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Book Reviews
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Books You’re on the Fence About - 2023
Again, I am an outlier.
Retribution by Sarah BarrieMy review 3★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
BuzzFeed Unsolved Supernatural: 101 True Tales of Hauntings, Demons, and the Paranormal
Ryan Bergarahttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Oops, wrong room!
I finished reading A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower
by Patricia Bernstein.My 3.19 rounded to 3 stars review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Patricia Bernstein brings to life the political and religious situation in Scotland and England. This novel is historical fiction set in the early 1700’s, but based on real events with names changed and fictional individuals added. Overall, the book was atmospheric and full of suspense. It is also very descriptive, which does a great job of giving readers a feeling of the time and place. However, it also slows the pace and adds to the instances of telling versus showing. Additionally, at the 95% point in the book, there is a fast jump in time with no transition.
If A Poem Could Live and Breathe
is a story about Teddy and Alice Roosevelt. A wee bit sappy for my taste. My three star review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Shroud For a Nightingale – P D James – 3***
Book 4 in the Adam Dalgliesh mystery series has the detective investigating two deaths at a school of nursing, Nightingale House. I really like how Dalgliesh is so methodical and contemplative. He never rushes to a conclusion, and carefully constructs and explores the possibilities before proclaiming a case is solved. This one took several turns I didn’t expect.
LINK to my full review
Holly Jolly Cowboy – Jessica Clare – 3***
Totally predictable, given the genre, but hey, there are cute dogs in abundance, not to mention that hunky cowboy. And, of course, perky, optimistic Holly will bake and cook her way into his heart. Will there be bumps in the road to romance? How could there not be? Will there be tears shed and hearts broken? Certainly. Will there be a happy ending? No doubt. This Holiday Cowboy Romance is enjoyable at any season.
LINK to my full review
The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel
Started nicely but went over the top as it progressed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of The Devil's Half Acre: The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South's Most Notorious Slave Jail by Kristen Greenhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Christmas Cookie Collection – Lori Wilde – 2**
I knew going into it that this collection of novellas (originally published separately) would be a schmaltzy romance. I’ve read another work by Wilde previously and liked it; I found this one charming for its genre, though unremarkable. It was a fast read, but I’ve basically forgotten the characters and their stories already.
LINK to my full review
My first Christmas themed book of the season! 
The Christmas Basket by Debbie MacomberMy review, middle of the road, 3★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I can now post my 3.13 rounded to 3 stars review of The House in the Pines
by Ana Reyes.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is an atmospheric psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator.
Paper Money – Ken Follett – 2.5**
Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle , Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day. The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot, which tested my ability to focus. I’m not sure the mid-1970s plot has stood the test of time very well.
LINK to my full review
Flower Net – Lisa See – 3***
Before she rocketed to fame with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan See wrote a short series of mysteries, of which this is the first. What I liked most about this book was the look at China – from karaoke bars to the neighborhoods housing the working class, from high-powered businessmen to prostitutes, See gave the reader a look under the blanket of the typical tourist-friendly experience. The plot is convoluted and full of twists and turns, as much political intrigue as murder mystery. Not her best book, but it held my attention.
LINK to my full review
I finished Last Seen in Santorini
by Vivian Conroy.My 3.44 rounded to 3 stars review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Historical cozy mystery - book 2 in the series
It was entertaining with several twists, but lacked the historical feel of 1930.
A book that had been sitting on my shelf for some years.
The Christmas Dog by Melody CarlsonMy review 3★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Whip Hand – Dick Francis – 3***
Book # 2 in the Sid Halley series. The plot is intricate and includes a couple of different mysteries, both of which involve unscrupulous business dealings and which involve Sid’s two loves: his ex-wife Jenny and thoroughbred racing. Sid is forced to face his greatest fears and answer for himself: Is there anything you’re afraid of?
LINK to my full review
ver: Lady In Waiting – Anne Glenconner – 3.5***
Subtitle: My Extraordinary Life In the Shadow of the Crown. Glenconner has spent her life as an intimate friend of the royal family. As a child she played with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. She served as a Maid of Honor for Elizabeth II’s Coronation, and as Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. She was married to Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, and they bought an developed the Caribbean island, Mustique – THE place where Jet-setters escaped in the 1970s-‘80s. A fascinating autobiography.
LINK to my full review
Naughty in Nice – Rhys Bowen – 3***
Book five in the Her Royal Spyness cozy mystery series had Lady Georgiana Rannoch headed to the Riviera to try to retrieve a snuffbox that has been stolen from Queen Mary’s collection. I came late to this party, but I’m really enjoying this series. Bowen took inspiration from some real-life historical coincidences to build her mystery. Coco Chanel really did spend time in Nice with her business partner Vera Bate Lombardi; she really did put on a fashion show that featured jewels on loan from Queen Mary. I enjoyed hobnobbing with these people as much as Georgie did!
