What Are We Reading and Reviewing in April 2021?

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What Are We Reading and Reviewing in April 2021?

1Carol420
Mar 23, 2021, 8:46 am



So Many Books So Little Time...What Are You Doing With Your Time?

2Carol420
Editado: Abr 28, 2021, 9:41 am


📌 - ★
Carol's April Reads
Murder Run- John Hunt - ★ Early Reviewers
Lethal Liaisons Deanna King - ★ - Early Reviewers
📌Bloodline – Jess Lourey – 4.5★
📌Body and Soul – Aiden Bates – Washington - 5★
📌Darkfall –Dean Koontz – New York -4★
📌Whispers in The Night – Brandon Massey, Tananarive Due & Others –4.5★
📌An Unconventional Union – Scotty Cade – Georgia/Massachusetts - 4.5★
📌The Lucky Ones – Mark Edwards – England - 5★
📌Come Closer – Sara Gran – 3★
📌Knobs – Scotty Cade – 5★
📌Win – Harlan Coben – New York/New Jersey - 5+★
📌Later – Stephen King – New York -5★
📌Better Than People – Roan Parrish – Oregon – 5★
📌The Whispering House – Elizabeth Brooks – England - 3★
📌The Lost Village – Camilla Sten – Sweden - 5★
📌Not Dark Yet - Peter Robinson – England - 4★
📌Lost Boy Found – Kristen Alexander – (Louisiana) - 3.5★
📌The Moonlight Child – Karen McQuestion – 5★
📌Haunted Blood - Elik Katzav – Israel -5★
📌Winter Kill - Josh Lanyon -5★
📌Tear Me Apart - J.T. Ellison- Tennessee -5★
📌Fire and Granite - Andrew Grey - Pennsylvania/Maryland - 5★
📌Fire and Agate - Andrew Grey - (Pennsylvania) -4.5★
📌Fire and Obsidian - Andrew Grey - 4.5★ (Pennsylvania)
📌Fire and Onyx - Andrew Grey - 4.5★ (Pennsylvania)
📌Fire and Diamond - Andrew Grey - 5★(Pennsylvania)
📌They Disappeared – Rick Mofina – (New York) - 5★
📌Two Truths and A Lie – Ellen McGarrahan - (Florida) – 3.5★
📌Blood Done Sign My Name - Timothy B. Tyson - North Carolina – 3★
📌The Missing Ones – Patricia Gibney (Ireland) 3.5★
📌Silent Child - Sarah Denzel (England) – 4★
📌My Brother's Best Friend - Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda – 4.5★ (Maryland)
📌Her Dark Lies - J.T. Ellison - 4★ (Italy)
📌Burnished By Fire - Andrew Grey - 4★ (Florida)
📌Cop Out - K.C. Burn - 5★

3Carol420
Editado: Abr 11, 2021, 8:37 am


An Unconventional Union - Scotty Cade (Georgia /Massachusetts)
Unconventional Union series Book #2
4.5★
Kincaid International Corporation’s CEO, Webber Kincaid, and his executive assistant, Tristan Moreau, have just returned from a Caribbean business trip gone horribly right. After years of hiding their love for each other, they finally came clean and discovered KIC’s chief financial officer has been up to some shady business transactions. Now that they’re back, Tristan and Webber must expose the CFO’s indiscretions and save Webber’s reputation, since he’s ultimately responsible for his CFO’s actions. With Tristan by his side, Webber faces KIC’s board of directors and a looming investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice. With all the uncertainty surrounding them, Webber and Tristan rely on the strength of their connection. Together, they plan an intimate wedding on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. But despite their love for one another, Webber and Tristan quickly realize they have some hurdles to cross before they can start their unexpected new life.

One of the things I like about Scotty Cade’s books is that he never lets his characters suffer life’s misfortunate for very long…unless they are actually the bad guy. I’m still searching for the first book so since there are only 2 books thus far…I will know that everything is going to work out for Webber and Tristan. I hope that Scotty Cade has at least one more book in the series so that the ending won’t be left on the note that this one ended on. In spite of what has been hinted at…this book is just filled with joy and appreciation that these two characters have because they are together, finally.

4Carol420
Abr 1, 2021, 12:05 pm


Knobs – Scotty Cade – (South Carolina)
5★
Angus Conrad (Gus) McRae is a privileged Charlestonian following family tradition and attending the Citadel, harboring big dreams of a military career. With the infamous Hell Week behind him, he quickly realizes being a Knob (a freshman cadet) is just as tough—especially for a man like Gus who must keep his sexuality a secret. Then a sudden dorm reassignment lands him with a roommate in the form of one of the football team’s top players—working-class jock Stewart Adam (Sam) Morley—and life gets increasingly complicated. Gus can’t imagine a man like Sam as gay, yet there’s something between them—exchanged glances, the occasional innuendo. Sexual tensions rise, leaving them more than friends but less than lovers. Gus and Sam know there’s too much to lose and they must keep their attraction hidden. If they fail, they risk destroying their hopes and dreams for a prosperous future in a military world that’s not yet ready to accommodate masculine gay men.

This was a book that evoked a slew of emotions. Everything from frustration with the existing mind set to warm fuzzy feelings for the two guys that were as different as night and day…but knew they were absolutely perfect for one another no matter what the school, their families, or society thought or the rules that were placed to keep them apart. I didn’t understand the treatment that all of the lower classman received without provocation or warning from a selected group approved by the academy. I suppose they had an explanation but they certainly weren’t forthcoming. I was very impressed that the author didn’t just write a love story about a military academy as well known as it’s sister school, West Point. He traveled to Charleston and was allowed to observe and form this story around his observations. Never once did I find anything that indicated that the story reflected his feelings about the policies in place or the attitude of the school. He just wrote a warm, beautiful story about two men that were willing to take their chances. The public opinions and the government policies concerning gays in the military have changed but those changes evidently didn't apply to the academies. I loved Gus and Sam and the ending was perfect. I did wonder where Mr. Cade was going to take this story but he didn’t disappoint in the least.

5LibraryCin
Abr 1, 2021, 11:37 pm

El Deafo / Cece Bell
4 stars

Cece Bell grew up in the ‘70s. Just before kindergarten she became sick and lost her hearing. She was horrified to have to go to school (not including her first year when she was in a school with other deaf kids) with a hearing aid and a case (the “Phonic Ear”) strapped to her chest. The case worked with a microphone she had her teachers speak into so she could hear. Well, she could hear without it, but it wasn’t clear enough for her to understand. She found that she could hear her teachers, with the microphone, even when they weren’t in the classroom! Although she had a hard time making friends and was often lonely, she tried to consider her hearing loss (and the resulting use of the hearing aid) her superpower! This is a graphic novel depicting her childhood.

I enjoyed this. This is a story meant for kids. There were a lot of up and down emotions in this one, and she sprinkled in some humour at times, as well.

6Carol420
Abr 2, 2021, 8:21 am



Bloodline- Jess Lourey - (Minnesota)
4.5★
Perfect town…Perfect homes…Perfect families. It’s enough to drive some women mad…In a tale inspired by real events; pregnant journalist Joan Harken is cautiously excited to follow her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown. After spending a childhood on the move and chasing the screams and swirls of news-rich city life, she’s eager to settle down. Lilydale’s motto, “Come Home Forever,” couldn’t be more inviting. and yet, something is off in the picture-perfect village. The friendliness borders on intrusive. Joan can’t shake the feeling that every move she makes is being tracked. An archaic organization still seems to hold the town in thrall. So does the sinister secret of a little boy who vanished decades ago. And unless Joan is imagining things, a frighteningly familiar figure from her past is on watch in the shadows. Her fiancé tells her she’s being paranoid. He might be right. Then again, she might have moved to the deadliest small town on earth.

This dark thriller is based on a true event complete with small town secrets…occult rituals…the disappearance of a child and a community fueled cover-up. The reader will learn the dark secret of a child gone missing and some very weird undercurrents that are everyday life in this small American town of Lilydale, Minnesota. The further you read, the darker the twists. The neighborhood is tight knit and Joan is not quite comfortable with events that play out. In fact, as a reporter, she finds a dark and sinister history that threatens her and her child leaving her to wonder who she can trust.

7Carol420
Editado: Abr 2, 2021, 1:27 pm


Darkfall – Dean Koontz – (New York)
4★
A blizzard brings a city to a standstill and ushers in an evil that defies imagination.
Winter gripped the city. Terror gripped it, too. They found four corpses in four days, each more hideous than the last. At first the cops thought they were dealing with a psychopath. But soon they heard eerie sounds in the ventilation system—and saw unearthly silver eyes in the snow-slashed night. In a city paralyzed by a blizzard, something watches, something stalks.


This was a reread for me as I read it when it first came out 14 years ago. I’m happy to see that it is just as good or as bad as it was then. The bad: The same thing bothered me yet today that bothered me all those years ago was that I didn’t understand how the father…a policeman no less…does nothing when he knows his children are being threatened. He just continues with his investigation efforts without asking help from fellow officers. The relative he assumed they would be safe with was barely able to care for herself let alone two children. That didn’t make sense to me then and made even less sense to me today. The Good: It was an intriguing storyline with a “bad thing” that was totally creepy and unpredictable…and it did have a terrifying satisfactory climax.

