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How the Penguins Saved Veronica – Hazel Prior – 3.5***
Veronica McCreedy is an eighty-five-year-old woman who is inspired by a documentary on penguins to visit Antarctica. After all, she can’t leave her fortune to her recently discovered grandson, as he is an unemployed pot-smoker! The plot is outlandish and unrealistic but completely engaging and heart-warming. Veronica reminds me of many other cranky, outspoken elderly main characters (Ove and Olive Kitteridge, to name two). Everyone learns a lesson or two about cooperation and teamwork, and about opening one’s heart to the possibility of love.
LINK to my full review
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Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli – 3.5***
The story of this high-school drama centers on Simon Spier, a gay 15-year-old, who’s not yet out to his family or friends. Ah, the drama of high school relationships. There’s a lot to digest here, from family dynamics to first love to what it means to be a true friend, and Albertalli handles it pretty well. I can see why this would be a popular YA title for any teen.
LINK to my full review
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State Of Terror – Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny – 3.5***
Clearly Clinton provided the behind-the-scenes information on the workings of government on this scale, while Louise Penny crafted the plot, which was fast and furious and held my attention throughout. I wish Clinton hadn’t relied so much on taking digs at # 45, because the basic plot would have worked without that, and it just makes the book seem like a thinly veiled criticism of our former leadership.
LINK to my full review
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To Be Continued – Charmaine Gordon – 3***
I wasn’t expecting much from this coming-of-middle-age book, but I found it to be pretty entertaining. Oh, I did have some issues with the main character, but she eventually got her act together, found a new therapist, a new best friend, a new guy, and a new career. It was a fun, fast read.
LINK to my full review
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: The Winds of War – Herman Wouk – 5*****
Book # 1 in the Henry Family saga introduces us to Commander Victor Henry, his wife Rhoda, and their children: Warren, Byron and Madeline. Victor wants a battleship, but he’s been selected to serve as Naval attache in Berlin. It’s 1937 and he’ll have a front-row seat to history. This is a larger-than-life story to tell, and Wouk captures the reader’s attention from the beginning, weaving the family’s personal soap opera drama into the fabric of history. This was a re-read for me, but I found it just as engaging and thrilling as the first time. I’ll probably give in and re-read the sequel as well.
LINK to my full review
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A Fistful of Collars – Spencer Quinn – 3***
Book # 5 in the Chet and Bernie mystery series, has Bernie Small hired to “babysit” a notorious bad-boy Hollywood actor who’s the star of a movie being shot on location in his area. Of course, Bernie goes nowhere without his partner, Chet, who is a dog and also narrates the tale. I just love this series. I never get tired of Chet’s way of interpreting what he witnesses.
LINK to my full review
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Much Ado About You – Samantha Young – 3***
Evie Starling, a thirty-three Chicagoan who’s just broken up with her boyfriend and been disappointed one time too many at work, decides to take a Bookshop Holiday in England to re-evaluate and regroup. She doesn’t expect to meet the devastatingly handsome local sheep farmer (and his even cuter dog). A charming rom com with all the usual tropes. Perfect for a light holiday read.
LINK to my full review
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Balzac And the Little Chinese Seamstress – Dai Sijie – 5*****
During China's Cultural Revolution, three young men are sent to a mountain villages for re-education. One of them has a secret horde of books. The other two are captivated by the books and also by the little seamstress, daughter of the district’s tailor. Sijie gives us descriptions of the harshness of the terrain and of their forced labor. The scenes in the coal mine were particularly harrowing. But there are many humorous scenes, as well. I have read this little gem of a novel several times. It is luminously written. For me, it answers the question, "Why do you read so much?"
LINK to my full review
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The Children’s Train – Viola Ardone – 3.5***
This is a story based on true events, set in post-WW2 Italy, when children from impoverished families in the south were sent north to wealthier communities / families who could care for them. How can the mother reconcile her decision to send her child to safety with the result of a child who is returned so different from the one she sent away? How can a child forgive his mother for her inability to provide more? I’m sure my book club with have much to discuss.
LINK to my full review
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The Creation of Eve – Lynn Cullen – 4****
Based on the true, but little known, story of Sofonisba Anguisola, the first renowned female artist during the Renaissance period, this is a captivating work of historical fiction. I knew nothing about this extraordinary woman, and only a little about the court of King Felipe II. Cullen crafts a compelling story that includes intrigue, romance, mystery, politics and the frustration felt by a woman shackled by society’s conventions.
