Tag: fiction

October Reads

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A slow reading month with only eight books, but given the craziness of the month it’s a win! October had two birthdays (mine and Gage’s), one anniversary (our 27th wedding anniversary), and a wedding trip/vacay to Colorado where the three of us and my mom watched my cousin’s daughter (and one of my flower girls) get married. Oh, and we also added a 2 pound furball to the house, making this a 3 cat house, and one of the other cats, Razzi, had to have surgery. I’m honestly looking forward to a more low key November!

Spotlight!

Not a Free Ion by Elinor Wilder. 112 pages, 2025

My friend wrote a book! This novella is a set up for the series and I’m so proud of her! Not a Free Ion is a novella that sets up the Claw Ridge Mountains community that is home to wolf shifter packs. It’s a love story with a shifter who lost his sense of smell and a neurodivergent woman who has always loved him. They finally get there second chance when the stakes are high.

I’m not usually into wolf shifters or novellas BUT this was a fun introduction to the first book, where I’ve had the privilege to read a few early chapters. If you do like shifter stories, go ahead and show some love to my friend by reading this one. The opening rescue chapters will have you hooked from page one.

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgans. 435 pages, 2019

This was my favorite book of the month by one of my favorite authors. A widowed matriarch who is dying, a granddaughter once cast away now invited back with the promise of a sizeable inheritance for her daughter, and an absent son/father who still has a role in the story.

I loved watching Emma come into her own as she went back to the place she was raised and where her one and only love still lived with his new family. I liked hearing Genevieve’s voice as she told her story and the purified air way she had at looking at the world. I also loved that the mystery of the missing, presumed dead son was just a small part of the story and that when the truth finally became known it was almost a surprise I wasn’t sure was going to happen.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. 389 pages, 2022

I really liked this age gap, social disparity romance. I loved watching kind hearted, somewhat clueless Alexis of a medicine dynasty fall in love with Daniel and the small town he lived in. I also fell in love with Daniel, the man of many hats, and the close-knit small town that needed and embraced Alexis.

This did address abuse both emotional and physical, which I appreciated. Too many girls/women can’t see the emotional abuse after they’ve accepted it as fact. Any story that can save girls from those relationships is one that should be shared widely.

In Polite Company by Gervais Hagerty. 368 pages, 2021

Simons is a Charleston blue blood who always feels out of place. When she starts questioning her engagement to the perfect man according to her family she must make a choice.

I loved the Charleston setting and all of the ins and outs of the elites that live there. The story was part family ties and part dating horror stories and it moved along at a good pace. The grandma’s story of being brave was a nice through line.

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida. 297 pages, 2023

The book is a collection of stories with a central location, the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto. The clinic can only be found when a person is struggling with life and the doctor only ever prescribes one thing, a cat!

Such a charming story with each chapter the name of the prescribed cat with a picture. Cat lovers will like the sweetness of a cat being able to cure all ills.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center. 309 pages, 2025

Zany scenes told with wit and humor are a Katherine Center gift. Her latest, the Lover Haters, has that along with a perfect specimen of a man and a woman dealing with body issues. Oh, and a large Great Dane who is involved in much of the story.

This was fun and I liked it. Not my favorite of hers, I like my men with at least as many flaws as I have, but still good.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. 279 pages, 2006

Gage and I read the second Percy Jackson together. It’s slow going with school starting, but we did it! And he’s willing to continue so that’s the best thing

I still like how these books make mythology fun and are educating as well as entertaining. I’m looking forward to the next one just as much as he is!

The Dark Side by Danielle Steel. 288 pages, 2019

So, this is my first Danielle Steel book in decades and, wow, it was not what I was expecting! I am not a big believer in trigger warnings and am sure I would have ignored them if there’d been any, but this book was just one big trigger for me.

My trigger warnings for you includes sick children and lots of child ER visits. I found no joy in this book from beginning to end, so if you like those types of books, have at it 😆

I don’t often post about books I don’t really like, but given how much it bothered me I thought I’d warn you.

