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2021 Reads and Reviews ~ Anything goes
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Utopia Avenue
David Mitchell
4/5 stars
This story revolves around the band Utopia Avenue and follows the story of the members of the band as they try to break into the main stream music business during the hey days of rock and roll in late 1967 and early 1968. The author also has them interacting with real musicians from that time period. Mitchell doesn’t disappoint in his latest novel.
Coming Home For Christmas – Fern Michaels – 2**
This is a collection of three novellas all set during the Christmas season. If you’ve seen even one Hallmark Christmas movie you know the basic plot line here. I found the scenarios pretty unbelievable and the chosen novella length left some significant holes in the plots. Still, they’re fast reads, and moderately enjoyable.
My full review HERE
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Heaven, Texas – Susan Elizabeth Phillips – ZERO stars
Book # 2 in the Chicago Stars romance series. No. Just No. A “gentleman” does NOT play mind games for his own amusement to trick a virgin into succumbing to him so that he can then drop her like a hot potato when the fun is over. There is nothing remotely romantic or appealing about these scenarios. Shame on Phillips for propagating such a misogynistic message.
My full review HERE
Good Day!: The Paul Harvey Story4 stars
My take-away from this book is that Paul Harvey was everything you thought he would be. Family man, honest, intelligent, hard-working and an all-around nice guy. When you heard his distinctive voice on the radio you knew exactly who it was. He led an interesting life and I miss hearing him on the radio.
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Coming Home For Christmas
– Fern Michaels – 2**
This is a collection of three novellas all set during the Christmas season. If you’ve seen even o..."
I agree with you about Heaven Texas! What a terrible topic!
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The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
Liz Jensen
4/5 stars
After a picnic with his parents, Louis, a smart young boy, falls off a cliff and ends up in a coma in a hospital. The father is missing and he has only his mother left. Dr. Danachett is his doctor who becomes attracted to Louis’ mother but something is just not right and Danachett probes into the incident about what really happened on that trip while trying to help Louis. Very compelling and was later made into a film.
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Men and Cartoons
Jonathan Lethem
3.5/5 stars
This is an imaginative short story collection by Lethem. I found this on the free shelf at our library and it looked intriguing. I was not disappointed; I enjoyed most of the stories and liked that they were written in different styles.
A Long Petal Of the Sea – Isabel Allende – 4****
A family epic covering six decades of history from 1930s Spanish Civil War to 1990s in Chile. This is the kind of historical fiction at which Allende excels. She seamlessly weaves the real historical events into the story line, while giving the reader characters that come alive on the page and about which we come to care. Central to this work, as to all of Allende’s novels, are the strong women. Roser and Ofelia certainly take center stage. But the older women – Carme, Laura and Juana – are equally strong, resilient, intelligent and determined.
My full review HERE
A Gathering Of Old Men – Ernest J Gaines – 4****
A dead man. A running tractor. A white woman who claims she shot him. A gathering of old men with shotguns. A sheriff who knows everyone is lying. A father who needs revenge. What is so marvelous about this work is that Gaines tells it from a variety of viewpoints, as different characters narrate chapters. One by one they tell their stories simply but eloquently.
My full review HERE
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah5 stars
My second time reading this book. I needed a book set in Africa for a challenge and I loved this book the first time so I decided to read it again. Loved it just as much as the first time. As the host of the Daily Show you would think it would be a funny book and it is at times but mostly it is a story about what it was like to grow up in South Africa during apartheid as a mixed race person-not fitting in with the black side or the white. His mother is a fascinating person.
I just went to the Nelson Mandela exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum last week. Could not help but think about Noah's memoir.
Adequate Yearly Progress – Roxanne Elden – 3***
A year in the life of teachers at a struggling urban high school in a large Texas city. I’m not a teacher, but I have friends who have worked as teachers, and Elden includes scenarios that are familiar to anyone who has ever been required to attend yet another motivational speech or meeting to discuss implementation of a new process. There are moments of serious reflection, scenes of tenderness and of hilarity.
My full review HERE
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5 stars
My second time reading this bo..."
This has been on my list for awhile-I''ll get to it eventually!
