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What Are You Reading / Reviews
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What Are You Reading: April -June 2020
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Outliers is a book about many notable people such as Bill Gates are outliers. They have many chances and worked very hard to get where they are at. Also, they give many stories ranging from all-star hockey players to the author's mother on how sometimes the situation they had before fame helped them become who they are now. Overall, this book is great. If anyone is looking for a book about what successful people do differently, this book is a great book to read!
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The Last Romantics – Tara Conklin – 3***
A family epic following the four Skinner siblings over several decades. I love character-driven novels, getting to know and understand the psychology of the characters as they cause and/or react to events in their lives. That these four people are damaged by their childhood is without question. The ways they find to cope, or not, is what fascinated me in the novel. I was sorry that COVID19 interrupted our book club’s scheduled meeting on this work. I would certainly have enjoyed that discussion.
My full review HERE
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Notorious RBG – Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik – 5*****
Subtitle: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Oh, my stars, but this is one HELL of a woman! I've admired her for some years, but I really enjoyed learning more about her. I thought the authors did a great job of making this a very approachable biography. There is no truth without Ruth!
My full review HERE
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Upstairs At the White House – J B West & Mary Lynn Kotz – 4****
Subtitle: My Life With the First Ladies. J B West served as the chief usher in the White House from midway through the years of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s terms through the beginning of the Nixon administration. This is an interesting and engaging memoir of his experiences running the private residence for a variety of first ladies. Some interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits, but no real juicy gossip. Discretion was – and is – a chief characteristic of JB West’s.`
My full review HERE
Gone with the Whisker by Laurie Cass 5*****Erin Bennett narration 5*****
Librarian Minnie Hamilton is back along with her friends, her visiting niece, and Bookmobile Cat Eddie. It's mid summer in Chilson, Michigan with books to deliver, summer residents, tourists, and, of course, a dead body or two to find.
Eddie is a very smart, talented cat and I love how Erin Bennett voices him and enjoy listening to the audio even if I've already read the print version.
I enjoyed catching up with the characters, the library, the house renovation, and the B&B. I like that Minnie now has a boss with whom she gets along. The house renovation is progressing and Minnie is helping but still living on her houseboat not with her boyfriend because some of the fumes bother her. Sharing the houseboat for the summer, her 17 year old niece, Kat (Don't call her Katrina!) is an interesting addition to the cast of characters.
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English Creek – Ivan Doig – 4****
This is a coming-of-age story set in Depression-era Montana. Doig really puts the reader into the era and landscape of this novel. The sky is vast, the landscape majestic, the weather sometimes brutal, and the dangers – both natural and man-made – palpable. Fourteen-year-old Jick McCaskill is a keen observer, if sometimes perplexed. There were times when Doig’s work made me think on my own father, and how he taught us love of the land and nature. That made the book all the more enjoyable for me.
My full review HERE
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The Right Stuff – Tom Wolfe – 4****
This is the story of the Mercury Astronauts and how they came to be chosen – evaluated to ensure they had The Right Stuff to succeed in this vital mission. Wolfe does a great job of giving us the background of those first seven astronauts – warts and all. I was fascinated by the extensive testing they underwent to evaluate their fitness for this work. And I think Wolfe did a great job of explaining the differences in their personalities that resulted in success, or missteps.
My full review HERE
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Enrique’s Journey – Sonia Nazario – 4****
Subtitle: The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite With His Mother. Journalist Sonia Nazario first heard of mothers who leave their children behind from her cleaning lady. Her interest piqued, she sought to document what such a journey entails … for the mother who goes ahead, for the children left behind, for the boy who was determined to travel nearly 2,000 miles alone to find the mother he had not seen for more than a decade. Their stories are heartbreaking and eye-opening.
