Library Lovers discussion
2024 Reads and Reviews - Anything Goes
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My Beloved Monster: Masha, the Half-wild Rescue Cat Who Rescued Me
Caleb Carr
4/5 stars
Caleb Carr is a bestselling author, and he has written a wonderful story about his life and his pet cat Masha who he rescued from an animal shelter. Non-Fiction
Mother-Daughter Murder Night – Nina Simon – 3.5***
I enjoyed this fresh take on the typical whodunit / cozy mystery. The amateur sleuths here are intelligent and reasonable in the risks they take. I appreciated that Simon crafted a plot that kept me guessing right up to the reveal. But what I really enjoyed about the book was the family dynamics. The ending of this novel makes me hope for a sequel.
LINK to my full review
Truly Madly Guilty – Liane Moriarty – 3.5***
As much as I’ve grown tired of dual timelines, I have to admit that Moriarty excels at this device. And, as she has done with previous novels, here she also uses changing points of view to explore the basics of our lives: marriage, friendship, sex, family, guilt and forgiveness. Who among us hasn’t been plagued by “what if…”?
LINK to my full review
Mrs Plansky’s Revenge – Spencer Quinn – 3***
Mrs Loretta Plansky is a recent widow, living in Florida, when she falls prey to a scam and finds her bank accounts drained. When the police and FBI tell her there is little to no hope of finding the culprits, let alone getting her money back, Loretta decides SHE will do it herself. This was a fun lark of a novel. She may be in her seventies, but Loretta Plansky is one kick-a$$ heroine! Brava!
LINK to my full review
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Will
Will Smith
4/5 stars
This is the actor Will Smith's autobiography and published in 2021. I thought this was quite an interesting and a good read. Biography
Counterfeit – Kirstin Chen – 4****
This is an engaging, entertaining, twisty heist involving counterfeit designer goods, a scheme to trick high-end department stores out of money, and an ever-increasing number of lies told to everyone about what is really going on. Chen goes back and forth in time to tell this story, occasionally interrupting the chronological flow to give the reader a snippet of Ava’s interview with a detective. This device is handled brilliantly by Chen. Keeping the reader off balance and guessing about what will finally happen.
LINK to my full review
What Happened to Ruthy Ramírez? – Claire Jiménez – 3.5***
Twelve years ago, thirteen-year-old Ruthy Ramírez disappeared without a trace, leaving her family emotionally scarred. But now, Jessica, her older sister, is certain that a woman participating in the latest reality TV show is really Ruthy. Jiménez uses multiple narrators and dual timelines to explore what happens to this family after Ruthy’s disappearance. It’s hard not to grab onto the sliver of hope that this “maybe” Ruthy on TV gives to the Ramírez women. I went along on the roller coaster ride with them, and hoped, almost as desperately as they did, that they would find her and bring her home once again.
LINK to my full review
Elvis And the Dearly Departed – Peggy Webb – 1*
I like a cute and sassy cozy mystery as well as any reader. I love eccentric characters and outlandish plots. But I DO expect at least a semblance of a coherent plot. And at least SOME law enforcement involvement. In this case, I think the author was trying way too hard to make this “cute” and “sassy” and failed to deliver any plot worth remembering.
LINK to my full review
One Of Us Is Next – Karen M McManus – 2.5**
This is a sequel to the immensely popular One of Us is Lying . I understand the pressure, especially in the YA market, to produce series, especially when you have a hit with the first effort. But I think the author should have quit when she was ahead. I really did not like this sequel. I was never invested in the kids and thought the plot was manipulative (although, that was probably the point). Just way too much drama for drama’s sake, in my opinion.
LINK to my full review
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The Spamalot Diaries
by Eric Idle
4/5 stars
This is the story of Eric Idle's creation of his play Spamalot. Our family had seen the play in Chicago years ago and it was very enjoyable and so was his book! A Dozen Film and TV Books
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The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
Erik Larson
3/5 stars
Erik Larsen's newest book looks into the beginning of the Civil War and the events surrounding it including the election of Lincoln. Not my favorite of his books but I still learned a lot about that time in history! Non-Fiction
Miss Julia Meets Her Match – Ann B Ross – 3***
Miss Julia is back in the 5th book of this charming series about a Southern lady of a certain age and her household. This time practically the entire town joins Miss Julia in her favorite “exercise” – jumping to conclusions. From Hazel Marie to Pastor Ledbetter and his wife Emma Sue everyone is ready to act on suspicions.
