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What Are You Reading....The Third
Another excellent read in the Getaway Bay seriesEvil at Echo Point by Grace York
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished:
Sudden Traveler: Stories
by Sarah Hall
Nice introduction to a talented short fiction writer. My full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Don wrote: "Submissionhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I read that and although I found it an interesting intellectual exercise there was a strain of mysogyny that left me uneasy.
The Cat Who Came For Christmas – Cleveland Amory– 3***
On a snowy Christmas eve, Amory helped to rescue a bedraggled stray cat. This is a memoir of their first year together. Interesting and entertaining for the most part, even for this reader who is not much of an animal lover. Despite the title there’s nothing very “Christmassy” about the book.
My full review HERE
An enjoyable, and short, crime novelAs The Crow Flies by Damien Boyd
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Al Capone Shines My Shoes – Gennifer Choldenko – 3***
Book two in this entertaining middle-school series, set on Alcatraz Island during the Great Depression. Moose Flanagan’s dad is a guard at the maximum security prison, and the family lives in the apartments provided for workers and their families. I was completely charmed by the first book, and certainly interested in this second outing. The relationships between the kids seem real to me. Moose deals with many of the things most 12-year-olds have to face, including bullying, peer pressure, and adults who don’t understand him. But he’s also burdened by a unique relationship with one particular inmate: Al Capone.
My full review HERE
I just finished an ARC of The Dirty South by John Connolly. Luckily this was a prequel to the series so it was the perfect first time reading this author and I hope to go back and read the first book in the series because this book was wow!
Just finished:
The Roxy Letters
by: Mary Pauline Lowry
Fun, farcical 20-something's misadventures with some flawed but forgiveable elements. My full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read The Unhoneymooners. Think modern Pride & Prejudice in Hawaii. Just what I needed, light and LOL funny. Now I'm reading Universe of Two: A Novel by Stephen P. Kiernan.
The President is Missing – Bill Clinton and James Patterson – 3.5***
This is a fast-paced thriller, with a believable (if somewhat over-the-top) scenario. There were several times when I thought I knew where it was headed but was surprised by a twist in the plot. The basic plot line is something we should all be concerned about and I found myself wondering about our reliance on technology. The last 50 pages were particularly nail-biting.
My full review HERE
Book Concierge wrote: "The President is Missing – Bill Clinton and James Patterson – 3.5***."Other than for marketing was there any real value to having Bill Clinton as co-author?
A crime novel well worth reading, here's my short review of The Infirmary by L.J. Ross
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ike And Kay – James MacManus – 3***
In his work of historical fiction, MacManus explores the relationship between General Dwight D Eisenhower and his assigned driver during WWII, Kay Sommersby. Rumor, innuendo and gossip have surrounded their affair for decades. It was interesting to see how the relationship unfolded and to get a glimpse of what they may have meant to one another, especially during the stress of wartime. MacManus gets at least one detail VERY wrong, and it makes me wonder what else he flubbed. Oh well, it’s historical FICTION, and it held my attention.
My full review HERE
Esther wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "The President is Missing – Bill Clinton and James Patterson – 3.5***."Other than for marketing was there any real value to having Bill Clinton as co-author?"
Not that I could tell ...
The Amish Christmas Kitchen – Kelly Long, Jennifer Beckstrand, and Lisa Jones Baker – 2**
This is a collection of three novellas all focusing on the Amish community and the Christmas season. The stories are tender and clean romances, rather straightforward and predictable. The writing is very simple and repetitious. Not my cup of tea.
My full review HERE
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. I found myself laughing at the ridiculousness of some of the "love" scenes with Grey’s melodramatic, “bodice-heaving” dialogue.
My full review HERE
This one will keep you guessingThe One Night Stand by Carissa Ann Lynch
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished readingMurder On The Orient Express
Here is my review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra – 4****
I’d read snippets from this work over the years but never experienced the whole thing. I’m sorry I waited so long to do so. It is a marvelous piece of fiction and is widely acknowledged as the first modern-day novel.
My full review HERE
. Just about half way through and enjoying Harry.
Jade Dragon Mountain – Elsa Hart – 4****
This historical mystery is set in the town of Dayan, on the Chinese / Tibetan border, in 1708. I loved the history in this book. I had been previously unaware of the role of the Jesuits. I felt that I was a real sense of the time and place from Hart’s descriptions and plot. Li Du is a marvelous detective, and also a skilled politician. I was completely engaged and interested from beginning to end and did NOT guess the perpetrator(s) before they were revealed.
