Books Read in 2023

 

1.  Night Shift; Robin Cook - audio - 4/5 stars (January)
2. Women Talking; Miriam Toews - audio - 3.5/5 stars
3. It Ends with Us; Colleen Hoover - 4audio - 4/5 stars
4. The Levee: a novella; William Kent Krueger - audio - 3.5/5 stars
5. Looking for Me; Beth Hoffman (reread for book group) - 5/5 stars
6. Ms. Demeanor; Elinor Lipman - audio - 4/5 stars
7. Rough Sleepers: Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People; Tracey Kidder - NF/audio - 4.5.5 stars - February
8. The Stolen Lady; Laurea Morelli - 3.5/5 stars (audio) book group read February
9. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo; Taylor Jenkins Reid - 3/5 stars - (book group) March
10. The Couple at Number 9; Claire Douglas - 3.5/5 stars (audio)
11. Hello, Beautiful; Ann Napolitano - 4.5/5 stars (April)
12. The Forest of Vanishing Stars; Kristin Harmel - 4.5/5 stars (book group)
13. The Half Moon; Mary Beth Keane - 3.5/5 stars (audio) (May)
14. Mad Honey; Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan  - 5/5 stars (print/audio)
15. The Kind Worth Saving; Peter Swanson - 3.5/5 stars (audio)
16. Soulmate; Sally Hepworth - 4.5/5 stars - (audio)
17. The House in the Pines; Ana Reyes  - 3.5/5 stars (audio)
18. A House with Good Bones; T. Kingfisher - 3.5/5 stars (audio)
19. Gone Tonight; Sarah Pekkanen - 5/5 stars - audio (June) 
20. What Comes Next & How to Like It (NF); Abigail Thomas - 4/5 stars (audio)
21. Finding Me (memoir); Viola Davis - 5/5 stars (audio)
22. How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water; Angie Cruz (audio) 4.5/5 stars
23. Small Mercies; Dennis Lehane - (audio) 4.5/5 stars
24. The Bird Hotel; Joyce Maynard - (audio) 4.5/5 stars
25. Sunflower Sisters; Martha Hall Kelly (book group- June) - 3.5/5 stars
26. Central Park West; James Comey - (audio) - 4/5 stars
27. The Five Star Weekend; Elin Hilderbrand - (audio) 4.5/5 stars (July)
28. The Guest; Emma Cline - (audio) 3/5 stars
29. What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing (NF); Stephanie Foo - 3.5/5 stars
30. The People's Hospital: Hope & Peril in America (NF); Ricardo Nulia - 4/5 stars
31. The Collective Regrets of Clover; Nikki Brammer (audio) - 4.5/5 stars
32. How to Sell a Haunted House; Grady Hendrix - (audio) 2/5 stars
33. The Drowning Woman; Robyn Harding - (audio) 4/5 stars (September)
34. The Measure, Nikki Erich (reread- book group)
35. Lucy By the Sea; Elizabeth Strout (reread - book group Sept)
36. Tom Lake; Ann Patchett (audio) 4.5/5 stars (October)
37. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell; Robert Dugong (current read - Oct Bookgroup)
38. Happiness Falls; Angie Kim (audio) 3.5/5 stars 
39. Holly, Stephen King (audio) 3.5/5 stars November
40. Metamorphosis, Kafka - 4/5 stars (audio)
41. Beyond that, the Sea, Laura Spencer-Ash (book group) - 4/5 stars 
42. So Late in the Day, Claire Keegan - 4/5 stars December
43. Elon Musk, Walter Isaccson - NF/Bio/audio - 4.5/5 stars
44. One of Our Own, Lucinda Berry - audio 4.5/5 stars
45. A Dream Life, Claire Messud - 3/5 stars
46. The Mystery Guest, Nita Prose 4/5 stars (audio)

• Fiction - 38
• Non Fiction -  8
• Children's Books - 
• Print Books (includes ARCS) (my shelves) - 
• Print Books (library) - 5
• eBooks/eGalleys (my shelves) -
• eBooks (library) -
• Audiobooks (my shelves) - 9
• Audiobooks (library) - 35
• Combo (read/listens) - 4
• Female Authors - 34
• Male Authors - 11
• January Books Read - 6
• February Books Read - 2
• March - 2
• April - 2
• May - 5
• June - 8
• July - 6
• August - 0
• Sept - 2
• Oct - 3
• Nov - 3
• Dec - 5