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Travels with Charley: In Search of America
John Steinbeck
4/5 stars
In 1960, Steinbeck at the age of 58 takes off in a camper with his dog, Charley to explore and talk with the people of America. He starts off on the East Coast and travels to the West Coast and back. It was wonderfully written and is an interesting look back at the slices of life in the US in that time period.
My Father's Daughter: A Memoir by Tina Sinatra4 stars
A memoir on the life of Frank Sinatra by his daughter. She obviously loves her father and her family very much. Her father is larger than life in her eyes and she doesn't offer much on the darker side of her father's life, for instance his involvement with the mob in Las Vegas. She skims over much of it and doesn't seem to believe the rest. Aside from that it was interesting to get an insider's view of her father's personal life and his first 3 marriages. Then we come to his last marriage. She portrays the fourth wife as a golddigger who tries to shut out everyone in the family so she can have the man and his money all for herself. While reading the book I wondered if their wasn't another side to the story. But then after finishing the book I saw that there was a book by the fourth wife called Lady Blue Eyes. After reading the Goodreads reviews for this book I think the daughter did not exaggerate her opinion of this horrible person. I read that the wife did not even mention Frank's children in her book and instead focused on the famous people she knew and how much money she had and complained about everything. So I would say skip the wife's memoir and read this one by the daughter instead.
Mod
4 stars
A memoir on the life of Frank Sinatra by his daughter. She obviously loves he..."
Interesting - nice review!
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Tippi: A Memoir
Tippi Hedren
4/5 stars
Tippi Hendren writes about her time in the film industry including problems with working for Hitchcock, her family and her famous daughters, her work in charity and her animal rights advocacy which resulted in starting Shambala, a big cats’ preserve in California. Very interesting!
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Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express
Christopher Corbett
3.5/5 stars
This was quite an interesting tale of the first Pony Express (which ran from Missouri to California) and the riders who worked the line, unfortunately a lot of the material can’t be backed up and the author discusses that problem. I found it interesting that the first Pony Express did not last long - from April 1860 till October 1861 when the trains took over the route, though other Pony Express routes lasted longer.
Lady Osbaldestone’s Christmas Goose – Stephanie Laurens – 3***
Set in 1810 England, just on the cusp of the Regency period, this delightful Christmas mystery focuses on the recently widowed Lady Therese Osbaldestone, her three young grandchildren, a flock of missing geese, a “spinster” forgoing her own happiness to look after her younger brother, and a wounded war veteran. Lady O is a marvelous character; bright, opinionated, kind, inquisitive (some might say nosy), and confident in her right – nay, duty – to oversee everyone’s business. From the marvelous characters to the charming scenes of Regency village holiday life I found it entertaining and engaging.
My full review HERE
Julie wrote: "Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express..."
Sounds fascinating
Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes by Ira Rosen3 stars
This book was not what I thought it would be. It didn't seem to be as much about this long-running news program as it is about the author and the people he knows, works with, and has met along the way. He doesn't seem to like anyone he works with, especially Mike Wallace. I didn't know producers went to such lengths to get the story and investigate it. He goes on and on about the stories he has worked on and the people he knows but much of it we already know if we follow the news and politics at all. The chapter about Donald Trump is probably the longest one of all but we already know most of it and the Trump supporters aren't going to believe it or don't care. We are told many times about the awards he has won. I felt that most of this book was very negative All of the stories are the ones he has worked on. I thought if this was a 'behind-the-scenes" book there were probably a lot more interesting stories than what was told here.
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee – Dee Brown – 5*****
Subtitle: An Indian History of the American West. Brown’s interest in the history of the American West took him to many resources that were previously ignored in crafting the official textbooks from which millions were taught American history. This work is one attempt to correct the information so many thought they knew. Brown relates the systemic plunder of Native lands region by region, tribe by tribe, battle by battle, broken treaty by broken treaty. It is a very personal account. And it is heartbreaking.
My full review HERE
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I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
Michelle McNamara
4/5 stars
This is the amazing story of the search for the Golden State Killer (also known as the East Area Rapist) in California. Author and TV consultant Michelle McNamara put her heart and soul into writing this book before dying of an undiagnosed heart condition. Unfortunately, she never lived to see her book come out or the capture of the killer since she died two years before he was caught. This is definitely, a page turner. FYI - https://www.biography.com/news/michel...
