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Read, Reading Now and Reading Next (July-Sept 2016)
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Previously read:
Currently reading:
To read next:
Deck the Halls
– Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark– 3***
Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, combine their talents in a new mystery series featuring the collaboration of the two writers’ lead characters. This is an interesting and fun mystery. Of course, the reader always knows who the culprit is, but it’s fun to watch the police, Regan and Alvirah arrive at the solution. I’ve never read anything by either of these authors before, so the characters were completely new to me, but I never felt lost and the way they come together seemed plausible. All told, this is a quick, entertaining cozy with a satisfying ending.
Full Review HERE
Once Upon a River
– Bonnie Jo Campbell – 3*** I hardly know what to write about this novel. Very early on I was disturbed by Margo and the adults around her. I wanted to hug her and keep her safe and warm. And then I wanted to shake her till her teeth rattled. And yet … she is a compelling character and I couldn’t just turn away from her. Still, this is no Huckleberry Finn. Twain’s central character had a certain innocence about him, which Margo seems to lack.
Full Review HERE
Mod
and now I am listening to
Next will probably be
I read Grave Goods. Am reading A Murderous Procession and The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon. I will be reading Just One Damned Thing After Another.
Mothers, Tell Your Daughters
– Bonnie Jo Campbell – 2.5** I think it was a mistake to read/listen to Campbell’s novel (Once Upon a River) back-to-back with this collection of short stories. I can take only so much distress, so much sexual tension and acting out, so much of watching women make bad choice after bad choice after even worse choice. There were a few stories that were humorous or touching, but most were distressingly dismal and depressing.
Full Review HERE
Isla and the Happily Ever After
– Stephanie Perkins – 2** It’s Paris (and Barcelona), it’s young love, what’s not to like? Teen-age angst on steroids, that what. I confess that I am way past this stage in life, but I definitely see the appeal for the target YA audience. It was a fast read and satisfied several challenges, so it wasn’t a total waste.
Full Review HERE
The Island of Dr Moreau
– H.G. Wells – 4**** “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!” I cannot think of a more succinct way to describe the basic theme of this book. And yet, it is so much more – a strong, philosophical and ethical argument both for and against vivisection and experimentation. A moral tale of one man’s descent as a result of his ego, and how he is able to draw others into his twisted way of thinking.
Full Review HERE
Latte Trouble
– Cleo Coyle – 3*** Book three in the Coffee House series is fast, entertaining, and enjoyable. I figured out the culprit way before Clare (or the police), but it was still fun watching them work through the clues. As always, Coyle includes some interesting tidbits about coffee, which I liked (even though these segues detracted from the plot).
Full Review HERE
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
– Lucy Knisley – 3*** This is a delightful graphic memoir. Knisley is the daughter of a chef, and has had a close relationship with food since early childhood. She enjoys experiencing new tastes, textures, and smells, and considers food not just as sustenance but a central enjoyment in her life.
Full Review HERE
Today I finished: 
, which I gave five stars; and
, which I gave four stars.On Friday I finished
, which I gave four and a half stars.I'm still working on
for one of my September buddy reads.And I'm starting
today for my other September buddy read.
Read
5 stars
4 starsReading
Reading Next
Grace Interrupted
– Julie Hyzy – 3*** Book number two in the Manor House Mysteries has Marshfield Manor grounds overrun by a group of Civil War re-enactors. When one of them is found stabbed, the Manor’s gardener, Jack Embers, is a suspect. Grace jumps in to clear Jack’s name. I like Grace, but seriously, does Grace really have to get embroiled in this mess? Well, it wouldn’t be a cozy without an amateur sleuth. The character I like the best, is the irascible assistant, Frances. What a hoot she is.
Full Review HERE
Just finished
and
. I am currently reading
and
. Not sure what I'll be reading next.
The Mirror Crack’d From Side To Side
– Agatha Christie – 3.5*** Miss Marple is showing her age but she’s really not so frail as people think, and she can still out-detect the most experienced Scotland Yard inspector. Christie really kept me guessing on this one. There are plenty of suspects, and lots of red herrings. Miss Marple is at her best in using her knowledge of human behavior and deducing the truth.
Full Review HERE
Mod
Reading
To Read
Read:
Reading:
To Read Next:
Just finished:
and
Still reading for my buddy reads:
To Read:
for my September monthly challenge.
¡Ask a Mexican!