Reading the World Challenge – Israel

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I’ve finished my first country and while it took a little longer than I anticipated I feel like I’m off to a great start. My nonfiction book was written by an Arab born and raised in Israel and the novel’s main storyline was the prejudice against migrants with many chapters coming from her perspective. So, I liked that both books helped me see Israel from the eyes of someone not in the majority.

Nonfiction

Around the World in 60 Seconds: The Nas Daily Journey-1,000 Days, 64 Countries, 1 Beautiful Planet by Nuseir Yassin with Bruce Kluger, 2019, 272 pages

My review is here.

Fiction

Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, translated from Hebrew by Sondra Silverston, 409 pages, 2013

My review is here.

My goal is to read a fiction and nonfiction book set in and written by someone who was born in that country. As recommendations have trickled in I realized that it’s the ‘born in that country’ part that is going to make some books not work. I’m excluding the immigrant experience. It wasn’t my intent, I just didn’t really think it through in those terms. I’m not going to change the rules at this point. Maybe I’ll do a spin off challenge for that.

That being said here are three books I’ve read and liked in the last few years that were set in Israel, but not written by someone born there.

Too Far From Home by Naomi Shmuel – a children’s book about a girl who was born in Israel to two immigrant parents. A good book about prejudice and belonging. 4 stars

Dawn by Elie Wiesel – This is the second in the Night trilogy and a profound look at the evil of war. 5 stars

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden – A graphic memoir by a New Yorker taking her 10 day Birthright trip to Israel. 3.75 stars

Reading the World Challenge – Israel

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ISRAEL Fiction

Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, translated from Hebrew by Sondra Silverston, 409 pages, 2013

How I found, chose this book-It chose me. I ran across this book while I was cleaning up our spring book sale and the cover spoke to me.

I finally finished my fiction read from Israel and it was a gritty, moral look at the prejudice one can have against refugees in any country. It’s dense and slow moving, but it does pack a punch.

Dr. Etian Green hits a black migrant on his drive home from a long shift at an Israeli hospital. Even a doctor couldn’t save the man and so begins the moral crisis for this husband, father, and healer. When he is blackmailed by the man’s widow Etian’s whole life begins to spiral.

It felt like a quiet book because there wasn’t a lot of dialogue. What I got instead was a front row seat to the inner minds of Etian, his wife, and the beautiful widow. Fascinating. Etian goes from dislike of the refugees to understanding their plight in his country.

The writing was beautiful. The story was thoughtful and somewhat suspenseful. But I had zero problem putting this down until about 3/4 of the way through, when it picked up and I stayed up late to finish it. So, it’s a good book, but not one you’ll breeze through. And it’s the better for it.

And that cover? Gorgeous.

A few examples of the writing…

“However much he wanted to feel compassion for them, he couldn’t help recoiling from them. Not only from their smell and bodily fluids but also from their faces-alien, staring, filled with undying gratitude. He didn’t speak their language, and they didn’t speak his, so they communicated with waving hands and facial expressions.” p. 54

“A thin man reached out for a handshake, and Eitan shook his head, thinking that somewhere along the way, his empathy button had stopped functioning. He should have felt something. Kindness. Compassion. The responsibility of one human being for another. Not only toward this man standing here and shaking his hand emotionally while he himself was only waiting for him to stop. He hadn’t felt anything for the man on the ground with his head split open either. Or perhaps he had felt something but not the right something. Not what he should have felt.” p.75

“But Eitan knew he had never been more awake. And, appalled, he realized that at that moment, at that specific moment, he was prepared to set the whole house on fire.” p.208

“It would be his fault. Because he hadn’t taken good enough care of his family, and families are fragile things.” p.227

This Week

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It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done one of these. But as fall weather rolls in, so does my desire to jump back on here and gab about books, movies, and maybe Gage too. I miss it.

Challenge: This week I started a new challenge I’m calling Reading the World. The post is here and I’m looking for recommendations for books from other countries. Here are recommendations I need today…Fiction books written by and set in Pakistan, Poland, Sierra Leone, Vietnam. And nonfiction books by people from and set in the countries of Afghanistan, Canada, Columbia, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria, Trinidad&Tobago, and Egypt.