8Carol420
Abr 3, 2021, 8:53 am


Body And Soul - Aiden Bates – (Washington)
Vanguard Tower series Book #3
5★
"Brax is too young,...too vulnerable…too perfect. My dominant nature craves someone to care for…someone to command. Brax could be that guy if the circumstances weren’t all wrong. His brothers would kill me if I hurt him. So would my FBI partner. That doesn’t mean I can stay away. The young artist is everything I want in a partner. And when danger comes for him, I need to keep him safe .But how can I keep him forever? I’ll never be good enough. My brothers got me off the streets, but Ry doesn’t know the truth. I’m dirty. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. Things none of my former boyfriends could see past. Why would Ry be any different? He sees the world in black and white. I know where I stand But he looks at me with a heat I can’t ignore. And when I’m in danger, he keeps me safe. Will he accept me when he learns the truth" ?

Aiden Bates has fast become one of my favorite authors. These books are not going to be for everyone, but he has again created another book in this series with believable, likeable, but damaged characters. Brax has a lot of personal issues…way more than a man of 24 should ever have. Ry is totally career, (FBI), focused and is very unforgiving of those that commit wrongs. These two appear so wrong, but yet so right, for each other. This story has some violence… a great deal of strong family ties…and some laughs. It deals with trauma and the effects and healing process is very emotional but keeps the reader glued to the pages and wanting more. Despite some of the darker aspects, I often found myself often smiling since Brax is a truly sweet, loving and bright character.

9LibraryCin
Abr 3, 2021, 9:59 pm

All My Patients Kick and Bite / Jeff Wells
3.5 stars

This is a set of stories/essays, in the vein of James Herriott, about a vet and his interesting cases. Dr. Wells also includes some personal information in some of the stories, as well. Dr. Wells is in Colorado.

I enjoyed this. I’m not sure if there are more in his series of stories, but if there is, I will continue reading them.

10Carol420
Editado: Abr 4, 2021, 3:52 pm


Come Closer - Sara Gran (New York)
3 ★
A recurrent, unidentifiable noise in her apartment. A memo to her boss that's replaced by obscene insults. Amanda—a successful architect in a happy marriage—finds her life going off kilter by degrees. She starts smoking again, and one night for no reason, without even the knowledge that she's doing it, she burns her husband with a cigarette. At night she dreams of a beautiful woman with pointed teeth on the shore of a blood-red sea. The new voice in Amanda's head, the one that tells her to steal things and talk to strange men in bars, is strange and frightening, and Amanda struggles to wrest back control of her life. A book on demon possession suggests that the figure on the shore could be the demon Naamah, known to scholars of the Kabbalah as the second wife of Adam, who stole into his dreams and tricked him into fathering her child. Whatever the case, as the violence of her erratic behavior increases, Amanda knows that she must act to put her life right, or see it destroyed.

This book is a very short, quick read...more of a novella. I have to say that it was fun, but predictable. It was engrossing… but seriously lacking in character development. It's very typical of it's genre. It was somewhat creepy because of Amanda's complete lack of control over her situation. However, most readers are going to need more. It had the potential to be a great little horror novel…but unfortunately it just wasn't long enough to really get very deep into the characters or their thoughts or feelings…not even for the demon herself.

11Carol420
Abr 4, 2021, 5:33 pm


Win – Harlan Coben (New Jersey/New York)
5+★
Over twenty years ago, the heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family's estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors — and the items stolen from her family were never recovered. Until now. On the Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead — not only on Patricia's kidnapping, but also on another FBI cold case — with the suitcase and painting both pointing them toward one man. Windsor Horne Lockwood III — or Win, as his few friends call him — doesn't know how his suitcase and his family's stolen painting ended up with a dead man. But his interest is piqued, especially when the FBI tells him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism — and that the conspirators may still be at large. The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades, but Win has three things the FBI doesn't: a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice.

I usually just grab new books by favorite authors when they first come out and can beat the other lovers of my favorite series off with a big stick. If that fails…I just somewhat patiently await my turn…but this one??? No way was I waiting and taking a chance on getting it first. I put my name on the list for it right up there at the top when I first heard it was going to be Win’s story, almost a year ago. I can in all honesty say that it has easily been one of…if not The most, anticipated reads of the year….perhaps of my entire life! If you’ve read any of Harlan Myron Bolitar series, you know (and probably love) Win…Windsor Horne Lockwood III. At last a book that had Win at its center, and it didn’t disappoint. Win is rich, handsome, cunning, and manipulative and…lethal. Think of him as being a little like Bruce Wayne without the Batmobile. I’m glad Harlan Coben waited to feature Win in his own story. As result he did an outstanding job of writing a twisty, fun thriller that keeps readers on their toes. If this series is new to you I’d recommend giving one or two of the Myron Bolitar books a try first, so you have a chance to become acquainted with Win and his friends before reading his story. Thank you, Harlan Coben, for this treat.

12JulieLill
Editado: Abr 5, 2021, 11:46 am

Eight Cousins
Louisa May Alcott
4/5 stars
This is the story of the orphaned Rose Campbell who after the death of her mother is sent to live with her aunts and then eventually with her guardian her Uncle Alec. Upon moving into her aunt’s house she learns that she has seven boy cousins and it takes a bit of time to get used to all the activity. Though this is a juvenile book, I found it quite fun, sweet and amusing.

13LibraryCin
Abr 5, 2021, 2:07 pm

The Devil's Making / Sean Haldane
3 stars

Chad Hobbes went to law school in England, but never wrote the bar exam. In 1868, he has come to British Columbia, a British colony, but not yet part of Canada (which was just recently formed in the east), but without having written the bar, he cannot practice as a lawyer, so he gets a job as a constable in Victoria. When an American “alienist” (psychiatrist - I had to look it up!) is found murdered in a very gruesome way, everyone assumes it’s the First Nations people who are closeby who killed him. One is arrested and it is assumed he will soon hang for it. Hobbes, though, doesn’t think he (nor any of the other natives) did it, and he sets out to find who really did it. In the meantime, Hobbes finds himself attracted to the sister of the man who was arrested.

Be warned: this was quite gruesome in the details. Also, there was a lot of investigation into sexual things. There is definite racism here, primarily against native people. Overall, I’m rating this ok. There were parts that just didn’t interest me, so I kind of tuned out, but other parts were fine and I followed without an issue. I’m thinking maybe the writing style? The odd thing is that I love historical fiction, I also like mysteries (though some types more than others), but oddly, more often than not, historical mysteries don’t interest me as much. I have no idea why.

I did like the Canadian background in this, though. I’ve been to Victoria a couple of times, so I could picture some of the places mentioned. There was an odd (I thought) twist and I felt like the end was a bit too much all tied up – except for one thing. That one thing wasn’t a happy one (and it was apparently a real event). The brief afterword also explained that many of the people were real people.

14Carol420
Abr 5, 2021, 2:45 pm


Fire and Granite - Andrew Grey – (Pennsylvania/Maryland)
Carlisle Deputies Book #2
5★
The heat is growing from the inside, but danger is building on the outside.
Judge Andrew Phillips runs a tight ship in his courtroom. He’s tough, and when he hands down a sentence, he expects to be obeyed. So when a fugitive named Harper escapes and threatens his life, Andrew isn’t keen on twenty-four/seven protection… especially not from Deputy Clay Brown. They have a past, one that could cause problems in their careers. But with Clay assigned to Andrew and the two of them together every minute, there’s nowhere to hide from their attraction—or from the fact that there’s much more than chemistry blooming between them. As the threat intensifies, Clay knows he’ll do anything it takes to protect the people who are taking their places in his heart: Andrew and his young niece and nephew.


In this story we have a cute, cuddly dog, two nearly orphaned children, and some characters from other books in his Carlisle Cops series. I really like that the author doesn’t discard his characters from other books…but “recycles” them by bringing them into other stories so that the reader can visit these much loved characters again and again,. It’s wonderful to see how these men become good friends and help and support each other when one or the other is faced with small or enormous problems. Combined together it all makes for quite a lovely ride.

15Carol420
Abr 5, 2021, 8:42 pm


Fire and Agate - Andrew Grey (Pennsylvania)
Carlisle Deputies series Book #3
4.5★
When Chris Anducci is moved off jail duty and into the sheriff’s office, he doesn’t expect his first assignment to be protecting a witness against a human trafficking ring. Knowing the new sheriff doesn’t abide screwups, Chris reluctantly agrees to work the case. Pavle Kasun has spent the last four years of his life at the mercy of others. When an opportunity presented itself, he took it, resulting in his rescue. Now the safe houses he’s placed in are being threatened and he needs protection if he is to have any sort of chance at a life. Chris opens his home to Pavle, but he doesn’t expect Pavle and his story to get under his skin… and stay there. Soon they discover they have more in common than either of them thought. Slowly Pavle comes out of his shell and Chris finds someone who touches his heart. But as the men looking for Pavle close in, they will stop at nothing to get him out of the way. But even if Chris can keep him safe, he might not be able to protect his heart if Pavle moves back home.

Chris and Pavle couldn’t have been more opposite of one another if they had tried….plus the fact that Chris kept forgetting that Pavle didn’t understand what some English phrases actually meant made me want to shake him and scream, “Just tell him what you mean”!!! Their story is a foray into potentially high drama from a twisted plot to a simmering…conflicted… but eventually a heartfelt romance between the two of them. I love the way Andrew Grey never lets past characters be forgotten. He always pulls in characters from the previous Carlisle Cops and The Carlisle Deputies books into each of the current books. The stories are very character driven and the reader quickly begins to think of them all as friends so it’s really nice to see them all together again if only for a few pages. These series are both extremely interesting and very well written…with just the right amount of angst, comfort, and suspense. Thank you, Mr. Grey for another remarkable story. It’s diffidently one that I will want to reread. No wonder my two friends think they will never see their books again :)

16BookConcierge
Abr 6, 2021, 8:16 am


Plum Lucky – Janet Evanovich
Digital audiobook narrated by Lorelei King
3***

A “between the numbers” addition to the popular Stephanie Plum series, this one is number 13.5. Grandma Mazur is featured, along with Lula and Connie. Instead of Ranger and Joe Morelli, Steph is assisted by the mysterious Diesel.

