot of possibilities. The problem is that the investigation may reveal the long buried secrets of some of their closest friends. I thought this was a cute, quick read and hope that we hear more about the shenanigans of this group of friends.

[Beverly]

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
3 stars

I'm feeling a little hazy on how I felt about this audio read by Amy Ryan and Michel Stuhlbar. The readers were fine but I'm just not sure that I understood where the author was going with this. The beginning of the book was OK and you start to get a feel for a man who loves his baby daughter and goes overboard wanting to expose her to foods not at all appropriate for an infant but because of it, as she grows up she develops an extremely sophisticated palate and works herself up through various levels in the food industry. I also found some of the food discussion extremely interesting. And I was riveted during the last chapter (disc, section...whatever) and really enjoyed the way it ended. But in between all of that the story just felt so meandering. It took forever to figure out how a section fit in with the previous story parts and by the time I did, the author was on to something else. What I really disliked was the totally unnecessary cursing. I mean the characters seemed to be reasonably nice people and everything seemed to be going along fine and then at the slightest provocation they'd be shouting f*** this or that or you and it just didn't make sense to me. Just an OK read.

[Beverly]

Free to Fall by Lauren Miller
5 stars

I loved this book. Rory Vaughn lives in a world where no one has to make a decision, everything is decided by the Lux app on their phone. The app makes sure you eat right, dress appropriately for the weather, never forget to do your laundry and do everything that benefits you the most. She has now been accepted at the prestigious Theden Academy and feels like her future is assured. Just as she's leaving for her new school, her father presents her with a gift from her mother who died shortly after she was born. It turns out her mother went to Theden as well but left just days before graduation and no one seems to know why. When Rory arrives and starts her classes, she starts hearing voices in her head--what society calls the Doubt. This could lead to a diagnosis of mental illness and expulsion from school and so she keeps it to herself. Then part of her classwork is to write a paper on a particular illness of her choice from a prepared list. The voice in her head says to pick the one illness that she's already worried about, hearing the voice in her head. She does select it and during her research discovers that her mother also suffered from the same problem. Trying to discover what really happened to her mom and what is really happening behind the scenes at Theden uncovers one surprise after another. Every time I thought I had this all figured out and who should be trusted, the story line would throw me another curve. Great techno thriller that will keep you turning those pages and I think the twists will surprise you.

[Beverly]

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
3 stars

I can certainly understand why this book would be included on the 1001 list...it is simply unlike anything else I've ever read. The sheer scope of this author's imagination for a first novel is amazing. I have to admit that the story of the Navidson family and their documentary was much more interesting to me than the portions that pertained to Johnny Truant. I also really enjoyed the constantly changing format and I have to say that man handling this huge book was almost a daily workout in itself. After listing all of the pluses, my 2 disappointments were: 1. I was not horrified, scared or even creeped out at any time during the read (well, maybe a little creeped out by some of Johnny's sexual exploits) and I was so hoping to be. 2. Although I appreciated the complexity and the originality of this ambitious first novel, I just didn't appreciate the novel as a whole. I know that ultimately we're supposed to go along for the ride as Johnny Truant descends into obsession and eventually madness, I just didn't care about the character and so I felt like I was being dragged along just to get through the book rather than turning pages to see what was going to happen next. I don't believe I would ever recommend this to anyone else.

[Beverly]

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
3 stars

Once again, as seems to happen frequently with the 1001 list, I'm glad I read this book but am sure I didn't appreciate it or understand it as thoroughly as I should. The story's narrator, Jonah (or John, as his parent's called him) tells the story of the Hoenikker family and what the 3 grown Hoenikker children remember from the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the development of ice-nine and the religion of Bokonon . The book starts when Jonah attempts to contact Newt, a midget and the youngest of the Hoenikker children, to ask him about his memories of the day Hiroshima was attacked, with the intention of writing a book about the event more from the human side of the experience. Eventually Jonah ends up on an island with the 3 and learns about the island's covert religion and the invention of a weapon that can instantaneously freeze liquids, effectively bringing about the end of the world. I need to read something else by Mr. Vonnegut and hope that I enjoy it more.

[Beverly]

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
3 stars

Took me awhile to get around to this second book in the series. I liked this offering better than the first one and will move on to the third book. I'm hoping these get even better, it seems like others really like them. Again I listened to the audio read by Mary Peiffer and again I thought she did a fine job. In this second book, Beverly Danziger is looking for her sister, Elaine, and can't seem to locate her. She needs her signature on some legal documents before a will can be settled, so she hires Kinsey Millhone to find her. Turns out, Elaine had been headed to Boca Raton with her cat Mingus and her lynx coat. None of them ever arrived but someone else is staying in her apartment. When Kinsey raises the issue of something sinister happening to Beverly's sister, Beverly fires her. This was suspicious enough but then Aubrey, Beverly's husband, shows up spouting some wild accusations regarding his wife and Kinsey discovers that Elaine's next door neighbor was murdered just a few days before Elaine disappeared. She really just can't, in good conscience, stop the investigation. Again, the ending surprised me. I really have to start realizing that things are not always what they seem!