LINK to my full review
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Artemis – Andy Wier – 4.5****
I wondered if Weir could possibly top The Martian , or at least equal it. Well, now I know. And I love that this time he features a feisty, intelligent woman as the lead character. I love a good crime caper, and this is one. Lots of twists and turns that kept the action moving and my interest high.
LINK to my full review
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The Confessions of Frannie Langton – Sara Collins – 4****
This work of historical fiction looks at slavery, colonialism, drug addiction, medical experimentation and lesbianism in early 19th century England. This is Collins’s debut novel and it’s an ambitious one. Frannie narrates her story beginning in 1826, when she is already jailed for a double murder, and going back to 1812 and her youth in Jamaica. Frannie is a marvelous character – educated, observant, loving, strong and yet vulnerable. The story was as addicting as the laudanum frequently prescribed for “nervous ladies.”
LINK to my full review
Page turning! Never read this author before. She is coming out with a book in November that takes place in Niagara Falls and I wanted to read one of her books. This story takes place in 1880's NYC. A serial killer is on the loose. Is he a copycat or is he the actual Jack the Ripper? So many twists and turns. Every time you think you know who the murderer is, new possibilities come along.Many references to JTR. Prudence, Geoffrey, Josiah, Kevin and Blossom (the wonder dog) go to any lengths to find their killer. And when you think the story is over, IT IS NOT!. I look forward to reading the author's other books. This had me reading late at night and early in the morning! The descriptions of the victims are graphic. Well written storyline and fantastic characters! I do not give 5 stars often, but this one deserved it! If you like reading abt Jack the Ripper, you will like this one. If more thrillers and murder mysteries were written like this one, I would read them more often!
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The Library of Lost and Found – Phaedra Patrick – 3***
A heart-warming and enjoyable read. Martha Storm volunteers at the local library and would love to have a permanent paid position there. She’s clearly unappreciated, but soldiers on. And then one day a book of fairy tales is left for her, and as she tries to puzzle out where the book came from and how it came to be in her possession, she uncovers family secrets. Patrick writes quirky characters with hidden secrets very well. These are nearly broken people who keep their heads down and try to exist without much support or joy in their lives. And yet …
LINK to my full review
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Klara And the Sun – Kazuo Ishiguro – 4.5****
Klara, the narrator of this extraordinary work, is an artificial friend (AF). She is a keen observer and tries to be a good friend to Josie, the young girl she’s ben bought to accompany. For all her intelligence and perceptiveness, Klara cannot quite understand emotion and she certainly doesn’t have feelings of her own. Her interpretations of what she observes are sometimes quite naïve. What does it mean to love? Can science duplicate that essentially human quality in an artificial intelligence being? Do we want scientists to try?
LINK to my full review
Lily Adler Mysteries5*****
by Katharine Schellman
The first was August bonus borrow audiobook from Hoopla and when I finished it I checked out the next two audios from Hoopla.
The Body in the Garden
Silence in the Library
Death at the Manor
Regency setting traditional mysteries with delightful characters, skillfully plotted mystery and a bit of romance.
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Ordinary Girls – Jaquira Díaz – 4****
In this memoir, Díaz relates her childhood and teen years with brutal honesty. She grows up in Puerto Rico and Miami, with a mentally-ill and drug-addicted mother. And looks to her friends for the love and support she does not get at home. I found her writing gripping and enthralling. There were times when I wanted to turn away, because the scenes were so painful, but her writing kept me going. My heart went out to the young girl and struggling teenager. I applauded the woman she became.
LINK to my full review
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5*****
by Katharine Schellman
The first was August bonus borrow audiobook from Hoopla and when I finished it I checked out the next two audios from Hoopla.
[..."
Sounds fun. I'll have to check this serious out.
Book Concierge wrote: "L J wrote: "Lily Adler Mysteries5*****
by Katharine Schellman
The first was August bonus borrow audiobook from Hoopla and when I finished it I checked out the next two audios...
Sounds fun. I'll have to check this..."
It was fun.
I rated as a trilogy and recommend reading as a trilogy.
5* means I would read again. I want to re-read trilogy after re-reading Sherlock Holmes as I think I might have missed some references first time.
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The Book of Lost Friends – Lisa Wingate – 4****
For this work of historical fiction, Wingate was inspired by actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, wherein newly freed slaves search for family members from which they’d been separated. She uses the ubiquitous dual timeline for this story, and while I’ve come to really dislike this device, I thought Wingate did a marvelous job in this case. I was interested and engaged from beginning to end, and I really appreciated learning about the “Lost Friends” advertisements.
