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2019 Reads and Reviews ~ Anything goes
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The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
Mitch Albom
3.5/5 stars
Narrated by the voice of Music, this is the story of the magical but difficult life of Frankie Presto, musician extraordinaire, born in Spain and who became an orphan at a very young age. He was taken in by a blind music teacher who helped him hone his gift which leads him into his musical career and the ups and downs of his unusual life. Interesting read!
Eleven Minutes – Paulo Coelho – 3.5***
Well this went in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Yes, of course, Maria winds up a prostitute and not a famous movie actress, but she comes to understand much about herself and the world. She ultimately takes charge of her life. Still, there were times when I thought that Coelho really doesn’t know women at all. And still, I was captivated by Maria and her journey.
LINK to my review
Isn’t It Romantic? – Ron Hansen – 3***
The subtitle of this little novel is “An Entertainment.” And that’s exactly what it is. Natalie and Pierre, a young Parisien couple, are stranded in Seldom, Nebraska, population 395. What follows is a farcical comedy, with messages gone astray, intentions misunderstood, love declared, and more than one mishap. It’s a fun romance, if totally ridiculous. Great beach read.
LINK to my review
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Little Town On the Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder – 3***
Book seven in the popular classic Little House series, has Laura growing into a young lady. I love this series for the way the pioneer spirit is portrayed and the strong family relationships. THIS book, however, has a scene that is very uncomfortable for modern readers. I know this is historically accurate to the period, but I just cringed reading about it. If you are going to read it with your children, be ready for a serious conversation about what is and is not appropriate.
LINK to my review
Divining Women – Kaye Gibbons – 3.5***
I like the way Gibbons writes her characters. There are some very unpleasant goings on, and much of it makes me in turns uncomfortable, despairing, and angry. Set in 1918, this is at a time when women had few rights on their own, and yet Mary refused to be cowed by her uncle. And her strength empowered Maureen to fight for the freedom and respect she was due. Brava, ladies!
LINK to my review
Bittersweet – Colleen McCullough – 3***
A mini-series soap opera of a novel, following four sisters (two sets of twins) in early 20th century Australia. McCullough does a great job of crafting this sweeping novel. I was engaged and interested in the story and in exploring life in Australia at this time frame. However, I did get frustrated by the way that Grace and Kitty behaved, and felt that a few of the many story threads were abandoned and then quickly resolved just to wrap up.
LINK to my review
Riders Of the Purple Sage – Zane Grey – 3***
I hardly know what to write about this classic of the Western genre. It’s full of adventure, violence, strong men and women, tenderness, brutality and an abiding sense of justice. And, of course, there is the landscape, which Grey paints so vividly it is practically a character. The storyline and dialogue are a bit melodramatic. but Grey’s story still captured this reader’s imagination. I was reminded of the many western movies I watched with my Dad in the ‘50s and ‘60s. They were exciting and the good guys always won. Glad I finally read it.
LINK to my review
Honeymoon – James Patterson & Howard Roughan – 3***
Patterson and his team can sure churn out the fast-paced suspense/thrillers! The action is quick and the target ever moving. The writing may be simple, but the plot holds the reader’s attention. Good beach / vacation read.
LINK to my review
The Passover Murder – Lee Harris – 3***
Book number 7 in the Christine Bennett mystery series. I really like this main character. Christine is intelligent, calm, deliberate, tenacious and compassionate. She gains the trust of those she interviews and manages to ferret out information that even the police failed to uncover. I also like that the setting is in a time period before cell phones, computers and googling. The person doing the detecting has to rely on lots of tedious footwork and research, as well as keen observation and a well-honed intuition when interviewing suspects / witnesses.
LINK to my review
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A Scanner Darkly
Philip K. Dick
3/5 stars
A law enforcement agent, Fred is following the criminal activities of a known drug dealer and user – Bob Arctor. Bob is selling Substance D which alters the mind while destroying it at the same time. There is a big twist involving the two in this black comedy tale. The book was made into a movie and I would love to see how the director interpreted this unusual story!