[Beverly]

Cherry Bomb by J. A. Konrath
2 stars

I read this just to fill a challenge...a book with the word "cherry" in the title and this was the only book I had on my Kindle that fit the bill. This was just not really my kind of book but it was a fairly quick read (in spite of taking almost 2 weeks to read it). I read it on my Kindle app on my phone and only worked on it while my husband and I were on the motorcycle. It turns out this is the 6th book in the series and it's unusual for me to read out of order and there is a slight possibility I may have enjoyed it more if I'd read the previous books but I doubt it. Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is a cop and in the previous book, her fiancee has been killed by a serial killer by the name of Alex. Alex has some incredible scars on her face, thanks to Jack and the plastic surgeons in the prison system and now that she's out, she wants to punish Jack as much as possible and then kill her. This book is basically about that attempt, every single gritty page of it. There is quite a bit of sex, even more horrific murdering and a stomach churning description of a masturbating, shit throwing monkey. Just not a fun time in my estimation. But, as I said, this is the 6th book in the series so there's obviously a market for it out there. Try it at your own peril!

[Beverly]

In the Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill
3 stars

I really only liked this, I think, because Stephen King and his son Joe Hill were the co-authors. I was looking through my Kindle carousel just wanting to find something short to read as a surprise to myself (I know, weird...but I know what I mean) and saw this Kindle short. I have thought to myself several times lately that Mr. King has mellowed a bit in his old age but this short story is a throwback to the gross out style that King lovers know and love. A brother and sister make a stop during a road trip. As they stretch their legs, they hear a call for help from the grassy meadow next to the parking lot. The grass is tall and lush and they cannot see the young boy calling them but they can't drive off leaving a child stranded, so into the grass they go. It's Stephen King...you can imagine!!! :)

[Beverly]

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
4 stars

I read this for one of my F2F book clubs this month and really enjoyed it. I had not previously been aware of this particular book by Ms. Moyes. I had read "The Last Letter from Your Lover" and liked it and I've been trying to get to "Me Before You", especially since I saw the movie. I've decided I like her books. This tells the story of Australian war brides that are being taken by ship to their husbands who are in England now that the war is over. But as many of the more luxurious liners are full and there are many women anxious to go, the story of the women in this book are sailing on a crowded air craft carrier. With 600 plus women who have been separated from their husbands and a crew of young men who are no longer fighting a war--not to mention the close quarters, the 6 week trip is fraught with every aspect of human nature. The 4 women highlighted, a very pregnant country girl, a socialite, a high spirited 16 year old and a quiet nurse with a number of secrets, make up a strange grouping and one of them sneaks their dog on board. All in all, I thought this was an interesting read and once again I've learned about an historical incident that I knew nothing about.

[Beverly]

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
3 stars

This story begins with the description of a happy, carefree wedding party. The joy of this occasion contrasts sharply with the rest of the book as it follows an immigrant family of Lithuanians as they settle in Chicago and begin working in the slaughterhouses there. The horrors of the slaughtering process and the working conditions are presented in harsh detail, so easily upset readers be warned. Every time I thought that the family was finally getting ahead, another crisis would arise. It was almost unbelievable to me that these and many other naive people from many other countries were treated so poorly, constantly being taken advantage of with little hope of becoming self-sustaining. At some point toward the end of the book, the story itself seems to come to an abrupt stop and the rest of the book becomes a rallying cry for socialism. Although I'm glad that I read this book and I look forward to our book discussion regarding it, learning about the atrocities that took place in both the industry and the private lives of the workers was difficult and apt to stay with me for a long time.

ADDENDUM: And yet it didn't...stay with me for a long time that is. I did remember that the working conditions were horrific and that the families struggled constantly to make ends meet but I had certainly forgotten the particulars and so was horrified all over again. Other than that comment, I stand by my original review.

[Beverly]

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
4 stars

This book was recommended to me by a friend who said it was one of the best books she read last year. I'm hoping that my review and rating will encourage others it read it because this one will creep right into your heart. To me this was a heart-breaking story of an elderly woman who has already suffered an horrendous loss in her life and is now succumbing to the ravages of Alzheimer's. The story is told from her point of view so the reader is constantly confused right along with her. She attempts to remember what an object is called and from her descriptions, the reader is trying to determine what she's talking about...sometimes easy and sometimes not so much. There is one thing she seems to be very certain of and that is that her friend Elizabeth is missing. She asks everyone about her, repeatedly, even going to the police station at regular intervals. All of these folk know as well as the reader that this woman's memory is unreliable so it seems that no one is trying to help her find Elizabeth. She keeps various handwritten notes with her but by the time she reads them, she can't remember what she meant. As her life continues to spin out of control, she moves in with her daughter and granddaughter, intensifying her confusion. Along the way, she remembers bits and pieces of when her married sister Sukey disappeared years ago and the inability of the police to ever solve the case. How might her friend's disappearance finally close this older missing person's case? This audio was read by Davina Porter, who did a wonderful job. I always like her narrations.

[Beverly]

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
3 stars

This was an amazingly quick read. I thought the writing was very descriptive but I had a difficult time feeling anything for the protagonist. I really enjoyed the introduction written by Michael Cunningham and feel glad that I read this particular translation by Michael Henry Heim. Cunningham seems to think that this is better book because of this translation which makes Aschenbach much more "human" and subject to human foibles. Basically, Aschenbach travels alone to Venice for vacation. During his travels, his attention is caught by a Polish family consisting of 4 daughters and a son, who, to Aschenbach, is exquisitely beautiful and he becomes obsessed with the boy, Tadzio. Soon, without actually making any acquaintance with the boy, Aschenbach realizes that he is in love with him.