LINK to my full review
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – William Kamkwamba – 4****
Subtitle: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. This is the memoir of an extraordinary young man, the son of a Malawian farmer, struggling in poverty and through famine and drought, but following the spark of inspiration, his own thirst for knowledge, and a desire to help his family and community. William saw a need and thought, “What if?” As he explained to a TED conference, “I tried, and I made it.” It’s the not the best-written book I’ve read, but his story is inspiring and uplifting. Bravo!
LINK to my full review
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The Pianist – Wladyslaw Szpilman – 4****
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The Extraordinary True Story of One man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945. Szpilman was a Jewish pianist who managed – by luck, courage, tenacity, and the kindness of others – to stay hidden and survive in the bombed and war-torn city. I found it engaging and gripping. Even though I knew he survived, I simply could not stop reading.
LINK to my full review
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Ask Again, Yes – Mary Beth Keane – 5*****
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I absolutely love. Keane focuses this decades-long story on two families living in a suburb of New York City. There is so much going on here. Family expectations. Alcoholism. Denial. Mental Illness. Betrayal. Forgiveness. Love. By the end of the novel I felt that I really knew these people. I cheered for them. Was dismayed by them. Worried about them. Forgave them.
LINK to my full review
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The Night Watchman – Louise Erdrich – 4****
Erdrich was inspired by the true story of her grandfather, who successfully fought against a US Senator intent on “eliminating” various Indian tribes to craft this novel, set in 1953, on the Turtle Mountain reservation in North Dakota. There are two main characters, Thomas Wazhashk and his niece Patrice Paranteau. Their parallel and interconnecting story lines highlight the life, struggles and triumphs of the Native Americans during this era. I loved these characters, Patrice, in particular, as well as the many supporting characters.
LINK to my full review
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Have a Little Faith – Mitch Albom – 3.5***
Albom explores what it means to live a life of faith by looking at two very different congregations and their preachers: Rabbi Albert Lewis and Pastor Henry Covington. These two men could not be more different and yet each exemplified what it means to life a life of faith. There were a couple of times when I bristled at the feeling of being emotionally manipulated, but in the end I found it moving and thought-provoking, comforting and challenging.
LINK to my full review
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A Tale For the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki – 4****
This is Ozeki’s most widely-read work (if the Goodreads ratings are any indication). It was nominated for both the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this. Yes, I’ve read other books with multiple narrators and with multiple time lines. But there is an ethereal quality to Ozeki’s novel that I can’t remember ever encountering. I felt transported and immersed in these characters’ lives, even though I didn’t always want to be there. Nao’s story is particularly distressing with the bullying she endures, her family’s disastrous financial situation and her father’s deep depression.
LINK to my full review
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Lightning Men – Thomas Mullen – 3.5***
Book two in the Darktown series continues the story of a newly integrated Atlanta police force in the 1950s. There’s a lot going on here from the basic police procedural involving the crimes the officers are trying to solve, to the racism on the force, to the ugly and dangerous tactics of the Klan, to some personal marital issues, to political corruption. It certainly captured my attention. Mullen crafts a tight thriller, with complex characters, and a couple of stunning scenes. Still, I felt a little lost regarding the relationships between the characters because I hadn’t read the first book in the series first.
LINK to my full review
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Pied Piper –Nevil Shute – 4****
An elderly British man, John Howard, goes on holiday to France in April 1940, and must cut his visit short when Germany begins the invasion. He agrees to take two British children back to England with him, expecting a 2-day journey, but … This is a road trip and a suspense thriller with an undercurrent of family relationships and love. On the way he will encounter other refugee children, and of course, he takes them with him as well. Mr Howard is a marvelous character. Courage does not always involve fighting the enemy. Mr Howard and Nicole display the kind of quiet courage that comes from a deep conviction that what they are doing is correct, and a strong faith that somehow, they will prevail.
LINK to my full review
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Something Wicked This Way Comes – Ray Bradbury – 5*****
Bradbury was a master of suspense and sci-fi. Here he turns his imagination loose on every child’s dream – and nightmare. Who doesn’t love to be scared on a carnival ride? Like the best roller coaster, Bradbury S-L-O-W-L-Y drew me up the incline of suspense, dropped me into terror, and then evened out to let me catch my breath, only to realize there was another, steeper, incline ahead. When, finally, the ride was over I was giddy with relief … and wanted to “go again!”
LINK to my full review
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Mansfield Park – Jane Austen – 4****
Ah, but I love spending time with Austen. Fanny is perhaps the ideal heroine, and reportedly Austen’s own favorite among her heroines. She is intelligent and thoughtful, pretty and graceful, keeps her own counsel, is modest and principled, and still has a loving heart. There is a certain predictable pattern to Austen’s novels, and this one is no exception. Our heroine will remain true to herself, and love will triumph.