Women Of the Silk – Gail Tsukiyama – 3***
This work of historical fiction takes us to early 20th century China and the unique position of the women who worked in the silk factories in lieu of marriage. I loved the unexpected strength and determination of these young women as they made their own way in a culture that restricted opportunities for women. The independence they gained, though initially forced on them, became their most prized attribute.
My full review HERE
To Kill a Mocking Girl
by Harper Kincaid
Narrated by Renee Dorian.
3***
First in Bookbinding Mystery series. Typical of first in series books, much of this is devoted to introducing characters. Also typical, there are promises of romances. Narration was okay. As a mystery it was okay. Setting was okay with a not too small town providing a comfortable background.
Overall interesting enough to put book 2 on my TBR list though not at the top.
Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain – 3.5***
Subtitle: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. This is a wonderful memoir, as well as a bit of a tutorial, a travelogue, and a warning of what NOT to do. Bourdain is honest, profane, funny, enlightening and engaging. As a plus, he narrated the audio version himself.
My full review HERE
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A Nantucket Christmas – Nancy Thayer – 3***
Thayer writes charming Christmas-themed stories where the reader knows in advance that things will all work out in the end. In addition to the blended family tension, this one also has a charming subplot involving a stray dog.
My full review HERE
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A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles
4/5 stars
After the Russian revolution in 1922, aristocrat Count Rostov is punished by the Bolshevik tribunal and loses his rooms where he lives. He is then put under house arrest at the Metropol Hotel and is forced into smaller accommodations and eventually ends up working there. However, his life brightens up when a young girl alone stays with him and they become a family. Wonderfully written and hard to put down!
Claimed
by J.R. Ward
1*
Audio
Claimed
Narrator Jim Frangione Sorry, Jim, your narrating skills couldn't save this one.
Cliffhanger
First installment in a serial, not first book in a series.
I looked back at the information about the book and it says series. Maybe a series of serialized books? I don't know and at this point I'm not sure I care.
Usually when I get a new Ward book I read straight through it even if it means staying up late. It says something that with this one I started and stopped both the kindle book and the audio book several times.
I can't say I was really enjoying it before the cliffhanger. There were plot elements I didn't like but I probably would have continued reading a series hoping I would like other books more.
A serial installment disguised as a book in a series? That's a trick I don't like. I feel betrayed. I no longer trust Ward to deliver a complete book.
Friends Like Us – Lauren Fox – 3***
I really enjoyed this exploration of friendship and the choices one makes as one matures. I remember close friends I had in my twenties … I have witnessed (and been part of) break-ups that hurt so badly you wondered how you would ever survive. And I recognized how a best friend can say just the right thing to help you through what you believe to be the darkest moments. So, the relationships between these people and their emotions were completely relatable to me.
My full review HERE
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The Secret Life of Violet Grant – Beatriz Williams – 3.5***
Williams uses a dual timeline and dual narrators to tell this story of Vivian Schuyler, Manhattan socialite and wanna-be advertising exec in 1964, and her aunt Violet Schuyler Grant, who endured an unhappy marriage to pursue her dreams of scientific research in 1914 Europe. I was quickly engaged and continuously interested in this story line. While I’ve grown tired of the dual timeline that is so popular these days with historical fiction, I thought Williams did a very good job of using this device.
My full review HERE
Lions – Bonnie Nadzam – 3.5***
I can always rely on my F2F book club friend to recommend interesting, “odd” books! Nadzam’s work reminds me of classic fables with tragic heroes, especially opening with a mysterious stranger and his little dog. Her characters are familiar and yet distant. I recognize some of their emotions and motivations: loyalty, inertia, longing, adventure, boredom, duty, wonder, love.
My full review HERE
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What Alice Forgot – Lianne Moriarty – 3.5***
After a head injury, Alice Love awakes thinking herself 10 years younger than she is, and with no memory of the last decade. What an interesting concept! Moriarty does a great job writing about women and their relationships – with friends, with siblings, with spouses. Here we have a woman who is possibly getting a “do-over” … or is she? Can she really erase the last ten years? Does she want to? I liked this approach to how our past shapes our present and future.