Randy Briggs returns for this adventure. A “little person,” Grandma hires Randy to chauffeur her to Atlantic City in the RV she just purchased with some of the loot she found in a duffel bag she literally tripped over. And then there’s Snuggy O’Connor, the guy that Diesel is hunting. Seems the duffel bag was Snuggy’s, but the reason Diesel is after him is because he stole a horse. Snuggy talks to animals and despite being born as Zigmond Kulakowski, he claims to be a leprechaun because he feels Irish.

If this sounds outlandish … well, it is. That’s the fun of this series. The characters are eccentric with a CAPITAL E. The scenarios are ridiculous, but also frequently hilariously funny.

Lorelei King does a great job performing the audio books in this series. She keeps the pace going at a good clip and I particularly love her interpretation of Grandma Mazur and Lula.

17Carol420
Editado: Abr 6, 2021, 1:00 pm


Not Dark Yet - Peter Robinson (England)
Inspector Banks series Book #27
4★
When property developer Connor Clive Blaydon is found dead, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks and his Yorkshire team dive into the investigation. As luck would have it, someone had installed a cache of spy-cams all around his luxurious home. The team hopes that they’ll find answers—and the culprit—among the video recordings. Instead of discovering Connor’s murderer, however, the grainy and blurred footage reveals another crime: a brutal rape. If they can discover the woman’s identity, it could lead to more than justice for the victim; it could change everything the police think they know about Connor and why anyone would want him dead. Meanwhile, tensions are rising between Banks and his friend, Zelda. A super recognizer—able to recognize faces significantly better than most people—Zelda is determined to bring the men who abused her to justice. But stirring up the murky waters of the past will put her in far greater danger than ever before, and Banks worries that he won’t be able to stop her from plunging too deep before it’s too late.

It has a rather complicated plot. When you take into consideration that the author has inserted many passages into an otherwise interesting storyline that describes scenery, meals, and musical selections, although still "interesting"...they seemed to be tedious and unnecessarily. The usual characters…Alan, Annie, and Gerry were their usual captivating and capable selves, but not much was touched on about their personal lives which is usually a big part of this series. This was only addressed and touched on in passing. While after reading what I have said, it seems trivial. However for myself, it caused this remarkable police procedural series to lack the depth, subtlety, and superior writing that has made the earlier Inspector Banks books such very good reading.

18Carol420
Editado: Abr 11, 2021, 9:03 am


The Lucky Ones – Mark Edwards (England)
5★
When a woman’s body is found in the grounds of a ruined priory, Detective Imogen Evans realizes she is dealing with a serial killer—a killer whose victims appear to die in a state of bliss, eyes open, smiles forever frozen on their faces. A few miles away, single dad Ben Hofland believes his fortunes are changing at last. Forced to move back to the sleepy village where he grew up following the breakdown of his marriage, Ben finally finds work. What’s more, the bullies who have been terrorizing his son, Ollie, disappear. For the first time in months, Ben feels lucky. But he is unaware that someone is watching him and Ollie…someone who wants nothing but happiness for Ben. Happiness…and death.

Martin Edwards is one of my favorite authors. His stories are always well told and his characters always make you comfortable in their presences. They aren’t all good people…some are bad and some are down right evil. If you already love Edwards' work, you're definitely going to love this one. If this is your first one…you’ll be searching for all his others. The only small fault that I could see with “The Lucky Ones” was that parts of it was a little long winded and slow getting to the point. The reader will find everything that makes for a good “who-done it”. A sense of mystery and police chase style actions… anxiety you can feel for the character of Ben as he realizes that he's in terrifying danger…anger that is as real as it gets as he realizes what he failed to notice in his son, Ollie. Overall…a very realistic psychological thriller that you will want to finish in one sitting. Oh well…who needs to eat or sleep?

19Carol420
Editado: Abr 11, 2021, 9:03 am

My Brother's Best Friend - Aiden Bates & Ali Lyda
Caldwell Brothers Brotherly Love series Book #1 {Connecticut)
5★

"Friends and Brother's are off limits. That was "THE RULE" and my brother felt it was the only way to keep the peace. But that didn't stop my heart belonging to Nico, my older brothers best friend. I've found something worth fighting for so it's time to throw out the old rule and make new ones of my own."

I know that no one believes that I actually read the first book in a series first:) I love Aiden Bates writing style. Most of this story was easy and enjoyable but some of the characters were frustrating and difficult to understand their attitudes. It could have just been that this was the first of his books that I have read with a co-author whose writing I was unfamiliar with. The character of Jamie is the middle child of a family composed of a retired surgeon...a retired lawyer father...and a family of eight sons. Jamie was a good character that quickly grows on you but his personality kept changing. On the whole it was another really good read by this author...full of humors moments and lots of family interaction. Nico was adorable but had secrets that nearly ruined something good that he was developing with Jamie. I can't wait to read the other brother's stories.

20Carol420
Editado: Abr 11, 2021, 9:04 am

Tear Me Apart - J.T. Ellison-(Tennessee)
5★
It's the powerful story of a mother willing to do anything to protect her daughter...or was it all to protect herself as her carefully constructed world unravels. The daughters surgery revealed a startling fact of lies, deceits and possibly murder.

A skier with a broken leg and a surprise diagnoses of leukemia sends the family in a frantic search for a stem cell doner..one moment that changes their lives forever, Tear Me Apart examines many psychological impacts. The story was very accurately written from the heartbreaking total and near destructions of all the character's life's to the grace and love of a father that thought he had lost his child that he waited 17 years to see.

21Carol420
Editado: Abr 11, 2021, 9:04 am


Better Than People – Roan Parrish – (Wyoming)
Garnet Run series Book #1
4★

Simon Burke always preferred animals to people. When the countdown to adopting his own dog is unexpectedly put on hold, Simon turns to the PetShare app to find the fluffy TLC he’s been missing. Meeting a grumpy children’s book illustrator who needs a dog walker isn’t easy for the man whose persistent anxiety has colored his whole life, but Jack Matheson’s menagerie is just what Simon needs. Four dogs, three cats…but who’s counting? Jack’s pack of rescue pets is the only company he needs. But when a bad fall leaves him with a broken leg, Jack is forced to admit he needs help. That the help comes in the form of the most beautiful man he’s ever seen is a complicated, glorious surprise. Being with Jack—talking, walking, making out—is a game changer for Simon. And Simon’s company certainly…eases the pain of recovery for Jack. But making a real relationship work once Jack’s cast comes off will mean compromise, understanding and lots of love.

Again I read book #2 before book #1 but I enjoyed meeting these two guys in the second book so knew when I received the box with this one right on top that I would meet the brother and his partner from the first one. WIN! WIN!!. Cats were the dominate species in the second book so it’s only fair that dogs get their chance here. Jack can’t turn anything away from his door that needs care. Simon has a social anxiety that typically leaves him isolated from the outside world…sometimes unable to be around people at all or communicate with them. He’s not dumb by any means…just suffers from something that many people suffer from…a form of PTSD. Meeting Jack…a children’s book author…and of course Jack’s dogs and cats… gave Simon hope for a better life, though it was painful to see him try to cope with the entire idea and see that he was so afraid he would fail. Animals don’t judge you…they love you for who you are. Jack…to Simon’s surprise…doesn’t judge him either…he just finds that he has lost his heart to this gentle, broken man. Together they set out to build a life that fits “Better Than People” for both of them.

22Carol420
Editado: Abr 11, 2021, 9:04 am


Fire and Obsidian - Andrew Grey
Carlisle Deputies series Book # 4 – (Pennsylvania)
4.5★

Can a couple be more opposite than a thief and a cop? Or do they have more in common than they think? Mattias Dumont stole to survive. He was damn good at it. But there’s no such thing as a victimless crime, and when he saw how his theft hurt people, he resolved to change. Now he works as a consultant, and while helping to investigate a rash of burglaries, he crosses paths with James. Police Officer James Levinson doesn’t trust thieves, and that includes Mattias. James’s father stole to support himself, and James knows firsthand how that can destroy lives―it inspired him to go into law enforcement. Mattias is no different, from what he can tell… at first.  As they work together, Mattias and James realize there’s something deeper between them than just the physical attraction neither can deny. Given time, they might even grow to trust each other…unless the case they’re working on dredges up pasts both would rather forget.

Andrew Grey has thrown us something so very, very different that we usually get from this talented writer. Just reading the blurb will raise your level of disbelief and getting through the first chapter will convince you these two are really going to be way too much enemy material to ever get around to being friends, let alone eventual lovers. Neither man is wearing wings and a halo. We have to have some sympathy for their lives… but it’s difficult to see how Andrew Grey is going to being this off. He cleverly mixes their personal lives in a way that it does make logical sense and they fall in lust…I wouldn’t call it love at this point. The steps do begin to move toward commitment and love at a nice, even pace, There are quiet a few twists that takes place in solving the crime and Mattias and James come out ahead. Again it's great to see ‘old friends from previous books. In this case it’s Pierre and Clay. I wish the books were longer and that there were more in the series but I’ll take what I can get.

23LibraryCin
Abr 10, 2021, 5:20 pm

I Do Not Come to You By Chance / Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani.
3 stars

In Nigeria, Kingsley’s father is very sick, and to pay for his hospital bills, Kingsley must go to his rich uncle for money to pay for his father’s care. Uncle Boniface (more well-known in the community as Cash Daddy) shamefully (to the rest of the family) gets his money from 419 email scams. Kingsley has an engineering degree but is unable to find a job. This eventually forces him to work for his uncle.

