Library Lovers discussion
2025 Reads and Reviews - Anything Goes
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, by Kate Moore5 stars!
The haunting tale of how the dial painters of America's clock faces fought for their rights in court, despite the debilitating health problems that come with chronic radiation sickness. As inspiring as it is horrifying. This book is not for the weak of stomach; these women really suffered and you hear all about it in these pages. With that said, I was sorry I had to return it to the library.
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The Invisible Library
Genevieve Cogman
3/5 stars
Interesting book about an Invisible Library! Irene is a spy and along with her assistant Kai, they try to find a book that is very dangerous. Irene and Kai are not the only ones looking for this book but it has been stolen. Secret societies abound to try to get the book. Interesting. Fiction
Tiny Tales – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Subtitle: Stories of Romance, Ambition, Kindness and Happiness. This is a lovely collection of short stories and cartoons on a wide range of subjects, set in a variety of locations. I like Smith’s writing and the way he ponders philosophical questions. He doesn’t seem to take himself, or life, all that seriously, choosing to find joy and happiness in everyday life. Like all such collections, this is probably best enjoyed as one of those volumes you pick up now and again, to read one or two stories, rather than reading the entire book as one would a novel.
LINK to my full review
Lord Dashwood Missed Out – Tessa Dare – 2.5**
A typical regency romance with a devilishly handsome gentleman (who isn’t much of a gentleman), and a prim lady of impeccable reputation, forced to endure a potentially compromising situation, and then embracing the compromise wholeheartedly. Bodices heave, knees go weak, their passion overcomes any hesitancy. A fun, fast read.
LINK to my full review
Candide – Voltaire – 4****
This is perhaps Voltaire’s best-known work. The novella follows the callow Candide as he travels the world searching for his true love, Cunégonde, accompanied by his faithful servant / companion Cacambo. Voltaire managed to skewer virtually all “important” institutions of the day in this satirical fable. Among his adventures across the globe, Candide comes across Jesuits, the Inquisition, cannibals, El Dorado, pirates, an old woman, healers, merchants, etc. He frequently relies on the teachings of Pangloss to see him through, maintaining optimism in the face of adversity.
LINK to my full review
The Stonekeeper – Kazu Kibuishi – 3***
Book one in the Amulet graphic novel series for middle-school readers. There are strange creatures, secret passages, robots tasked with protecting the family, and evil forces obviously out to get them. The illustrations are very good. Not too dark for these old eyes to see clearly what is happening. This is a good thing as the speech bubbles are few and far between.
LINK to my full review
Friend of My Springtime – Willa Cather – 3***
This is a lovely little story, but not particularly memorable. A mature woman writes about the residents of their “terrace,” particularly the Professor and Jack-a-Boy, a child who moves with his parents into the complex that has few children. It's rather sweet but predictable. Not her best effort.
LINK to my full review
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Daughter of Daring: The Trick-Riding, Train-Leaping, Road-Racing Life of Helen Gibson, Hollywood’s First Stuntwoman
Mallory O'Meara
5/5 stars
What a wonderful book about Helen Gibson, the first stunt performer/actress in Hollywood. This was a great story and a fast read. Books On Film and Entertainment
Esperanza Rising – Pam Muñoz Ryan – 5 stars and a ♥
A middle-school novel that explores the experiences of Mexican migrants working the fields of California at the beginning of the Great Depression. What I really love about this story is that Esperanza is a realistic 13-year-old. Esperanza does finally realize that it is up to her to change her attitude; she must learn to let go of the past and to embrace that she is rich in the love of family and friends. The author note at the end is well-worth reading for the history lesson it imparts.
LINK to my updated review
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Deception
Jonathan Kellerman
4/5 stars
Alex Delaware is on the case of the death of Elise Freeman who was beaten and battered to death. Milo Sturgis is to figure out who killed Elise among the staff and students of Windsor Prep. Mystery
They can't all be winners ....
The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society – C M Waggoner – 1*
Waggoner seemed to throw every idea she had at the wall, hoping something would stick. It sounded like it might be a fun, slightly different, kind of cozy, however, the result was dreadful. The plot was thin, the character development completely lacking. I finished only because it fit a specific challenge.
