Library Lovers discussion
Archived
>
2023 Reads and Reviews - Anything Goes
The Last Word – Ellery Adams – 3***
This is book # 3 in the Books By the Bay cozy mystery series featuring Olivia Limoges, her dog Haviland, and a group of writers who meet regularly to discuss their works in progress. This plot involves an historical mystery of an escaped German POW during WW2, and a current-day award-winning author who is found murdered in his rental sea-side cottage. One thing I like about this series is how Adams slowly gives out the backstory of the characters, letting readers get to know Olivia, her extended family, and the residents of Oyster Bay over the course of the series.
LINK to my full review
--------- * * * * * * * * --------
Marrying Winterborne – Lisa Kleypas – 3***
Book two in the Ravenels series focuses on Lady Helen Ravenel and Welsh department-store mogul Rhys Winterborne. Her family isn’t so keen on the engagement, but Lady Helen and Rhys will not be denied a wedding, even if they have to … well, if I told you that would spoil it. I certainly understand why Kleypas is so successful at the Regency romance genre. The road to happily ever after is full of bumps and detours to add tension and keep the reader turning pages, but the couple will get there.
LINK to my full review
Pray For Silence – Linda Castillo – 3.5***
This is book two in the Kate Burkholder series, set in an Ohio county with significant Amish population. This novel involves the brutal murders of a family of seven. I love murder mysteries that feature strong female leads, and I look forward to reading more of this series. But trigger warning: this is a very violent crime with some very disturbing discoveries about the victims and the perpetrators.
LINK to my full review
The Cat Who Played Brahms – Lilian Jackson Braun – 3***
Book five in the delightful cozy mystery series starring James Qwilleran, and his Siamese Koko. Qwill decides to take a sabbatical from the paper, and vacation at a remote cabin on a lake “up north.” Mooseville is certainly NOT the big city, but something mysterious is going on; several of Qwill’s cherished possessions go missing and then a neighboring cabin owner is murdered. I really enjoy this series. I like Qwill and I like Koko, and NO, the cat doesn’t talk but his meanderings and occasional reaction to a visitor frequently point Qwill in the direction of a significant clue.
LINK to my full review
A Good American – Alex George – 5***** and a ❤
Book on CD performed by Gibson Frazier
This is a family saga, covering four generations of the Meisenheimer family over a century. As happens in real life, the family intersects with many of the residents of the town, and the reader gets to view history through the lens of their experiences. It is a story of immigrants, a story of quintessential Americans, a story of struggle and triumph and defeat and unabashed joy. I absolutely loved it and as soon as I had finished it, I wanted to read it again.
LINK to my full review
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – Kate DiCamillo – 5*****
Book on CD performed by Judith Ivey
Oh, but I loved this modern-day fairy tale! Edward is a china rabbit, hand crafted and meticulously attired. He lives with Abilene and her parents and grandmother in a house on Egypt Street. And then … Well, you’ll have to read about his journey yourself. It’s about compassion, and sorrow and joy. About patience and perseverance and never, ever giving up hope. It’s about love and home and miracles.
LINK to my full review
Mod
Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey
Mark Dery
3/5 stars
Interesting biography of Edward Gorey, illustrator and writer. He published and illustrated over a hundred books and influenced other writers and artists. Was known as an eccentric and secretive. Interesting book but at times it dragged on.
Falling by T.J. Newman5 stars!
This was the wrong book to take to work, thinking I could read it in small bites on my lunch hours. I found this book impossible to put down. It doesn't let up on you for a second. Well written, never clumsy or cheesy. Highly recommended.
Dying For Chocolate – Diane Mott Davidson – 3***
This is book two in the popular Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series. It has all the elements of a successful cozy mystery series: an amateur sleuth whose career puts her in contact with a wide range of people (whether victim or suspect), a home situation with added tension, a love interest, and some great recipes. I have to admit that Goldy is pretty resourceful when getting herself out of a jam and doesn’t always rely on the big strong detective to save her. On the other hand, if she kept her nose out of business that isn’t hers … well we wouldn’t have this series.
LINK to my full review
Southtown – Rick Riordan – 4****
This is book five in the Tres Navarre mysteries. This is a hard-hitting detective series, and the body count climbs as the plot progresses. I like Tres. He’s intelligent and a bit sarcastic. The setting is practically a character, and Riordan includes many landmark locations that brought me back home again.
