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2023 Reads and Reviews - Anything Goes
The Heart Goes Last – Margaret Atwood – 4****
In a country facing economic and social collapse, Stan and Charmaine struggle to hold onto their love and their marriage. Damn but Atwood is a fine writer! I love how she shows us this young couple , their dreams and ambitions revealed through their actions. What IS love? Is it passion and excitement? Is it devotion and sacrifice without thought to self? Can we choose whom and how to love, or is it an emotion so powerful that we are helpless in its grasp, destined to follow the path laid out before us?
LINK to my full review
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Finding Me
Viola Davis
4/5 stars
Davis, who is an actress, relates her life of poverty as a child and how she got out of it and became an award winning actress who won awards in all the major entertainment categories. This was a fascinating read!
The Burn Farm by Michael Benson2.5 stars
Although this was an interesting and legally important story, I had to set this book aside more than once because so much of it consisted of the defendant's rambling self-justification. It was an important part of the book, because this was what the police and jury had to work with, and my hat is off to all of them for slogging through it. The killer is a real piece of work and I hope our paths never cross for any reason.
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Treasure State
C.J. Box
4/5 stars
Cassie Dwell is back and trying to solve two mysteries in this latest book. Cassie is hired to find a con man who meets wealthy women and convinces them to give them their fortunes. Also on her to do list is to find a client who claims to have buried treasure and he wants her to find him. I am enjoying this series. I hope that Box continues with the Cassie Dewell series.
The Coyotes of Carthage – Steven Wright – 4****
Andre Ross has one more shot to salvage his career as a hotshot political consultant. Sent to a backwater community in South Carolina, he’s tasked with passing an initiative that no one has even considered. I found this riveting and informative. I could not help but think of our current political climate and the way the populace is manipulated by the message.
LINK to my full review
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt – 4****
Van Pelt weaves disparate characters into a tapestry of love, forgiveness and second chances. The story is tender and heart-warming and charming, if a little unbelievable. I was completely captured by it and loved every minute I spent with them. The ending is pretty perfect. This is a strong debut and I eagerly await the author’s next effort!
LINK to my full review
Ripper by Linda Rosencrance3 stars
This book goes farther than just describing the crimes of Jeff Mailhot. By the end of the story we've been given a much larger picture of life, and crimes against women, in Rhode Island, especially Woonsocket. I came away with the sense that the police there have a whole lot to sort through and keep up with, not least their own bungling, which is a major undercurrent in this story. With that said, I'm very impressed with their determination to see this case through and get some answers for the victims' families.
Angel With Two Faces – Nicola Upson – 3***
Book two in the mystery series featuring Josephine Tey and Detective Inspector Archie Penrose. Tey was a real person, and Upson uses elements of her life as well as historical events of the mid 1930s as jumping off points for these mysteries. As mysteries go, this was somewhat slow to get started. The action picks up once the murder happens (on page 200). It is more of a psychological drama than anything else. I’m willing to continue the series, but I hope the action picks up.
LINK to my full review
A Single Thread – Tracy Chevalier – 3***
I have read and greatly enjoyed other works by Chevalier, so was looking forward to it. But I come away a little disappointed. I really wanted to know more about the cathedral, its history, and the work of the broderers. I really liked Violet, and several of the women she came to know and befriend. Her landlady was a peach, and Miss Pesel was a treasure. I thought Chevalier treated Violet’s relationship with Arthur fairly, and realistically. But I could have done without the romance.
LINK to my full review
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Rich People Problems – Kevin Kwan – 3***
Book three (and I hope the final installment) in the story of the uber wealthy Singaporean Young family. There’s plenty of drama, what with divorces, engagements, sex video scandals, stepchildren misbehaving, mega efforts to one-up each other, extravagant parties, and even plastic surgery for a pet fish. Kwan writes these people so over-the-top that it’s hard to relate to any of them. They are shallower that the damp spot on the sidewalk where I splashed a few drops of water. Still, I found it mildly entertaining and it was a fast read.
LINK to my full review
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The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: The Library Cats Who Left Their Pawprints on a Small Town . . . and the World
Jan Louch
5/5 stars
What a wonderful story about a library who took in two Scottish Fold cats, Baker and Taylor. The library and the patrons embraced them and let them live in their library. After the cats were photographed for a poster they became minor celebrities and their fans traveled to the library to see them or write letters to them.