Turning Angel – Greg Isles – 2**
Book two in the Penn Cage series. Iles can write a compelling story with lots of suspects, many twists and turns in the plot, complicated motives and subplots, and a fast pace that keeps the reader turning pages. Penn’s background as a prosecuting attorney in Houston serves him well. Murder is always a violent crime, of course, and the sexual component herein is particularly disturbing. But I have a major problem with THIS book due to the basic underlying relationships. So the basic “thriller genre” gets 3 stars (even with the violence against women), but loses a star for the particularly distasteful – and disgraceful – underlying theme here.
LINK to my review
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Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee
Casey Cep
5/5 stars
The trial of the murder of Reverend Willie Maxwell, who had taken out insurance policies on numerous family members with several ending up murdered, was the one story that Harper Lee could not resist. And so she returned to Alabama to attend the trial to take notes in an attempt to write a book about the crimes. Cep’s book flows so well that it was hard to put down and the information on Lee and the trial was fascinating.
Julie wrote: "Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee
Casey Cep
5/5 st..."
I simply must read this one!
Hero Of the Empire – Candice Millard – 4****
Subtitle: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill. Millard writes an interesting and detailed biography of the young Winston Churchill. Serving as a war correspondent during the Boer War in South Africa, he was a young, somewhat rash man eager to make his mark in the world. It’s a fascinating story and gives a somewhat different picture of the man most of us know only from his prominence during WW2. Yet, the reader gets a sense of the man he will become.
LINK to my review
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Hero Of the Empire
– Candice Millard – 4****
Subtitle: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill. Millard writes an interesting ..."
I have this sitting on my dresser but still haven't gotten around to reading it- glad you liked it.
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Born with Teeth
Kate Mulgrew
4/5 stars
This is the autobiography of Kate Mulgrew, actress, who grew up in Iowa in a very interesting family dynamic and who eventually got into acting. She started out in the soap opera Ryan’s Hope and the book ends with her starting in her new role as Captain Janeway in the show Star Trek: Voyager. She certainly led an interesting life and this is definitely a page turner.
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Monsters: A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios
Roy Milano
3/5 stars
[Monsters: A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios] by [[Roy Milano]]
3/5 stars
I picked this book because it had some more information on the film The Creature From the Black Lagoon which I read about in The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara which was really interesting. This is a pretty short book about some of the first monsters in film history but it has some great photographs from the films plus some interesting facts about the actors and the monster films they were in.
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Ayesha at Last
Uzma Jalaluddin
4/5 stars
This is a fun spin on Pride and Prejudice though this time the background is set in Toronto amidst the Muslim world. Ayesha is a poet and teacher when she meets Khalid to work on a community project. They clash over her choices while he is very conservative. While she would like to have nothing to do with him circumstances keep putting them together. I really enjoyed this debut book by Jalaluddin.
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Ayesha at Last
Uzma Jalaluddin
4/5 stars
This is a fun spin on Pride and Prejudice though this time the background is set in Toronto amidst the Muslim world. Ayesha is a poet and teacher when she meets Khalid to work on a community project. They clash over her choices while he is very conservative. While she would like to have nothing to do with him, circumstances keep putting them together. I really enjoyed this debut book by Jalaluddin.
The Great Train Robbery – Michael Crichton – 4****
What a rollicking good story! I was entertained from beginning to end. Crichton starts out with a recitation of the facts and sprinkles the text with details of Victorian life. The way he imagines the lead characters, especially Edward Pierce (the gang leader), is what really breathes life into the story. I first bought/read it in 1975; it’s one of my F2F book club selections, so I’m re-reading it for the 3rd or 4th time. And I still love it!
LINK to my review
The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway – 3***
One of Hemingway’s earliest novels, this was first published in 1926, and has never been out of print since that time. It is loosely based on the author’s own experiences with a circle of friends frequently known as “The Lost Generation.” In general, I am a fan of Hemingway, but this novel missed the mark for me. The ennui with which these people live their lives just doesn’t interest me very much.
LINK to my review
Arthur and Sherlock – Michael Sims – 3***
This is an interesting biography / history of Conan Doyle’s life as a young man. The reader learns of the people and events that influenced and inspired him when he created his most famous character: Sherlock Holmes.