DNF - 

1. We Should Not Be Friends; Will Schwalbe - abandoned at 27% wasn't holding my interest (May)
2. The Book of Goose; Yiyun Li - audio abandoned at about 30% - couldn't connect with story (May)

(3) Brief Reviews - The Only Woman in the Room; Marie Benedict - The Measure; Nikki Erlick and Summer Love; Nancy Thayer

The Only Woman in the Room; Marie Benedict

(book group read - purchase)

SourceBooks - 2019

The Only Woman in the Room is fictionalized account of Austrian born icon Hedy (Kiesler) Lamarr a woman with both brain and beauty.   Born in 1914 to jewish parents, at 19 years of age she marries Fritz Mandl, a munitions mogul who was both controlling and violent.  In 1937 she finally is successful in escaping for London where she is discovered by Louis Mayer (MGM Studios) and gets her ticket to Hollywood.  Despite Hedy's brilliant scientific mind and her work on a torpedo guidance system, she never really got the recognition she deserved because she was female.

My book group met in July to discuss this book. Most everyone thought it was a light, easy read with it's short chapters and quick moving storyline but, we also all agreed that historical fiction, loosely based on true events should not be written in the first person.  I especially enjoyed the first half of the book about her marriage to Fritz Mandl and her relationship with her parents.  I thought the second half , about her years in Hollywood and her scientific work felt rushed and, I never got a sense of how her scientific brilliance came about.  

Some of the historical details here were inaccurate which was troublesome. In this book she adopted a son but, in real life she actually had four of her own children.  The ending was also disappointing - I wanted more. as did most everyone in our group.

RATING - 3.5/5 stars

The Measure; Nikki Erlick

(Harper Audio - library loan)

(Julia Whalen narrator) - very good

The Measure was an audiobook I requested by chance from the library as it sounded different from what I would normally select.  It ended up being pretty good.

In this story (8) ordinary people all from different demographics find a mysterious box on the doorstop. The box contains a string -- some long strings and some short ones.  The length of the individual's string is to determine whether they can expect to live a long life or one that is cut short.  Soon more people, everyone adult over the age of 22 will receive the same box/string.  What does it all mean? 

This is one of those stories that makes the reader wonder about what they would do in the same situation.  I thought it was interesting to see how different the individuals were and what they did with the information about a short versus long life.  The story was told through multiple POVs, each individual is struggling with life issues while trying to decide how to live out their lives.  A unique debut novel that seemed to have at least a bit of a political agenda but, it wasn't heavy or off-putting for me.. Overall, this was mostly a story about life, love and how we choose to spend our time here on earth.  Readers looking for something different might want to try this one. The audio, read by Julia Whalen was well done.

RATING - 4/5 stars

Summer Love; Nancy Thayer

Ballantine Books - 2022

(eGalley) - (20 Books of Summer list)

I always look forward to a Nancy Thayer summer release that returns readers to Nantucket Island.  Unfortunately, this book was lackluster and really disappointed me.

Ariel, Sheila, Nick and Wyatt spent a summer after college working on the island and became fast friends. At the time they crashed in the basement of a hotel that was being renovated.  Fast forward (26) years and Nick now owns the Lighthouse hotel on the island and invites the group to return over the summer. This time it's not just the friends but their children who are now in the 20s, the kids are the same ages the parents were when they first spent that summer there.  What has happened to this group over the last 20-something years?  How different will this summer be for them and their adult children or, will Nantucket work its magic?

The best thing about this book was the setting and all the little details that make this island setting work over and over again no matter who the author is.  The book itself seemed so rushed and unrealistic, I almost stopped reading midway.  The issues I had with the book were - the characters lacked substance and everyone seemed to fall in love instantly.  The word choices the author used were not the way young people speak today and much of what took place just felt cliche.  This is not what I've come to expect from Nancy Thayer - disappointing.

RATING - 2/5 stars (eGalley provided by publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.)