– Gustavo Arellano – 2** “¡Ask a Mexican!” is the title of Arellano’s regular column in the OC Weekly, in which he tries to answer questions on the culture of America’s rapidly growing minority. This is a collection of those columns. Like most such satirical / humorous columns, they are best taken once a week. Reading all of them at once was a bit much. I was bored by much of it and didn’t find it very funny, though I did like the descriptions of food.
Full Review HERE
Read yesterday: 
via NetGalley, gave it 4 stars.
, and I gave it 5 stars.Brought
with me to work today, still working through that.Have to start reading
for my Gothic challenge.
For Your Love
– Beverly Jenkins – 3*** This is the sixth book in the Blessings series, which follows the residents of Henry Adams, Kansas, a small town originally founded by freed slaves. I liked that things don’t always go smoothly, but that – for the most part – the characters react realistically. And then there’s Astrid Wiggins; she is a caricature, so evil and unreasonable in her hatred and vindictiveness that she’s totally unbelievable. On the whole, however, it was an enjoyable, quick read. It reminded me of both the Miss Julia series by Ann B Ross, and the Harmony series by Philip Gulley.
Full Review HERE
The Art of Racing In the Rain
– Garth Stein – 5***** and a ❤The story could be maudlin but it isn’t. Enzo is a philosophical narrator, and also a fair one. (Though he does have a thing for the zebra demon.) There are moments of laugh-out-loud humor, sing-out-loud joy, and sigh-out-loud sadness. I listened to the CD for this re-reading. The audio is performed perfectly by Christopher Evan Welch. Have a hankie ready for the last few chapters.
Full Review HERE
The Geography of Genius
– Eric Weiner – 3*** The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places, from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley. Weiner explores the culture of various cities and eras that resulted in an environment that fostered genius. It’s an interesting book, but not a particularly compelling one, and there were times when I just zoned out. Still, I learned a little about a variety of subjects.
Full Review HERE
Yesterday I finished:
which I loved, it was a good Gothic thriller.Today I finished my NetGalley copy of
. I'm the first review! :DI just started
Mod
and listening to
To read:
Death by Darjeeling
– Laura Childs – 3*** This is a good cozy mystery. I like how Childs took time to build the relationships among the tea shop’s employees, and other characters. There are plenty of suspects, and a couple of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I’ll keep reading this series.
Full Review HERE
Sept 18 – currently readingTEXT –
The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir by Domingo MartinezAUDIO in the car –
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina BivaldPortable AUDIO –
The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman
The Girl in the Green Raincoat
– Laura Lippman – 4**** In a plot reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan is bed-bound and bored, so she takes to watching the people in the park across the way. When she notices a woman in a green raincoat, and then the woman’s “disappearance,” her curiosity gets the better of her, and Tess gets her boyfriend, BFF, and assistant to help her find the truth. The plot moved quickly, there were several twists and turns that kept me guessing, and the reveal was a surprise.
Full Review HERE
I finished:
I gave The Body Where I was born 4 stars; Moon at Nine four stars; and The Afterlife 3 stars.
I started:
for my gothic reading challenge.I need to start:
for a september challenge i'm doing.
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
– Katarina Bivald – 3*** Sara Lindqvist arrives in Broken Wheel IA to visit her pan pal Amy Harris. But Amy has died and the town’s residents invite Sara to stay on in Amy’s house, because that’s what Amy would want. At a loss, Sara decides to open a book shop with Amy’s books, and begins to change how the citizens feel about books, reading themselves and others. A sweet (if simplistic) fairy-tale story with a happy ending.
Full Review HERE
The Boy Kings of Texas
– Domingo Martinez – 2** This is a memoir of growing up in Brownsville Texas, near the border with Mexico, in a poor barrio, with few opportunities and even less hope. There are parts of this memoir that are engaging and funny. But on the whole I felt as disenfranchised from the experiences he relates, as he states he felt. I kept waiting for some insight, and never got it, and I’m left disappointed and dissatisfied. I felt I was reading the rambling notes of a journal his therapist suggested he keep, rather than a cohesive memoir.
Full Review HERE
Tuesdays With Morrie
– Mitch Albom – 5***** and a ❤The subtitle is the perfect synopsis: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson. This little gem of a book is the result of Tuesdays the author spent discussing life, death, family, work, and love with his former professor and mentor, who was dying of ALS. It’s touching and inspiring.
Full Review HERE
Eggsecutive Orders
– Julie Hyzy – 3*** Book number three in the series has Executive Chef Ollie Paras and her staff planning for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. I like this cozy mystery series. Ollie is a strong female lead character – tenacious, hard-working, and intelligent, if given to the occasional emotional outburst. Hyzy includes a variety of potential suspects and enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal. A fast, enjoyable cozy mystery.