LINK to my full review
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A Royal Pain – Rhys Bowen – 3***
Book two in Her Royal Spyness cozy mystery series, has Lady Georgiana Rannoch (Georgie to her friends) hosting a Bavarian princess as part of Her Majesty’s plan to get the Prince of Wales interested in a more suitable partner than that awful American woman. I like Georgie as a character, and love her grandfather, as well as her best friend, Belinda. But the plot here didn’t really capture my attention. Still, it did give an added dimension to Darcy O’Mara. He may be more than just an unreliable rogue…
LINK to my full review
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Eight Perfect Hours – Lia Louis – 3***
Sam and Noelle meet when both are stranded in their cars during a blizzard. When the weather clears they part, strangers still and not expecting to see one another again. But you wouldn’t have a romance if they didn’t keep bumping into one another. It’s a fairly predictable story line and a fast read. NOT a holiday book, though, despite the cover’s promise. There are some serious issues these characters must deal with on the road to HEA.
LINK to my full review
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How To Raise an Elephant – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Book # 21 in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series set in Botswana and featuring Mma Precious Ramotswe and the other employees (partners?) of the agency, as well as friends and relatives. As is typical for this series, the mysteries are not murders, but a cousin who has some financial difficulties, or a woman with a straying husband, and also figuring out why the suspension in Mma Ramotswe’s beloved little white van seems to have gone bad … not to mention the peculiar smell coming from the back of the van.
LINK to my full review
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The Last Coyote –Michael Connelly – 3.5***
Book # 4 in the Harry Bosch series has our detective on ISL – Involuntary Stress Leave – after an “incident” involving an altercation with his supervising officer. This is a pretty dark episode in the series. But the reader gets to know much more about Harry and the way he operates, his background and what drives him. Despite the attention paid to his psychological problems, though, there is still a mystery to be solved with many clues, multiple suspects and enough twists and turns to keep any fan of thrillers interested and engaged.
LINK to my full review
I live in WNY, home to Buffalo. My family members lived in this neighborhood for decades. I still cannot fathom that a hateful racist chose to come here to cause carnage. There are no words to comfort any of survivors or victim families. 10 people dead for no other reason that hate, 3 people injured and numerous others traumatized. All of their lives and surviving families - their lives altered, forever, for generations to come. In the meantime, the racist pig and his lawyers are negotiating his judicial future. He is fed and clothed everyday. His future punishment of prison or death sentence is being negotiated before the trial begins. The victims are still dead, and survivors recovering from trauma, if they ever recover. He did live streaming of his slaughter, there is no denying he did it. Mr. Talley was able to view the live stream days after the slaughter, he witnessed every victim get killed, including his own mother. I will never understand why law enforcement allowed it to be online days after the crime. Social media knew of the details days before the murders, but did NOTHING to contact law enforcement to try to prevent it.
There are details in the book that were not reported or shared in media. I cried through parts of this book. NO one deserved this. Mr. Tally is a very brave, strong man. He is attempting to change society's attitudes. The community came together in support of them. This horrific crime will never be forgotten by locals. The victims will always be remembered here in Buffalo. We remember them by name, not just a memorial, but by name and face and their personal story. I always remember Celestine Chaney when I buy strawberries, she went in to buy them for shortcake. I can't look at strawberries without thinking of her. I can't go into my TOPS store or others without thinking of them.
The writing is easy to read, the subject matter is not. This one event hurt Buffalonians to the core. We do expect that justice had better be served.
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Books mentioned in this topic
5/14: The Day the Devil Came to Buffalo (other topics)The Last Coyote (other topics)
How to Raise an Elephant (other topics)
Eight Perfect Hours (other topics)
A Royal Pain (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Katharine Schellman (other topics)Katharine Schellman (other topics)
Katharine Schellman (other topics)
Melissa Gilbert (other topics)
Katherine Hayton (other topics)
Eye Of the Needle – Ken Follett – 4.5****
Wow. Just, WOW. Fast-paced and engaging, this WW2 espionage thriller was Follett’s first successful endeavor as a novelist; he wrote it when he was only 27 years old! Follet uses three story arcs – the German spy, the British intelligence team on his trail, and the innocent woman who holds the key to success for one side or the other. Virtually every chapter ends in a cliffhanger, and Follett keeps the tension high, with the three storylines converging in a heart-stopping scenario.
LINK to my full review