This was ok. I’m not sure there were many characters I particularly liked, and it was a bit slow in the first half. The end also confused me a bit, as I’m not exactly sure what happened there. I had briefly considered upping my rating a bit until the end.

24Carol420
Abr 11, 2021, 8:11 am


The Whispering House - Elizabeth Brooks (England)
3★
It was like holding a couple of jigsaw pieces in my palm, knowing there was a whole picture to be made, if I could only find the rest. Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella’s death five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella―a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought. Driven to find out more about her sister’s secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya lingers in this mysterious, centuries-old house, her relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession and the darkness behind the locked doors of the estate threatens to spill out.

I did it again. Will I never learn? I chose this book based on the creepy cover. I was lucky that the story was okay…but it was so S –L-O- W …painfully so… and it unfolds using flashbacks and other wanderings. The author did do a marvelous job on description and atmosphere so 3 stars for that. I can’t give it anything higher because I could not connect with the characters. Frya didn’t get her act together until the book was nearly finished. We only learn what happened to Stella in very broad terms and Freya’s actions made no real sense at the end.

25Carol420
Abr 11, 2021, 1:07 pm


Her Dark Lies - J.T. Ellison - (Italy)
4★

Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets. From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife. Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins

A secluded island in Italy is the perfect backdrop for the perfect wedding...but of course everything is far from perfect. Artist Claire Hunter has met the man of her dreams... Jack Compton. Jack is hugely wealthy...handsome...charming...and the director of his family’s prominent charitable organization. Jack is drawn to Claire for her free spirit... her sparkling personality...and her impressionable talent as an artist. Together, the two seem to have it all… but everyone has secrets it seems and Jack and Claire’s secrets are about to catch up to them. As Jack and Claire depart Nashville, Tennessee for their wedding in Italy, they are unknowingly placing themselves on a collision course with danger. J.T. Ellison invites you to pack your bags and follow Claire and Jack to beautiful Isle Isola. This is one wedding you won’t soon forget.

26LibraryCin
Abr 11, 2021, 3:21 pm

A Prayer for the Dying / Stewart O'Nan
2.5 stars

In a small town in Wisconsin in the 19th century, “you” (Jacob) is a preacher, an undertaker (and apparently, a sheriff, which I missed). An illness has come into town and people are dying. Not only that, there is a wildfire nearby.

It’s a short book. Right off the bat, I wasn’t liking the second-person narrative, so I didn’t like the writing style. It wasn’t easy to follow, and for a while there were a couple of people who I wasn’t sure whether or not they were dead or still alive, after all. I appear to be in a minority, but I’m not a fan of this one.

27JulieLill
Abr 11, 2021, 6:41 pm

The Johnstown Flood
David McCullough
5/5 stars
This is the fascinating look at a flood that devastated Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1889. Johnstown was a small town with mostly workers that worked at the coal/steel plants. It also was the site of a resort that had many famous industry members including Andrew Melon and Andrew Carnegie. Unfortunately, the resort had a dam and that dam was not well maintained and on May 31, 1889 it burst open killing thousands and opening up an investigation into what happened and who was responsible. McCullough does wonderful job relaying the story of the people of the area and what happened after the tragedy.

28Carol420
Abr 12, 2021, 7:47 am


The Lost Village - Camilla Sten (Sweden)
5 ★

Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left… a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn; have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened. But there will be no turning back. Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice: THEY ARE NOT ALONE!. They’re looking for the truth…But what if it finds them first?

My kind of book! If you are a fan of Shirley Jackson, you will absolutely love this book. In 1959, 900 villagers disappear. The question was naturally…. how can an entire village disappear without a trace? Alice Lindstedt…a filmmaker, is determined to learn the answer to the question at any cost. The entire population of the Swedish mining village Silveerjain vanished without a trace. As impossible as it may seem…only the body of an elderly woman and a living infant were later found in the village. The story is bizarre, yes, but it’s more than that for Alice: it’s a missing piece of her own family history that she is determined to uncover. Alice’s grandmother grew up in this very same town, and her entire family vanished along with almost all of the town’s residents on that fateful day many years ago. The hints of supernatural possibilities in the early pages of the book keep you reading and anxiously turning pages. Sten vividly describes the eerie silence of Silverjaim as she invites readers to explore its abandoned buildings and homes, and makes readers witness to the way in which time seems to have stood still in this community. Imagine walking into a home that has been abandoned for over 50 years… and yet it looks almost like its owner just stepped out for a moment, and would be back any second. This author takes the reader into the heart of this mystery and builds almost unbearable tension. it is absolutely a book that incorporates elements of horror and tragedy. This is a story with dark themes and events at its very core. I have to say that this is one of the best stories of this type that I have ever read. I would love to see the documentary.

29BookConcierge
Abr 12, 2021, 11:05 am


Secretariat – William Nack
4****

Subtitle: The Making of a Champion

I think everyone knows about this horse and his extraordinary Triple Crown victory. Nack followed the horse from early on and was present at the track and at the farms to observe his workouts and races. He did extensive interviews with the people involved: owner Penny Tweedy, trainer Lucien Laurin, jockey Ron Turcotte, and groom Ed Sweat, as well as the many others surrounding the horse.

I have always loved horse racing and have read many books about famous thoroughbreds, but for some reason had never gotten around to reading this one. I saw the movie adaptation and it was fantastic, but the book is much more detailed, and paints a slightly less favorable picture of Penny Tweedy.

This starts slowly, going back generations to expound on the history of the people and the horses that ultimately led to this one spectacular animal and his human team. But once he begins racing, the book really takes off. I remember watching those races. My husband was at Belmont for the final leg of the Triple Crown and saw that extraordinary performance in person. Nack makes the telling of the races almost as nail-bitingly exciting as they were to watch.

The book was originally published in 1988. The 2010 edition I read included a new forward that spoke about the movie, as well as additional notes and updates on the horse’s death in 1989 and his legacy as a sire of broodmares.

30Carol420
Abr 12, 2021, 2:09 pm


Winter Kill – Josh Lanyon – (Oregon)
5★

Clever and ambitious, Special Agent Adam Darling (yeah, he's heard all the jokes before) was on the fast track to promotion and success until his mishandling of a high profile operation left one person dead and Adam "On the Beach." Now he's got a new partner, a new case, and a new chance to resurrect his career, hunting a legendary serial killer known as The Crow in a remote mountain resort in Oregon. Deputy Sheriff Robert Haskell may seem laid-back, but he's a tough and efficient cop -- and he's none too thrilled to see feebs on his turf -- even when one of the agents is smart, handsome, and probably gay. But a butchered body in a Native American museum is out of his small town department's league. For that matter, icy, uptight Adam Darling is out of Rob's league, but that doesn't mean Rob won't take his best shot.

Like most of Josh Lanyon’s books this is another very well plotted mystery with a little romance and lots of twist-and-turns. This author is so very good at hiding clues from her readers…yes I said “her”. The explosive beginning and hot-and-cold segues, which became rather frustrating, in the relationship between Rob and Adam leave you sitting out on a limb until the very end…and a very surprising end I might add. I found the information about the Native American culture of the Northwest absolutely fascinating along with learning about the attitudes of the usual bunch of stereotypical small-town characters. I hope she’s got another couple of adventures for Rob and Adam in the works.

31Carol420
Abr 13, 2021, 8:15 am


Haunted Blood Elik Katzav – Israel
5★
David used to be a police detective before he was shamefully dismissed for claiming that a demon possessed an old priest. Now he is taking odd jobs as a private eye and investigating the disappearance of a missing boy. As his investigation progresses, he becomes certain that supernatural forces are involved. The theft of an ancient pagan god statue from a museum, a patient in a psych ward who claims she took part in secret sacrificial killings, and a ruthless cult leader who will stop at nothing, all allow David to understand evil things are coming his way. David must solve the mystery before the clock strikes zero. If he doesn’t find the boy, he will lose himself as well.

This is the first of anything I have ever read by this author. I probably would never have even found the book if it wasn’t for a challenge where I needed a book set in Israel. This is about as “Israel “as you can get. Despite the supernatural element…which also attracted me… the story actually deals more with rituals…demons… and fallen angels. The author makes it seem a natural everyday occurrence to the reader. You can truly feel for David and the frustration he goes through when he starts questioning everything. He is haunted by the memories of the case that made him lose his job at the Counter Cult Squad and he often returns to the same dark place. Then he decides to search for a missing boy and his life and ambitions suddenly change for the better. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book's mystique. It’s one of those stories that come along once in a while that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end.  Five well earned stars and I’m hoping to find more by this author.

32Carol420
Abr 13, 2021, 6:05 pm


Fire and Onyx - Andrew Grey
Carlisle Deputies series Book #5 - (Pennsylvania)
4.5★

Undercover sheriff’s deputy Evan Whittaker is close to infiltrating a vicious local gang. He just needs to find an opening. Instead, he finds Wes Douglas, a web designer who is raising his irresponsible brother’s son. Wes agrees to help with a stakeout, but he pays the price when his home is destroyed in a shootout. Evan’s always been a loner, but when he invites Wes into his home, living together feels right, and the two men only grow closer as they adapt to each other’s lives and rhythms. A future as a family looks brighter by the day, but all of that could collapse when Wes’s brother—and his connection to the drug dealers—crashes into the life they’re carefully building.