I started the challenge with Israel because I had both a nonfiction and fiction book. When I finish I’ll move on to Sweden because I have both books ready to go.

Finished this week: Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas. I love her historical romances, but this first of the Bow Street Runners series was not a favorite. I love her so much that I’ll still pick up the second one.

Currently reading: Around the World in 60 Seconds: The Nas Daily Journey-1000 Days, 64 Countries, 1 Beautiful Planet by Nuseir Yassin. This is the first book of my challenge and I’m so close to finishing. It is the perfect way to begin my journey around the world. Expect a review tomorrow.

I’m listening to Lethal Prey by John Sandford, the 35th book in the Lucas Davenport series. This one also has Virgil Flowers and I love them together. The murderer in this one is pretty cold. Makes me look around at some normal looking people with suspicion.

Movies: Jason and I watch Sinners this week. What a weird and compelling movie. I both loved the original storytelling and didn’t care for the twist, lol. And for family movie night we watched Escape Room on Netflix. We like escape rooms, just not ones this deadly. We all liked the movie though.

TV: We’re working our way through The Middle. I think we’re on season 5 and we all love it, Gage especially. Jason and I watched the first episode of the Great Bristish Bake Off. We’re in a pool that Jason won last season so he’s under some pressure to do well this time too.

Puzzles: Today I’m hosting a puzzle swap at my house. I’ve been having an informal Little Free Puzzle Library on my porch since January and needed to clean out the 70+ puzzles that have been acquired. This is the 1000piece+ table.

This weekend: So far it’s been fairly quiet. I see lots of laundry in my future today and most likely a family game. What about you?

Linking up with The Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz.

Reading the World Challenge

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I’m back! I’ve been unable to use my blog for weeks but think everything is okay now. Bloggers know how frustrating this can be. I haven’t used my blog as much as Instagram these past few years because I wasn’t able to use my own photos. I still haven’t entirely fixed that problem but did manage to get this one on here so there is hope.

On September 1st I embarked on a new challenge. I’m calling it Reading the World and I’m going to attempt to read a fiction AND nonfiction book from every country in the world.

I’ve been toying with the idea for a few years and finding a few people attempting to read one book from each country on Instagram gave me the push I needed. I’m going to use the current UN list of 193 countries, but am opening to reading the territories too if books are recommended, but it’s not a priority.

I need your help! The rule (made this up myself) is that the author must be from the country and the book must be set in the country. There’s wiggle room for sci-fi or fantasy where the setting is fluid. Please recommend favorite books! I combed my shelves and pulled out this stack, once I have one fiction and one nonfiction from a county it gets read. The only one I had to start was Israel, so I’m currently reading there.

Send me any recommendations and especially these since I already have one book. I need nonfiction books for these countries. I’m partial to memoirs, but anything is fine.
Canada, Afghanistan, Japan, Poland, Nigeria, Sweden, S Korea, Trinidad &Tobago. I need fiction options from Sierra Leone and Pakistan. I’m open to kids books too, sometimes those are my favorites!

I’ll be on here more since I’ll be tracking my progress. I’m excited for this challenge and excited to blog more. I’ve missed it.

Favorite Series – Lincoln Lawyer/Mickey Haller by Michael Connelly

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These books about defense attorney Michael Haller set in Los Angeles are part of the bigger Harry Bosch series. I’ve watched the Bosch series on Amazon, but haven’t read the books. I I’ve also watched the Lincoln Lawyer series on Netflix. I’ve loved both of them. There are only 7 books of the Lincoln Lawyer so far and I thought I’d start there. Once I started I couldn’t stop!

This series is addicting if you like courtroom drama. The writing is good and the plotting is stellar. There are twists that you don’t see coming. Mickey Haller flies high in some books and lands low in others, but always manages to land on his feet and right the wrongs that happen in the justice system. I’m cheering him on because he has that bleeding heart, albeit one that needs to pay the bills. I flew through these in a few months time.