[Beverly]

Starting a new tracking list for the second half of the year!

FInished in July:
115. Case Histories
116. Night Shift
117. By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain
118. The Walking Dead, Vol. 04: The Heart's Desire
119. Mrs. Ike: Memories and Reflections on the Life of Mamie Eisenhower
120. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion
121. The Fireman
122. Ghost House
123. Still Alice
124. Follow the River
125.Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War
126. Star Sand
127. Towards Zero
128. C is for Corpse
129. Where Am I Eating?: An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy
130. July's People
131. Robin of the Wood - Legend
132. Asylum
133. The Museum of Extraordinary Things

My favorites for July:
The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
Salt by Helen Frost

Finished in August:
134. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands
135. Wicked Witch Murder
136. The Wrong Man
137. The Cutting Season
138. The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible's Messsianic Symbolism
139. Darned if You Do
140. The Japanese Lover
141. The Morning Show Murders: A Novel
142. Salt to the Sea
143. Breath, Eyes, Memory
144. The Reader
145. No Place Like Oz
146. August Is a Wicked Month: A Novel

My favorites for August:
Closed Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Finished in September:
147. Where I Lost Her
148. Circling the Sun
149. Six Scary Stories
150. The Buried Giant
151. All Quiet on the Western Front
152. Dance of the Winnebagos
153. The Nightingale
154. Yarn Over Murder
155. Best Boy
156. Purgatory Ridge
157. We Are the Ants
158. The Book of Lost Things
159. Anna Karenina
160. Enduring Love
161. The Last September
162. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
163. Artful

My favorites for September:
Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood
Six Scary Stories edited by Stephen King
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb

Finished in October:
164. A Great Reckoning
165. Parallel
166. Serafina and the Black Cloak
167. The Bluest Eye
168. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
169. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
170. Character, Driven
171. The Walking Dead, Vol. 05: The Best Defense
172. The Walking Dead, Vol. 06: This Sorrowful Life
173. Those Girls
174. The Walking Dead, Vol. 07: The Calm Before
175. Rebecca
176. The Other Woman
177. The Island of Doctor Moreau

My favorites for October:
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
Parallel by Lauren Miller
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurie
The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Finished in November:
178. Shipwreck
179. The Walking Dead, Vol. 08: Made to Suffer
180. Gone Girl
181. Homegoing
182. Knit the Season
183. A Monster Calls
184. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax
185. The Rosie Project
186. My Brother's Secret
187. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
188. A Carrion Death
189. The Walking Dead, Compendium 2
190. In a Dark, Dark Wood
191. At Wit's End
192. The God of Small Things
193. Candy Corn Murder
194. Fall - A Collection of Short Stories
195. Embers
196. Envy

My favorites for November:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley

Finished in December:
197. Heartless
198. Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South
199. The Marriage of Opposites
200. Kindness Goes Unpunished
201. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
202. The Ghost Bride
203. Gingerbread Cookie Murder
204. The Twelve Clues of Christmas
205. Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe
206. Seabiscuit: An American Legend
207. Decline and Fall
208. Parable of the Talents

My favorites for December:
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

[Beverly]

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
4 stars

From the author of Started Early, Took My Dog (which I've read twice), I finally decided to go back and read the first 3 books in the Jackson Brodie series. I really did enjoy this book much more and am glad I gave it a go. Three unsolved case files are suddenly dropped at Jackson Brodie's office and even though he's dealing with his own troubles--his wife has left him for another man and it seems that someone is trying to kill him--he still has to pay the rent, so he accepts the work. I liked the way this book was presented. The first 3 chapters tell you something about the individual cases, which all occurred at different times and then we meet Mr. Brodie. Then we are introduced to the folks that are attempting to resolve the issues with the original crimes: a missing child, a dead office clerk and a husband with an ax in his head. This was a page turner and the characters were well done and believable. My only problem was that although we finally find out what happened in all 3 crimes--well, definitely 2 of them, the third was a little hazy--Jackson only actually solves one of them himself. We just get to read "the rest of the story" for the other two--one of which is the hazy one. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book and was glad to get some backstory on Jackson Brodie. I am anxious to read the other two books between this one and Started Early, Took My Dog.

[Beverly]

Night Shift by Charlaine Harris
4 stars

I have to say that I'm really glad that I've stuck with this series. This is the 3rd book about the tiny town of Midnight, Texas. The population is made up of folks from Charlaine's other series and so we have a mixed bag, including 2 angels, a vampire, a psychic and a witch. This, in my opinion, is the best offering so far. Alerted by a sudden rash of suicides--right under the stoplight at the center of town--the residents eventually figure out that something evil is "waking up" in Midnight and it might destroy the lives they've all become so comfortable in. Throughout the book, we continue to gain bits and pieces of backstory for various characters, just adding to the layers of interactions that were started in the first two books. I think that's what I really liked so much about this read, it just felt like the residents that we've been learning about are finally coming together and acting like a community. And with the variety of differences, I enjoyed the fact that they could all come together and attempt to save their little town.