LINK to my full review
Neither Here Nor There – Bill Bryson – 2**
Subtitle: Travels in Europe. First published in 1993, this is not aged well. I’ve read several of Bryson’s books and found some of them hugely entertaining. But not this one. He seems far too snide and complaining, the “Ugly American” come to life.
LINK to my full review
Being Dead Is No Excuse – Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays – 3***
"The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral" is charming and has some great casserole recipes. Metcalfe and Hays have crafted a charming book on the etiquette of funerals in the South, specifically in the Delta, from the proper hymns to sing, to the use of Cream of Mushroom soup, to the power of the restorative cocktail. They sprinkle in a wealth of anecdotes on colorful friends and relatives who have had proper send-offs and give us the recipes to create our own funeral masterpieces. Funny and informative.
LINK to my full review
Cooking With My Sisters – Adriana Trigiani – 3***
Trigiani is well-known for her fiction, frequently drawing from her family history to draw her characters and launch her plots. This book is a combination of memoir and cookbook, in which she relates many family stories and provides the recipes that bring back those memories. A delicious treat.
LINK to my full review
Anxious People – Fredrik Backman – 3***
It starts with a really bad idea born of desperation, follows a group of strangers at an apartment viewing who are now hostages, and the two police officers (father and son), who are trying to find the truth. It’s a bit chaotic, much as the real-life scenario would be, and the reader is kept guessing as to what really happened for most of the book. The ending is totally unrealistic, but nonetheless satisfying, as befits a fable.
LINK to my full review
The Big Door Prize – M.O. Walsh – 3***
My F2F book club chose this book for discussion; I knew nothing going into it and expected a charming, quirky character-driven ensemble of small-town Southern America. I got some of that, certainly, but so much more. There are some pretty heavy issues here, including unrealized dreams, peer pressure, drug abuse, and grief. There are scenes that are introspective and give the reader some insight into what these characters are thinking. Other scenes are light-hearted and break the tension. And there are very dramatic scenes that made me afraid to look, and more afraid to look away.
LINK to my full review
You Have to Believe Me - Sunday Tomassetti - (Michigan)
Genera: Mystery/Suspense
3★
Review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Stay Where You Are, Then Leave – John Boyne – 3.5***
The Great War (WWI) began on Alfie Summerfield’s 5th birthday, with the result that few people attended his birthday party. That was okay … more cake for Alfie! This is a book suitable for middle-school children, but deals with some serious issues, including poverty among the families of fighting men, conscientious objectors and “shell shock” (now called PTSD). Alfie is a marvelous character. He’s curious, intelligent, a hard worker, resourceful and tenacious.
LINK to my full review
The Last Russian Doll
coming out in March only partially worked for me. My 3.5 star review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I always struggle to enjoy books which try to portray a dialect in print. It hurts my head!My review of Murder at a Scottish Wedding by Traci Hall
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This House Is Haunted – John Boyne – 3***
It is 1867 and Eliza Caine, whose father has just died and left her virtually penniless, responds to an advertisement for a governess position at Gaudlin Hall in Norfolk, England. In this work, Boyne focuses his considerable talent on writing a classic gothic ghost story, with a writing style that is reminiscent of Dickens and Bronte. Eliza is a great heroine. The big climax is a bit overdramatic, though typical of the genre. But the ending is downright chilling.
LINK to my full review
The Piano Tuner: A Novel by Chiang-sheng Kuo
Was a good book, but not the right book for me.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman
I had expected this to work far better for me. :(
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Exiles – Christina Baker Kline – 3***
Historical fiction that looks at the issues of “transport” wherein women convicted of crimes were sent to Australia territories to “work off” their sentences. Kline also deals with the issues surrounding colonialist’s treatment of the indigenous population, with the story of Mathinna, the orphaned daughter of an Aboriginal chief, who is taken in by the new governor of Van Diemen’s Land (now known as Tasmania). The treatment these women endured was brutal and dehumanizing, but Kline’s characters band together to support one another and triumph.
LINK to my full review
Zen In the Art of Writing –Ray Bradbury – 2**
I am a fan of Ray Bradbury’s and I initially found it interesting to read about where his story ideas came from. But, despite my liking his works of fiction, I found this collection dissatisfying as a whole. The fact that the collected essays spanned a couple of decades of his thoughts / writings probably didn’t help.
LINK to my full review
American Mermaid
is due out in March. It didn’t quite work for me. I found the main premise to be a cliche and old news. My three star review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A blurb that compared this book to incredibly gifted authors just made for a disappointing book for me. 3* for
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good – Helene Tursten – 3***
This was a book group selection so I was expecting a fun romp of a story, and was surprised by the murder. The book is actually a series of short stories, all featuring 88-year-old Maud and her interactions with various neighbors in her apartment building. It’s a fast read with an interesting premise.
LINK to my full review
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The Woman Who Knew Too Little by Olivia Wearnehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Friends Sharing Book Love
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It’s the third in the Harold Fry series and the weakest of the three. My three star review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...