That being said, they are part of the larger series, so you aren’t privy to the happenings of those books or the years that went by. In some of the books quite a bit of time had passed and you just had to pick up where it was and know your questions might not be answered.

And the Netflix series, while drawing some storylines from the book, really doesn’t follow it closely. Some of the side characters are considerably different too. I enjoy both print and screen versions so that’s okay.

Considering how much I loved these I probably will start the Bosch series soon and this might get wrapped up in that series. Time will tell.

I think all but the first have been 5 star reads for me.

Lincoln Lawyer #1, Harry Bosch Universe #16

Lincoln Lawyer #2, Harry Bosch Universe #19

Lincoln Lawyer #3, Harry Bosch Universe #22

Lincoln Lawyer #4, Harry Bosch Universe #23

Lincoln Lawyer #5, Harry Bosch Universe #26

Lincoln Lawyer #6, Harry Bosch Universe #35

Lincoln Lawyer #7, Harry Bosch Universe #38

Other series on my Top 100 list.

A favorite series – Chaos Waking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

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This YA dystopian trilogy is not one that I’d consider in my wheelhouse, but sometimes when you open yourself up to something new, great things happen. This is what I said about the books when I read them…

When I started reading this one I hated it.  I disliked Todd and I didn’t understand why some of it was written phonetically.  By the end I still had the phonetic question, but Todd turned into a character that I loved.  Todd is being raised by two dads in Prentisstown, a town in the New World made up only of men, when he is forced to flee for reasons he doesn’t understand.  He is the last boy in town.  As he escapes he finds what he thinks is a girl, but doesn’t understand how this can be since all of the women were killed by the Spackle in the war.  And he is accompanied by his faithful dog Manchee whose thoughts you can also hear.

The unlikely threesome run for their lives and the chase takes them to new towns with facts long hidden from Todd and astonishing to the girl, Viola.  The men and women they encounter change their view of the world and shed light on the inclinations of people that is truly alive and well today.  Manchee, my favorite character, is all things a good dog is, loyal, clever, and loving.

This may not sound like it’s in your wheelhouse and I get that.  I remember reading all of the rave reviews when this came out 12 years ago, but didn’t think it sounded like something I’d be interested in.  I was wrong.  I got sucked in and the book kept it’s hooks in me the entire time.  

The appeal of the first book of the series lay in large part with the relationship between Todd and Viola as they learn to trust each other to stay alive.  This book has them separated most of the book, so it’s the hope they’re holding on to and the trust that they have in each other that sell the story.

Todd is being kept captive, watched, and groomed by the man he’d spent all of the first book trying to escape.  He also is being partnered with Davey Prentiss, the same Davey who has been trying to kill him.  Viola is put in a hospital for and run by women and when she recovers must figure out what is going on in the town and how she can reach Todd.  The two end up on opposite sides.

I loved continuing the journey of these two teens and hope that the next book brings them the happy ending they deserve, but I’m skeptical.  Way too many of the bad guys seem to survive and desperate times call for desperate allies, so it’s hard to say what lines will be drawn and crossed in the finale.  I look forward to finding out!

This last book brings the same fight for good, with Todd and Viola doing much of it apart. Todd is with the Mayor who grows more powerful every day. Viola is with the women healers who are fighting the Mayor for control. A scout ship from earth brings reinforcement and weapons, but on a small scale. The Spackle get their own, prominent storyline so that we can see what gifts they can bring to the peace process. There is a lot going on.

And I was rivetted for all of it. There was a ‘resurrection’ and a rebirth and the end was not what I expected, it was better. I loved the short story that ended the series and how it added to and closed the trilogy.

Who should read it? Dystopian/Sci-Fi lovers, YA readers, and those who want to immerse themselves in 1724 pages of top notch storytelling.

May Reads

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Another month where I’ve largely neglected my space here. Sigh. I don’t know if it’s going to get any better with Gage home for the summer, but we’ll see.