LINK to my full review
Canary Girls – Jennifer Chiaverini – 3.5***
Chiaverini turns the reader’s attention to the British women who, during The Great War (i.e. World War I), worked in munitions factories to produce the shells the British men fighting on the continent needed to win the war. I was completely unaware of this part of the history of WWI, and I really appreciated learning more about it. Parts of the book reminded me of the nonfiction work, RADIUM GIRLS, while other parts made me think of the movie, A League of Their Own .
LINK to my full review
The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley – 4****
Foley has crafted a mystery / thriller with more twists and turns than the most treacherous mountain road. Not a single character – including Jess – is to be trusted. Everyone has a hidden agenda, a secret they wish to keep hidden. Most are master manipulators and accomplished prevaricators. I was engaged and enthralled throughout and could not put it down.
LINK to my full review
The Dreamer Deceiver: A True Story about the Trial of Judas Priest for Deadly Subliminal Messaging, by Ivan Solotaroff
4 stars
This is from the Stacks Readers series; each "book" is actually a longish article taken from a prominent periodical, with a long biography of the article's author tacked to the front. The meat of this article is that bizarre and rather pointless lawsuit you may recall against Judas Priest, the favorite metal band of 2 young men who entered a suicide pact at the height of the Satanic Panic era. It's a wild ride and well worth an hour or so of your time.
Everything We Didn’t Say – Nicole Baart – 2.5**
Been there, read that. There’s all kinds of crazy going on in small town Jericho, Iowa. Juniper’s secrets are par for the course, as her parents, her brother and just about everyone else in town seems to harbor secrets. I get that authors use this device to help build suspense, but I just found it tiresome. Also, I am so tired of the ubiquitous dual timeline. Still, it held my attention throughout. And I can see the appeal for a great many readers. So. my final rating is just shy of “okay.”
LINK to my full review
The Indifferent Stars Above – Daniel James Brown – 4****
Subtitle: The Harrrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride. Brown looks at the events that led to and resulted from the infamous Donner Party trapped in a blizzard in the mountains near present day Lake Tahoe. He chose to focus on one particular young woman, Sarah Graves, who was a 21-year-old newlywed when the group set out from Illinois bound for California, and who survived the ordeal. This made the tale more personal, even visceral, and helped this reader feel connected to Sarah and the entire Donner party.
LINK to my full review
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The Indifferent Stars Above
– Daniel James Brown – 4****
Subtitle: The Harrrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride. Brown looks at the events that l..."
I like Brown's books - will have to look for it.
Explosive Eighteen – Janet Evanovich – 3***
Ah, Stephanie Plum. So, this starts with a bang as Stephanie is on a plane coming BACK from Hawaii, alone, but with an obvious tan line on her left ring finger. There are the usual stops at Cluck-in-a-Bucket, the usual “problems” with Stephanie’s car(s), the usual skips who refuse to be captured, the usual viewing at the funeral home and the usual push/pull between Stephanie, Morelli and Ranger. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve read one of these, and I’m sure that’s why I found it so entertaining.
LINK to my full review
The President’s Hat – Antoine Laurain – 4****
A fable for adults. Can a hat make a difference in one’s life? Apparently. I found the entire story charming and fun. I loved roaming the streets of Paris along with each person who had possession of the hat. I liked learning about each one of them, what made them tick, why they felt “less than” and how they found their courage to move on and up. It left me feeling happy and optimistic. Just delightful.
LINK to my full review
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The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World
Sarah Weinman
4/5 stars
What a very interesting true-life book about Sally Horner who was kidnapped and killed at the age of eleven. Lolita, the movie was based on Sally's life. Non-Fiction
The Rose Code – Kate Quinn – 3.5***
Quinn uses her talent for historical fiction to explore the women (and men) who worked at Bletchley Park during WWII, and who were credited with breaking the German Enigma code. She focuses on three women who would never have met were it not for the war work they undertook. I really liked how Quinn showed how the friendship between these three developed. And how their loyalty to one another, though severely tested, became central to the conclusion of the story.