Brief Book Reviews - The Lost Apothecary; Sarah Penner - The Shore; Katie Runde and The Kind Worth Killing; Peter Swanson and Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient; Theresa Brown

 

The Lost Apothecary; Sarah Penner

Park Row - 2021

Book Group Read 

The Lost Apothecary was our book group pick for May (discussion this week).  I thought the premise sounded really good. Set in 1791 London, Nella Clavinger took over an apothecary after her mother's death.  Her mission was to help women with their illnesses, afflictions and other more personal issues like providing them with poison when the men in their lives have done them wrong.  There is also 12 year old Eliza Fanning, who helps her mistress/employer Mrs Armwell but, when Eliza enters the picture and frequents the apothecary, Nella wonders how long the secret of what she has been doing will be safe.  

In the present day, Caroline Parcewell who has been married to James for ten years, but James is a cheater - she'll deal with him later.  She is also a woman who loves history. and after finding a mysterious blue vial in the Thames River (yes suspend belief here) with the help of a research librarian who Caroline develops a friendship with, she realizes the vial may be tied to the apothecary murders.

Told between (3) POVs, I really only enjoyed Nella's storyline. Caroline's melodrama was and the way her storyline was written was way too over the top at times.  I had never read about the terms "mudlarking/mudlark" ( the name given in the 19th century to children and adults who scavenged the banks of the River Thames in London.) I alway love when I learn something new when I read even though in this case it did not help with my overall opinion on the book.

Rating - 3/5 stars

(NOTE: An eGalley was provided to me by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.)

The Shore; Katie Runde

Simon & Schuster - 2022

The Shore was a debut novel that takes place over the course of one summer in Seaside, New Jersey.  It's the story of the Dunne family: Brian (father), Margot (mother) and teenage daughters Liz and Evy.  The family has made a business of renting summer cottages along the shore to vacationers.  When Brian is diagnosed with a brain tumor, the family is forced to shift their focus while trying to maintain at least a little sense of normalcy while struggling to care for Brian as well.

The story is told from MPOV and this ended up being a much heavier read than what i had anticipated from the lovely cover art and title.  I alway struggle about reading the descriptions provided by the publishers which often reveal too much of the story. Unfortunately, in this case I wished I had.  As it turns out I was not a good a fit for this book.  I kept wishing the story stayed more focused on the family unit but, oftentimes it seemed to meander to details about the teens and their friends which caused me to lose interest.  There were several audio book narrators: Andi Arndt, Priya Ayyan, Dan Biltner and Ines del Castillo.  The ones portraying the adults were good, the ones who portrayed the teens seemed to irk me at times. Although this book was not a good choice for me, I can see how others might enjoy this story a bit more.

Rating - 3/5 stars

(NOTE: An audio download and eGalley were provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.)

The Kind Worth Killing; Peter Swanson

Harper Audio -2020 - 10 hours and 17 min.

(Narrators - Johnny Heller, Karen White, Kathleen Early, Keith Szarabajka - very good)

Peter Swanson is one of those author's I'm always drawn to.  I like the fact that most of his books are set in New England and tend to have a riveting storyline that makes it hard to put down.  The Kind Worth Killing was such a story.

In a Heathrow (UK) airport lounge to strangers, Ted Stevenson and Lily Kintner strike up a conversation after their Boston bound flights have been delayed.  Their conversations get quite personal after a few drinks and, Ted confesses that he thinks his wife of three years, Miranda has married him for his money and believes she is having an affair and even knows who she is involved with.  He also tells Lily that he has thought of killing her to avoid a messy and costly divorce.  Lily, stuns him by saying that she thinks he should kill her and even offers to help him get rid of his problem.

Why would a complete stranger get involved? Well, it seems Lily has her own reasons.

This is a story built on deceit and revenge. The characters are all detestable but, it was hard to stop listening to this one.  Flashbacks into Lily's past give the reader insight into just what a nut job she is. A good story with several unexpected plot twists. The audiobook was read by (4) different narrators - all did a great job.)

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

(NOTE: I downloaded this audiobook from my public library)

Healing:  When a Nurse Becomes a Patient; Theresa Brown

Algonquin Books - 2022 (library book - hardcover)

Theresa Brown was an oncology and hospice nurse when she found herself on the other side in the role of patient - newly diagnosed with breast cancer.  Although she had non cancerous lumps removed at the age of 16, she did have relatives who died of breast cancer.  She tells her story of being diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, her surgery, follow up care and treatments.  She speaks about how healthcare professionals failed her at times and she has quite a bit to say about why compassionate care and positive attitudes are so important.  One thing she mentioned was that while she was in treatment, she felt she was doing something meaningful to avoid future recurrence but, added that once her treatment was finished those previous fears had a way of resurfacing. It seems once you are diagnosed with cancer, it never is truly gone from your mind.