[Beverly]

By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain by Joe Hill
4 stars

Two youngsters are out exploring the shores of a nearby lake one foggy morning and end up discovering the carcass of a huge sea creature. They examine their find carefully and spend a bit of time trying to decide what they are going to do about it, maybe sell it to a museum of some sort. Then the girl's older sister appears and says that their mother wants her. She tells her friend that she will be back as soon as she can with never a notion of what else might be hiding in Lake Champlain. A very quick read that I really enjoyed. The story is clean and concise with no extraneous language and it packs a surprise ending.

[Beverly]

The Walking Dead, Vol. 4: The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman
4 stars

Rick and the gang are currently living in the prison complex thinking maybe they're a bit safer than they had been and we get to meet Michonne. The graphic novels are just different enough to make me wish I was watching the whole series over again so that I could compare them more closely.

[Beverly]

Mrs. Ike by Susan Eisenhower
3 stars

I was not excited about reading this book and the read was not exciting. But, I found myself getting through it rather quickly and it was interesting. Eisenhower is the first president that I remember and I certainly remember his wife as well--especially her bangs and her hats. But I knew very little else about them. This book is full of personal correspondence between the 2 of them, as well as revealing their lives and lifestyles. It turns out that Ike was quite the romantic and Mamie was extremely loyal and supportive of him. There are pages of photos from different stages of their lives which were fascinating to me. I came away from this book with the feeling that our country has fallen a long way from the moral, hard working, family loving ways of the Eisenhowers.

[Beverly]

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
5 stars

I have loved most of the books I've read by Fannie Flagg and this one is no exception. This is just a warm, cozy romp through the life of 59...I mean 60...year old Sarah Jane (Sookie) Simmons who lived her life in the shadow of her mother, Lenore. Sookie had married a wonderful dentist, Earle Poole Jr., and had 4 wonderful children and in a whirlwind 2 year period her 3 girls had all married. Now she was ready to sit back, rest up and enjoy her bird feeders--if she could just figure out a way to keep the blue jays from chasing off all the smaller birds. Of course, she still had to deal with her mother, who wanted to run everything and lived only 2 doors down but she was used to that. Then one day something came in the mail that would forever change her life and leave her wondering who she really was. Her wonderfully funny way of dealing with this unexpected news is priceless and she just keeps presenting an approach/avoidance tract as she slowly and carefully explores her expanding horizons. Jumping back and forth between the present and the past, Fannie Flagg is at her best, keeping the reader turning the pages and trying to figure out what happened before they're told. Some very interesting historical information is thrown into the mix about the women (WASPS) that flew planes during the war but never received much recognition. A really quick read that will keep you chuckling.

[Beverly]

The Fireman by Joe Hill
3 stars

I hate to say this but I was really disappointed with this book. After reading NOS4A2, this was a huge let-down. Although I liked the premise, I just thought this 700 plus page book was repetitive, predictable and draggy. Basically, a pandemic called Dragonscale, is causing people to spontaneously burst into flame. Those that don't have the symptoms, a delicate black and gold scaling across the skin, are terrified of catching it and seek to kill anyone who does. Affected folks are seeking refuge anywhere they can find it. Harper Grayson, who is a nurse has just discovered two things--she's pregnant and she has Dragonscale. When the baby's father tries to kill her, the Fireman rescues her and brings her to a community of others with the illness who are hiding out in the woods and have learned to control the scale. Soon there are power struggles within the camp and rumors of a "safe" island somewhere out there. As Harper, the Fireman, a deaf boy and his sister attempt to give themselves and Harper's baby the best chance of surviving, all I could think was that I had read similar stories many times before...Parable of the Sower, I Am Legend, The Stand, MaddAddam trilogy, Station Eleven...I could go on. This book just wasn't different enough to warrant more than 3 stars. The audio was read by Kate Muldrow and I thought she did a great job.

[Beverly]

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten
4 stars

This, as so many of the YA books I've read recently, is such a different book. It tells the stories of a group of teenagers who suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Adam meets Robyn is a support group for OCD and immediately falls head over heels in love with her. He wants to protect her for the rest of their lives but between dealing with his first overwhelming emotional involvement, his younger step-brother who can barely deal with life without him and his mother's hoarding behavior (not to mention his own OCD) this does not progress easily. The biggest stumbling blocks in this budding relationship come about because, as Adam says, "everybody lies". I loved Adam's sensitivity, Robyn's supportive approach and the whole groups ability to come together and help one another. I also thought this was a great look at what it must feel like to suffer from OCD.

[Beverly]

Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetta
2 stars

Just a little more YA than I like. It was interesting when I learned that it was published by Harlequin Teen--this type of book is exactly why I don't read Harlequin romances. To me, the plot was fairly predictable and every situation was over the top. When Chloe Kennedy and her younger brother are shipped off to their grandmother's house in England after the death of her mother, she is sure she will be miserable. Shortly after arriving, she begins to "see" the ghosts that haunt the manor. One of them is Alexander Reade who is gorgeous but dead for over 150 years. Chloe and Alexander are immediately drawn to each other. She then meets the stable boy who is also immediately drawn to her. Then Alexander's dead paramour rears her ugly head and wants to create havoc by attacking the living. So, we end up with quite the love triangle--or would that be love square? Anyway, I'm sure this might be great reading for the early teen crowd but I only finished it because I'm OCD about finishing books that I start and I needed it to complete a challenge.