This was a wonderful story about family by choice. Wes, Greyson and Evan were placed together by fate and through circumstances became a family. When your own family chooses not to love you, finding one that does always help. Wes gets a bird’s eye view of life as an undercover cop and the effect it has on those around them but if he wants a relationship with Wes then he has to find a way to deal with it. He fears for his brother and he fears for the man he is falling in love with and hopes they both come out safe and sound. I can honestly say that Mr. Grey has described undercover work in such a realistic way that I find it hard to believe anyone would be willing to do it. Once again I applaud Mr. Grey for a wonderful story filled with amazing characters. Why... why... are there only 5 or 6 books in these series?

33Carol420
Abr 14, 2021, 7:39 am


Lost Boy Found - Kristen Alexander –(Louisiana)
3.5 ★
In 1913, on a summer's day at Half Moon Lake, Louisiana, four-year-old Sonny Davenport walks into the woods and never returns. The boy's mysterious disappearance from the family's lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South, offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair. Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp. But is he truly Sonny Davenport? The circumstances of his discovery raise more questions than answers. And when Grace Mill, an unwed farm worker, travels from Alabama to lay claim to the child, newspapers, townsfolk, even the Davenports' own friends, take sides. As the tramp's kidnapping trial begins, and two desperate mothers fight for ownership of the boy, the people of Opelousas discover that truth is more complicated than they'd ever dreamed.

I thought the author wrote a heart wrenching story that was guaranteed to grab and hold the heart of every mother that reads this book. However the characters that were the heart of the story didn’t seem to be very well developed and these were the people that were going to make or break this story. The ending just fell short and the story felt incomplete. I realize that this was based on an actual event… the kidnapping of Bobby Dunbar…and I know sometimes real events don’t have real clear conclusions like fictional stories... but the reader was allowed to become entirely invested in these people and then was just left hanging. There are so many different conclusions that the story could have come to. It was too bad that it continued with deceit to the very end…still it was still a very worthwhile read.

34Carol420
Editado: Abr 15, 2021, 7:22 am


Two Truths and A Lie - Ellen McGarrahan – (Florida)
3★
In 1990, Ellen McGarrahan was a young reporter for the Miami Herald when she covered the execution of Jesse Tafero, a man convicted of murdering two police officers. When it later emerged that Tafero may have been innocent, McGarrahan was appalled by her unquestioning acceptance of the state’s version of events. The revelation propelled her into a new career as a private investigator. Decades later, McGarrahan finally decides to find out the truth of what really happened in Florida. Her investigation plunges her back into the Miami of the 1960s and 1970s, a dangerous world of nightclubs, speed boats, and cartels, all awash in violence. She combs through stacks of court files and interviews everyone involved in the case. But even as McGarrahan circles closer to the truth, the story of guilt and innocence becomes more complex, and she gradually discovers that she hasn’t been alone in her need for closure. Because whenever a human life is forcibly taken—by bullet, or by electric chair—the reckoning is long and difficult for all.

The death penalty…that some states had and others still do, including Florida…is not something that almost every American is “on the fence” about. You are either for it or against it, and everyone has their own arguments to support their individual views. I am not going to make an argument for the support or the rejection of the death penalty itself in this review…so no matter how you feel…please read on. The author of this book thoroughly investigated what she was going to write about. She did this for 3 long years because a great deal of what she was discovering just didn’t mesh with what was presented in court and believed by the 12 good men and women that frankly was given a horrendous job that NO ONE should ever have to be engaged in. In addition to some stunning conclusion, she brings to the story a literary sense of its place in relation to the justice system and our society as a whole. If you think you are going to find a straight up rendition of the facts and only the facts…I can tell you …you are not. You will, however develop a great deal of sympathy for those 12 people that did have to assume that what they heard was the truth, the whole truth an nothing but the truth…but… it was not. You will also put yourself in that jury box from the safety of the words on a page that can be turned and a cover that can be closed. If you are inclined to have and give thoughtful consideration of all the elements contributing to a crime and its punishment, you will find that you and this author 100% share the idea of justice and wish it to be absolute…but again...it’s not.

35LibraryCin
Abr 15, 2021, 9:13 pm

The Witch Elm / Tana French
4 stars

When Toby’s house is broken into, and Toby confronts the burglars, he is beaten pretty badly. After some time in the hospital, it is decided that he should go live with his uncle (who is dying of cancer) in the “Ivy House”. It’s a house where Toby and his cousins spent a lot of time when they were growing up. Not long after Toby arrives, his cousin’s kids are playing in the yard and discover a skull in the giant tree in the garden! This leads to some interesting confessions amongst the cousins…

I really liked this! I listened to the audio. Have to admit that some of the parts (especially near the beginning), I lost a bit of interest, but that was just mostly Toby with his buddies. The story got much more interesting after Toby and his girlfriend Melissa moved in with Uncle Hugo. Really, the narrator was just fine. The last 2/3 of it definitely kept me interested and though a few things weren’t necessarily twists, there were a few of those thrown in, as well.

36Carol420
Abr 16, 2021, 8:14 am


The Moonlight Child – Karen McQuestion
5★
On a cold January night, Sharon Lemke heads outside to see a lunar eclipse when she notices something odd at the house behind her backyard. Through her neighbor's kitchen window, she sees what appears to be a little girl washing dishes late at night. But the Fleming family doesn't have a child that age, and even if they did, why would she be doing housework at this late hour? It would be easy for Sharon to just let this go, but when eighteen-year-old Niki, a former foster child, comes to live with Sharon, she notices suspicious activity at the Flemings' house as well. When calling social services doesn't result in swift action, the two decide to investigate on their own.

This was one absolutely captivating, intense, intriguing, and memorable story. It raises the question; how well do you know your neighbors? Sharon thought that she knew hers very well but when questioned they declared they absolutely didn’t have…nor had they ever had a daughter or any other female child…only a teenage boy. For Sharon the question now became how far would/should she go and what would she risk saving someone else’s child? A child that the neighbors say doesn’t even exist. If you love a real mystery that is deeply human with a host of secrets and outright lies as well as a truly harrowing, with issues ripped from the daily newspapers… this is your book. It will keep you awake right to the so satisfying ending.

37Carol420
Editado: Abr 16, 2021, 5:48 pm


Fire and Diamond - Andrew Grey (Pennsylvania)
Carlisle Deputies Series Book #6
5★
When Deputy Nick Senaster chastises a bunch of college kids at a bar, he doesn’t think anything of it, even if their leader is gorgeous. The guy is too young and way too cocky, and soon Nick has an emergency foster placement to focus on. His first job is ensuring ten-year-old Ethan knows someone cares for him. But Nick doesn’t realize Ethan is a package deal. When Alexander finds out his abusive stepfather, Dieter, has lost custody of his half-brother, he’s torn between relief and dread. Alexander can’t get custody until he can provide a home for his tiny family. In the meantime, at least Ethan’s foster father will let Alexander visit. So, of course the man turns out to be the cute but dour cop who gave Alexander a hard time. Soon Nick and Alexander discover they misjudged each other.

This one brings together Deputy Nick and his newly acquired 10-year-old foster child Ethan. Soon we see Ethan's step brother, Alexander, whom Nick had previously encountered in a silly episode in a bar, enter the scene. I absolutely have enjoyed every one of Andrew Grey's Carlisle series... both the “Cops” and the “Deputies”. This one is no exception. As usual he has given a sweet love story...a well written family situation that works out for all involved...and a feeling that we would love to have these characters as friends and neighbors. Andrew Grey delivers and I certainly hope he finds another cop in Carlisle to keep this series going. It can’t be that hard.

38Carol420
Abr 17, 2021, 4:19 pm


Blood Done Sign My Name - Timothy B. Tyson (North Carolina)
3★
On May 11, 1970, Henry Marrow, a twenty-three-year-old black veteran, walked into a crossroads store owned by Robert Teel and came out running. Teel and two of his sons chased and beat Marrow, then killed him in public as he pleaded for his life.  Like many small Southern towns, Oxford had barely been touched by the civil rights movement. But in the wake of the killing, young African Americans took to the streets. While lawyers battled in the courthouse, the Klan raged in the shadows and black Vietnam veterans torched the town’s tobacco warehouses. Tyson’s father, the pastor of Oxford’s all-white Methodist church, urged the town to come to terms with its bloody racial history. In the end, however, the Tyson family was forced to move away.  Tim Tyson’s gripping narrative brings gritty blues truth and soaring gospel vision to a shocking episode of our history.

This book is very interesting in what it is. I can’t say that it is… or will...or ever would be one of my favorites…or that I would want to read it again...but it IS honest and brutal about the nature of the historical interactions between black and white races. I grew up in the deep south in the 50’s and 60’s and can sadly say that it is indeed honest in the author’s assessment of the racial situation. Be aware that some of the content is extremely graphic and the story will not be suitable for everyone by any stretch of the imagination. The story is Tim Tyson’s account of going back and confronting many of his memories of this event and looking at them through the eyes of an adult instead of those of a child. It's a well written account and good as far as the writing is concerned but sad and tragic beyond measure in the reality. As I said it will NOT be for everyone.

39BookConcierge
Abr 18, 2021, 9:21 am


Walk Two Moons – Sharon Creech
Book on CD performed by Kate Harper
5*****

From the book jacket: "How about a story? Spin us a yarn."
Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind. "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned.
"Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"
And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic.

As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold — the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

My reactions
I never read this book, though I had heard of it. Well, I had heard the title, though I knew nothing about it. Somehow, I had it in my head that “Walk Two Moons” was the name of a Native American character in the novel. It isn’t. Rather it refers to a saying that you never really know someone until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins.

I was completely drawn into the book from the beginning, as I learned that Sal was forced to move from her beloved Kentucky farm some 300 miles north to a town where there wasn’t even a tree in her yard. I could completely understand and empathize with her distress over this move. (Heck, I’m facing a move in the next year or so from my home to a smaller residence and I’m not happy about it … at all.)