Murder In Grub Street – Bruce Alexander – 3***
Book two in the Sir John Fielding mystery series. This was much more complicated than the first book, and I admit my attention wandered a bit. There is religious fervor, multiple personalities, professional jealousy, anti-semitism, dreadful conditions of tenement buildings, and a light-fingered imp of a thief to complicate the case. Still, I love the way that Alexander has taken bits and pieces of history and woven them into these mysteries.
LINK to my full review
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Lighthouse Island
Paulette Jiles
3/5 stars
This story revolves around Nadia, who was left by her mother and father and ended up living in an orphanage. But now she is grown up and on her own. She believes that her family is now on Lighthouse Island. She meets up with James Orotov who makes maps. They decide to try and find Lighthouse Island while evading arrest. Will the island be refuge they think it will be? Interesting concept but not my favorite book of hers.
The Nature of Life and Death: Every Body Leaves a Trace, by Patricia Wiltshire3 solid stars
This started out very slowly, but picked up speed once the author -- one of the world's half-handful of forensic ecologists -- started to detail her experience in working on crime scenes. It clearly takes a very specific type of personality, with a great deal of training, to do this tedious, exacting work, and it sounds as if her results can be very powerful in court. All of the cases were interesting despite the large area of blank space in each narrative. She often did not give any times, dates, or enough detail to allow me to look up the cases. She seems uninterested in the outcome in the courtroom and is 100% focused on counting up those mushroom spores to get to the truth. A readable and often fascinating memoir.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J K Rowling – 4****
The seventh, and final, episode in the uber popular Harry Potter series, provides a few surprises and a satisfying ending to the story of the Boy Who Lived vs You Know Who. The series has always been aimed at this confrontation, and some of the scenes were truly frightening. I appreciated the several bits of humor that provided some relief from the seemingly relentless danger. And can I just say that I want one of those evening bags!
LINK to my full review
The Secret Serial Killer: The True Story of Kieran Kelly, by Robert Mulhern4 distinctly puzzled stars
This is a weird one. Rather than simply give a factual story with a set of conclusions at the end, the author found himself chasing down a series of will-o'-the-wisp half-truths that often proved impossible to confirm. Even the most straightforward-seeming facts dissolved into mist without warning. Full of odd coincidences, contradictory information and red herrings. I couldn't put it down.
Death On the River of Doubt – Samantha Seiple – 3***
Subtitle: Theodore Roosevelt's Amazon Adventure. This is a children’s middle-grade book detailing the expedition to chart a previously uncharted tributary of the Amazon. To say that this journey was treacherous is an understatement. It’s a great introduction to Roosevelt for the younger set, and it piqued my interest sufficiently that I’m moving Candice Millard’s book on the same episode farther up on my tbr list.
LINK to my full review
Plantation Shudders – Ellen Byron – 3***
Book one in the Cajun Country cozy mystery series introduces the reader to Maggie Crozat and her family, who run an historic Louisiana plantation as a B&B. This has all the hallmarks of a cozy mystery. A likeable amateur sleuth, romantic tension between the leading lady and the hunky cop, a gaggle of potential suspects, secrets galore, some delicious food and a loveable Basset hound named Gopher. And a few great recipes to whet the appetite.
LINK to my full review
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Becoming
Michelle Obama
5/5 stars
This is a fascinating look at Michelle Obama’s life from her childhood growing up in Chicago, meeting Barack and through her role as First Lady of the White House. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it will definitely be on top of my favorites list this year.
The Turtle Warrior – Mary Relindes Ellis – 5*****
When James enlists at age seventeen and goes to Vietnam, his nine-year-old brother, Billy, has only the protection of a turtle-shell shield and a wooden sword to keep him from harm. It will be a long and fraught journey to manhood for the sensitive Billy. This is a marvelous debut. There are some horrific scenes in this book, and it is an emotionally difficult read. But the reader who can get through the horror will be rewarded with a hopeful ending.
LINK to my full review
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Killing Mr. Griffin
Lois Duncan
4/5 stars
A group of students in Mr. Griffin's class are tired of his berating them. So, a few of them decide to prank him and they tie him up and kidnap him. Unfortunately, things go horribly wrong and now they have to cover up their tracks. Very well written and a fast read!
Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna – Alda P Dobbs – 4****
Set during the Mexican Revolution of 1913, this novel is based on the author’s family history. Thirteen-year-old Petra is the de facto head of her household once her father is conscripted into the Mexican Army. Force to flee when their village is burned, Petra leads her grandmother, younger sister and baby brother across the desert towards freedom. A marvelous story of courage in the face of adversity.
LINK to my full review
Inheritance: A Visual Poem – Elizabeth Acevedo – 4****
“Some people tell me to ‘fix’ my hair And by fix, they mean straighten”
A wonderful essay told in verse of the Afro-Latinidad experience, when even other Dominicans have “swallowed amnesia” because “it is easier” than living ”in this reality.” In this short work she addresses skin tone, slavery, relationships, immigration, prejudice, power and self-worth.
“all I can reply is you can’t fix what was never broken.”
LINK to my full review
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The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros – 5*****
This is the story of Esperanza Cordero who lives in a poor section of Chicago and struggles to stay in school. At the time it was published there were few coming-of-age stories that portrayed people of color and the challenges of living in an inner city. Cisneros began her writing career as a poet and those roots clearly show in the book. The short chapters are vignettes of Esperanza’s life. She is like any ‘tween’ - eager and curious and sad and confused and sassy and happy and hopeful.
LINK to my full review
The Last Midwife – Sandra Dallas – 3.5***
Good historical fiction set in 1880s Colorado mining town. I was interested in the birthing stories, and in the ways in which Gracy worked among both the men and women of the community. She’s a marvelously strong woman, and over the course of the novel we learn a few of her own heartaches and how she’s overcome and persevered. There were times when I thought the whole murder mystery was a bit too contrived, but it certainly held my attention.
LINK to my full review
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Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her
Melanie Rehak
5/5 stars
Rehak tells the fascinating story of how book serials began. These serials included The Bobbsey Twins, Hardy Boys and in particular the Nancy Drew stories which were written by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and Mildred Benson. Harriet Stratemeyer’s father had started the business in which he wrote the synopsizes and then farmed them out to other authors to flesh out the stories. These books took off and became a worldwide phenomenon and are still popular.
The Paris Hours – Alex George – 3.5***
Paris 1927. Home to Josephine Baker, Maurice Ravel, Gertrude Stein and Marcel Proust. But in addition to the many famous “lost generation” members, the City of Light was also home to many who led much quieter lives. George tells the story of four such souls, whose stories converge over the course of one day and night in Paris. George deftly handled these different storylines to produce a cohesive tale. Despite the constant change in point of view, I never lost interest in where it was going. The connections between the characters really didn’t gel until the last couple of chapters, and the ending was a nice surprise.
LINK to my full review
I Am the Messenger – Markus Zusak – 2**
I picked this up because I enjoyed Zusak’s The Book Thief and was hoping for … well, not more of the same, but something that would spark some of the same feelings I had reading that work. In the end, I wound up confused about what was actually going on and found the entire premise rather unbelievable. Zusak joins the likes of author John Boyne for me – an author I’ve enjoyed at least once, perhaps even loved, but who is just as likely to completely disappoint me in another work .
LINK to my full review
The Cat Who Played Post Office – Lilian Jackson Braun – 3***
Another charming episode in the life of journalist James Qwilleran (known simply as Qwill) and his precocious Siamese, Koko. I like the series because I like Qwill. His work as a journalist gives him a reason to poke his nose in where it doesn’t belong. If he doesn’t pick up on the significance of a clue, well trust that Koko will point him in the right direction with a yip, yowl or repeated scratching at a seemingly ordinary box.
LINK to my full review
The Cold Millions – Jess Walters – 4****
This novel focuses on the two Dolan brothers: sixteen-year-old Rye and his older brother Gig. The story is told from multiple characters’ points of view, and some scenes are related more than once, giving the reader additional insight as the point of view changes in the same scenario. Based on actual events in 1909 Spokane, Washington, at the novel’s core is a class struggle that is reminiscent of what America is undergoing now just over a hundred years later. Walter is a masterful storyteller and I was engaged and interested from beginning to end.
LINK to my full review
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A Natural Woman: A Memoir
Carole King
4/5 stars
This is a wonderfully, written memoir by Carole King, who relates her life and family history up to 2012. Included in the book is her rise to fame, her personal life and her collaborations with other artists. Definitely for King fans.