I read 12 books, with 4 thrillers being my most loved category. This is mainly because I’m caught in a Mickey Haller bubble as I read books 2-4 of the series. It’s June 3rd and I’ve finished the 5th already, lol. I also read 2 fiction, 2 non-fiction, 2 YA, 1 historical romance, 1 picture book.

5 Stars

Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh. Buddhism/Spirituality, 128 pages, 1987

“Learn to look at other beings with the eyes of compassion”. “The first time I recited the Lotus Sutra, when I came to these words, I was silenced. I knew that these words are enough to guide my whole life.”

“Understanding and love aren’t two separate things…to develop understanding you have to practice looking at all living beings with the eyes of compassion. When you understand you love.”

“I myself feel Ike I cannot get along with this society very well. There are so many things that make me want to withdraw, to go back to myself… but I am aware that if I leave society, I will not be able to change it. That is our only hope for peace.”

“We will respect the right of others to be different and to choose what to believe and how to decide. We will, however, help others to renounce fanaticism and narrowness through compassionate dialogue.”

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly. Mystery/Thriller. 422 pages, 2008

This is the second book in the Mickey Haller series. It picks up about a year after the first and it’s the basis of season 1 of the Netflix series. I loved it and thought it was way better than the first.

At the end of the first book, defense attorney Mickey is shot. He has multiple surgeries and ends up addicted to pain killers. After rehab he’s just thinking of going back to work when he inherits a practice and all of his clients from a murdered colleague. And one of them is a a doozy. To my surprise, Harry Bosch is in this one quite a bit. I wasn’t expecting that since he wasn’t in the series at all. And that twist at the end was fun!

The Reversal by Michael Connelly. Thriller/Mystery, 389 pages, 2010

This is book 3 and it’s a good one. Mickey becomes a special prosecutor and makes sure he works with his ex-wife and Bosch. The case was good and had one of those shocking scenes that we all read thrillers for. Twisty turns and a legit evil bad guy keep Mickey and Company on their toes. 

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly. Thriller/Mystery, 421 pages, 2011

This is book 4 in the Mickey Haller series and is the basis for season 2 of the Netflix series. There were quite a few significant changes to the plot, but they weren’t necessarily bad. Mickey and company are spending their time and efforts on forclosure defense, seeing how long they can keep clients in theirs homes before the banks force them out. One of these clients gets jailed for murder and all of the sudden Mickey is back on a big case. The twist at the end was a good one, even if I knew it was coming because of the show.

My review of Somewhere Beyond the Sea is here.

4 stars

The Skin Collector by Jeffery Deaver. Thriller, 430 pages, 2013

Book 11 in the Lincoln Rhyme series.

Lincoln Rhyme was a brilliant criminologist for the NYPD until he was injured in the line of duty and now is a consultant on major cases. Amelia, an NYPD detective and the the love of Lincoln’s life, is asked to look at the body of a woman who has been tattooed with poison ink. The pair and their friends are on the case and in danger. A solid addition to the series.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. Historical Romance, 360 pages, 2007

The first book in the Hathaways series.

Amelia and her siblings just became wealthy beyond their imaginations, but keeping their brother from gambling it away will be a challenge. Enter Cam, a well respected ‘gypsy’ and Amelia begins to feel a support and caring she’s never had. I love this series and was happy to reread this one for a book club discussion. Kleypas is an automatic read when I come across her books.

3 1/2 Stars

Maya Angelou: The Poetry of Living by Margaret Courtney-Clarke, Non-fiction, 132 pages, 1999

Maya Angelou was a force and her strength and raw honesty was a beacon for so many around the world. Watching her perform Still I Rise is still one of my favorite poetry experiences.

This gift book is a lovely tribute to the author/speaker. It has some words by her, but it’s really the words of those close to her that make this book special. That and the gorgeous photographs. If you’re a Maya fan this one’s for you.