I loved the intergenerational nature of this story. Sal is on a long road trip with her grandparents as she tells the story of Phoebe and the lunatic. It’s clear that she has a close relationship with Gram and Gramps, though she is sometimes embarrassed by their behavior. I was happy for her that this relationship gave her a sense of security and comfort, when her missing mother and her father’s methods of dealing with that absence did not seem to be what Sal needed.

I also like how Sal’s own story was revealed as she told the story of her friend Phoebe. The similarities – and differences – provided a way for Sal (and the reader) to absorb what had happened, to face the truth, even if coming at it sideways.

I finished it sitting in the car, crying. It is sad, but still a hopeful ending as Sal and her father come to terms with all that has happened and begin to find happiness again.

Kate Harper does a marvelous job performing the audiobook. She really brought these young teens to life: Sal, Phoebe, Ben and Mary Lou. And I loved the voice she used for Gram - Huzza Huzza!

40Carol420
Editado: Abr 18, 2021, 2:51 pm


Burnished By Fire - Andrew Grey (Pennsylvania/ Port Canaveral)
By Fire series Book #3
4★
Firefighters Lee Stanton and Dirk Krause need a vacation. Work seems to have other ideas: they spend the day before their holiday begins battling a fire that claims three lives. Thankfully, Lee and Dirk will have a whole week on the high seas to recover. They’re having a wonderful time—until they spot Dirk’s miserable, closed-minded father on the ship. Between his father’s presence and his guilt over the lives he couldn’t save, Dirk feels sure his romantic cruise is going to tank. But then he saves another passenger’s life—and maybe he can salvage something else too.

I really like this author but I do wish his books were a bit longer....well actually a lot longer. This one could have benefited from a little more excitement in the plot...but it turned out to be a slow, sweet story that saw the two guys relaxing and just having fun while meeting new people Too bad that Dirk’s jerk of a father had to show up....but there were issues that needed to be worked out between father and son also. What are the chances of that ever really happening? Dirk thought never...but he underestimated the power of love. A more than satisfactory ending to the story of Dirk and Lee. Write longer books Mr. Grey!

41LibraryCin
Abr 18, 2021, 3:53 pm

A Barricade in Hell / Jaime Lee Moyer
3.5 stars

It’s 1917. Delia sees ghosts, and lately there have been a lot of them following her detective husband Gabe around. Gabe is now investigating what looks like a ritual murder. As Gabe and his partner/friend, Jack, continue in their investigation, they discover more and more people who have disappeared. Sometimes Delia and her mentor/friend Dora are brought in to help Gabe and Jack with their cases, and this appears to be needed this time around.

This is the second book in a series. The chapters alternate between Delia and Gabe, and in this one, I found Gabe’s murder investigation more interesting than Delia’s ghosts. In my opinion, this wasn’t nearly as good as the first book. It’s been a few years, so I can’t compare directly, but the first one did make my favourites that year. This one – there was a lot going on – a lot of action – and I’m usually interested in ghosts, as well as murder mysteries, but this one didn’t pull me in as much. I’m still rating it “good”. There is currently one more book in the series (I’m not sure if it ends at a trilogy, or if she’s writing more for the series) and I will be reading it.

42Jenson_AKA_DL
Abr 19, 2021, 8:55 am

Over the weekend I finished off a re-read of Unhallowed by Jordan Hawk which I still need to do a review on. I enjoyed this one much more the second time around. I think the first time I read it I just kept waiting for glimpses of Whyborne and Griffin from the preceding series set in the fictional town of Widdershins which didn't materialize. This time I spent more of my concentration on the main characters of this story and found them entertaining. A very good first entry into her next Widdershins series and I am truly looking forward to her second entry.

Last night I finished the second story of the Daphne and Velma YA series and enjoyed it even more than the first novel. I am really liking the new take on the old Scooby Doo characters. I'd love to see more Shaggy, Scooby and Fred in the next installment!

43LibraryCin
Abr 19, 2021, 10:37 pm

In the Mood for Peace: The Story of the Izzy Doll / Phyllis Wheaton.
4 stars

The Izzy Doll is a small knitted/crocheted doll that Canadian peacekeepers have been giving out to kids in war-torn countries, or just poor kids in countries where they are posted. It started with Mark Isfeld, who died in Croatia in 1994 while serving a peacekeeping mission there. He was trying to clear landmines at the time. Previous to his death, though, he told his mom back in Canada how much he wanted to give these kids something to call their own. She started making these little dolls and shipping them to her son to hand out. This has since grown into a much much larger project, where people all over the country (and some in the US) help knit/crochet these little dolls to bring smiles to those kids’ faces.

The book is also a biography of Mark, and both his parents, and it also looks at peacekeeping and peacekeepers, as well as landmines and the attempt to rid the world of them, as they are so dangerous long after conflicts end. There is also some memoir added in as Phyllis travels and talks to various people she focuses on in the book (the Isfelds and others).

I had never heard of the Izzy Doll before Phyllis, the author of the book (and an acquaintance of mine!) gifted a copy of the book to me. As sad as it was for the soldier whose idea it was to have died not long after he started handing them out (and both his parents died within months of each other in 2007), it is absolutely an uplifting book. The book is also peppered with photos of the Isfelds and more.

44LibraryCin
Abr 19, 2021, 11:08 pm

Mexican Gothic / Silvia Moreno-Garcia
3.25 stars

Noemi has gone to see her recently-married cousin, Catalina, who married suddenly and is now living in a remote large house with her new husband’s family. Noemi’s father is worried about some letters Catalina has written, as it sounds like she is very ill, so he wanted Noemi to go see how Catalina is doing and see if she can help. Catalina’s husband, Virgil, and his entire family is very odd, to say the least… and it seems quite apparent that they don’t want Noemi there.

The book is slow moving. I listened to the audio, which was fine, but not a whole lot happened until about the last quarter of the book. It did pick up, but not enough for me to raise my rating very much (the extra .25 is for when it finally picked up). I’ve seen this compared to “Rebecca” as a Mexican Rebecca, and Rebecca also started very slow, but there was something about the atmosphere in Rebecca and the story that had me like it better, overall. The atmosphere was done well in this one, too, but one thing I didn’t like were the odd, kind of psychedelic, dreams Noemi was having. Those were just...weird. That did put me off some. Overall, 3 stars for me is ok, and I added the little extra for the pick up at the end.

45Carol420
Abr 20, 2021, 10:54 am


They Disappeared - Rick Mofina – Montana/New York
5★

Jeff Griffin, a mechanic, and his wife, Sarah, travel from Montana to Manhattan to give their nine-year-old son, Cole, his dream vacation as they secretly face the heart-wrenching turmoil that has them teetering on divorce. In the wake of their heartbreak, a mother and son disappear… While sightseeing near Times Square, Jeff steps into a store to buy batteries for their camera—but upon returning to the street he finds that Sarah and Cole have vanished. A frantic father searches for clues as time ticks down… Battling his anguish and police suspicions, Jeff fights to rescue Sarah and Cole. He knows now that the love he and Sarah have is worth saving. But he could lose the chance to tell her amid growing fears that they have become entangled in an unfolding plot that could have global consequences.

I haven’t read a Rick Mofina book in quiet some time. I have no excuse as I have always liked this author. I ran across this one at my local library and remembered just how good this author is and was very excited to be getting reacquainted. It was very suspenseful…sometimes almost too much so. You felt so many emotions for this father and husband as he searched for his lost family with little help from the police that was more than willing early on to make him their main and only suspect. Not only does he have to deal with the police blowing him off…he also has to cope with Federal authorities that do little more than the local police. Gather the supplies you will need to survive and make yourself comfortable in the best seat in your house… because once you begin this story you won’t want to stop….for anything.

46Carol420
Abr 21, 2021, 7:09 am


Silent Child - Sarah Denzil – (England)
4★
In the summer of 2006, Emma Price watched helplessly as her six-year-old son's red coat was fished out of the River Ouse. It was the tragic story of the year - a little boy, Aiden, wandered away from school during a terrible flood, fell into the river, and drowned. His body was never recovered. Ten years later, Emma has finally rediscovered the joy in life. She's married, pregnant, and in control again... ... until Aiden returns. Too traumatized to speak, he raises endless questions and answers none. Only his body tells the story of his decade-long disappearance. The historic broken bones and injuries cast a mere glimpse into the horrors Aiden has experienced. Aiden never drowned. Aiden was taken. As Emma attempts to reconnect with her now teenage son, she must unmask the monster who took him away from her. But who, in their tiny village, could be capable of such a crime? It's Aiden who has the answers, but he cannot tell her the unspeakable.

It’s a dark story…a graphic story…a story with details that many will find uncomfortable…but in spite of those things…if you enjoy a dark, gripping mystery...what you won’t be able to do is put it down. Usually I can name the “bad guy” within a few chapters, but not true with this one. All of the characters were written to play their roles well and there is a truly unexpected twist that really surprised me. The only criticism I have concerning this book is that at the end there was suddenly a score of really bad, criminal type people. It just seemed to me to be seemed to be way too many undesirables for a village as small as this one was portrayed to be. I have recently read another book by this author which I thoroughly enjoyed and the same is true for this one.

47BookConcierge
Editado: Abr 21, 2021, 9:47 am


The Unteachables – Gordon Korman
Digital audiobook performed by a full cast
4****

From the book jacket: The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Their teacher is Mr Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement. The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again.