My full review HERE
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Attachments
Rainbow Rowell
3.5/5 stars
Lincoln O’Neill works in a newsroom as an internet security officer as Y2K approaches but he also has to monitor everyone’s work email. Two workers, Beth and Jennifer who know they are being monitored but they don’t take it seriously, discuss everything going on in their lives. Lincoln is enjoying their emails but he doesn’t turn them in. He starts to have a crush on Beth but how would that work out and how would she feel that he was the one reading their email. This wasn’t the best romance book I have read but it was kinda sweet.
This Tender Land – William Kent Krueger – 4****
Krueger references both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Homer’s The Odyssey in this epic adventure set in America’s upper Midwest during the Great Depression. Krueger is a marvelous storyteller, and he keeps the plot moving with a variety of incidents. The travelers show intelligence, resourcefulness, and tenacity. They are also children - immature and prone to misunderstanding or misinterpretation of information they gather. And, of course, they are vulnerable. I loved watching them grow, both individually and in their relationships, through these experiences.
My full review HERE
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Tipping the Velvet
Sarah Waters
4/5 stars
In the 1890’s Nan King lives with her family in England and helps with their oyster seafood restaurant business. One day she is invited to music hall and is intrigued with Kitty Butler, a young actress whose act has her portrayed as a male impersonator. Nan has become enamored with her and goes to her show daily. Kitty Butler sees her there and hires her to help with the act. They soon become lovers but that ends when Kitty goes off with a gentleman friend leaving Kitty devastated. She soon meets with a rich woman who takes her in but that too becomes complicated and she is left on her own but she soon finds someone that she may rely on. This was made into a mini-series. Intriguing!
Unnatural Causes – P D James – 3***
Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh’s planned seaside holiday goes awry when a headless, handless body washes ashore. First is the mystery of who the victim is; then comes determining the culprit. Plenty of suspects, some red herrings, and a thrilling climactic scene. I’ll keep reading this series.
My full review HERE
Whose Body?
by Dorothy L. Sayers
Narrated by Mark Meadows
4****
Read this years ago and when I saw it as hoopla bonus borrow decided to give it a try. I enjoyed it and will be checking for more. I grew up reading books, especially mysteries, written in this time period so nostalgia could be part of my enjoyment.
Warning: If you are upset by books depicting social norms and language of a hundred years ago you may want to pass on this one as it has not been rewritten/updated.
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Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital
David M. Oshinsky
5/5 stars
Oshinksy does a wonderful job of relating the rich history of Bellevue Hospital that has been around for three centuries serving all the people (poor or rich) within their reach and the pioneering of many of the advancements in healthcare. I had a hard time putting this down because it was so compelling to read. This definitely will be on my best reads list this year!
Death And Judgment – Donna Leon – 3.5***
Book # 4 in the Commissario Brunetti mystery series, set in Venice, Italy. This was definitely one of the darker works in this series. As usual, the Commissario relies on his wife for advice and comfort, but his daughter insists on helping and that gets uncomfortable very quickly. Leon crafts a good mystery, with enough clues keep the action moving forward and a logical solution. It’s a series I’ll continue reading.
My full review HERE
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Death Cruise – Lawrence Block (editor) – 3***
This is a collection of short stories, all of which take place on a cruise ship. Authors come from multiple nations, starting off with Agatha Christie and including writers from Cuba, Belgium and the Netherlands. I enjoyed reading them and was happily surprised that there was sufficient difference from story to story to hold my interest – and keep me guessing.
My full review HERE
The Next Thing On My List – Jill Smolinski – 3***
After her passenger dies in an auto accident, guilt drives June to complete the dead woman’s bucket list by a certain deadline. This was about what I expected. I was not a big fan of the main character, June, who really seemed to have her priorities backwards. The plot moved along and there were some entertaining scenes. All told, it was fine, but not stellar.
My full review HERE
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Down and Out in Paris and London
George Orwell
3.5/5 stars
In this semi- autobiographical story Orwell tells of an English writer who has spent time in France and England in poor circumstances having to live in shelters and outside, scavenging for food while working in restaurants and thus highlighting the lives of the homeless and poor. Very interesting!
That Churchill Woman – Stephanie Barron – 3***
A novel of Jennie Jerome, American heiress of the Gilded Age, who married Lord Randolph Churchill and was the mother of Winston Churchill. I find Jennie a fascinating character. Barron does a good job of bringing her to life and giving the reader a “modern” woman who was able to bend the rules of the restrictive society in which she found herself to achieve some measure of personal happiness and fulfillment. The novel has piqued my interest in her, and I’ll seek out a biography of Jennie.