In alternating chapters the author speaks of some of her unnamed patients during her time as an oncology and hospice nurse, recognizing how she, as well, had failed some of her patients.

I was drawn to this memoir for personal reasons and while I was happy I read it, I wished it had felt a bit more personal (I don't even think she mentioned her age when she was diagnosed). I can't describe it accurately but, I felt a little bit distanced by the way the author shared her breast cancer journey; it left me wanting more. 

Rating - 4/5 stars

NOTE: I borrowed the print edition of this book from my public library.

                                                              This Week's Reading Plans

Father's Day; Simon Van Booy

Harper Audio - 2016

6 hours 58 min - Bronson Pinchot narrator

Klara and the Sun; Kazuo Ishguro

Random House Audio - 2021

(Sura Siu - narrator - 10 hours 16 minutes)

(almost done with this one - so very good)

The Foundling; Ann Leary

Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022

(12 hours 40 minutes - Laura Benanti narrator)

I'm so excited about 20 Books of Summer and have just about finished compiling my list.  I'll be posting next weekend and looking forward to what I've picked. Are you making a summer reading list?

Share your week by posting a link on Deb's Blog HERE

Brief Book Reviews - Playing Catch Up - Little Souls; Sandra Dallas -- Marrying the Ketchups; Jennifer Close and Xstabeth; David Keenan

 

Little Souls; Sandra Dallas

Macmillan Audio - 2022

(audio narrator - Carly Robins - very good)

As I've mentioned previously, I don't read a lot of historical fiction but this premise appealed to me when I first read about it.  Set in Colorado, 1918, WWI is happening and the flu pandemic is raging on.  Little Souls is story about (2) sisters: Helen, a nurse and her husband to be, Gil, is a medical student.  Luttie, Helen's 24 year old younger sister, lives with her. Luttie is a bit of a dreamer who has an interest in fashion design and works for a high end department store. Luttie's boyfriend joined the Army to do his part with the war effort.  The sisters are very close. Dorothy is a 10 year old girl who lived with her parents in a small apartment located in the same house the sisters had shared.  When both parents die, under very different circumstances, the sisters take the girl in wanting to make sure that Dorothy is loved and cared for after learning how she had been abused.

Once I started this story I found it hard to put down and it was very easy book to listen to on audio. Not only is this a story about sisters but, it is also a story about helping those in need and righting past injustices that occurred. I found the story kind of comforting even though there were some sad moments, tragic events, but,  there was also a happier ending and a satisfying epilogue as well. Highly recommended to historical fiction fans.

Rating - 4.5/5stars

(NOTE: I received an audio download from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review)

Marrying the Ketchups; Jennifer Close

Knopf - 2022

Marrying the Ketchups was a book I became curious about by the unusual title and Jennifer Close being an author I enjoyed years ago but one that I hadn't read in a while.

It's a story of (3) generations of a large Irish Catholic family who run an Oak Park (Chicago) restaurant called JP Sullivans.  The founders, Bud and Rose, opened the restaurant in the 1970s and in 2016 a few strange things had happened:  the Chicago Cubs win a World Series, their first in 108 years, poor Bud dies unexpectedly and Trump wins the presidential election  This complicated family must pick up the pieces and get their acts together and, they also must decide what is now best for mother Rose after Bud's death.

There are sisters: Gretchen - mid 30s, a bit on the wild side, lead singer in a band called the Donna Martin Graduates:) and Jane, a mother of two, successful, married to a wealthy man who just might be cheating on her.  Then Teddy, a cousin who manages the restaurant. He's a people-pleaser with issues of his own and then we have Reilly, Teddy's teenaged half-sister.

This is a story about complicated families and the author does a great job helping the reader to get to know and understand these unhappy people and their issues.  Well written, character driven, lots of funny moments even though most everyone is pretty miserable.  I liked this book but, think I might have appreciated it even more if I were younger.  The 2016 political aspects of the story were not overdone - thank goodness.  Worth considering for readers who enjoy a character driven story about complicated families.

Rating - 4/5 stars

(Note:  I received an eGalley download from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.)