LINK to my full review
Mod
The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation
by Elizabeth Letts
4/5 stars
Snowman was a horse that was to be sent to the slaughterhouse if it weren't for Harry de Leyer. He saw this horse and ended up buying him for $80 dollars. Turns out that it was a great decision for Harry, an immigrant and his family, who cleaned him up and entered him in the sport of show jumping. What a wonderful story about their relationship!
Taken To the Cleaners – Dolores Johnson – 3***
The first book in the Mandy Dyer cozy mystery series gets the dry cleaner involved with a local bag lady brings in one of the cleaner’s signature laundry bags, inside of which is a bloody suit. I figured out the killer long before either Mandy or the police, but it still held my attention. This was first published in 1997 and it shows … limited computer use, no cell phones. Still, I’d be willing to try another in the series.
LINK to my full review
The Violin of Auschwitz –Maria Àngels Anglada– 2.5**
I really wanted to like this book … no … I wanted to love this book. But it missed the mark for me. The basic story line is engaging and what kept me reading, but there were huge gaps that left me hungry for more detail. So, while the author played the reader’s heartstrings like a violin virtuoso, I felt that the book was unfinished.
LINK to my full review
The Second-Worst Restaurant in France – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
This is the second book featuring Paul Stuart, the “renowned Scottish cookbook writer.” He’s struggling with his latest book so jumps at the chance to accompany his cousin, Chloe, to France, where he hopes to find his muse, or at least a few great meals. There is not much plot to move the story along. Rather, Paul just stumbles into situations in the village as he meets new and interesting people. What I like about this book and several of McCall Smith’s other works are the characters. I enjoy peeping into their lives for a bit and watching the goings on from afar.
LINK to my full review
Mod
Edward Gorey: His Book Cover Art and Design
3/5 stars
There is not much to say about this book. There is a brief review about his artwork but the book mainly contains his book covers. Definitely, for Gorey fans!
The Night Masquerade – Nnedi Okorafor – 3.5***
The final book in the Binti trilogy, has Binti trying to broker peace between the Meduse and the Khoush. I really marvel at the world-building that Okorafor has achieved here. The imaginative alien species are a marvel. And because I had come to trust her writing, I went with the flow and didn’t question the abilities of Okwu or New Fish. I really like Binti, and since the ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger, I have to wonder if the trilogy is really over, or if Okorafor will write more about Binti.
LINK to my full review
A little "Christmas in July" ...
A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe – Jessica Clare – 3***
This is the second book I’ve read in this series set in and around Painted Barrel, Wyoming. It is, of course, a holiday cowboy romance. Sage Cooper is the nicest gal in town but nobody’s girlfriend. Jason is a veteran of Afghanistan trying to run from his PTSD by working on a ranch (something he’s never done before). I’m sure you can guess the plot. It’s a fast read and there are the requisite hot-and-steamy sex scenes. Not to mention a great dog, Achilles.
LINK to my full review
--------- * * * * * * * * --------
My Kind of Christmas – Robyn Carr – 1*
In Carr’s defense I have not read any of the previous books in this series (and this one is # 18). So, I had no background on the residents of Virgin River or their previous interactions / relationships. That made me feel a little lost. I didn’t think the relationship between Patrick and Angie made sense. She’s suffered a traumatic brain injury, he’s “in love” with his dead partner’s wife. But they are going to have great sex anyway. Puh-leeze. Plus, there was very little – if any – actual Christmas cheer evident. In the spirit of the season, I’ll grant it 1 star.
Love, Loss, and What We Ate – Padma Lakshmi – 3.5***
I don’t read a lot of celebrity memoirs, but when a friend recommended this one I had to see what the fuss was about. From what she relates of her early adulthood (into her 40s), I got the impression that she identified herself by the man she was attached to, which irritated me. But I liked the portions of the book that took us back to her childhood in India, to the cultures, foods, sights, sounds and smells that helped form her. By the end I grew to appreciate the woman she has become.