My full review HERE
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By Book Or By Crook – Eva Gates – 3***
Lucy Richardson leaves a failed engagement and her job at Harvard’s library for a visit with her Aunt Ellen on Bodie Island in the Outer Banks. There she snags a job as assistant librarian for the Lighthouse Library. And becomes enmeshed in a mystery when a priceless first edition is stolen during a private party and a body is found. Interesting premise if a few bumps in the execution. Still, I was entertained and I’ll likely read more of this series.
My full review HERE
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Cocktails for Three Madeline Wickham
★ ★
Pure Chick-Lit...
Three women friends working together for a popular London magazine: One in a long-term affair (but we don't know with whom until near the end); one having a baby & living in the country near her mother-in-law; and the other, out of guilt, takes on a girl she knew in school, who then attempts to ruin her...
Same old formula: fun, secrets, drama, happy ending.
I skipped a good portion to read the ending...
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The Snow Leopard – Peter Matthiessen – 2.5**
In general, I love nature and wildlife nonfiction, especially when it deals with endangered species and the efforts to protect them from extinction. The snow leopard is one of the most endangered. Unfortunately for me, and for my rating, this book isn’t really about the snow leopard. As in real life, the creature is extremely elusive in the book, hardly ever mentioned, and not making an actual appearance until late in the journey. Instead this is more Matthiessen’s personal quest for enlightenment. I grew bored and struggled to keep reading.
My full review HERE
Bobbles and Broomsticks by Nancy Warren 4+****
Narration by Sarah Zimmerman 4+****
#8 in the Vampire Knitting Club series
I liked it but I can see why some were disappointed as it seemed more character driven with less mystery plot development than others. I've come to expect that occasionally in series and I usually like it. Frequently books with celebrations such as weddings, as in this one, or holidays or birthdays, provide authors the opportunity to add character information. Some information of interest: Lucy thinking of Violet as a sister, William's impeccable preparations and coping skills when things go wrong, Rafe's ties to both the area and to witches and more, including Lucy's romantic situation.
As usual I read it in print when it came out then waited for audio to become available to read again. I can see me reading it again as a reminder of who's who if there is ever a long gap between books or I'm just wanting a comfortable re-read.
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Murder Plain and Simple – Isabella Alan – 3***
I found this moderately entertaining as cozy mysteries go. There’s a decent premise, and I did like Oliver (her bulldog, who is afraid of birds). Alan gives the reader the beginnings of a possible love interest, which will likely develop in subsequent books in the series. And there’s a reasonable cast of supporting characters.
My full review HERE
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Two For the Dough – Janet Evanovich – 3***
Book two in the series starring totally inept bounty-hunter Stephanie Plum. The great cast of supporting characters carries the series for me: Lula, Steph’s long-suffering mother, and especially Grandma Mazur. A fast, fun read.
My full review HERE
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Because Of Winn-Dixie – Kate DiCamillo – 5***** and a ❤
DiCamillo has written a lovely book that deals with some serious issues. India and her father struggle to come to grips with their new reality now that her mother has left and they’ve moved to a new community. But with the help of a smiling dog, they begin to heal. No, everything doesn’t turn out perfect, but DiCamillo gives her readers a sense of hope that India (and her father) will come out of this period of their lives with full hearts.
My full review HERE
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The Overstory – Richard Powers – 3***
I am having a very hard time pinpointing what it was about this book that I found so interesting. I tend to gravitate towards character-driven works, and this is certainly that. But nine “main” characters is a daunting task and I think it detracted from Powers’ message of environmental stewardship, and what a bad job humans are doing of that.
My full review HERE
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It’s a Long Story – Willie Nelson – 4****
Oh, Willie! I’ve had a long-standing crush on the “red-headed stranger” and am glad to have learned more about him, because I like him even more now. Willie lays it all out there … from childhood to stardom, the good, the bad, the ugly and the shiningly beautiful.
My full review HERE
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The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories – H P Lovecraft – 2**
Of course, I’ve heard of H P Lovecraft for years, but I’d never bothered to read anything by him. Just not my genre of choice, but I needed “science fiction” for a challenge, and I happened to have this one in the house. First, these stories are mostly NOT science fiction. Second, as horror stories, I didn’t find them all that horrifying. And reading them one after another in this collection made them seem formulaic and dull.