“She knows what we were born to discover. Every moment is important to her, and she brings to each her love and laughter, and passion for beauty, for life. She creates a world of caring around her and sees that it is good; each smile, each touch, each kindness offered, mirroring the grace of God. That’s our beloved Maya.” Susan Taylor

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. YA, 277 pages, 2007

Where do we go after we die? In this YA novel we all go to the island of Elsewhere. When 15 year old Liz ends up there living with the grandmother she never met she is resentful, but eventually she accepts her fate.

What’s so special about Elsewhere? You age backwards from the day you arrive. When you reach newborn status you are sent back to the land of the living to enter a new body. So essentially, you get two lives. I love the concept of the book and as a YA book it works. It left too many unanswered questions for me to love it. But the pet dogs that made it to Elsewhere did steal my heart.

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. YA, 304 pages, 2021

I’ve read and loved two other Nicola Yoon young adult books. They are heavy on romance with lots of real life issues to ground them. Surprisingly, this one had a touch of magical realism and I wasn’t mad about it 😁 Evie has grown up reading romance and her visit to a Little Free Library was the catalyst for her finding a superpower and love. I lover her openness to try something bold and new, but her acceptance of her new ‘gift’ baffled me and she treated two of her best buds horribly. The takeaway of the book is a strong one and the ending was unexpected so that made up for some of my issues.

3 Stars

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. Fiction, 240 pages, 2020

Who wouldn’t want to go to a cafe run by talking cats giving real deal life advice? This Japanese bestseller is a quick fun read following the intersecting lives of four people who really need a cat god’s perspective.

I think it would be a fun book club book since it breaks down the stages of life and the astrology of our births. Fun things to talk about among friends. I didn’t love it, but again, I’m not one to complain about spending time at cat cafe.

Mischief in Tuscany by Nancy Shroyer Howard, art, 48 pages, 2008

Such a creative and fun kids book! It takes the fresco by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, The Effects of Good Governance in the City and Countryside, and makes a story. Using the original fresco the pig becomes the main character as we travel through the artwork. His exuberance was infectious.

I thought it was fun and it’s a perfect way to get kids to look at art differently and maybe inspire their own creativity.

April Reads (inMay!)

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Just getting blog housework done so I can get back on track here! I read 11 books in April.

4 nonfiction, 3 fiction, 1 YA, 1 middle school, 2 quickies

5 Star Reads

Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson. I started reading Heather Cox Richardson’s daily posts a few years ago. As a history professor she can give historical context to what’s happening politically. She is a must read if you want to understand the state of the country. This goes for both sides of the aisle. Her perspective may not be yours, but truth doesn’t take sides, and it shines through.

“The key to the rise of authoritarians, they explained, is their use of language and false history.”

So many people are being misled right now with blatant attacks on truth. Scary times are ahead if enough people don’t wake up to what’s happening. Highly recommend.

The Promise of a New Day: A Book of Daily Meditations. Do you read daily meditation/inspirational books/journals? I love them! I’ve been reading this classic for awhile and was a little sad to come to the end. Not religious but sometimes spiritual, it was a positive way to start the day. Originally published in the 80’s these thoughts are still relevant to lives today. This came though our book sale donations and I’m so happy I brought it home.

All My Friends Are Dead. A link to a little bit of the book I put on IG. This is such a cute book. If you see it, make sure to pick it up and take a few minutes to read through it. I guarantee at least one chuckle.

4 Star Reads

How Reading Changed my Life by Anna Quindlen. This is  is one of those lovely books to sit down with for an hour in a comfy chair with a cup of tea. I love her stories of growing up being a reader and what books meant to her. By reading this it somehow put to words my own feelings regarding books and the home we make for ourselves in them. It’s only 84 pages.

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. Jason and I have loved the Lincoln Lawyer series on Netflix so I thought I’d give the first book in the long series a try. As usual, Michael Connelly is a master.

Courtroom drama ✔️
Family issues ✔️
Innocent man in jail ✔️
Life or death situations ✔️

I really liked it and will most likely continue the series when I get my hands on book 2. Have you watched the series or the movie with Matthew McConaughey?

Galatea by Madeline Miller. This little gift book is a 56 page novella that would go well with a collection or look great on a shelf or table. Based on Ovid’s Pygmalion myth.