My reactions:
This was a fun, enjoyable middle-grade book about kids – and at least one teacher – who need a little extra help and a hefty dose of understanding and empathy. The two central students are Kiana, a temporary transfer from California who’s living with her Dad and Stepmom while her mother (an actress) is on location, and Parker, a local student who still can’t read, though he CAN drive. The rest of this special class of eighth graders is made up of kids with a variety of issues and special gifts: anger-management, dyslexia, an injured former star-athlete with limited academic success, a gifted artist, a student whose large size makes everyone assume aggression, etc.

I loved how the kids came to understand one another, and how they came to understand their teacher and his struggles. I cheered at their efforts to right the wrongs they witnessed. And I was glad that some of the adults stepped up to the plate to admit past mistakes and try to right past injustices that may have resulted.

I think that young teens and middle-grade students will particularly like the focus on what the kids CAN do. Put down and bullied, they are clearly NOT helpless victims. Bravo!

The audio version is performed by a full cast: Sarah Beth Goer, Oliver Wyman, Josh Hurley, Tristan Morris, Chris Gebauer, Sean Welsh Brown, Pete Larkin, Fred Berman, Jennifer Nittoso. Though I’m not certain which actor voices which character, I can say that they all do a marvelous job.

48Carol420
Abr 21, 2021, 11:19 am


Heat Under Fire - Andrew Grey
By Fire series book #4
4★

Justin Briggs can shout out directions all day on his job as a traffic cop, but put him in front of a hot guy, specifically firefighter Rock Sparks, and he clams up. Rock finds Justin confusing. While saving a busload of children hanging off the edge of a highway overpass, the cute rookie is cool and confident. But when Rock tries to chat him up, he stutters and chokes. Frustrated, Rock teases Justin, and boy, is his temper hot. Though Rock and Justin share a steamy kiss, Justin keeps his distance, still tongue-tied. Then, when Justin is injured on the job, Rock takes him to the hospital, and some of the barriers start to crumble. But getting his enigmatic boyfriend to open up brings up more questions about Justin's past.

Love this author but some of his books are way, way too short. You just meet the characters and learn about them...get to like some of them, and next thing you know they're gone. It's usually happy ever after...but still gone. The two guys in this one were sweet and you had to root for them. The mother and the sisters of one of them was absolutely horrid. Glad we didn't have to see anymore of them. Write longer books, please, Mr. Grey.

49BookConcierge
Abr 22, 2021, 11:07 am


Beneath the Bonfire – Nickolas Butler
Digital audiobook performed by Holter Graham, Luke Daniels and Andi Arndt
4****

In this collection of short stories Butler explores relationships: men and women; male bonding; fathers and children; people and the land.

In one story a group of young couples has a “chainsaw party” … cutting firewood for the coming winter, and two long-term friends’ paths diverge. In another an aging environmentalist takes matters into his own hands after he hears news of a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. And then there is the story of a group of men who annually hunt for morels in the woods of their youth, and find despair instead. A man and his wife work to clear out his recently deceased mother’s home, and he comes to a decision about their future. Two women help one another seek revenge against a man who has hurt many. A man inherits a family and grows into fatherhood.

The ten stories are dark and mesmerizing, Butler’s characters are lonely and yet reaching out for connection. I recognize the landscape which can be brutally unforgiving for the person not experienced or equipped to survive the dangers of the north woods. I’ve been in these bars, hiked the wooded trails, fished on the pristine lakes (but NOT ice-fishing), stayed in remote cabins where you’re more likely to see deer or even a bear than another human. I could smell the wood smoke, hear the squeak as I walked across a snow-packed path, taste the butter-soaked morels, feel the sting of icy sleet and the almost uncomfortable warmth of a blazing fire.

The audiobook is marvelously narrated by a trio of skilled voice artists. I have no idea which artist reads which stories, but they are all equally good. I can hear the gravelly, whisky-soaked, cigarette fueled rasp of a lonely man, and also the quiet, despair of a woman who has been beaten down by life. They give the listener the exuberance of youth and the quite confusion of an older woman’s encroaching dementia.

50Carol420
Abr 22, 2021, 4:12 pm


The Missing Ones – Patricia Gibney (Ireland)
Detective Lottie Parker series Book #1
3.5★

Investigating two different murders with one thing in common - the same rough tattoo on both victims' legs - DI Lottie Parkers leads converge on a former children’s home and unsolved murders from decades ago.

I loved the description of the storyline. The characters were very good but I had some trouble with the timeline layout. I found it to be chaotic and hard to follow sometimes. I also couldn’t quite get acquainted with Lottie, and being the character that was going to carry this series forward…I really wanted to like her more. Maybe she will grow and develop as the series progresses. It did have some interesting twists and turns and I am hoping that the little flaws will smooth themselves out eventually as I believe that this series does have something going for it and the author shows a great deal of talent for telling a tale. I have to remember that I didn’t like J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas much in book 1 and 2 and here I am 52 books later.

51JulieLill
Abr 23, 2021, 12:06 pm

Homo Mysterious: Evolutionary Puzzles of Human Nature
David P. Barash
3.5/5 stars
Barash explores the history of mankind and why humans do the things that they do. Topics he explores, include religion in culture, how did art develop, the development of consciousness, the different life spans between men and women and much more. While he explores these questions, he also raises more questions that have yet to be answered. Very interesting!

52LibraryCin
Abr 23, 2021, 9:24 pm

When Breath Becomes Air / Paul Kalanithi
3 stars

The author was only 36 years old, and hadn’t quite graduated yet to become a neurosurgeon/neuroscientist, when he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. At one point, he considered an English degree, so he set to putting his story down in a book.

It was ok. It (rightfully) felt short and he seemed to skip through large amounts of time. I know it’s because he tried to write it all when he had a limited time left, and in the epilogue, written by his wife Lucy, she specifically said he didn’t finish his book. I was more interested in his life events over the theology/philosophy discussion he added in at times. I listened to the audio, which was fine. I did like that they brought in a female narrator to read the epilogue written by Lucy.

53Carol420
Abr 24, 2021, 3:41 pm


Clock Dance - Anne Tyler (Maryland)
3★
Willa Drake has had three opportunities to start her life over: in 1967, as a schoolgirl whose mother has suddenly disappeared; in 1977, when considering a marriage proposal; and in 1997, as a young widow trying to hold her family together. So she is surprised when in 2017 she is given one last chance to change everything, after receiving a startling phone call from a stranger. Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore to help a young woman she's never met. This impulsive decision, maybe the first one she’s consciously made in her life, will lead Willa into uncharted territory—surrounded by eccentric neighbors who treat each other like family, she finds solace and fulfillment in unexpected places.

I know it was supposed to tell a fascinating story of Willa waking up and rediscovering her life based on the past occurrences that she had experienced. I said "supposed to" because I just couldn't become invested in her life journey. From childhood until she was 60, Willa had allowed everyone else to define her life. Her defining moments were ones in which she consistently remained passive... only giving parts of herself up for the often selfish needs of others. By the time Willa began to show a little backbone...I had given up on her. It wasn't a bad story...it was a bad character who didn't even make bad decisions. She made absolutely NO decisions. One thing I did find enjoyable was the quirky group of neighbors that Willa finally found herself a welcome part of. These characters were original and real.

54LibraryCin
Abr 24, 2021, 9:40 pm

What the Dead Leave Behind / Rosemary Simpson
4 stars

It’s March 1888 in New York City. The day a huge blizzard blows in (this was a real event), Prudence’s fiancee (Charles, a lawyer) is out walking with a couple other men. One of them decides he can’t go on, but Charles goes on with his friend and fellow lawyer, Roscoe. Roscoe gets further ahead, and when Charles stops to rest, he is knocked out and dies in the cold.

Prudence has also only recently lost her own father (a judge). She is now living with her hated stepmother, Victoria (Victoria and Prudence’s father had only been married a couple of years), and unfortunately, Victoria is trustee to Prudence’s inheritance until she turns 31. The trusteeship was supposed to have transferred over to Charles when they married in only 2 weeks.

Prudence and Charles’ best friend Geoffrey (also a lawyer) work on trying to figure out what’s going on, and how to help Prudence get her rightful inheritance out of her stepmother’s grasp.

I was very impressed with the descriptions of the snow storm. I also loved that Prudence was treated so well by her father; they were very close and he treated her more like a son… as in, he taught her a lot of lawyer-ly stuff that a woman, at that time, would never normally have learned. Prudence is smart and I like how the men/lawyers she is working with (Roscoe, in addition to Geoffrey) accept that she is capable. We have an idea what happened early on, but spend the book trying to figure out how it all happened. There were a lot of characters, though, so I did tend to forget who was who at times, and it was a bit of a tangle/maze even once it was revealed how everything happened. I have no issues with how things ended and I will continue with the second book in the series.

55BookConcierge
Abr 24, 2021, 9:55 pm


Goodnight Moo – Molly Cox Bryan
2**

Book two in the Buttermilk Creek cozy mystery series, featuring artisanal cheese maker Brynn MacAlister, and her small dairy herd: Petunia, Marigold and Buttercup, and now Jewel, a shaggy Highland breed.

It’s summer and time for the county fair. Brynn and her assistant / protégé Wes are working hard to organize a cheese-making contest. And Brynn is also working with the local community group to get out information about products made and available in the Shenandoah Springs area. But the fair gets off to a rocky start when word reaches them that there’s been a tragic farm accident – a young farm worker has been killed. Within a couple of days, Wes, finds a body – another young farm worker who’s been shot. What on earth is happening in this peaceful, bucolic community?!

I really enjoyed the first book, but this one seemed to be all over the place as far as plot goes. Bryan includes more red herrings than necessary, and way too many twists and turns. At least one thread just disappears without mention.