LINK to my full review
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Murder on Black Swan Lane
Andrea Penrose
3/5 stars
The Earl of Wrexford, is a scientist who has been accused of murder. Along comes the widow Charlotte Sloane who takes over her dead husband's persona to help solve the murder of Josiah Holworthy and tries to clear the Earl. Mystery
The Stonekeeper’s Curse – Kazu Kibuishi – 2**
Book two in the Amulet graphic novel series for middle-school readers continues the adventure with the group making its way to the City of Kanalis in hopes of getting help. Kibuishi’s illustrations are stellar. And I also like that the dialogue bubbles are well designed, graphically speaking. However, I didn’t like the storyline as much as the first one. I guess the novelty has worn off for me.
LINK to my full review
The Invention of Hugo Cabret – Brian Selznick – 5***** & a ❤
What a treasure! This inventive, unusual novel in words and pictures won the Caldecott medal for illustration. The book is intended for children, but will delight adults as well. The story of Hugo, Isabelle and Papa Georges is enthralling, and kept me guessing. But the drawings … oh, the drawings! They are rich and subtle and complex and detailed, showing incredible depth of field and use of light and shadow.
LINK to my full review
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Find a Way
Diana Nyad
4/5 stars
This was an amazing autobiography of Diana Nyad, a professional long-distance swimmer who would never give up on her goals. She swam from Cuba to Florida after several failures and was able at the age of 64 to secure her goal. Biography
Death of a Pumpkin Carver – Lee Hollis – 2**
Book # 8 in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series has Hayley’s ex-husband Danny back in town and suspected of murder. This is only the second book from this series that I’ve read. This one is better than the first one, but not stellar. There are several recipes, some of which I thought sounded delicious. But I thought that using pumpkin in each and every one of them was overkill. Lee Hollis is a pen name for a brother-sister writing team. Perhaps the disconnections in the book are a reflection of having more than one author contributing to the effort.
LINK to my full review
The Cloud Searchers – Kazu Kibuishi – 3***
Episode 3 in the Amulet series of graphic novels for the pre-teen crowd. The adventure continues with Emily, Navin and Leon enlisting a ship’s captain to take them in search of Cielis, the city hidden in the clouds, where they hope to find and join the Council. Whom to trust? And, can Emily channel the amulet’s power without being corrupted by it?
LINK to my full review
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See Jane Run
Joy Fielding
4/5 stars
Jane Whittaker, married with children in Boston, finds herself lost with blood splattered on her and $10,000 dollar in cash on her. She ends up in the hospital and a nurse recognizes her and her husband comes to get her. But she is still not sure why she is not getting better. I really enjoyed this book and the ending. 1991
The Wind Knows My Name – Isabel Allende – 4****
Allende explores the immigrant experience, and particularly the heart-wrenching separation of children from their parents with a dual timeline: 1938 Austria and 2019 Arizona. My heart broke for both these families. I particularly liked how the two storylines eventually connect, improbable though that may be. It’s an emotionally difficult book to read and made me sad to recognize how little we have learned from history.
LINK to my full review
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Gun Games
Faye Kellerman
4/5 stars
Peter and Rina get involved in a death, revolving around a young man Gregory Hesse. His mother Wendy does not believe that he killed himself and feels some else killed him. Mystery
The Last Council – Kazu Kibuishi – 3***
Book # 4 in the Amulet graphic novel series has Emily hoping to join the Guardian Council, she has to endure several challenges to prove herself worthy, and in order to succeed she needs to find a way to trust others. The key is trusting the correct source / entity, when she has both allies and enemies where she didn’t expect them.
LINK to my full review
Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson – 4****
Subtitle: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Bryan Stevenson was a young attorney when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need. This was compelling and inspiring. Stevenson was up against a system that had been born of deeply entrenched fear and hatred and racism. For him “liberty and justice for all” are not just words but a call to action.
LINK to my full review
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How Did I Get Here?: A Memoir
Bruce McCall
3/5 stars
This is the interesting memoir of Bruce McCall who became a writer/artist. He wrote for National Lampoon and also for Saturday Night Live. Memoir/Biography.
Likely To Die – Linda Fairstein – 3***
Manhattan DA Alexandra Cooper gets a high-profile case when a leading neurosurgeon is brutally murdered in her office at a major medical center. I really like that Fairstein has given us such a strong female heroine. Alex is an independent, intelligent, strong woman who excels at her job and has a wide range of colleagues and friends who support and admire her. I particularly like her relationship with detective Mike Chapman. I was sure I had it figured out … only to be completely surprised at the reveal. Good job!