My full review HERE
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The Body: A Guide for Occupants
Bill Bryson
5/5 stars
I am a big fan of Bryson and this book doesn’t disappoint. Bryson writes about the body and how it functions and includes so many interesting facts, including that mustard gas slowed down the creation of white blood cells which influenced the science and started the study and the beginning of chemotherapy and also that in “a lifetime, the heart does an amount of work sufficient to lift a one-ton object 150 miles into the air.” Definitely for science non-fiction readers!
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson4 stars!
This was a pretty outstanding read. I thought it was strictly going to be about Walter McMillian, but it was the author's memoir of a lot of cases he handled over the years. McMillian case was the most outstanding legal clusterfunk in the batch but there were so many different cases, all of them gone horribly wrong in one way or another. Some of the injustices in here were a whole new breed of cat to me. I came away very, very impressed by the excellent work the author's firm is doing against incredibly steep odds. Read this one!
A History of Loneliness – John Boyne – 5*****
Against the backdrop of the priest pedophile scandal, Father Odran Yates narrates his life story, from early childhood to his time in seminary to his long career as a priest and the final conflict that forces him to examine his part in the scandal. Boyne’s writing is marvelous. His characters are complex. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.
My full review HERE
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A History of Loneliness
– John Boyne – 5*****
Against the backdrop of the priest pedophile scandal, Father Odran Yates narrates his life story, fro..."
Sounds interesting-added to my TBR list.
Mod
One Good Turn
Kate Atkinson
3/5 stars
Jackson Brodie, ex-cop returns in this second book starring him. He is retired and has followed his girlfriend to France where she is trying to establish an acting career. Meanwhile Brodie gets embroiled in several incidents including a crime novelist whose so-called friend is murdered. I really liked his character in the first book but I had some trouble following all the different characters and plots in this book.
A Well-Behaved Woman – Therese Anne Fowler – 3.5***
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Novel of the Vanderbilts. I thought Fowler did a great job of bringing this fascinating woman to life. Alva Smith Vanderbilt was no shrinking violet; she was a Steel Magnolia - intelligent, cagey, and fiercely independent. Faced with a betrayal, she moved forward with a scandalous strategy. It was a courageous move, but she was determined. Among the causes she championed was suffrage for all women.
My full review HERE
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A Well-Behaved Woman
– Therese Anne Fowler – 3.5***
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Novel of the Vanderbilts. I thought Fowler did a grea..."
Sounds like something I would like to read- adding to my reading list!
Mod
Hamnet
Maggie O'Farrell
4.5/5 stars
Set in England in the late 1500’s. A poor young man named John falls in love with Agnes who is a healer and knows how to make potions. Life is hard for them but they love each other and have three children. When their young son succumbs to bubonic plague, the family falls apart and John moves to London to work on the stage, write plays and earn money. Will John and Agnes’ marriage fall apart following this move or will they be able to come up to the challenge to continue to love each other. I thought this was a wonderfully written novel.
Moonflower Murders – Anthony Horowitz – 4****
Two books, and three mysteries, in one novel! Susan Ryeland is a retired editor and the secret to solving the “current” crime lies in a book she edited, which features detective Atticus Pünd. I enjoyed the difference in style between the two storylines and was equally immersed in each mystery. I like both Susan and Pünd; both are meticulous, thorough and deliberate in analyzing the evidence they uncover. And I love the way that Horowitz plays with words. I haven’t read book one – Magpie Murders – yet, but I will! And I look forward to future installments.
My full review HERE
Beauty Killers: The True Story of a Successful Businessman, His Young Lover, and Their Murderous Rampage by kathy Braidhill5 stars!
This was an exceptional read. Well-written, well-organized. Braidhill imposed order on a nightmarish crazy story. It's full of most of the worst things you can expect to find in a true-crime book but the reader comes away with the definite impression that many, many more crimes were committed that never came to light. It's a wild ride. Don't miss it...if you think you can stomach all this horror.
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4 stars
Great fun! This is a compendium of Charles Addams's New York T..."
I don't know if I have seen this book but I have seen a book of his cartoons. Love them!