Xstabeth; David Keenan

Europa Editions - 2022

I loved Europa Editions and Xstabeth intrigued me when I read about it. I thought it seemed a bit unusual but worth trying especially because it was also a novella with fewer than 140 pages.

I'm really not sure how to classify this or even what to write about it as it was a bit too far out there for me. It's a story about a daughter, a father and the father's his best friend.  The father is singer/songwriter, but not a very good one. His daughter, Aneliya, loves her father but, begins seeing her father's best friend Jaco, who is a better musician than the girl's father.

When I have to skim a novella, it's because the book is not a good fit for me and that was the case here.  There were some explicit sex and, I just didn't get the whole point of the story unfortunately.

Rating - 1.5/5 stars

(Note: I received an eGalley of this novella from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.)

What Else I'm Reading

The Lost Apothecary; Sarah Penner

Park Row - 2021

Book Group Read -  finished - no review yet

3.5/5 stars

Healing:  When a Nurse Becomes a Patient; Theresa Brown

Algonquin Books - 2022 (library book - hardcover)

(just started - page 57)

The Shore; Katie Runde

Simon & Schuster - 2022

(reading now - 27% mark)

Klara and the Sun; Kazuo Ishiguro

Random House Audio - 2021

(starting soon)

What are you reading?

Share your week by posting a link on Deb's Blog HERE

Book Reviews - To Paradise; Hanya Yanagihara and The End of Getting Lost; Robin Kirman

How was your week? I've had better for sure. I had a couple routine annual appointments and (1) turned into anything but routine - a call back, an ultrasound and now a biopsy tomorrow....positive vibes sent this way are appreciated.  So happy I read Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times last week - it has helped.  It's snowing here today - very lightly with less than an inch right now - yesterday it was near 60 degrees and sunny; I'm happy warmer weather is around the corner.  Super Bowl tonight and the hub always loves that. I am not a huge football fan unless our teen is in it LOL but, it's alway fun to watch the commercials. Good luck to your team if they are competing this year.

On the reading front, except for Wintering, my reading week wasn't very satisfying.  I was so looking forward to Hanya Yanagihara's new book, To Paradise, after a (5) year wait since I read, A Little Life.  I loved that book and still think about it even though it left me feeling gutted at times and took me forever to find another quality read.  Her new book is 700 pp and after investing about 8 days, I was left scratching my head after I finished - the writing was really good but the story just wasn't for me.   I had another so so read as well, The End of Getting Lost, Robin Kirman and then a DNF called Valdimir by Julia May Jonas.  Here's a few thoughts on (2) of these.  I also have a review in the works (maybe tomorrow) for The Elephant of Belfast which  I liked.  Hoping this week is a better week.

To Paradise; Hanya Yanagihara

Doubleday and Penguin Random House Audio - 2022

To Paradise, is an unusual story which spans a period of 200 years!  At 700+ pages, it is divided into (3) books: Book 1 (1893), Book 2 in (2) parts (1993) and Book 3 in (5) parts 2093-2094. I enjoyed Book 1 and 2 but, Book 3 not so much.

In Book 1, it is (1893) New York and New York is a free state where same sex couples are free to marry.  David Bingham is a 28 year old man who lives with his wealthy grandfather Nathaniel and the servants in the Washington Square area of the city where he has led a life of privilege in this prominent banking family. His other siblings have already established their own lives so David spends most of his time with his grandfather and, part time teaching an art class at an orphanage.  It is here that David meets Edward Bishop. Edward is a music teacher at the orphanage/school and, David falls fast in love with Edward.  Edward is not a man of social status and David's grandfather has other plans for him. He plans an arranged marriage for David to Charles Griffith, a once married much older man with a respectable background whose same sexed husband died of cancer.  Then we get a vibe of a possible yet undisclosed illness?

In Book 2 (1993) David is working as a paralegal in Hawaii and, he is involved with a senior partner named Charles.....yes same names as book 1 -- hmm. The two move into a mansion and we learn that David's origins seem to stem from Hawaiian royalty. We also learn that David's father (Wika) is ill and it is the height of the AIDS epidemic. There is also another Edward in this part - why did the author choose to use the same names?  Perhaps making us think that history does repeat itself. This part takes a darker turn where we see the injustice of America's past. 