Enemy Women – Paulette Jiles – 4****
In the last months of 1864, the residents of Missouri are being pushed and pulled between warring factions. I found this work of historical fiction fascinating and engaging. Adair is a strong woman even though she is barely out of girlhood. She remains resolute despite hardship. No horse – no problem – she will walk. She never loses sight of her goal – to find her father, to get home, to reunite her family.
LINK to my full review
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Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole
Susan Cain
3/5 stars
I loved Susan Cain's book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. This new book of hers was very interesting. She discusses the topic that without sadness and yearning that we cannot be a whole person. If you haven't read any of her books, I would start with Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. Books Off My Reading List
These Precious Days – Ann Patchett – 5*****
This is a series of essays about Patchett’s life and her thoughts on a variety of subjects from marriage to career, to education, to family, to grief. I love Patchett’s writing. Here, she is most herself – honest, funny, empathetic, confused, angry, caring, and passionate. I greatly enjoyed reading about her own journey as a reader, writer and owner of a bookstore.
LINK to my full review
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Brandwashed
Martin Lindstrom
4/5 stars
Fascinating book about how businesses use different tactics to promote certain brands, especially name brands. Lindstrom also wrote Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. I knew marketing brands was/is popular but I never knew the lengths that marketing companies would go to get a product to sell. Very interesting.
Deadly Intentions, by William Randolph Stevens5 stars!
A gripping, weird, and (I hope) unique crime story. There can't be another guy on the planet like this, can there? It makes my heart sink to think this all went down before there were any meaningful laws against this kind of crime in my home country. They're not that much better even now. Certainly not good enough to protect this man's victims. Sometimes all you can do is change your name and move where you can't be found. This is one of those stories that's unforgettable because you know it isn't over.
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The Little Broomstick
Mary Stewart
4/5 stars
Sweet story about Mary Smith, a ten-year-old girl who goes to visit her Aunt Sue and her family. When her aunt becomes ill, she is sent to live with her Aunt Charlotte who was kind of an outcast. But Mary and her Aunt became close and she experiences thing she has never done before, going on journeys, learning witchcraft and spells and befriending animals. Although this a juvenile book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota – J Ryan Stradl – 4****
Helen and Edith are estranged sisters. Helen convinced their father to leave her the farm, and she and her husband started a very successful brewery with that nest egg. Edith lives quietly, working two jobs and raising her granddaughter, Diana. Stradal reveals the intergenerational story through multiple points of view. At its core this is a story about family. About the ties that bind us whether we recognize them or not. About perseverance and strength of character. About facing our fear of failure and taking risks. It’s about love and forgiveness.
LINK to my full review
Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days by Brandon McMillan4 stars
There are some really good dog training tips in this book. Brandon had a show on Saturday mornings called Lucky Dog and if you are like me and watch it regularly, you probably won't find much in this book that you don't already know. But if you are looking for a good book on dog training this is it. I know I learned a lot from watching his show and I have a great dog to show for it!
Gods of Jade And Shadow – Silvia Moreno-Garcia – 3***
Digital audiobook performed by Yetta Gottesman.
Fantasy is not my thing, but this book completely captured me. I loved Casiopea, a young woman who is intelligent, curious, resourceful, and determined. She’s not about to take guff from anyone – human or demon. She’s up for every challenge she’s presented with on this crazy journey to help the Mayan god of death regain his throne. I loved the rather open-ended conclusion. Where will she go? I can only imagine, but I’d be willing to read about her further adventures.
LINK to my full review
The Porcupine Year – Louise Erdrich – 4****
Digital audiobook narrated by Christina Moore
Book three in the Birchbark House series sees Omakayas growing into young womanhood. Her leadership qualities are blossoming and becoming evident to the members of her community. The entire tribe is affected by the encroachment of white settlers who force them from their ancestral lands and send them in search of a new home. They endure a very harsh season, nearly starving, and losing a couple of valued members of the group. But always, Omakayas and her people rely on their traditions, beliefs and cooperation to survive and prosper.
LINK to my full review
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Cool Dead People: Obituaries of Real Folks We Wish We'd Met a Little Sooner
Jane O'Boyle
4/5 stars
This was such an original book about people we didn't know but still lived unusual lives. O'Boyle gathered these obituaries and compiled them in this book. Not a lengthy read but oh so interesting!