Additionally, it’s incredibly repetitive. We are reminded on practically every page that Brynn has a concussion / has a headache / needs her pills / isn’t thinking straight / wants to get back to her cows, etc.

I plowed through because I wanted it for a challenge, but it really didn’t hold my attention. Not sure I’ll bother with book three, if it’s published.

On the plus side, I really do like several of the recipes included at the end. Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes and the Blueberry Breakfast Bread both sound delicious.

56JulieLill
Abr 25, 2021, 5:25 pm

The Edible Woman
Margaret Atwood
4/5 stars
Set in the mid 1960’s, Marian McAlpin is engaged to a wonderful man and is set to get married but she has developed a problem. She can’t eat meat. She hides the problem from her friends and fiancé and starts to hang out with Duncan whom she met in a laundromat. Life is becoming unbearable for her as she has to face her future. Can she get over her fears or let them over take her? Atwood doesn’t disappoint in this story!

57threadnsong
Abr 25, 2021, 6:24 pm

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
5*****

Still an incredible book, with Mantel's style and re-telling of the downfall of Anne Boleyn from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell.

I re-read it as a prelude to the final book in the series, "Mirror and the Light" so that I could feel more up to speed in the detailed events and intrigue. And because Hillary Mantel's narrator voice just gets into my head and stays there, in a delicious way.

58LibraryCin
Abr 25, 2021, 10:11 pm

The Last Thing He Told Me / Laura Dave
4 stars

Hannah has been married to Owen for two years. Owen had a daughter previously, Bailey, who is now 16-years old. One day, Owen just doesn’t come home again. He sends a note to Hannah that just says “Protect her”. As Hannah hears on the news, the owner of the company Owen has been working for has been arrested and charged with fraud.

This was really good. Another one that pulled me in right away and kept me wondering. I definitely didn’t expect the ending. Told from Hannah’s point of view, some chapters backed up in time to see the relationship (and some earlier events) between Hannah and Owen.

59Carol420
Editado: Abr 28, 2021, 9:41 am


Cop Out- K.C. Burn - (Canada)
Toronto Tales series Book #1
5★
Detective Kurt O’Donnell is used to digging up other people’s secrets, but when he discovers his slain partner was married to another man, it shakes him. Determined to do the right thing, Kurt offers the mourning Davy his assistance. Helping Davy through his grief helps Kurt deal with the guilt that his partner didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth, and somewhere along the way Davy stops being an obligation and becomes a friend, the closest friend Kurt has ever had. His growing attraction to Davy complicates matters, leaving Kurt struggling to reevaluate his sexuality. Then a sensual encounter neither man is ready for confuses them further. To be with Davy, Kurt must face the prospect of coming out, but his job and his relationship with his Catholic family are on the line. Can he risk destroying his life for the uncertain possibility of a relationship with a newly widowed man?

This author is fast becoming another of my favorites. The characters are so real and their situations are so true to life. I hoped so much for them to get their “happily ever after”. The story is heartwarming, but also heart wrenching at times. The characters of Kurt and Davy are believable, and so very layered, and brilliantly complex. I felt sorry for Kurt learning things about his work partner, Ben after Ben’s funeral. The more he learned and the things he saw when he went to help Davy told him more and more that he had never really known him at all. And here was Davy...Ben’s life partner...well let’s just say things were far less than anything resembling “good” and much more than a surprise. The story from here is an emotional roll-coaster; I had read one other book by this author. That was not in this 3-book series...and really enjoyed it so was happy that my two book bringing friends had bought more by this author. Thank you, guys.

60LibraryCin
Abr 28, 2021, 9:35 pm

Local Woman Missing / Mary Kubica
5 stars

11 years ago… a woman with a baby waits for her husband to come home. It’s late but she heads out for a “run” – or so she tells her husband. She is actually cheating on him (but to be “fair”, it seems he is also cheating on her). Now… Delilah lives in a dark basement. She doesn’t know how old she is or how long she’s been there, but she knows she’s outgrown her shoes and clothes. There is nothing in the basement except a toilet, Delilah, and Gus, who came some time after Delilah had been there a while. 11 years ago (May)… we follow Kate (Delilah’s neighbour), as Delilah’s dad knocks on the door on a rainy night, not knowing where his 6-year old little girl, Delilah, is or his wife, Meredith. 11 years ago (March)… we follow Meredith, Delilah’s mom, a doula, and yoga instructor, as she wonders where the threatening texts she’s been receiving are coming from…

Those are snapshots from the start of the book. The book does go back and forth in time, and switches perspective (each chapter tells you the time and whose perspective it is, so it’s easy to follow), but it pulled me in immediately and kept me wanting to read! I didn’t want to put down the book, though there are a couple of parts that had me nervous: reading at night at home by myself, not wanting to turn the lights out for bed! Some great twists in this one, and it had me scared a couple of times. Adds up to 5 stars from me.

61LibraryCin
Maio 1, 2021, 11:53 pm

The Clover Girls / Viola Shipman
3.5 stars

Em(ily), Rachel, V(eronica), and Liz met at summer camp in 1985 and became life-long friends (or so they thought). They spent the next four summers together and they called themselves the “Clover Girls”. Unfortunately, that last summer, there was a rift that pulled them apart. Em tried to keep in touch with everyone, but mostly they went their separate ways and had their own lives.

Liz had a family, then divorced, and in current day, is a realtor and watches over her mother in a care home (her kids and grandkids never visit); V became a model, then married and gave up her career for her husband and kids; Rach was an actress for a while, then went into politics… well, I’m not sure what exactly she is, but she works for a very conservative politician and she seems to do some kind of damage control (in the form of being in the spotlight to explain things, mostly things with regard to policies around women).

When they each get a letter out of the blue from Em, she is already dead. She wants them to revisit the camp to spread her ashes, and of course, to come together again.

I enjoyed this. I loved all the 80s references! Starting with friendship pins (remember those!?), then of course, the music and movies… What brought the rating down a bit for me was that there was a bit more gushi-ness than I would have liked. Maybe it’s because I’m really not a gushy person (at all! Probably the opposite), but it didn’t seem real to me. It was too much for me. Also, one thing near the end… I felt like a couple of the women acted very childishly in that one event. They didn’t act like adults. Overall, though, I still liked the book. Liz and Em (easily) were my favourite characters, and I did like Liz’s storyline. There is also a book club guide at the end; I hadn’t thought of it as a book club book but there were some good questions included.

62threadnsong
Maio 2, 2021, 6:52 pm

Guardian of the Freedom by Irene Radford
4****

The final volume in Irene Radford's "Merlin's Descendants" series accomplishes a lot. It ends in a good spot in her storyline, incorporating as it does the political machinations of King George III and his Ministers, and the primary movers of the American Revolution. There is also the Demon of Chaos who attaches itself to one of the central characters, and a sort of splitting of the line of the Pendragon among two female heirs of the line.

In the mid-1700's young girls do what they are told, even if they are descended from lines of magicians and don't wish to wear skirts. Young Georgina, sister to the current Pendragon, decides she will seek her own fortune. She uses her swordfighting skills and moves to the Continent, where she meets with Casanova. And before you start thinking of "hot and steamy" with that name, be assured that her encounters with the great swordsman and lover take place mainly off-stage and in the past. Georgie, the mercenary (whose batman is also a woman disguised as a man!) is able to use her magickal powers during several battles in Austro-Hungary.

There is some repetitive-ness that does happen in Radford's books, mainly Dr. Marlowe who wants to re-animate his dead son by using books from the Pendragon archives and will stop at very little to access them. Including using his medicine to drug Georgina's brother Drake into senselessness for several years, and also uses arcane powers to summon the above demon.

In the Colonies, Radford's ability to weave history with storytelling moves to the forefront, and we see from Georgina's eyes (and other characters' to some extent) the conditions of slaves, women, and the desire for a Revolution. The events leading up to it, including those that are barely hinted at in schoolbooks, are well told.

Again, I'm glad she ended her series where (and when) she did, and I'm glad she wrote them as well.

63threadnsong
Maio 15, 2021, 5:37 pm

The Poetic Edda, translated by Henry Adams Bellows
4****

(And begging everyone's indulgence here - I read it all except for the last 2 poems in April, and it's on my various April reading lists, and I've had some busy weekends till now!)

This is a fantastic book on so many levels. The explanation of the translations of the poems is well done, the translations are well-crafted and follow the meter of the original, and the footnotes are more important than I first thought. In other words, it was not a quick read through ancient Icelandic poetry! It was worth reading to gain an understanding in this work that is important to music, Tolkien, and mythology in general.

All that said, this translation is from 1926, long before Wagner became problematic. But it's also from 1926, so there were few (if any) women writing about this subject matter and comparative mythology was in its infancy. Bellows compares his translation of the material with other translators, and gives justification for why he chose to include a line or change the order in a stanza. He also gives detailed notes of the movement of a poem's final written format, gathering information about whether it originated in Northern Germany (mentions of the Burgundians and Attila the Hun are key here) or whether it came from more northern countries. All of that information is necessary to a greater understanding of these poems.

What I would like to see now is women's research on this same subject matter, especially since the oldest poem in the cycle, Guthrun's Lament, involves the repeated telling in the other poems of Guthrun's life. She is wife, sister, mother; in one cycle she is originally married to Attila the Hun (yes, really, that Attila) while in another he is a later marriage and it is he, and not her brothers, who betray her beloved Sigrun (Siegfried). Is she one of many betrayed women? Or was she a famous queen in her own right about whom tales have sprung no matter their original subject matter (think: King Arthur)?

Worth reading, though, especially for those with an interest in Tolkien, or early poetry, or Scandinavian/Icelandic history.