Book 3 (2093) is divided into (5) parts - Autumn 2093, Autumn (50 years earlier), Winter 2094, Winter 40 years earlier and Spring 2094. The story here moves into a full blown dystopian totalitarian world. Back in New York where districts are divided into zones and illness and plague is rampant. Charlie appears here as well but, this time she is a female and she works in a laboratory. It's all somewhat complicated and at times just a bit too much for me.  It was not the satisfying wrap up or the kind of story I was hoping and I was disappointed I didn't enjoy it more.

This author is no doubt talented and a deep thinker and while the story itself is expansive in scope, IMO, Too Paradise, is more likely the kind of book that may appeal to fewer readers than all who enjoyed, A Little Life so much. 

This was a combo read/listen for me. The eGalley was provided by Doubleday and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The audio download was provided by PRH Audio and was excellent with a full cast:  Feodor Chin, Edoardo Ballerini, Bd Wong, Catherine Ho, Kurt Kanazawa .

Rating - 3.5/5

The End of Getting Lost; Robin Kirman

Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022

Gina is a young woman who was a professional dancer. She had suffered a head injury after a fall outside a hotel in Berlin and her memory of what happened then as well as months before is an issue.  She and Duncan, a composer, seem very much in love. He wants to take her away to Vienna to begin enjoying life once again but, something about his secretiveness and the way he has been acting seems off.  They are soon all over Europe - Vienna, Prague, Rome  almost as if Duncan is trying to run from something of someone. The truth is both Gina and Duncan have secrets.  

The story takes place in 1996, a time before cellphones and social media so the set up for this story works well.  I liked that the story is told from the POV of both characters who I didn't develop a connection to. The writing style seemed different with looks back and then present but, with not a lot of insight into what was going on until around the halfway point.  This book was compared to Patricia Highsmith but, I just never saw a similarity. For me it did not feel like a psychological thriller but, more like a romantic suspense.  This was a rather quick read/listen at under 300 pp and 8+ hours on audio. The audio version was read by dual narrators - Alex Allwine and Michael David Axtell  both very good but,  it wasn't the kind of psych thriller I had hoped for .

Rating - 3.5/5

Print edition and Audio download provided by the publisher: Simon & Schuster in exchange for my unbiased review.

Book Reviews - Matrix; Lauren Groff - My One Square Inch of Alaska; Sharon Short and Reckless Girls; Rachel Hawkins

Hope everyone who celebrated Christmas had a wonderful day. We had an inch of the snow of Christmas Eve which looked so pretty and then freezing rain came on Christmas to crust over the snow. Fortunately, the kids, spouses and granddaughters were able to come for dinner and presents.  It was a beautiful day for us and it felt much more relaxed for me in the meal preparation department compared to all the side dishes and prep involved at Thanksgiving. I kept it simple:  fruit plate, chicken parmesan, pasta, salad, rolls, pistachio cake and (4) different kinds of Christmas cookies (we are a dessert family.)  Note to self: make fewer cookies next year.  Yes,  I overcooked and all went home with a care package.  Everyone loved their gifts - all is good.

We all seemed healthy - time will tell - everyone was fully vaccinated, including the girls and all adults boosted as well.  

Reading - I finished what will be my last (3) books of 2021 (quick reviews below). I started Winter Solstice, Rosamunde Pilcher but, I am not enjoying the audio version so I stopped listening and ordered a print copy to arrive during the week.  This week I hope to work on 2021 stats and favorite reads of 2021....stay tuned.

Do you have in New Years Eve plans? We had early dinner plans at a nice restaurant but, we most likely will cancel with the raging virus once again.

Matrix; Lauren Groff

Penguin Audio - 2021 

8 hours 51 min. - Adjoa Andoh - narrator _excellent

(audio download provided at no charge by the published)

The setting for this historical fiction story is a 12th century rundown abbey in England. It's a feminist novel that is all about women, sisterhood and the power of friendship and community and there's a bit of sex among women as well.

Marie is the illegitimate daughter of the royal court. At 17, she is tall skinny and unattractive and, she is deemed "not marriage material" by Queen Eleanor, who Marie deeply loves.  She is sent away to an impoverished abbey and, the work that needs to be done there is almost insurmountable.  Marie, although not all that religious is devoted, smart, strong and industrious but, don't cross her as she can be mean as well.