LINK to my full review
This Is Going to Hurt – Adam Kay – 3***
Adam Kay wanted to be a doctor. He was drawn to the idea of helping people in distress. When he was a medical student and a “junior doctor” (residency in the USA), he kept a diary of his experiences. This memoir is based on those entries. I’ve always been interested in medicine and the work done by medical professionals. This promised humor along with information. He delivered on both those promises but I wasn’t a great fan of the diary-entry format. I thought it lacked narrative flow.
LINK to my full review
The Man Who Died Twice – Richard Osman – 3***
I really loved the initial book in the series but was less enamored with this sophomore effort. I’m sure it’s partly due to all the stuff going on in real life right now which keeps my brain occupied elsewhere than in the pages of a good story. Still, the group is just as endearing as they were in the first outing, and, of course, they still get the best of the bad guys. There are some moments of humor to break the tension, and a very satisfying ending. LINK to my full review
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The Patron Saint of Liars
Ann Patchett
4/5 stars
In Kentucky, there was St. Elizabeth, a nun's home for unwed mothers. A young woman, Rose became pregnant, and she came to stay there while she gave birth to her child, Cecilia though she was wed. She wanted to give up her child. However, she stayed there and made a place for herself but Rose's past eventually comes to her new home. 1992
A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel – K J Charles – 3***
This is the second in the Doomsday Books series of Regency romances, but I think it can easily be read as a standalone work. This was quite a fun and steamy romance. The passion between Luke Doomsday and Rufus d’Aumesty, Earl of Oxney, could easily heat the entire drafty manorial compound! Of course, there are several twists and turns in the basic plot to keep one turning pages. But let’s be serious … the best parts are the naughty ones!
LINK to my full review
In the Land of Second Chances – George Shaffner – 3.5***
In Ebb, Nebraska, life is slow, and people are nice. That’s the way they like to live. Wilma Porter runs the Come Again Bed-and-Breakfast, and her newest guest, Vernon Moore, is about to change Ebb in ways no one expected. I was completely charmed by the residents of Ebb, and by the mysterious Vern Moore. This little book made me think while it entertained me. It’s a wonderful fable about hope and faith and community.
LINK to my full review
The Supreme Macaroni Company – Adriana Trigiani – 3.5***
This is the third installment in the story of the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village, New York. I really like Trigiani’s books. She features strong heroines with complex backgrounds and conflicted feelings. They almost always end happily, or at least hopefully … even though there is plenty of tragedy involved (and isn’t life, itself, like that?).
LINK to my full review
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Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
Chris Crutcher
3/5 stars
Sara and Eric have been friends for years. Unfortunately, Sarah is now in the hospital. Eric is determined to find out what is wrong and what her secret is. Well-written. 1993
Mrs Nash’s Ashes – Sarah Adler – 3***
This was a contemporary rom com, a road trip, and an historical F/F love story all wrapped in one novel. I was much more interested in Mrs Nash’s story than in the push / pull attraction between Millie and Hollis. I wish Adler had just told the story of Rose and Elsie who met and loved one another while serving as WAVES during WW2. Still, it held my attention, and I enjoyed it.
LINK to my full review
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Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith
Deborah Heiligman
4/5 stars
This is the true story of Charles and Emma Darwin. Darwin, who believed in evolution, which was a very big controversial issue in 1859. This is a young adult novel but I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Biography
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Every Day Is a Gift: A Memoir
by Tammy Duckworth
5/5 stars
Great autobiography of Tammy Duckworth in which she includes her family life, her life in the military, her role in government and her devastating loss of her legs. Biography
Woman of Light – Kali Fajardo-Anstine – 3***
An epic covering five generations of an indigenous Chicano family in the American West. The back-and-forth in timeframe and location made for some confusion at times. But it reminded me of an oral history, the way my grandparents, aunts and uncles would regale us kids on a summer night with stories of our ancestors.