My full review HERE
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The Simplicity of Cider – Amy E Reichert – 3***
Yes, the plot has been done before and includes most of the rom-com tropes. Yes, the heroine’s hard shell will be cracked by the genuine goodness of the hero. Yes, she – a confirmed avoider of children – will come to love the hero’s precocious son. Yes, there will be major obstacles to their getting together. But has that ever stopped a couple in a rom-com? Well, Reichert is not about to break that mold. It’s a fast, fun, enjoyable read. And I loved the food references!
My full review HERE
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Half-Spent Was the Night Ami McKay
★ ★ ★ ★
From Goodreads:
"During the nights between Christmas and New Year's, the witches of New York--Adelaide Thom, Eleanor St. Clair and the youngest, Beatrice Dunn--gather before the fire to tell ghost stories and perform traditional Yuletide divinations.
As the witches roast chestnuts and melt lead to see their fate, a series of odd messengers land on their doorstep bearing invitations for a New Year's Eve masquerade hosted by a woman they've never met.
Gossip, dreams and portents follow, leading the witches to question the woman's motives. Is she as benevolent as she seems or is she laying a trap.
And so, as Gilded-Age New York prepares to ring in the new year, the witches don their finery and heard for the ball, on the hunt for answers that might well be the end of them. "
Beatrice, the youngest and spirit communicator, has fallen under the spell of the Stranger in her dreams.
Eleanor, the keeper of spells, does her best to keep Beatrice safe but knows nothing of the dreams.
Adelaide, the seer of fate, knows not what will happen the night of the ball
Mrs Stutt, the housekeeper, performs a fortune telling for the women, but only gets as far as Beatrice for whom she sees a great danger.
All comes to a head at the masked ball with a startling revelation by a long time ally & the Duchess.
This is a sequel to "The Witches of New York" it was a short book and was a very interesting & compelling read.
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The Witches of New York, Ami McKay
★ ★ ★ ★
Eleanor St Clair & Adelaide Thom run a (psychic) tea shop in NY. Unbeknownst to Eleanor, Adelaide has put an announcement in the papers looking for a shop-girl/assistant>
Beatrice sees the advertisement, hops on a farm train to apply for the position, but not before typing a witch's ladder. When she arrives Cleopatra's Needle is being unloaded from the docks, and as soon as she touches it her life changes.
Beatrice can now see spirits & ghosts.... as Eleanor & Adelaide help Beatrice come into her own; a malevolent man who hides behind the bible will become Beatrice's nemesis & tormentor...
A very fascinating book that is well written, enthralling with a compelling story of three witches living in NY working to help others.
I am happy I purchased this rather than waiting for the Library to reopen in order to get it
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The Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ♥
Oh Yea!
I loved this book, even more than "Practical Magic". It is the story of Aunt Frances, Aunt Jet and their brother Vincent; The family, their loves and their losses.
Fortunately the parents were not in the book for too long of a time, considering how they chose to live their life & how they denied who they were, they were not missed by me and I was glad they were out of the story early.
The rest of the book was interesting and a very compelling read.
I have no regrets purchasing this.
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Odds Against – Dick Francis – 3.5***
I’ve read a couple of Dick Francis mysteries, but this is the first in a series, starring Sid Halley. I really liked how Francis gave us Halley’s background and set up potential continuing relationships for future books in the series. I’d classify this as more thriller than mystery. Halley (and the reader) know pretty quickly who’s behind the nefarious doings at the track, though there’s a bit of a question as to why and how. Halley is tenacious, intelligent, a quick-thinker, and a realist. I like the way he thinks.