Initially, I thought this book might not be for me but, because I've had good luck with the author in the past, I decided to give it a try. I was very happy I did.  If you are into audio books, I highly recommend the audio read by: Adjoa Andoh, a new narrator to me.  She made this book feel like a theatrical performance at times by giving each character a distinct voice. 

I loved the way the women banded together to get things done whether it be farming, baking, building, weaving and even writing. A group of engaged, committed women shut off from the outside world building a life and making things better.  This feminist historical book is worth reading is you like historical fiction at its finest and a character driven story.  Rating - 4.5/5 stars

My One Square Inch of Alaska; Sharon Short

Plume Books - 2013

(print edition - my shelves)

Donna Lane has a lot on her plate; she's about to graduate high school but, she's also a mother figure to her younger brother Will.  Their mother took off when they were young and their father drinks a bit too much.  Donna has dreams of her own but, it's her brother she is most concerned with. 

Brother Will is obsessed with collecting enough cereal box tops for a chance to win a contest - "one square inch of Alaska."  Will is also obsessed with protecting and giving a better life to a neglected, mute, Siberian Husky that lives nearby. When Will is diagnosed with childhood leukemia - (it's the 1950's-60s) and recovery is not looking very good for Will,  Donna is determined to make her brother's dream come true.

This book sat on my shelves far too long and I'm so happy that I finally got to read it.  It's a story that started slightly slow and at times seemed geared more to the YA genre but, oh my did it ever stir up many emotions as I read - such a good story - worth reading.  Rating - 4/5 stars

Reckless Girls; Rachel Hawkins

Macmillan Audio - January - 2022

7 hours - 43 min - Barrie Kreinik - Narrator - very good

(Audio download provided at no charge by publisher and NetGalley)

Lux and Nico are a young couple in need of a change after an unfulfilling job and personal tragedy.  The two find what seems like the perfect opportunity to get away and change things up.  The couple is hired to sail two friends Brittney and Amma to the remote island of Meroe in the South Pacific.  Expecting to be there alone they are surprised to find another boat there as well.  Soon (4) becomes (6) as Jake and Eliza, who appear to be not only wealthy but quite interesting and welcoming as well.  Before long the reality of their isolation sets in as does a feeling of desperation. Soon (6) become (4) and the reader is left wondering who to trust and whether there is someone else lurking in the remote jungle?

This was one of those thrillers that started out slow and I began to think this might not be for me. Barrie Kreinik is a great narrator though so I persisted. Soon as we begin to get insight into each character's secrets and past the story became more interesting.  I began to get the feeling that one or more of the players could not be trusted.  I loved the remote island setting. The story of told from the POV of Lux in the present and flashbacks to the past of all of the characters as well. The short chapters and the way the story was told held my interest once it got going. My suspicions proved correct yet I still wondered a bit about motivation when all was said and done.  Rating - 3.5/5 stars

Catching up with Book Reviews - The Sentence, Louise Erdrich - The Last House on the Street; Diane Chamberlain and Midwinter Murder; Agatha Christie

Hello out there, I'm still around.   I've been reading but lax about keeping up with reviews with so much going on as the year comes to a close.  

We had a Christmas luncheon for my library book group last week (11) showed up at my favorite restaurant - it was great gathering and we got our list of books to read in 2022 (more about this next week).  We had 2" of snow on Wednesday our first snowfall - (late this year). It looked quite pretty and now it is nearly gone - 60 degrees today! Crazy weather.

This weekend we our going to the theatre for a live on stage holiday show and music festival. It was an annual tradition for us but last year COVID put a halt to it.  This year, it is a go but, masks and proof of vaccination is required which makes me happy!!!  This coming week is my birthday week and we have something special planned that we are both looking forward to - more about that next week.

I still have some gift cards to purchase and some gifts to wrap.  We haven't finalized Christmas get together plans as with the girls in school (they are vaccinated) we still need to play it by ear as there have been some COVID cases in the classes - will this ever end?  We already made reservations for an early New Years eve dinner reservation - that too of course is subject to weather and COVID.

How has your December been and do you have any special plans coming up?

Here's an attempt to catch up on what I've read and what I'm reading now. 