LINK to my full review
Whiskers Of the Lion – P L Gaus – 3***
This is book number nine in the Amish-Country Mystery series, but the first one I’ve read. It was an interesting mystery with a great cast of (I presume) regular characters. Readers who might assume that “Amish” means a cozy mystery will be wrong. This is a hard-hitting crime novel, that happens to be set amid the Amish communities of Ohio. I would recommend reading the series in order, beginning with number one.
LINK to my full review
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Damn Glad to Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches
Tim Matheson
4/5 stars
I have always admired Tim Matheson and have enjoyed his work in the movie industry. In this book he talks about his life as an actor, director and his family! Biographies and Memoirs
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Bridie and Finn
Harry Cauley
3/5 stars
This is a lovely story about Bridie and Finn set in New Jersey in the 1940's during war time. However, Bridie reveals a truth that will change their lives. 1994
The New Wild: Why Invasive Species Will Be Nature's Salvation, by Fred Pearce4 stars!
A refreshing and reassuring exploration of the science that refutes the hysteria about invasive introduced species. I don't agree with every word of this book, but he makes many valid points in here. The author does completely fail to notice that humans are by far the most destructive invasive species ever seen, as if humans were not a species of animal, or as if nothing we did caused any real damage. He also seems to assume that the phrase "balance of nature" must equal stasis, when all the adaptations and adjustments he describes are in fact exactly how balancing works. With that said, he did reassure me that nature gets its own back. This one is well worth your time.
On Beauty – Zadie Smith – 3***
“What are the truly beautiful things in life – and how far will you go to get them?” (from the book jacket) Smith’s novel focuses on the Belsey and Kipps families as they navigate the politics of an American university and the betrayals within and between their families. I was distracted by real life issues and didn’t give this the full attention Smith’s writing deserves, though I finished because my real-life book club will be discussing it next month.
LINK to my full review
American Like Me – America Ferrara (editor) – 4****
Subtitle: Reflections on Life Between Cultures. America Ferrara is the editor (and contributor) to this collection of essays. Some of the stories are humorous, some heartbreakingly touching. All are honest and poignant and heartfelt.
LINK to my full review
See What I Have Done – Sarah Schmidt – 2.5**
Schmidt’s debut novel takes a look at one of the most infamous crimes in American history – the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. I’m not sure I really liked the way in which Schmidt chose to tell this story. It felt very disjointed and left me with more questions than answers.
LINK to my full review
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Strange Bedpersons
Jennifer Crusie
3/5 stars
Tess Newhart is attractive to two men but each has their own personalities. Who will she choose! Fiction
The Incredible Journey –Sheila Burnford – 4****
Three beloved family pets – a young Labrador, an aged bull terrier, and a Siamese cat – head home across 300 miles of wooded and mostly uninhabited territory in Ontario, Canada. This is a wonderful tale of adventure, friendship, loyalty, teamwork, and kindness.
LINK to my full review
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The Incredible Journey
–Sheila Burnford – 4****
Three beloved family pets – a young Labrador, an aged bull terrier, and a Siamese cat – head home acr..."
I read this as a child years ago. I really liked it.
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The Unworthy
Agustina Bazterrica
3/5/2025
This was an unusual science fiction story set in a catastrophic world in a convent. As a nun delves into her past she must try to find her past history and how she got into the Sacred Sisterhood. Not my favorite book but interesting. Science Fiction
Saturday Night At the Lakeside Supper Club – J Ryan Stradal – 3***
I really like Stradal’s writing. He is spot on in revealing the small-town Midwestern vibe. These are ordinary people, leading ordinary lives, full of hope, dreams, hardship, fights, reconciliations, tragedy, and perseverance. This novel is more about the characters and how they deal with what life throws at them, than it is about a particular plot point. So glad the supper club continues to be popular in Wisconsin!
LINK to my full review
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When the Moon Hits Your Eye
John Scalzi
3/5 stars
A science fiction tale about the moon which has turned into cheese! The citizens of Earth view it many different ways, from profiting from it, to spiritual redemption. Interesting! Science Fiction
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Tom Lake – Ann Patchett – 5*****
This character-driven story set during the COVID pandemic is the kind of literary fiction that I love. I was completely captured by this tale about love - the reckless abandon of youth, the quiet strength of long-term relationships, the fierce protection of a parent for a child. I loved the relationships between the Nelson family members. Their solid foundation of love and respect gives them the grace to open their hearts to others, which is so beautifully shown in the ending.
LINK to my full review