[Beverly]

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
3 stars

I liked this book but wish that I had read it before I saw the movie. I thought the movie was very well done and followed the book pretty closely. Because of that, the book seemed to drag a bit for me, since I knew what was coming. Alice Howland, a brilliant professor from Harvard starts noticing some changes in her behaviour--forgetting words, misplacing items and getting temporarily "lost" on the Harvard campus--she decides to visit her doctor. She is diagnosed with early-onset Altzheimer's. The book follows the steady decline of her cognitive functions although she bravely fights against it. Alice was lucky in one specific instance and that was that she was surrounded by family and friends who were sensitive to her situation and did everything they could to help her along. Such a debilitating disease, truly frightening. This audio was read by the author and I liked her voice.

[Beverly]

Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
5 stars

I have wanted to read this book for so long and am so glad that I finally had to read it for a book group! I really like books about the settling of America and those that are based on true stories so this was right up my alley! A young, very pregnant mother, Mary Ingles, and her 2 little boys are stolen by the Shawnee from their small settlement. Many of their neighbors were killed during the raid. Mary and her boys endure the hardships of the trail. She earns some admiration from her captors along the way because of her strength and bearing. Throughout her trip she makes every effort to memorize her surroundings and the trail. She actually has her baby before they reach the Indian encampment. Mary does her best to fit in, gaining as much information as she possibly can until she is able to make a plan to escape. Along with an older German woman, Mary makes her getaway. Over the following months, in spite of scarce food, few supplies and challenging weather, she is able to make her way back to her home. This is an amazing story of endurance, perseverance and love.

[Beverly]

Salt by Helen Frost
4 stars

A quick read and a really wonderful book. This was so appropriate since I just finished reading Follow the River by James Alexander Thom. This book is written in verse and represents the lives of 2 twelve year old boys--Anikwa and James. It is 1812 and James is the son of the couple who run the trading post at Fort Wayne in the Indiana territory. Anikwa is a member of the Miami tribe who live nearby and trade with James' family. The 2 boys are friends and spend much time together hunting, fishing and exploring. However, now war seems to be hovering on the horizon and although the Miami do not want to take part, British and American troops are marching toward the fort and Indians from many tribes are gathering in the Miami village hoping to join the British in attacking the Americans. As events unfurl we hear alternating commentary from each young man describing their feelings, their confusion and their fears.

[Beverly]

Star Sand by Roger Pulvers
3 stars

This was a quick read and I thought it had an interesting premise. A young girl, 16 year old Hiromi, is living in Japan during WWII. One day, as she is collecting star sand, she discovers a cave where 2 men have been hiding out. Both are deserters, one American and one Japanese. Although it's a dangerous decision, she decides to help the two men and brings food and medicines to them. Then another person comes to the cave and really upsets the atmosphere of peace and friendship that has developed among the 3. Years later, the cave is discovered again and there are the remains of 3 people there along with a diary. The diary ended abruptly after the 4th person appeared and so no one is sure which of persons from the diary are left in the cave and what exactly happened. Eventually, the mystery is solved. I won't go into that--no spoilers except for this. The reader does not realize that the entire first part of the book is actually a diary until the end of part 1 and I wish I had known that. I'm not really sure why I think that would have made a difference but I was just startled when the information was revealed.

[Beverly]

Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
4 stars

I think I've enjoyed every Agatha Christie I've ever read but this just might be my favorite so far, just because I loved the idea of it. The premise is that to understand any outcome, you have to appreciate all the different choices that were made leading up to that outcome...all decisions ultimately leading "towards zero" which is the occurrence itself. Sometimes those choices may occur over days, weeks or months before zero hour finally all comes together. The murder is a given but who did it and why???? Come to the gathering at Gull's Point and find out. It won't be who you think!!!

[Beverly]

C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
3 stars

This is my 3rd book by Sue Grafton and I'm still liking them enough to continue the series. I liked the roll out of this story. One day at the gym, Kinsey is approached by a young man, Bobby Callahan, that she's noticed for awhile. He has obviously been through a traumatic situation as he is covered with scars but he's aggressively attempting to rehabilitate his body by exercising continuously. His story is shocking. He's certain that someone attempted to kill him when they tailgated his car and then ran into him. His passenger, himself and the car went over the embankment and his friend died. Unfortunately, his friend died and Bobby was not only badly injured but suffered some major memory problems to boot. He can't quite remember everything yet but feels like he may be regaining some of his memories and is afraid that whoever tried once may try again. He wants Kinsey to find out who's after him. Three days later, Bobby is dead but true to her word, Kinsey will not rest until the killer is found. This audio is read by Mary Peiffer, as were the first 2, and I'm liking her voice more since I now associate it with this series.

[Beverly]

Where Am I Eating by Kelsey Timmerman
3 stars

This is the book that our library has chosen for our One Book One Community this year. I wasn't thrilled with this pick and wasn't sure I even wanted to read it but overall, although it's somewhat upsetting to read, I'm glad I read it. The book just makes you much more aware of where some of your food comes from and the conditions under which some people labor to get that food to our tables. Luckily, with one exception, I am not a consumer of these products (for the most part). The author did some intense research on farming conditions for growers of coffee, bananas, apples and cocoa beans and for the divers that harvest lobsters. The information presented brings to light the substandard living conditions that most of these farmers live under (with the exception of some of the apple growers) and the dangerous situations that can occur--especially with the lobster divers. The difference between what the produce farmers get paid as opposed to what big business makes when supplying our groceries is embarrassing. This is certainly an eye opening read. I am now really looking forward to hearing Mr. Timmerman speak in October.