My full review HERE
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An Echo In the Bone – Diana Gabaldon – 3.5***
Book # 7 in the incredibly addictive Outlander series, continues the saga of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser as the American Revolution gears up. I really enjoy the historical inferences in these books. I’ve been to Fort Ticonderoga, and reading those chapters were intensely vivid for me. On the other hand, I was not a great fan of Brianna’s chapters. And Gabaldon ends the book with several plot threads hanging. Pet peeve … please trust your readers to want to read the next book, don’t “force” us to do so by using cliff-hangers.” Lost half a star there.
My full review HERE
Reading "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich. I am only 50 pages in but she got me hooked!
I am almost done with Between the Blade and the Heart. I really like it until now although I was sure I wouldn't. I did though and it is amazing.
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The Art of Travel – Alain de Botton – 4****
Any travel guide will tell us where we should travel and what we should see when we get there. Alain de Botton tries to tell us WHY we should travel. In various chapters he expounds on what it is that travel offers us. He waxes poetic on the anticipation of arriving at a new location, the marvels of modes of transportation, on “country” vs “city,” on finding beauty – in the familiar as well as the exotic. I think he has opened my eyes and I will feel more open about all experiences henceforth, whether just the comfort of my own bedroom, or the excitement of a location that is completely new to me.
My full review HERE
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I am only 50 pages in but she got me hooked!"
I really liked this one!
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Tyrannosaur Canyon – Douglas Preston – 4****
This was one wild ride of a thriller! I was all set to follow independently wealth veterinarian Tom Broadbent, and then wanna-be monk and ex-CIA operative Wyman Ford steals the show. Plenty of action, more villains that you can shake a stick at, twists and turns and danger to keep the reader turning pages and trying (in vain, in my case at least) to guess where this is going. And I loved that the T-rex gets a few chapters of her own to “narrate.” Also, Preston’s female characters are really strong women!
My full review HERE
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The Mockingbird Next Door – Marja Mills – 3.5***
Chicago Tribune journalist Marja Mills was sent to Monroeville Alabama on an assignment to gather background information for a piece about To Kill a Mockingbird . She met Alice Lee and her younger sister, Nelle Harper Lee, and over years became friends with them. This is her memoir of her time in Monroeville and the lessons she learned from the sisters – about the South, about family, about justice.
My full review HERE
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The Woman Who Walked In Sunshine – Alexander McCall Smith – 4****
Book sixteen in the immensely popular – and equally enjoyable – series starring Mma Precious Ramotswe and other residents of Gabaron, Botswana. I love this series for the gentle “mysteries of daily life” and for the wonderful way that Precious arrives at the truth and solves her cases. There are no gristly murders here, though there are mysteries of human behavior. Spending time with the characters of these novels is like enjoying an afternoon libation on a patio in the sunshine.
My full review HERE
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Auntie Mame – Patrick Dennis – 4****
Oh, what an absolute delight! I love Mame … she’s outrageous, convivial, adventurous, kind, a bon vivant, prone to exaggeration, unable to resist, unabashedly lacking in marketable skills, and yet full of confidence. This novel “memoir” is funny and tender, horrifying and enthralling.
My full review HERE
Living a Lion
Freeing A Lion
Fighting A LionRead in box set.
by Harmony Raines
<3***
Books were better than okay but I did not like the world.
Interesting characters and plots but while I liked the characters, suspense and romance plot for each book, reading about shifters confined to what is essentially reservation and only allowed in human world as collared indentured servants restrained from shifting is not my thing. I just couldn't get beyond my dislike of the world to enjoy the books. I'm always hyper-sensitive about reservations, regardless of term used. A few shifters are passing as human but most are in human world under contract. Shifter service contracts can be sold by owners to whoever and whenever the owner wishes so shifter better do whatever told or be sold into worse situation. Some are, I guess one would say, well treated but indentured servant value is the contract not the person. Humans are allowed, one could even say encouraged, to kill a shifter if the human feels threatened... this was not good time to read these.
ETA: Didn't mention because maybe me being displeased with world led me to feel this way but I decided I did need to include this after all. Sometimes it seemed like information was missing. Like maybe a scene was edited out and later conversation was used to reveal missing information. This didn't help the flow of the story.