LINK to my review
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Time and Again
Jack Finney
3/5 stars
This is the story about a government organization recruiting citizens to go back in time using self-hypnosis. The goal is to just observe but not change anything in the past. Set in the 1970’s Si Morley has shown adeptness in going back in time. He has done his first mission when the organization is upended when one of their other members who time traveled caused someone’s life to disappear after a mission. Despite that Si is urged to go again to the past and he ends up falling in love with someone from the past. Well told but at times the descriptive narrative just goes on and on and I just wanted something to happen and also the use of self-hypnosis to go back in time seemed implausible to me.
The House of the Spirits – Isabel Allende – 4****
Allende covers three generations of the Trueba family in her native Chile. The novel weaves together personal and political triumphs and tragedies into an epic story of love and history. I love Allende’s luminous writing, and the way that she seamlessly introduces elements of magical realism into her stories. Her gift for vivid description had me feeling cold drafts, luxuriating in sumptuous fabrics, hearing the cacophony of a busy marketplace or a student riot, cringing at the stench of human waste in a prison cell. She makes me believe that a woman can have bright green hair, or be clairvoyant and commune with ghosts.
LINK to my review
Dorothy Must Die – Danielle Paige – 3***
This is an imaginative retelling … or perhaps sequel … to Frank L Baum’s The Wizard of Oz books. The characters are all here, but they aren’t as they were portrayed in Baum’s classic books, or the much beloved movie. Amy Gumm was a decent heroine – self-reliant, principled, tenacious, willing to sacrifice for the greater good. However, the “mean girl” theme was a little heavy-handed for my tastes (and my stage of life). So my final verdict is average.
LINK to my review
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Mr. Dickens and His Carol
Samantha Silva
4.5/5 stars
This is the fictional story of Dickens whose last book was a flop and his need to get a best seller before he goes bankrupt. I thought this was quite charming and a very fast read.
The Two Faces of January – Patricia Highsmith – 3***
Highsmith manages to give us unlikeable characters that behave in ways that just keep this reader enthralled and interested, turning pages to find out what twists, turns and surprises the plot has in store. It’s set in Athens, in 1962, and you have two con men trying to out-con one another. Add a femme fatale (who is married to one of the men, but attracted to the other), and you have a recipe for disaster.
LINK to my review
Fruit Of the Drunken Treee – Ingrid Rojas Contreras – 4****
Based on the author’s own life experiences, this novel tells the story of a family “safely” ensconced within their gated community in Bogotá, Columbia in the early to mid 1990s. I loved that Contreras used two different young women (girls, really) to narrate this story. The viewpoint alternates between seven-year-old Chula and Petrona, who is the family’s teen-aged maid. Each has a limited viewpoint due to their life experiences. I was completely immersed and engaged in their story from beginning to end. It’s a strong debut for Contreras and I look forward to reading her future works.
LINK to my review
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The Drowning Girl
Caitlín R. Kiernan
3/5 stars
This fantasy book revolves around a young woman, India Morgan Phelps (Imp) who is schizophrenic. With her mother dead, Imp struggles on her own. Working dead end jobs, writing stories and meeting people who may not be real makes up her life. She meets Eva one night but is Eva real or part of her schizophrenia. Though well written, I sometimes struggled with the writing style of the book though I feel the author was using that style to enhance the character’s schizophrenia.
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The Fifth Child
Doris Lessing
A very happy couple from London marries, buys a new home and starts a family. Wanting to have a big family, they start having children and are quite content until Ben, their fifth child is born. Ben is not like the others and tries the patience of the whole family till they know they have to do something about him. Considered a horror novel, we initially place Ben as the evil one but is he really? This book really is an eye opening look at family dynamics and what people will do when they can only see one option open to them.
Jesus Land – Julia Scheeres – 3.5***
This is a memoir of growing up with parents who adhered to a religious fundamentalism but who were abusive to their children – particularly to their two adopted African American boys. The love that Julia and her adopted brother David share, as well as the unbreakable bond of brother and sister shine through, and help them endure.