The Sentence; Louise Erdrich

Harper and Harper Audio - 2021

Rating - 5/5 stars 

The Sentence is a very different kind of story by Louise Erdrich. It begin's on All Soul's Day, November 2, 2019 and ends on the same day in 2020.  Yes, it takes place during the pandemic, in Minneapolis amidst the George Floyd protests and the setting of local Indie bookstore that is haunted by one of the staffs least favorite (now decreased) former customers - Flora.  The ghost is determined to stick around until Tookie, the ex-con, who developed a love of books in prison and now works at the bookstore can figure out why she is still around.

Tookie is a great character who did something dumb that landed her in prison.  She ends up marrying the tribal police officer who was involved in her sentencing.  I loved how she has discovered a newfound love and appreciation for books that helped her survive her time behind bars.

The story has a lot going on but is so well done. Like most of the author's books there is Native American folklore and the struggles of the indigenous people. Books and specific book titles play a nice part in this story and, as always, the author's writing left a lasting impression.  There are some funny moments but yet this story is much deeper than it may seem from my brief ramblings.  The audiobook was narrated by the author and it was pitch-perfect! Don't miss it!

(audio download  from my public library - eGalley provided at no charge by Harper Books and Edelweiss)

The Last House on the Street; Diane Chamberlain

St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio - January -2022

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

This was a book I almost passed on but am so happy I had a chance to experience it.  It has history, mystery and real social issues that were all so well done. Told in dual timelines - 1965 and 2010, the story takes place in Round Hill, NC.  

(2010) Kayla Carter is a recent widow with a 4-year old daughter. Kayla's husband died in accident which happened as their dream house was being built. The house is a a grand McMansion with some fifty windows and, it is now ready to move in when Kayla has a strange woman that shows up at her office. Kayla is also an architect as was her late husband and, the woman advises Kayla against moving into that new home.  Who is this woman and should she take this as a threat or at least report this to the police?  Does the woman have anything to do with the strange things that begin happening once Kayla and her daughter move in?

(1965) Ellie Hockley is a college student from Round Hill involved in The Scope Project -- students who were committed to registering Blacks so that they could exercise their right to vote.  This, of course. in the 1960s South had to be done secretly. Ellie couldn't even tell her parents as they never would have approved.  What, if anything, does Ellie have to do with the present day story involving Kayla?

I loved this story and the way it played out. I really felt like I got to know the characters, especially Ellie and, even though the story was sad at times and it mad me mad as well, it was an important story to tell. and the author did a great job.  The audio book was read by Susan Bennett who did a great job.  Highly recommended.

(audio download provided at no charge by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley.)

Midwinter Murder; Agatha Christie

William Morrow and Harper Audio - 2020

Rating - 3.5/5 stars

I actually purchased this audio book last December through Libro.fm but, I never listened to it until this month.  Honestly, I haven't had the best of luck with the Agatha Christie books I've tried in the past but, a short story, winter collection seemed right up my alley.

There are (12) short stories featured and the only one I was familiar with was Three Blind Mice, (which I liked a lot) the stories in the collection were:

Christmas at Abney Hall
Three Blind Mice
The Chocolate Box
A Christmas Tragedy
The Coming of Mr. Quin
The Clergyman's Daughter/The Rose House
The Plymouth Express
Problem at Pollensa Bay
Sanctuary
The Mystery of Hunters Lodge
The World's End
The Manhood of Edward Robinson

Christmas Adventure

The stories feature familiar Christie characters like: Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quin and Parker Pyne.  Miss Marple is a favorite as I like the way this elderly lady operates - such fun. Three Blind Mice, Sanctuary, Christmas Adventure and The Clergyman's Daughter were the ones that I liked best.

While I can't recommend the audio version as, at least for me, I found the narration by (Fennella Woolgar) a bit difficult to understand at times. Fortunately,  having the print edition was a bonus. Overall, while I liked a few of the short stories, several left me somewhat disappointed. I guess Agatha Christie isn't for all readers.

Reading Now - 

• A Calling for Charlie Barnes; Joshua Ferris (different/funny & good)
• No One Goes Alone; Erik Larson (Fiction - atmospheric/good)
• A Christmas Party; Georgette Heyer (hope to begin soon)

Library Books - (waiting to be read)

1. Matrix; Lauren Groff (combo read/listen)
2. Cloud Cuckoo Land; Anthony Doerr (combo)
3. Five Days in Winter: Stories; Lily King (audio)