LINK to my full review
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Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
Ben Macintyre
4/5 stars
Interesting WWII book surrounding an operation about using a dead man to fool the Nazis into thinking that the Allied Forces were going to attack Greece or Sardinia instead of Sicily. Non-Fiction
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What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust
Alan Bradley
4/5 stars
Flavia de Luce is back again in a mystery about a case of poisonous mushrooms eaten by a neighbor, Major Greyleigh. Greyleigh used to be a hangman. The cook is a suspect but Flavia believes that she didn't do it. This is one of my favorite series! Books Off My Never Ending Reading List
Trespasses – Louise Kennedy – 3.5***
A novel of one woman’s longing for a positive, peaceful life, in Belfast during the Troubles. Kennedy packs a lot into a slim volume. Cushla is a marvelous character. She’s caring and passionate about her teaching. She longs for a steady life on her own. She does her best to help her students navigate this troubling time. She wants to live her life without strife and terror. The novel made me think of how often I want to just hide from what is happening around me and be left in peace to live my life, rather than to face the issues head on and DO something.
LINK to my full review
The Secrets We Kept – Lara Prescott – 3.5***
Prescott’s debut is a literary espionage novel told from the perspectives of three different women and revolving around the publication of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago . Although I have gotten tired of the multiple-narrators device, I have to admit that Prescott did a good job of it in this novel of intrigue and manipulation. Sally and Irina, in particular, each had information that the other lacked, and their push/pull relationship had to be affected by this.
LINK to my full review
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Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
Anne Glenconner
4/5 stars
Interesting autobiography of Anne Glenconnor. She was friends of the royal family and acted as a Maid of Honor at Queen Elizabeth's Coronation along with being a Lady In Waiting to Princess Margaret. Well written! Books Off My Never Ending Reading List
Monster, 1959, by David Maine4 stars
This was a wild ride! A very different take on a very familiar story. Funny, horrible, well-researched and well-thought-out for a work of fiction. Well worth your time.
Julie wrote: "Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown.."
My reaction after reading this memoir .. the rich ARE different!
The Unbearable Lightness of Scones – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Book number five in the 44 Scotland Street series, featuring the residents of a particular apartment building in Edinburgh, as well as a few of their neighbors. I really enjoy reading these books. It’s like visiting with old friends. The story bounces around from character to character, so the reader gets a glimpse of Bertie, then of Domenica, then of Matthew, etc. It’s the same way we frequently experience our friendships. You don’t learn someone’s entire life story in one sitting but get snippets here and there before you eventually truly feel you know him or her.
LINK to my full review
The Lido – Libby Page – 3.5***
Also titled “Mornings With Rosemary.” A young journalist with anxiety disorder befriends and elderly woman who wants to save the public swimming pool. Their friendship helps them both deal with various issues and I really grew to love these characters. This is Page’s debut work and I’ll be watching for what she writes next.
LINK to my full review
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Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Philip Gefter
4/5 stars
Interesting book about the making of the 1966 film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This is quite an extensive look of the film made by director Mike Nichols. It was Nichols' first film. A Dozen Film and TV Books
Some Unknown Person, by Sandra Scoppetone
4 stars!
A novel that traces the life of Starr Faithfull from beginning to end, and offers a very believable explanation of how she died. Even if completely incorrect, the story is satisfying and remarkably well-written. It drew me right in and never let me go until the last page.
Julie wrote: "[book:Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making ..."
Did they mention filming at the Red Basket bar in Southampton, Massachusetts? My home town! It was quite the local news item back in the day.
Encore Provence – Peter Mayle – 3***
Subtitle: New Adventures in the South of France. Gosh, but I love Peter Mayle’s memoirs of his move to and life in Provence! This is the third in the series and he writes with his usual humor.
LINK to my full review
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The Full Moon Coffee Shop
Mai Mochizuki
4/5 stars
A tale about a coffee shop and the people who work and spend their time and money there. A very delightful story. Miscellaneous Books
Why Me? – Donald E Westlake – 3***
This is book # 5 in the Dortmunder series, featuring a “professional “ burglar with a gang of inept misfits. I love this series. Dortmunder is a pretty good guy – for a thief. He does have his standards, and his crew of accomplices is laughably inept. Except for his lady companion – May. What a woman! Unflappable, loyal, assertive … she is not to be messed with and she doesn’t take any guff from anyone.
LINK to my full review
The Five – Hallie Rubenhold – 5*****
Subtitle: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. The book is divided into five parts, each victim getting as full an accounting of her background and life as possible given the years that have passed since their deaths and their relative obscurity in society at the time. Rubenhold did extensive research and she really brings these women to life.