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The Hideaway – Lauren K Denton – 2.5**
I wasn’t expecting great literature, and I didn’t get it. The writing is simple. The plot is rather predictable. The cast of characters, typically eccentric. There are secrets to be unearthed and solved. There’s also the ubiquitous dual timeline, with present-day Sara unearthing bits and pieces of her grandmother’s story. It was a fast read and moderately entertaining. But I’ve already forgotten it.
My full review HERE
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Meet Me Halfway: Milwaukee Stories – Jennifer Morales – 4****
An urban neighborhood must find ways to bridge divisions between black and white, gay and straight, old and young. I love short stories and was expecting that format. But this is really a novel told from nine different viewpoints. It’s an engaging and interesting look at an urban struggle that is all too familiar. I look forward to my F2F book club discussion about this very timely novel.
My full review HERE
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Life Changing Foods, Anthony William
★ ★
Where to begin: After perusing this several times and finally reading (most of it). This read like an encyclopedia of the fantastic.
The first several chapters were long & drawn out with so much (too much) information that it was mind-boggling. The writing was also didactic...
So while I certainly agree that fresh food certainly has a major effect on the health of our bodies, this was just all too much for me. In fact parts of the book were redundant, and that was boring.
The chapters on food were Fruits, Vegetables, herbs/Spices, & Wild Foods.
Each food had several pages dedicated to it's healing & spiritual properties but only one (1) recipe. Some of the recipes were quite enticing; Pomegranate Bark, Apricot Bars, Cinnamon baked Pears, & Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Red Cabbage.
There was a lot of information on juicing and the use of spices.
I marked this book down because it was overwhelming & boring.
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The Women In the Castle – Jessica Shattuck – 3***
Three German widows are brought together shortly after World War II ends. I liked the idea of this novel’s story more than I liked the actual book. There are some interesting and thought-provoking themes presented, but I’m probably just overloaded on WWII. On the whole, I found the novel forgettable.
My full review HERE
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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – 4****
I love reading historical fiction, particularly when it focuses on an element of history about which I know little. This covers two such elements: the Pack-Horse Librarians and the “blue people” of Kentucky. Cussy Mary Carter is a marvelous lead characters – kind, compassionate, determined and tenacious. The author’s use of vernacular dialect helped transport me to a different time and place.
My full review HERE
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O Pioneers! – Willa Cather – 4****
Cather’s first novel follows one family over decades as they settle the great plains of Nebraska. The heroine is Alexandra Bergson, who takes charge of the family farm after her father dies, and ensures the family’s prosperity despite setbacks. This is a strong woman! Her love of the land is evident, but she is no romantic. The story encompasses tragedy as well as triumph.
My full review HERE
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Peach Pies And Alibis – Ellery Adams – 3***
Book two in the Charmed Pie Shoppe series, starring Ella Mae LeFaye, who discovered her magical powers in book one of the series. This installment in the series did serve to better explain the premise and Ella Mae’s family’s magical history. It’s far from literature, and pretty predictable, but I did find it entertaining.
My full review HERE
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The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro – 4****
A proper English butler, known only by his last name: Stevens, reflects on his life’s work. I love the way that Ishiguro reveals Stevens’ character through his musings. As he recalls the glory days of house parties that welcomed influential people to Darlington Hall, Stevens reveals how he allowed his sense of duty and devotion to being butler in a great house to blind himself to what was really happening – both in the world at large and on a more personal level. This slow realization is what makes this book so poignant and thought-provoking.
My full review HERE
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Hot Hotter Hottest, Janet Hazen
★ ★ ★ ★
Lovely cookbook on a Hot subject (pun intended).
Table of Contents:
"Reflection on Heat"
Each of the following 5 sections contains recipes:
Ginger
Horseradish
Peppercorns
Mustard
Chilies
Index
After the Table of Contents is the List of Recipes, each recipe is found under it's main spice.