[Beverly]

July's People by Nadine Gordimer
4 stars

This is the story of the dissension in South Africa. Now that the situation has finally come to a head, it is no longer safe to be white in the city. July, who works for the Smales family, has helped them to leave the trouble behind--at least temporarily. July drives Mr. and Mrs. Smales and their 3 children to his own small village. They hide the car in the bush and began living their lives as well as they can under such challenging conditions. I found this to be an interesting character study. It was fascinating to see how the relationship between July and the Smales changed and how the Smales family adapted to the huge differences in their living conditions.

[Beverly]

Robin of the Wood--Legend by Adam Greenwood
2 stars

This was just OK for me. It was kind of light and fluffy and fairy tale-ish, not at all the way that I envision the legend of Robin Hood. Most of the characters were represented as "spirits" of the woods more than human and although there was some connectivity throughout the book, it was not enough to develop the characters and make you care about them or what happened in their lives.

[Beverly]

by Madeleine Roux
4 stars

I just ripped right through this book and really enjoyed it. I guess I would say this was a "guilty pleasure" kind of book for me. It's a YA and the story was fairly predictable but it was creepy in a non-threatening kind of way. There are a quite a few illustrations (it's called a photo-novel) which help to ramp up the tension but again, this did not produce the type of fear that would give you nightmares...it was just the right amount for me. The premise is that Dan Crawford,a 16 year old, is attending New Hampshire College Prep for some summer classes. He's a bit of a social outcast at his high school and has trouble making friends. He had moved around through several foster homes before he was adopted and never settled long enough to get close to anyone. When he arrives he discovers that his dorm used to be a sanatorium (or asylum) for the criminally insane. He makes 2 friends almost immediately, Abby and Jordan, and they all start exploring parts of the building that are supposed to be "off limits" but are somehow easily accessed. The more they explore, the more connections pop up. Dan starts having strange dreams, his roommate suddenly becomes interested in body building and his new friend Abby discovers that her aunt may have been a patient there. Just a quick, fun read that comes to a little bit of an over the top surprise ending.

[Beverly]

by Alice Hoffman
4 stars

This was an interesting book which style-wise reminded me very much of All the Light We Cannot See. The reader learns the story, in alternating chapters, of Coralie Sardie and Eddie Cohen until finally, their lives intersect. Coralie is the daughter of a slick sideshow type who owns and runs the Museum of Extraordinary Things. Coralie, who has trained from a young age to hold her breath and withstand the rigors of cold water, appears as a mermaid in her father's show. Eddie has escaped from the life of a tailor, and now practices to become a respected photographer. When he happens to be on the scene of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of a search for a missing woman. I really enjoyed listening to the audio which was performed by Judith Light, Grace Gummer and Zach Appleman.

[Beverly]

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian
4 stars

I'm a fan of Chris Bohjalian but I was not even aware of this book until a friend here on Goodreads recommended it. I am really glad that I read it and it was so different from his other books. Emily Shepard, a teenager, lives with her parents in Vermont. Both her parents work at the nuclear plant nearby and one day while she's in school--just like every other day--there's an accident at the plant and there was a meltdown. Before the day is even out and Emily has been moved out of the area along with thousands of others, rumor has it that her father was drunk and the accident was his fault. She feels like everyone hates her family so she changes her name and becomes a walker (not to be confused with The Walking Dead characters). This is the story of what happened to her following the disaster and how she managed to take care of herself. Although the timeline jumps around a bit, I didn't have too much trouble keeping the entire story line straight. I thought the book was scary in it's believable characters and situations.

[Beverly]

Wicked Witch Murder by Leslie Meier
4 stars

I always love to read a good cozy and some of my favorite's take place in Tinker's Cove with Lucy Stone trying to solve the latest crime in the constant crime wave there!! :) In this tale, it's coming up on the annual Halloween party but the atmosphere doesn't feel quite the same this year. The high priestess of a local coven has moved into town and opened a shop catering to those interested in all things Wiccan. One new family in the community is quite upset about this and believes that everything happening is because of dark and sinful spells being cast about town. Lucy, a reporter for the the Pennysaver, is, of course, right in the middle of it all--finding the murdered body, poking about in the assessor's office to find out about land records and still finding the time to make beastly cookies for the Halloween party. I've liked all the books in this series so far, some better than others, but this is one of the better ones, I really enjoyed this spooky offering.

[Beverly]

The Wrong Man by Kate White

This was an interesting book well read by Erin Bennett. Kit Finn, an interior decorator, is on vacation in Florida and is irresistibly drawn to a handsome stranger. She decides to take a daring chance and they spend an exciting night together. There is a promise to get together when Kit gets back to her job in New York. Strangely enough, when she shows up at the designated meeting, an unfamiliar man opens the door. He tells her that his wallet had been stolen at a party and she must have met the guy that took it. Suddenly, Kit's life is on a giant downward slide. She's been lied to and people around her have started dying. Then the handsome stranger shows up and tries to convince her that there was a reason he lied to her and that he's sorry he's dragged her into such a dangerous situation. Whose telling the truth, can she trust anyone and why is someone trying to kill her? The answers kept me guessing all the way!