LINK to my full review
U Is For Undertow – Sue Grafton – 4****
Book # 21 in the mystery series starring private investigator and former cop, Kinsey Millhone. Grafton sure could write a compelling mystery! The plot moves forward at a steady pace, and the series includes a couple of wonderful side characters. Grafton purposely set the series in a time before cell phones and the internet, so Kinsey needs to use the old-fashioned resources of reverse directories and pay phones.
LINK to my full review
Upright Women Wanted – Sarah Gailey – 3***
I picked this up because I needed a book to satisfy a challenge and this was readily available at the library. What an interesting plot! Set in a future America under a fascist regime, the Librarians are a network of lesbian spies. It has all the hallmarks of a traditional Western, but with a fresh new twist.
LINK to my full review
Mod
The Haunted Looking Glass
Edward Gorey
3.5/5 stars
This is a collection of haunted ghost stories written by several authors including Bram Stoker, Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. However, all of the stories have been illustrated and picked by Edward Gorey. Interesting!
Mod
Peppermint Twist: The Mob, the Music, and the Most Famous Dance Club of the '60s
John Johnson Jr.
4/5 stars
The title tells it all. This is a very interesting story of the mob and the 60's dance club that they hung out at, along with the singing stars that performed there.
Mod
Peppermint Twist: The Mob, the Music, and the Most Famous Dance Club of the '60s
The title tells it all. This is a very interesting story of the mob and the 60's dance club that they hung out at, along with the singing stars that performed there.
Bettyville – George Hodgman – 4****
Hodgman, recently out of a job, moved back home to Missouri to help shepherd his mother along a path neither of them wanted to take. I found this tender and funny, heartbreaking and hopeful. There were times when I wanted to slap him (or Betty) upside the head and force one or both of them to face reality. There were times when I wanted to just wrap them in a blanket and give them little “now, now and there, there” comforting pats.
LINK to my full review
A Loyal Character Dancer – Qiu Xiaolong – 3***
Book two in the Chief Inspector Chen Cao mystery series set in Shanghai. I like this series. Chen is a complicated man. Educated and a poet, he walks the tightrope between political correctness and professional police duty. This makes for a more slow-moving work than is typical for mysteries. But I didn’t mind that so much. I appreciated the time spent on the history of this complex culture.
LINK to my full review
Mod
You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
Mike Thomas
This is a well-written biography of the fabulous and funny Phil Hartman, comedian and actor. Author, Mike Thomas does a great job of chronicling the life and career of Hartman and the tragic outcome of his life.
Eight Hundred Grapes – Laura Dave – 3***
This piqued my interest because of the setting in the Sonoma Valley, and the book jacket blurb led me to believe it would be a lighter, romantic read. There IS some romance involved … but … Georgia turns out to be a bit more complex that I originally gave her credit for. The resolution of the difficulties has to wait for a few complications to be ironed out, but the ending is still satisfying in a chick-lit romance sort of way. Not exactly tied up in a pretty bow … but the ribbon is there.
LINK to my full review
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington3 stars
This is a pretty grim story about the many, many, many problems in the Mississippi criminal justice system, always with the unspoken questions about how other states on the U.S. are doing. I found it hard to stay engaged at times because the authors tried to cover so many issues at once, but it all came together in the end. The book made clear that while things ended fairly happily for two particular exonerated men, there are probably many other innocents out there, rotting in prison with nobody to get them out.
Candy And Me – Hilary Liftin – 3.5***
Hilary Liftin has had a lifelong addiction to candy. I can relate. As she recalls her childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, she reflects on the many candies she consumed, adored, sought, hoarded and absolutely without guilt enjoyed. We have, both of us, learned to live with a sweet tooth, and moderate our consumption. But it was sure nice to take a walk down memory lane, when penny candy was plentiful, and I had a whole DIME to spend on it!
LINK to my full review
Hondo – Louis L’Amour – 3.5***
An iconic work of American Western genre, featuring a strong, rather taciturn, loner who lives, and is willing to die, by his principles, and a vulnerable but equally strong woman determined to keep her family home and protect what she holds dear. The setting is practically a character: the southeast corner of Arizona, populated by rattlesnakes, gila monsters, coyotes, jackrabbits and pumas, not to mention the various Apache tribes fighting to regain their historic lands.