LINK to my full review
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Bride of the Tornado
James Kennedy
3/5 stars
Interesting book about a town who has a Tornado Day. The residents lock up during the tornado but there is a boy called the Tornado Killer and the adults seem to know that there is a secret of the origins of this storm! Miscellaneous
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Good Night, Irene
by Luis Alberto Urrea
4/5 stars
Based loosely on a true story which revolves around World War II in which females from the United States came to help set up food depots to serve the men during the war. Very fascinating! Miscellaneous Books
An Elephant In the Garden – Michael Morpurgo – 5*****
A frail and elderly Lizzie tells the story of her youth in Dresden Germany during World War II, the elephant her zookeeper mother helped save from American bombing. What a wonderful and heart-warming story! Inspired by true events, Morpurgo has crafted a tale of courage, perseverance, and kindness in the face of horrific deprivation. He shows that while nations may be enemies at war, individual people can (and do) disagree with their leaders. Morpurgo also shows people doing what they believe is best and morally right despite the difficulty and even personal danger in doing so.
LINK to my full review
Julie wrote: "Good Night, Irene
by Luis Alberto Urrea
4/5 stars
Based loosely on a true story which revolves around World War II in which fe..."
I loved this book. It's a love letter to his mother.
The Trouble With Christmas – Debbie Mason – 2.5**
If you’ve seen one Hallmark Christmas movie, you’ve seen them all. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these sappy films and the books that inspire or are inspired by the movies. But they aren’t really memorable. Here you have a big city real estate developer sent to a small Colorado town to calm the residents after the developer’s plans have been leaked. It’s a fast read and the snowy setting helped keep me cool during the heat of summer.
LINK to my full review
The Paris Library – Janet Skeslien Charles – 3.5*** (rounded up)
This is a work of historical fiction based on the real story of the librarians and staff at the American Library in Paris during WW2. The dual timeline features Odile in 1939, and Lily in 1983. I loved all the literary references. In both cases there will be betrayals and the parties involved will have to come to terms with whether they can forgive. Charles did a fine job of exploring the various emotions and reactions to incredible stress.
LINK to my full review
Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook – Celia Rees – 3.5***
This was an interesting twist on the typical WW2 story, taking place after the war. It is a spy novel at its heart, so there are twists and turns in the plot, betrayals and double (even triple) crosses. I liked the central premise and enjoyed reading the recipes that Edith uses to convey information, though I never did crack that code!
LINK to my full review
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A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery
Lawrence Ingrassia
4/5 stars 12/21/2024
This is an interesting non-fiction book about a family who discovered that many of their family members came down with cancer and how they lived and coped with the disease.
Big Panda & Tiny Dragon – James Norbury – 5***** & a ❤
Two unlikely friends set off on a journey of discovery. They have no specific plan and go where life leads them over the course of four seasons. The story is told through Norbury’s wonderful drawings and the pair’s quiet conversations. There were times when I just sat and looked at one of those drawings and let my mind take me where it wanted. I recommended this to my F2F book club as a lovely quick read during the holiday season. They LOVED it. Brought everyone a sense of peace and joy and hope.
LINK to my full review
Enough – Cassidy Hutchinson – 4****
Cassidy Hutchinson was an idealistic young woman fresh out of college when she landed a job in the Trump White House. She remained relatively unknown outside the inner circle until she made the decision to testify at the January 6 Hearing before Congress and the nation. It’s a very interesting memoir and I was glad to see her growth and maturation through this ordeal.
LINK to my full review
Book Concierge wrote: " Enough
– Cassidy Hutchinson – 4****
Cassidy Hutchinson was an idealistic young woman fresh out of college when she landed a job in the Trump White House. She remai..."
I've seen her interviewed so many times I was wondering if there is anything in this book that we haven't heard in her interviews.
Library Lovers
Books mentioned in this topic
The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America (other topics)Hark! The Herald Angel Falls (other topics)
Frontier Christmas (other topics)
Jacqueline in Paris (other topics)
To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Lawrence Ingrassia (other topics)Luis Alberto Urrea (other topics)
Luis Alberto Urrea (other topics)
James Kennedy (other topics)
Mai Mochizuki (other topics)
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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store – James McBride – 5*****
This work of historical fiction begins in 1972, but is mostly set in the early 20th century in the Jewish / Black neighborhood in Pottstown, Pennsylvania known as Chicken Hill. It is a character-driven work. McBride paints a colorful and intricate landscape, of two equally strong cultures co-existing because of the strength of character of their leaders. At its heart, this is a story of community, cooperation, tolerance and respect.
LINK to my full review