Pygmalion creates a real woman from a marble statue he sculpted himself.
Told from the woman’s perspective this was a liberated take the unnamed statue and the distasteful man who created her. I thought it was everything a grown-up myth should be.

Jackpot by Nic Stone. I’m a new Nic Stone fan. Rico Danger spends her days working to keep her family afloat and attending a high school where she feels alienated for being so poor. When the gas station she works at sells a winning lottery ticket she decides to try and find the lady who bought it. Enter Zan Macklin, son in a wealthy family with lots of expectations. They two go on this lottery ticket hunt together, growing close in the process.

Things I loved…Rico and Zan were cute together. I liked seeing his crush on her wear her shields down a bit. I liked Rico making friends. Pretty much I loved it all until…

Things I didn’t like…the end! No. Just no. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.

The Thursday Murder Club. Four residents in a retirement village form a club to solve old cold cases that the police couldn’t. There was a LOT going on in this book. I listened to it and did occasionally get lost, but I’d rather have that problem than there being too little to focus on. I thought the ‘pushing eighty’ club was brilliant and loved each of the members. I’m undecided about continuing on. Have you read it? Yea or nay?

3 1/2 Stars

The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler. I picked up one from Anne Tyler I hadn’t read since she’s one of those authors I love. Her stories are always about real relationships with all of the ups and downs.

We meet Michael and Pauline right before Michael is shipped off to war in 1941. The marriage was a rocky one, but three kids in they’d found a rhythm. They even held it together when their daughter ran away. It wasn’t until they were older that the bond crumbled.

I was a little bored for a while and almost gave this one up, but there was just enough there for me to keep going and I’m glad I did. It’s a solid family saga.

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. This is a memoir of the year after author Joan Didion’s died. The night he died their daughter was spreading in the hospital ICU. Can you imagine? There were some insightful thoughts in this National Book Award Winner. I think it would be a good recommendation for anyone going through their own grief journey.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. Alcatraz Island. If you’ve ever visited you know its isolation. You also know that there were many families that lived there to support the prison. Can you imagine living on an island with the worst of the worst?

It’s 1935 and Moose has just moved there with his parents and sister. He finds some friends, but his life is very much affected by his sister, who in today’s world would be diagnosed with moderate autism. Since both of his parent’s work Moose is often in charge of his sister. It’s not always easy to put her needs first, but then his friends become hers.

This is a middle school or younger book and the beginning of a trilogy. I think this is a great book for any kid who has a sibling with autism or another disability. I think it would help them feel seen. And who wouldn’t think it would be cool to live among the convicts?

March Reads (in May!)

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Better late than never! I read 12 books. Six fiction, 2 aduly nonfiction, 3 nonfiction picture books, 1 kids nonfiction.

5 Star Reads

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Historical fiction loosely based on a short period of time in the life of midwife Martha Ballard. It starts with a birth and a dead body found in the frozen Kennebec River in 1780s Maine. It’s a bit mystery, a bit history lesson, a bit pre-constitution court drama, and a whole lot of a woman’s role in the world at the time.

I loved it and that was before the Author’s Note at the end! I loved learning about the process and the real Martha Ballard, midwife to the births of 1000 children.

The Private World of Katharine Hepburn. I’ve always loved Katharine Hepburn. She was spunky, smart, and no-nonsense. Some of her movies are among my favorites and I loved her ability to be her own person in a world that didn’t even want women to wear pants! This oversize coffee table books is gorgeous and a must for fans. The pictures are very much focused on her later years, but I loved it. Call Me Kate on Netflix is a must watch for fans too. She was a fascinating woman who knew her own mind. She was a movie star who still considered Connecticut her home.

There Are Moms Way Worse Than You by Glenn Boozan and Pricillia Witte. This book is SO MUCH FUN! Not only is it great for moms to read and feel better about their parenting skills, kids will love the bizarre facts. All kids think poop is funny, did you know a koahla mom will feed her kids poop? And the sexton beetle will raise her babes in a decomposing mouse, so how badly can you really be doing? Loved it.