LINK to my full review
The Owl & Moon Cafe – Jo-Ann Mapson – 3***
Four generations of women work hard to support themselves with their small café, while giving to the community in their northern California town. As happens in real life, things get messy. Major illness, loss of a job, bullying and strained budgets are stressing all the Moon women. Not to mention a couple of men added to the mix. Secrets will come out. Fights will be had. Tears will be shed. At the end, I’m certain the Moon women will find a way to deal with whatever life throws at them.
LINK to my full review
Mod
An Assembly Such as This
Pamela Aidan
3/5 stars
This is the story of Fitzwilliam Darcy, the love interest of Elizabeth Bennett from the novel Pride and Prejudice. In this book, the author covers Darcy's storyline including his family and friends. He does meet Elizabeth, at a party but she is hardly in this as the emphasis is on Darcy. Very interesting. Aidan has written four books in this series so it will be interesting to see where she goes with this storyline.
The Hour of Land – Terry Tempest Williams – 3***
Subtitle: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks. This is a book I would not have picked up were it not for being a book-club selection. Williams is a good writer, and there are times when her descriptions take the reader straight to the park she is visiting. Some of these passages are downright poetic. However, Williams spent less time on the park itself and its natural and/or historic wonders than she did on a political agenda. I don’t even disagree with her point of view, but it wasn’t what I expected or wanted from this book.
LINK to my full review
Julie wrote: "An Assembly Such as This
Pamela Aidan
3/5 stars
This is the story of Fitzwilliam Darcy, the love interest of Elizabeth Benne..."
Well, you've piqued MY interest ...
West With Giraffes – Lynda Rutledge – 4****
As the world struggles to escape the Great Depression, and on the cusp of a new World War, orphan Woodrow Wilson Nickel finds himself cast adrift in the wake of the devastating Hurricane of 1938. Stumbling about hoping to find some shelter he comes across a scene that completely changes his life. Rutledge based this work of historical fiction on an actual event; in 1938 two giraffes were transported across America from the Port of New York to the San Diego Zoo. Woody is a wonderful character, and narrator, and I was completely captivated from beginning to end.
LINK to my full review
Mod
How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived
Leslie Jordan
4/5 stars
Leslie Jordan writes about his life and his career on TV, Instagram and films. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his life. A fast read, you'll get a kick out of this book!
Something's Alive on the Titanic by Robert Serling3 stars
This was a very odd moment in history to finish reading a book about a submersible coming to grief as it explored the wreck of the Titanic, but that's how I choose what book to read... Two secret expeditions to explore, and salvage from, the doomed mail steamer go terribly awry. Combines features of Dead in the Water by Nancy Holder with William Hope Hodgson's haunted-sea tales and more than a whiff of "Forbidden Planet."
Mod
We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Film
Noah Isenberg
4/5 stars
This is the wonderfully interesting book about the film Casablanca. Isenberg discusses the origins of the film, the actors, parodies of the movie and discussions about a sequel. Definitely, for Casablanca fans!
The Department of Sensitive Crimes – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Gosh, but I enjoy visiting with Alexander McCall Smith’s characters! This is somewhat of a farce of police procedurals. Detective Ulf “the Wolf” Varg and his team certainly have “interesting” cases. There is no case too strange or confusing for this team. I particularly liked the case of the missing imaginary boyfriend!
LINK to my full review
The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream – Jeannie Zusy – 3.5***
This is a novel of family in which the key events are the kinds of everyday disasters many families must deal with: a hospitalization, a teenager learning to drive, an accident, a holiday dinner that goes awry. The family dynamics in this book are spot on. Ginny may have some intellectual disabilities, but she is a master manipulator. Maggie, albeit the youngest, has taken on the role usually assigned to the oldest sibling. And the supporting cast includes two wonderful home health aides, Philomena and Lika. A lovely debut work.
LINK to my full review
Mod
The Final Solution: A Story of Detection
Michael Chabon
3/5 stars
In England, post WWII, Linus, a nine-year-old mute from Nazi Germany, whose only companion is a parrot meets a former detective. The parrot is very verbal and recites a string of German numbers. Not knowing what it means the detective looks into this very puzzling mystery to solve.