[Beverly]

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
4 stars

The beautiful plantation of Belle Vie. Presenting a glimpse of the past to the public on a daily basis as the staff presents living history plays. Caren presides over all of this. She grew up on the plantation and now keeps it's daily schedules under a tight rein. On her early morning rounds she noticed that it appeared someone had been digging along a fence line and she asked the grounds gardener to clean it up. She soon receives a call from him saying that there was a dead body at the site. Suddenly, everything about Caren's life is different. The farther the investigation goes, the more secrets are revealed. I really enjoyed reading this. For the most part I found the characters to be believable, my only complaint being that there were a ton of characters with a lot of them having little more than a bit part. But it kept me guessing right up to the end.

[Beverly]

The 13th Enumeraton: Key to the Bible's Messianic Symbolism by William Struse
2 stars

I'm not sure why I originally downloaded this book--I guess because it was free and sounded kind of interesting. The problem was that it was just not extremely readable and, for me, it was difficult to follow--maybe because I don't know enough about the bible. I did enjoy reading about the background of the number 13 and finding out some of the reasons it became to be considered an unlucky number.

[Beverly]

Darned if You Do by Monica Ferris
4 stars

I am so glad to be able to get back to reading one of the needlework mysteries by Monica Ferris. I have known Ms. Ferris for a number of years after meeting her at Magna Cum Murder and she is quite the character and has a wonderful sense of humor. I'm hoping that now that we've read this for one of my book groups, I'll get back into reading the series again. Just a great little cozy about Betsy Devonshire, who owns and operates Crewel World needlework shop in Excelsior, Minnesota. She's a wonderful woman who is a good friend, very community minded, and an amateur sleuth. In this current offering, one of the locals who has sticky fingers ends up in the hospital after a tree falls on his house during a storm. During his rescue, the town discovers that he is definitely a hoarder. When Tommy "Taker" Riordan dies during his hospital stay, it doesn't take long for the police and Betsy to discover that the death was suspicious. As the town, along with Tommy's cousin Valentina, attempt to clean up the property treasures are found and lost, suspects are identified and cleared and the Monday Bunch continue working on their projects and catching up on local gossip. Again, just a great little cozy mystery for those that enjoy that sort of thing.

[Beverly]

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende
3 stars

I enjoyed listening to the audio performance by Joanna Gleason. This story begins in the present when Irina Bazili, who is trying to outrun her terrifying past, takes a position at a local nursing home. She enjoys working with the elderly residents and eventually becomes very close to Alma Belasco. Alma had been sent to live with her aunt and uncle in San Francisco when the Nazi threat was advancing on Poland in 1939. She became very drawn to Ichimei Fukuda, the son of her aunt and uncle's gardener. Their connection and romance continues down through the years although they never marry. As Irina becomes more involved with Alma and her grandson Seth, she gradually gathers more information about this long term romance and the reasons Alma and Ichmei never took that last step. A lovely romance with some historical detail that kept me interested throughout.

[Beverly]

The Morning Show Murders by Al Roker
3 stars

This was just OK for me. Someone who's more into an espionage/military kind of background would probably enjoy it more. I get lost in all that kind of detail. Overall, the book is funny in a kind of low-tone way. It felt like the intention was to be kind of hard-boiled with comic overtones. The plot was good and I liked the characters, for the most part, I just kind of got lost in all the twists and turns. Billy Blessing, manages an upscale bistro in Manhattan, as well as hosting a cooking segment on Wake Up America. When an upper management guy dies, the police discover that he was poisoned when he ate a serving of a specialty from Billy's bistro. As attempts are made to solve the mystery of murdered management, more folks start ending up dead and it all appears to be related to a dinner meeting that occurred recently. The individual diners are being taken out one at a time. My favorite bit in the book is when one of the characters makes a slam about the crazy weatherman on the morning show, that was funny!

[Beverly]

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
4 stars

I really enjoyed this young adult book. There have been so many books about World War II and the horrible things that happened but this is an unusual take on the subject. Plus, it describes what is called the single greatest tragedy in maritime history and an historic incident that I had never read anything about. The story takes place in the winter of 1945 and involves 4 teenagers--each of which carries their own secret--who are all attempting to board the Wilhelm Gustloff to avoid the approaching Soviet armies and end up crossing one another's paths. Their hope is safety but the war has it's own outcome. When you start the book, it jumps back and forth between the various characters and is a little confusing but if you stick with it, I think you'll be glad that you read it.