Recipes include:
Ginger: Warm Thai Ginger Beef Salad; Ginger Squash Soup; Hunan Scallops with Black Beans & Ginger-Chili Oil; & Eggplant Ravioli w/ Ginger-Cilantro Sauce
Horseradish: Grilled Mackerel w/ Horseradish; Horseradish Stuffed Pork Tenderloin; 3 Sausage Stew/ Horseradish & Greens; & Beef & Watercress Sandwiches w/ Horseradish Creme
Peppercorns: Avocado Soup w/ Green Peppercorns; Lobster Grapefruit Salad w/ Pink Peppercorns; Mussels & Prawns w/ Orange-Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette; Port-Poached Dried Fruits w/ Black Pepper; & Braised Duck w/ Green Peppercorns & Prunes
Mustard: Indian Mango Chutney w/ Mustard; Indian Lentils w/ Brown Mustard Seed & Mango; White bean Smoked Chicken Salad w/ Mustard; & Chicken Breasts in Mustard Creme Sauce
Chilies: Thai Squid Salad w/ 3 Chilies; Roasted Red Pepper Soup w/ Green Chilies & Smoked Chicken: Cheese Stuffed peppers w/ Ancho Chili Sauce: & Jalapeño-Lime Ice
Photos are lovely, Recipes easy to follow, Ingredients in bold on the side of the recipes all with an easy to read font
Born of RageSherrilyn McQueen aka Sherrilyn Kenyon
2**
This book is not a novel. It is two or three stories depending on format. The book blurb is about the first very short story in this very short book. Thankfully I was able to borrow it because I think $6.99 plus tax for this few pages is a high price to pay. Book length for paperback is listed as 50 pages but that seems to include blank pages. WorldCat says 42 pages and I think that's about the right count for pages in paperback with print on them.
The story Born of Rage is not bad. If I think of it as an interesting glimpse at a League concept, perhaps part of an early draft for an old book proposal 3*** is what I would probably give it. Things don't quite match the League universe with which we have become familiar. It would function well as an introductory short story to a full length novel. Given how often the male main characters in the League books endure anal rape I found the term Top Ass for highest rank League assassin disturbing.
The second short story, The Neighbors, is described as the first short story the author sold. It is about 9 or 10 pages long. It is not League. I didn't read it.
The hardcover copy is described as being 86 pages and is $19.99. From descriptions hardcover includes a reprint of League story Fire and Ice which I already have in more than one edition.
If you are a fan of the League books try to find a copy to borrow because the story Born of Rage is an interesting read even if isn't really League as we know it.
What I would like to see is novel length version of Fire and Ice. Supposedly the story we've read is a cut down version of a full length, but lost, novel. That book be worth the money to read and Born of Rage could have been included as a little bonus for readers with note "Look at what I found while digging through old manuscripts. It's not the League as we know it but hopefully loyal League readers will enjoy it."
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The Queen's Fortune, Allison Pataki
★ ★
The story of Desiree Clary once engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte, cast aside for his marriage to Josephine.
Her sister being married to Napoleon's brother, Joseph, with Desiree then married to Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Napoleon's Star General.
The book was boring, the characters were flat and not very likable.
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Queen's Fortune: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire (other topics)Born of Rage (other topics)
Hot, Hotter, Hottest: 50 Fiery Recipes (other topics)
The Remains of the Day (other topics)
Peach Pies and Alibis (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sherrilyn Kenyon (other topics)Sherrilyn McQueen (other topics)
Harmony Raines (other topics)
Sarah Zimmerman (other topics)
Nancy Warren (other topics)
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The Woman on the Orient Express, Lindsay Jayne Ashford
★ ★ ★ ★
In 1929, the lives of three desperately unhappy women (one of them Agatha Christie), each with a burdensome secret, converge on the on the Orient Express... As they arrive in Baghdad their stories unfurl further and a friendship forms, eventually bringing each woman peace in its own manner.
A fictionalized account of how Christie met her husband Max Mallowan that I found to be a well written compelling read that had me engrossed from the very beginning.