The Hindi-Bindi Club – Monica Pradhan – 3.5***
This was highly reminiscent of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club . We have two generations of three immigrant families – mothers and daughters. The central plot revolves around Kiran, who, having married against her parents wishes and now divorced, has decided to ask for their help in finding a life partner. I enjoyed learning a bit more of the history of India, and of the disparate cultures within the subcontinent. Just as in real life, it’s not all drama and angst. There is plenty of humor, tenderness, laughter and tears of joy. Oh, and Prahan includes some wonderful recipes at the end of each chapter.
LINK to my full review
Firekeeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley – 4****
Book on CD narrated by Isabella Star LeBlanc
Boulley’s debut is a gripping story. Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine is a marvelous character, the daughter of an Ojibwe man and a white woman, she doesn’t quite fit in either in her hometown or on the nearby reservation. She’s on the path to success, intent on a career in medicine. But she IS a teenager, and her emotions sometimes overwhelm her. Boulley keeps the tension high with a number of twists and turns in the plot. As happens in real life, not all the bad guys get what’s coming to them, but the ending is nevertheless satisfying.
LINK to my full review
Lake Of the Ozarks – Bill Geist – 3***
Subtitle: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America. This is a charming memoir of the author’s teen-year summers spent working at his uncle’s resort at Lake of the Ozarks. He did any and all distasteful jobs and enjoyed the company of a bevy of lovely young women who served as housemaids and/or waitresses. The pay was abysmal, but they got free room and board and a sense of independence.
LINK to my full review
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Darling Girl
Liz Michalski
3/5 stars
This is a dark remake about the Peter Pan story which revolves around Holly, whose mother is the original Wendy from the fairy tale. Holly finds out that her daughter Eden, who has been in a coma for years is gone. Holly is convinced that Peter Pan took her and she gets help from Christopher Cooke, a former soldier to find her daughter before it is too late.
Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide's Family Murders, by Debi Marshall3 frustrated stars
This told me much more than I knew before about the Family Murders, the victims, their surviving family and friends, and the investigations that followed. Wildly frustrating as it was full of half-glimpsed conspiracies, unprovable assertions and people whose names could not be used, making it nearly impossible to keep everything straight as I read. I came away with the impression that half of Adelaide knows a tiny scrap of the story, saw something, heard something but doesn't realize that it's important. I also learned a great deal more about the revolting Duncan drowning and what didn't come of it. My advice is to stay as far from Adelaide as you can. Bad things happen there.
Icy Sparks – Gwyn Hyman Rubio – 5****
Book on CD performed by Kate Miller
We know much more about Tourette’s Syndrome today than during the timeframe of this story (1950s), and I hope even the residents of rural Appalachia would be more compassionate about a young girl so afflicted. Icy Sparks jumps off the pages of this book straight into the reader’s heart. This is a child who is curious, intelligent, kind, loving, and who learns to stand up to bullies and fight for herself. She shows empathy and compassion in her dealings with others even when they ostracize and belittle her.
LINK to my full review
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The Premonition
by Michael Lewis
4/5 stars
Fascinating look at epidemics particularly revolving around Covid. The author discusses what caused it, who was affected by it and the men and women who fought it and tried to deter it. Well written!
The Santa Suit – Mary Kay Andrews – 3***
This is a charming holiday rom-com with a bit of mystery. The small town is full of colorful characters, and as Ivy begins to become known around town she opens up to her new friends and to the possibility of a new romance. The ending is neatly tied up in a pretty ribbon, but hey, it’s a holiday romance, so I’m okay with that.
LINK to my full review
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Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World
Lynn Downey
4/5 stars
This is an interesting biography/nonfiction about the life and times of Levi Strauss. Born in Germany, he left for America and ended up in San Francisco in the 1850’s dealing with imported goods. He met Jacob W. Davis, a customer who invented the the riveted denim pants. Davis partnered with Levi in 1871 to produce the blue jeans.
Never married, he supported his family and encouraged his employees to better their lives.
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4 stars!
Just a fine, compassionate, insightful read about a dreadful local case of serial murder. This one still feels so close and immediate after nearly 25 years, and the authors brought it all back as if it were last week. Finally I got to learn something about the victims! I remain furious that I learned zero about that fourth body at the dump site, not even whether it was a child or an adult, male or female, not a name, not a cause of death, nothing. Who are you!? That's the only reason this was not a 5-star read for me. With that said I am extending a plea to these authors to bring us a book, or books, about the victims of Tony Atkins, Donald Murphy, Victor Malone, Coral Watts, Shelly Brooks and DeAngelo Martin. So many unanswered questions...