My full review HERE
Just finished:
The Day I Died by Lori Rader-Day
A thriller that unfortunately falls a bit short. My full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've finished three ARCs in a row and they are all good reads. Universe of Two: A Novel, a sort of romance surrounded by the perfecting of the A-bombs which were dropped on Japan, The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals which is a bit of a romance but more about family relationships and Hideaway which is pure suspense and yeah a bit of romance too. For someone who rarely reads romances I seemed to have won a number of them! LOLNow I'm listening to Cilka's Journey and reading an ARC of The Night Visitors which is suspense.
I've been waiting for this one for a while!A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Would Like To Meet – Rachel Winters – 3***
As a reader, I’ve been there, done that, and seen the movie multiple times. It’s a cute rom-com of a novel, but totally predictable. Now … who will be cast in the movie?
My full review HERE
Lab Girl – Hope Jahren – 5*****
Jahren structures the book with alternating chapters; in one she will give a botany lesson, detailing, for example, the functioning of a leaf; in the next chapter she’ll relate a personal story of her journey from childhood to her position as a research scientist. I was fascinated by the science lessons but was completely taken in by her personal story. Jahren writes with humor and strength as she reveals her personal struggles with bi-polar disorder, and with being a woman in a decidedly male-dominated field.
My full review HERE
Just finished a terrific thriller The New Husband by D.J. Palmer. I spent today reading the last half of the ARC I had because I didn't want to put it down. I gave it 4-1/2 stars. Started listening to The Passage by Justin Cronin. Didn't really associated it with whats going on in the world when I selected it. Oh well.
I'm really enjoying this Aussie cozy seriesDisguising Demons by Brigid George
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm reading The Stranger by Kate Riordan and I can't put it down.
Just finished:
Something She's Not Telling Us by:
Darcey Bell
Ok, but has some flaws that could disappoint fans of A Simple Favor. My full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Wife of the Gods – Kewi Quartey – 4****
First in a series featuring Detective Inspector Darko Dawson of Accra, Ghana. Oh, I am going to like this series! Darko is a principled man, but he has his demons, and he seeks solace in smoking marijuana. He’s also sometimes prone to resorting to his own brand of vigilante justice. But there’s no denying that he’s a talented – and tenacious – detective. There are plenty of suspects and motives and a compelling subplot to keep the reader off balance and guessing.
My full review HERE
Unfortunately I found this one to be far from Coben's bestThe Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Patsy – Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn – 4****
This novel follows Patsy, a young Jamaican mother of a 5-year-old girl, Tru, as she makes her way to America and tries to find a better life for herself. This story is in turns heartbreaking and inspiring. I applaud Patsy’s determination, courage, inventiveness and work ethic, but have difficulty forgiving her for decisions I just cannot fathom. I loved these characters, even though I didn’t always like them. Despite all the hardship, all the bad decisions and failures to communicate, ultimately there is some triumph and some sense of hope.
My full review HERE
A lovely children's tale about a young girl growing up in MaliYatandou by Gloria Whelan
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dear Mrs Bird – A J Pearce – 3***
This had more substance than I originally thought based on the book jacket. Emmy’s heart is in the right place, even if the advice she doles out (under Mrs Bird’s name) isn’t always the best. I wasn’t too interested in the personal drama of young adulthood (“been there, done that, don’t need to read about it again). Still, it’s a fast, entertaining read and I can see why it would be marketed for book clubs.
My full review HERE
Just finished:
The Wife Stalker
by: Liv Constantine
Super thriller with a truly surprising ending. My full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm reading quite a few books at the moment:The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Circe by Madeline Miller
Everless by Sara Holland
Thorn by Intisar Khanani
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Spotlight (other topics)The Zimmerman Telegram (other topics)
A Gentleman from Japan: An Epic Sea Voyage, an Intriguing Tale of Espionage and the Forgotten Story of the First Japanese Explorer in Tudor England (other topics)
My Home Is Far Away (other topics)
Anna Karenina (Modern Library Classics) 1st (first) edition (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Joy Ellis (other topics)Theresa Beachman (other topics)
Faith Martin (other topics)
Leslie Wolfe (other topics)
James Patterson (other topics)
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Murder on the 18th Green by Federico Maria Rivalta
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...