The Spies of Shilling Lane – Jennifer Ryan – 3***
What a delightful romp! While this is a novel of espionage and daring deeds in a time of war, and the background of the blitz adds a consistent and real danger, there are many lighter moments to lessen the tension, and the focus is really on the characters and their personal journey rather than on the war. Ryan writes the formidable Mrs Braithwaite so the reader has no doubt that she will prevail. She may bumble and misconstrue most clues, but she is resolute and WILL find and rescue her darling daughter.
LINK to my full review
Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy by Alex Mar3 stars
This was almost a Greek tragedy in a true-crime format. We know what happened, who did it and what came of it, but we never get any real information about WHY any of it happened. The central character does seem to have had a fatal flaw...terribly sad story.
Mod
Duty and Desire
Pamela Aidan
3.5/5 stars
This is the second book in the Fitzwilliam Darcy Series. The story surrounds Darcy and there is only a little mention of Elizabeth Bennet. In this book Darcy takes off to see an Oxford classmate. However, at this reunion, Darcy meets Lady Sylvanie who is up to no good and there is a sinister plot involving the slaying of a pig and a kidnapping of a local child. This book is a little darker than I expected.
Mod
Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig
Jonathan Eig
5/5 stars
What a wonderful book about the life of baseball star Lou Gehrig. I highly recommend this for anyone to read. I also had read Eig's book The Birth of the Pill: How Four Crusaders Reinvented Sex and Launched a Revolution and loved that book. Looking forward to reading more of his books.
Eden Close – Anita Shreve – 3.5***
When his mother dies, Andrew, an advertising exec in New York City, returns to the family’s upstate New York farm for the funeral. Intending to stay only a few days, he gets caught up in memories of his childhood, of the girl next door, and of the tragic event that changed all their lives. There is some mystery to unravel here regarding that long-ago summer night. Andrew has always been a person who doesn’t really see things, even when they are right in front of him, and he will have to open his eyes to the truth before he can move forward.
LINK to my full review
The Adventure Of the Christmas Pudding – Agatha Christie – 3***
This is actually a collection of short stories, in which Hercule Poirot addresses a variety of cases, and Miss Jane Marple solves the final case. Agatha Christie is one of my go-to authors when I want a break from everyday life and heavier, more literary reads. I just plain enjoy them. I’m also a fan of short stories, and this fit the bill nicely for winter evenings … one story per night.
LINK to my full review
Mod
That's Not All Folks!
Mel Blanc
5/5 stars
What a wonderful book about Mel Blanc! He writes about his time voicing cartoon characters, also his life on radio, films and on television! He also talks about his wife and son and also how show business affected his life. Highly recommended!
Books About Film and Television
Secrets of a Summer Night – Lisa Kleypas – 3***
This is the first in the “wallflower” series featuring four young women of marriageable age but who are at risk of becoming spinsters if they don’t find a suitable mate. In this first outing, the girls decide to pool their resources to ensure that Annabelle (who is the oldest and most in need of a husband) snags her man. This is a typical regency romance with plenty of heaving bosoms, devastatingly handsome men, one or two scoundrels, and a clash between the classes. The plot may be predictable, but it’s still great fun to read. A lovely escape!
LINK to my full review
Buried In a Good Book – Tamara Berry – 3***
First in a new cozy mystery series featuring Tess Harlow, a mystery-book author, who leaves Seattle for the Northwoods cabin she inherited from her grandfather. But before she can settle in a loud explosion results in a rain of dead fish and body parts. There’s no shortage of suspects, including “Bigfoot,” to keep both Sheriff Boyd and Tess busy. A fun, fast read.
LINK to my full review
Library Lovers
Books mentioned in this topic
Great Expectations (other topics)On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (other topics)
The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West (other topics)
Ubik (other topics)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Philip K. Dick (other topics)Mitch Albom (other topics)
Bruce Springsteen (other topics)
Peggy Rowe (other topics)
Meg Haston (other topics)
More...
The Farm – Joanne Ramos – 4****
Digital audiobook narrated by Fran de Leon.
Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is searching for a better opportunity to secure the future for herself and her daughter. So, she agrees to be a surrogate mother for a significant payback upon delivery. While the original premise seems plausible, the reality of Jane’s situation quickly devolves into a somewhat dystopian nightmare. It certainly held my attention and I really wanted to see how Jane would fare in this scenario. I think this would be a work that book clubs would love to discuss.
LINK to my full review