LINK to my review
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin – Josh Berk – 3***
This is a humorous coming-of-age story with a bit of a mystery thrown in and featuring an unlikely hero. Will Halpin is deaf, overweight and struggling to make friends in his new school. I’m glad to see a YA book that features a main character with a disability, who finds ways to deal effectively in a world that doesn’t always made accommodations for him. It's a fast read, and I loved Will & Devon's humor.
LINK to my review
Wicked – Gregory Maguire – 2.5**
This is a re-telling of The Wizard of Oz, told from the viewpoint of Elphaba, the “Wicked” Witch of the West. I thought Maguire’s book went just too far afield in directions I never expected. Some of the scenes were downright disturbing. Still, it’s definitely imaginative, and there are some scenes that really forced me to think about assumptions, first impressions, and entrenched behaviors. So, while I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the book, I am glad to have finally read it.
LINK to my review
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Miss Julia Renews Her Vows – Ann B Ross – 3***
Book # 11 in the Miss Julia series, featuring a Southern lady of a certain age, who is prone to jumping to conclusions but always takes action to help those in need. Miss Julia is just a hoot, and she’s most entertaining when she’s in a dither about something. Her read on things may be completely wrong, but she always manages to arrive at the right conclusion, or at least to help the authorities find the real culprit. Visiting with Miss Julia and her friends is a pure joy.
LINK to my review
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Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill
by Candice Millard
4.5/5 stars
Millard is one of my favorite authors and she doesn’t disappoint in this tale of Churchill’s escape after being captured during the Boer War in 1899 in South Africa while he was there as a news reporter. Highly recommended!
Summer Rental – Mary Kay Andrews – 3***
Three women who’ve been besties since kindergarten are each at a crossroads when they rent a beach house for a month. They take in another woman who’s running from a dangerous man. Throw in a sexy landlord, some romance and a few twists and turns to keep things interesting and you have a good formula for a perfect beach read. Grab a beach chair, some iced tea (or a mojito), and some sunscreen and enjoy.
LINK to my review
A Stardance Summer – Emily March – 3***
Book # 13 in the “Eternity Springs” series. A young woman running from trouble; her former high school crush now a successful businessman; a group of seniors intent on living life to the fullest. Mix together with a spiritual guru who will help everyone find their inner happiness. A fast, easy summer read.
LINK to my review
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News of the World
Paulette Jiles
4/5 stars
After the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd is at loose ends. His job now involves traveling town to town in Texas reading newspaper stories in halls where people gather to listen. After one of his shows, he is offered a large sum to return Johanna, a young girl whose family was killed by Indians and then was taken and raised by them. She speaks no English but he reluctantly agrees to take her back to her kinsmen. This is a tale of two lost souls and what can happen from their connection. Lovely!
The Wrath and the Dawn – Renée Ahdieh – 3***
This is a YA romance novel which takes its inspiration from A Thousand and One Arabian Nights . I was somewhat disappointed that the stories ended so soon in this retelling, and instead the novel focused on Shahrzad’s efforts to discover Khalid’s "secret" vulnerability. Like the original Scheherazade, Ahdieh ends this story with a cliffhanger, hoping to ensure that the reader will return for the next installment. I can see why it’s popular with the intended YA audience, but my reaction was just ‘meh.’
LINK to my review
Absolute Madness: A True Story of a Serial Killer, Race, and a City Divided, Catherine Pelonero4 enthusiastic stars!
A deeply researched and thoughtfully written book that told me a great deal about Joe Christopher that I never knew. A tragic picture of the ways a competency exam, performed by an incompetent evaluator, can make justice go wrong. It also makes clear that finding the right psychiatric answers and talented lawyers doing everything they're allowed to do may not be enough to bring a just result. Very well written. Highly recommended
The Summer Wives – Beatriz Williams – 3***
Williams sets this historical novel on the fictional Winthrop Island, where the year-round residents are the families of Portuguese fishermen, but whose governing group consists of the upper-class families who summer here. I love how Williams weaves the stories and intrigues of these characters together. There are plenty of secrets to go around and enough twists and turn to keep things interesting. It’s a delicious soap-opera beach read.