[Beverly]

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
3 stars

This was definitely an interesting book but I had a difficult time getting into it. In the book's defense, I was on vacation the entire week that I was attempting to read it so didn't get "dedicated" time every day as I usually do. By the time I'd sit down in the evening to read, I'd generally fall asleep. Additionally, the story is presented in 4 sections and there are some time jumps between 3 of them and I found myself wondering what had happened during those undescribed periods of time. However, once I finished the book, it seemed to me that the author just didn't think those missing times were as critical to the story as the segment of time that she was writing about and the reader can certainly infer what basically happened in the intervening periods. The story starts out with 12 year old Sophie Caco is living with her aunt and grandmother in Haiti. Life is not always easy but she has a loving, supportive atmosphere in her home. Her mother, who lives in New York, decides that she wants Sophie to come live with her. Sophie hasn't seen her mother in years and isn't happy but her family convinces her that she belongs to her mother and she should go and be a good daughter. Once Sophie joins her mother in New York, she finally learns the story of her mother's early years and her father. Her mother has been fighting her demons for many years but she is working and has a boyfriend and they establish an uneasy peace until Sophie falls in love. When this happens, her family's Haitian tradition takes over and Sophie is "tested" repeatedly to be sure that she is pure--a procedure that Sophie cannot tolerate. Her reaction to this repeated testing sets the tone for the rest of her life and teaches her that her own daughter will never have to go through the same torture. This is not an easy story to read, in fact overall I found it disturbing but I think it ends on an inspirational note.

[Beverly]

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
3 stars

The audio I listened to was read by Campbell Scott who did a great job. This was a fairly quick listen on just 4 discs. The premise of the story was interesting. A 15 year old boy, Michael Berg, becomes ill on his way from school and is helped by a woman, Anna, considerably older than himself. They soon become lovers in spite of their age difference. They continue to spend considerable amounts of time together and she asks him to read to her, which he does. Eventually the relationship ends when Anna disappears. Some years later, when Michael is studying law, he comes across Anna again when she is on trial for war crimes while she was a Nazi guard. For reasons that he cannot at first determine, she does not make any attempt to defend herself. By the time he realizes her reasons for remaining silent, it is too late to help. Interesting and well written, but a sad tale.

[Beverly]

No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige
3 stars

Although this was a quick, easy read and for the most part a quirky return to the land of Oz, I was really disappointed. I have heard so much hype about the series and I like this follow up kind of story and was really excited. This is the prequel to Dorothy Must Die and I'm willing to try that one before I give up completely but I have to admit that now I'm a little suspicious. In this tale, Dorothy is quickly approaching her 16th birthday. The charm of returning to Kansas, her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry and the endless choirs has worn off and she'd really like to go back to the Emerald City and all the friends she made there. Her birthday party turns out to be, in her estimation, a complete disaster (I have to say that Dorothy is a bit snarky throughout) but through some strange occurrence she ends up with a new pair of "shoes" and Dorothy plus her aunt and uncle are whisked off to Oz. Turns out that what she thought was only a matter of months in Kansas has been years in Oz. A statue has been erected in her honor in Munchkin land and the folks there are amazed that she has come back. The Scarecrow is no longer the king of Oz, having been replaced by Princess Ozma, a direct descendant of the founder of Oz. Also, it seems like Glinda the Good is in some kind of trouble. We can only hope that the heroic Dorothy can once again save the kingdom. OK but I'm hoping that Dorothy Must Die will be better!!!

[Beverly]

August is a Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien
1 star

August is a Wicked Month just made my August reading it depressing. This book just had no redeeming qualities, in my opinion. I didn't like Ellen and thought she was extremely selfish. She decides to go away for a vacation by herself while her husband and son go for a fishing trip. She also decides that she is open to any sexual encounters that may arise. Then, when she's on her own and having various dalliances, she's not really happy about it. I just felt like this was a self-absorbed woman who didn't know what she wanted and then the entire book ends on a disastrous note. I wasn't even convinced that her response to the tragedy was appropriate. I'm glad I read it to tick it off my list but the only thing I really appreciated was that karma bit her in the ass.

[Beverly]

Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood
5 stars

I have never read anything by T. Greenwood and was very pleasantly surprised with this book. Although I had a few issues with believing everything along the way, it was easy to suspend my questions because I was so intent on finding out what happened. I really enjoyed the way this book was written. The reader knows right up front that something has happened to Tess and Jack to stress their marriage and it has something to do with a child. But we get just little bits of this back story as we progress through what is happening to them currently. They have gone to visit friends and one evening after they run out of alcohol, Tess makes a run to the local liquor store to replenish their supply. On the way home, as she struggles to keep the broken liquor bottle from spilling all over the car so is suddenly confronted with a young girl standing in the middle of the road. Although she attempts to help her, the injured girl darts back into the forest and disappears. Tess reports the incident but the local police have no missing child reports, Tess had been drinking and her past comes back to haunt her. They end up believing that Tess made the whole thing up. Now it's up to her to prove them wrong. This was a great, compelling read!

[Beverly]

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
3 stars

This was interesting historical fiction that was based on the real life of Beryl Markham. Beryl's parents moved her to Kenya when she was a child but then her mother left her with her father and Beryl ended up raising herself for the most part. She spends considerable time with a young Kipsigis boy and ends up as a head-strong young woman who loves nature and understands the wilder side of African life. She first becomes an expert horse trainer and because she's working mostly in a male dominated career, she ends up in a string of relationships--most of which end badly. Her enduring love interest is safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton who is also involved with Karen Blixen (who as Isak Dinesen wrote Out of Africa). Through Denys she also develops a passionate love of flying, also mostly the realm of males in the early twentieth century. A look at the life of an independent woman who despite the odds and her roller coaster life, makes a mark for herself in history.