Full Review HERE
Recently finished --
I gave it 5 stars.Still working through
and I finally got a hardcopy of
in the mail so I was able to start that again.Need to start:
lol I feel like I'm never going to get to that book :(
Read:
Reading:
To Read Next:
Help, I Am Being Held Prisoner
– Donald E Westlake – 3*** Harry Künt (WITH an umlaut, and pronounced KOONT) finds himself in prison after pulling one practical joke too many. Westlake excelled at writing comic crime capers, where something always goes wrong, but no one is shot or seriously injured. There are plenty of escapades herein and some were laugh-out-loud funny.
Full Review HERE
Mod
and listening to
To read:
By the Shores of Silver Lake
– Laura Ingalls Wilder – 4**** Book number five in the Little House Series has the Ingalls family moving to Dakota Territory. Wilder gives the reader a good picture of the joys and sorrows of pioneer life – the harshness of weather, the bounty of a good crop and plenty of game to hunt, the dangers of the wilderness, the joy and comfort of family. These books are just a joy to read.
Full Review HERE
I'm finally reading Slave to Sensation
by Nalini Singh and loving it! I don't know why I kept putting this one off.
The Girls of Atomic City
– Denise Kiernan – 4**** This is a fascinating micro history of the men and women – many women – who worked to extract the key ingredient that would fuel the bombs the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasacki, thereby ending the war. Kiernan did much research and was able to interview a few surviving women to get their personal stories. Using the personal stories of a handful of women made the history personal and engaging.
Full Review HERE
Hula Done It?
– Maddy Hunter – 1* This is book number four in the Passport to Peril series, starring tour escort Emily Andrew and the group of Iowans she takes on various vacations. The characters are cardboard, the plot is thin, and the dialogue is tortured. Hunter did manage to add a few tidbits of Hawaiian history, but not really enough to give a real sense of the islands. Oh well … it was a fast read, and it satisfied a challenge to read a book set in Hawaii.
Full Review HERE
Mod
Still Reading
and listening to
I've read
. I am reading
. Next up is
and
As The Waltz Was Ending
– Emma Macallik Butterworth – 4**** This memoir is written for a young adult audience. It is very interesting to see how the historic events unfold through the eyes of a child, and how seductive the opportunities promised by the Nazis were to the young students they recruited. The book is rated as being for age 12 and older; there are some horrific experiences related here, so it may not be the best book for particularly sensitive youngsters.
Full Review HERE
Life Studies: Stories
– Susan Vreeland – 3*** Vreeland is best known for her historical novels focusing on various artists. This is a collection of short stories that focus on art, but more on the people around the artist, rather than on the artist him/herself. The first half of the book is set in an historical time frame, the second half is contemporary. I really liked some of these stories, and others left me feeling ‘meh.’
Full Review HERE
A Few Fair Days
– Jane Gardam – 4**** Lucy is a young girl living in a small, seaside town in Yorkshire, in the years between the wars. This is a charming collection of stories about childhood, and reminds this reader of our greatest and most valuable plaything – imagination. I loved how they played pirates, explored the abandoned estate next door, or searched the seashore for “treasure.” At least one of their escapades had me laughing aloud. Just a lovely book.
Full Review HERE
Throne of Jade
– Naomi Novik – 4**** In Book two of this series, the Chinese demand the return of the dragon known as Temeraire. Novik does a great job imagining a fantasy scenario where dragons are part of the Air Corps, while also keeping the reader in a (circa) 1801 time frame. The battle scenes are exciting, and the intrigue builds suspense. I really like the growing relationship between Temeraire and Capt Laurence. This is not my preferred genre, but I think I’m hooked on the series.
Full Review HERE
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The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
Throne of Jade (other topics)A Few Fair Days (other topics)
Life Studies: Stories (other topics)
As the Waltz Was Ending (other topics)
The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling Smallpox (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nalini Singh (other topics)Cindy Gerard (other topics)
Jennifer Estep (other topics)
Kristen Ashley (other topics)
Elizabeth Bard (other topics)
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I like this series. I like Olivia’s independence and “get on with it” attitude. Her relationships with the town’s residents are developing nicely in this second installment. She is definitely beginning to open up to the possibility of love and affection in her life. I thought the reveal was a little over-the-top, but I was still sufficiently entertained. I’ll keep reading this series.
Full Review HERE