LINK to my review
Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins – 3***
Book 3 in the Hunger Games Trilogy. I’m not a great fan of dystopian / post-apocalyptic novels in general, and have only tolerated this series. I’m glad that Collins chose to make the central figure a strong female, but in this episode, I find Katniss a bit whiny at times. It is a fast read, though.
LINK to my review
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Bound – Donna Jo Napoli – 4****
This YA novel is a retelling of the Cinderella story, set in the Ming dynasty era of China. I loved the way this story unfolded. I particularly appreciated the occasional poem which so eloquently expressed Xing Xing’s feelings. I’m a great fan of magical realism; Napoli incorporates this literary technique seamlessly.
LINK to my review
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Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault: Essays from the Grown-Up Years
Cathy Guisewite
3.5/5 stars
This book is written by Cathy Guisewite who wrote and drew the comic strip Cathy. It has essays about her life after she ended the comic strip. In this funny book she deals with some of the same issues that were in her comic strip (dating, weight gain, etc.) but also about her marriage that ended, her daughter whom she adopted and dealing with her elderly parents. Very enjoyable and relatable!
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise – Matthew Crow – 3***
There are some scenes that had me rolling my eyes, but in general, as “teens-with-cancer-romance” genre books go, this is pretty entertaining. It held my attention and was a fairly fast read. And yes, I did tear up.
LINK to my review
Capital Gaines – Chip Gaines – 2**
I’m a great fan of the HGTV show Fixer Upper. One thing that has struck me in the TV show is how immaturely Chip behaves at times. And this book is FULL of his immaturity. I don’t find his antics funny. I find them irritating. On the other hand, his sincere belief in “Go for it,” in taking life by the horns and going all out clearly comes through. I think he’d probably do well on the motivational speaking circuit.
LINK to my review
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Daisy Jones & The Six
Taylor Jenkins Reid
5/5 stars
I loved this fictional book about a young female singer, Daisy Jones who hooks up with the male group The Six in the 1970’s to do concerts and albums. The story is told through the interviews of the people involved. This reminds me of all those retrospectives of actual singers. Wonderful!
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Fox 8
George Saunders
3.5/5 stars
I enjoy Saunders writing and found this book/short story/novelette about a Fox called Fox 8 who learns to read and understands human language. When he discovers a shopping mall, he goes to explore it but on his return to his home finds that the humans have done something horrendous! Quick read and very well done!
In the Distance – Hernán Díaz – 5*****
A 14-year-old Swedish immigrant tries to make his own way in the mid-19th-century American West. This is a Western unlike any other I’ve ever read. The “romance” of the West is nowhere to be found here. This is often a barren, dangerous place with few allies and many enemies. The novel covers decades, taking Håkan from age fourteen to “white-haired” old age. In places the novel takes a philosophical turn as Håkan ponders his fate and occasionally despairs of every achieving his goal. I loved the poetic writing. I think fans of Jose Saramago would like this. Final verdict: Marvelous writing and a fascinating character.
LINK to my review
Fat Cat At Large – Janet Cantrell – 1*
Great premise, set in a city I love, with a lovely cat. But this amateur sleuth is just too stupid to live. My stars but Chase got on my nerves. She is whiny and a terrible businesswoman. Oh, well, it was a fast read and it satisfied a challenge, but I’m not likely to continue to series.
LINK to my review
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In the Distance
– Hernán Díaz – 5*****
A 14-year-old Swedish immigrant tries to make his own way in the mid-19th-century American West. This is a Western u..."
Added to my reading list!
Julie wrote: "News of the World
Paulette Jiles
4/5 stars
After the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd is at loose ends. His job now invol..."
Loved News of the World and am looking forward to reading Daisy Jones and The Six.
I just completed I Am One of You Forever and I recommend it for men and women.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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The Line Becomes a River – Francisco Cantú – 4****
Cantú studied international relations in college and joined the border patrol because, “I spent four years in college … learning about the border through policy and history. I want to see the realities of the border day in and day out.” In this memoir he writes with brutal honesty about what he experienced, looks at the policies and procedures, and explores the toll on humans – both migrants and native-born Americans.
LINK to my review