4 Star Reads

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. What would’ve happened if Hillary had kept telling Bill no to marriage and found the courage to walk away? From her graduation speech at Wellesley to the White House, this is the story of what could have been. Would she have married someone else? Become a lawyer, professor, or Supreme Court Justice? Would Bill eventually redeem himself and win her back? What if, gasp, she had won?

I respect Hillary, was happy to vote for her, and am shocked/not shocked at how much this country as a whole is still afraid of intelligent, capable career women with ambition. So, I really liked the book. If you like politics and speculative novels this is for you. If you hate Hillary I’m confident that you will equally hate whatever portion of this book you can stomach to read.

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley. I love all of Susanna Kearsley’s books, but this is a favorite. Set in 1619 Scotland King James has tasked Andrew Logan to find Sir David Moray and bring him back to the king to answer for the death of the prince. I LOVED the group making their way to the king while trying to escape from groups with competing interests.

There’s history, love in all its forms, second site, betrayal, respect, loyalty, and revenge. It’s fun and left me feeling satisfied for the futures of the characters. The author’s note at the end tells what is based on truth (quite a bit) and what was made up in the mind of a gifted storyteller.

When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey. I’ll read any historical romance Johanna Lindsey has written, but the silliness of the blurb had me laughing. “…AlanaFarmer learns the shocking secret of her heritage. Can it be true? Is she really the lost princess of the European kingdom of Lubinia?”

So, I wasn’t expecting much, but it was a PERFECT vacay read. Alana was easy to like. Christoph easy to like if you like alpha men that fit the times. The story had a few mysteries happening with a sinister feel and Alana’s abduction as an infant took an interesting turn. Loved it. There was love, history, mystery, and palace intrigue.

Firsts: Women Who Are Changing the World. When this was published in 2017 all of the women were still living. It was the mix of women, ranging from Maya Lin, designer of the Vietnam War Wall in DC, to Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State. I loved the short essay by each woman and the photos. There were women and girls who each dared to do something never done before by a woman.

Two Friends by Dean Robbins, Sean Qualls, Selina Alko. Who knew Susan B Anthony and Frederick Douglas, two heavyweights in changing hearts and minds, met and were friendly? I liked this quick introduction for kids in a picture book for kids.

The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford, Elizabeth Zunon. Lena’s parents left her alone with her grandmother in Brooklyn for a bit before her mother took her in the road with her. Her mother taught her what she knew and before long Lena was performing on stage and signing a studio contract with MGM, the first for a black actress.

This is text heavy for a picture book, great for older elementary and adults. This was also very descriptive of the racism that she faced. Some of it was surprising, even knowing it happened. If you want your kid to know what racism looked like with specific examples, this is a good one. One example: she was kicked out of a diner when trying to get something to eat on tour and as she was made to leave, these same people were asking for her autograph.

Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity. This is perfect for girls, the neurodiverse, and all the people who love and respect them. Tweens will love it.

There are known and unknowns included. GOATs like Temple Grandin and newbies like Amanda Gorman. The most common conditions were autism and dyslexia, but here are a few of the others you’ll find, bipolar, schizoaffective disorder, OCD, ADHD, ADD, auditory processing disorder, Down syndrome, dyspraxia. And who knew Billie Eilish has Tourette’s syndrome?

It’s an empowering and inspirational book for girls (or boys) who are different.

3 Star Reads

Always by Sarah Jio. Ryan sees the man who stole her heart on the sidewalk outside of a fancy restaurant she was visiting with her fiance. He was a vagrant begging for money now but he had vanished from her life without a trace years earlier. I really had no idea where this was going and that made it an interesting read. I had a problem with the plausibility of one unlikely thing after another so that kind of took me out of loving it. I did like it and was happy with the ending, another implausibility.

2 Star Reads

Dallergut Dream Department Store by Mi-Ye Lee. This was magical, strange, and dreamy. It was also not my cup of tea. I do wonder if it would be a good one for book club discussions.