What Are We Reading And Reviewing in April 2019?

Carol Has Found Many "Favorite" Books
📌 - ★

Group Reads
📌The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis - 3★
📌Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves - ★

Pick A Winner...Make A Friend
📌Isolation by Travis Thrasher - 4★

Others
📌Sleeping in the Ground by Peter Robinson - 4.5★
📌The Rule of Law by John Lescroat - 2.5★
📌The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens - ★
📌The Last Time I Saw Her by Karen Robards - 2.5★
📌Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang - 4★
📌The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick - 3.5 ★
📌The Cold Blue Blood by David Handler - 3.5★
📌The Spyglass by Richard Paul Evans - 3★
📌Ragdoll by Daniel Cole - 4.5★
📌The Chalice by Phil Rickman - 4★
📌Candlenight by Phil Rickman - 3★
📌An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena - 5★
📌Dead Lake by Darcy Coates - 5★
📌Elegy For Eddie By Jacqueline Winspear - 4 ★
📌Dead If You Don't by Peter James - 5★
📌Wild Card by Stuart Woods - 2.5★
📌The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery - 5★
📌Himself by Jess Kidd - 4★
📌The First Wife by Erica Spindler - 4★
📌Old Bones by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - 3.5★
📌Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses by Dianna Stampfler - 5★
📌The Colorado Kid by Stephen King - 3.5★

Dusty's TBR for April
SF/F
Lois McMaster Bujold - Paladin of Souls✔
Vernor Vinge - Rainbow's End
David Drake - Death's Bright Day
L Sprague De Camp - Rogue Queen✔
Charles Stross - The Atrocity Archive✔
Deborah Harkness - Time's Convert

from other genres
Jim Kelly - The Coldest Blood
Dell Shannon - Knave of Hearts
Dorothy Gilman -Kaleidoscope ✔
Enid Blyton - Five Get into Trouble✔
Lauren Child - Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book?✔
Kate Greenaway - Marigold Garden ✔
Kate Greenaway - Mother Goose ✔
J D Robb - Leverage in Death ✔
Deborah Harkness - Time's Convert ✔
Eleanor Estes - The 100 Dresses✔

Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris
Sebastian St. Cyr series Book #4
5★

Hero Jarvis, reform-minded daughter of the Prince Regent's cousin, enlists Sebastian St. Cyr's help in investigating the brutal murders of eight prostitutes. Following a trail of clues from London's seedy East End to the Mayfair mansions of a noble family, the two must race against time to stop a killer whose ominous plot threatens to shake the nation to its very core?

This series has produced some very interesting characters...some charming and some less charming, but all very human and believable in their behavior. This one has Sebastian and Hero Jarvis spending a lot of time together. I see it as setting up their relationship for some interesting choices for their individual futures as well as the future of this marvelous series. I like Hero but I find her a little too cold and bull headed. In spite of my likes and dislikes I think we will see a lot of Sebastian and Hero in the future in a new kind of "togetherness".

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
3.5★

"College student Joe Talbert has an assignment to interview a stranger and write a brief biography. With deadlines looming, he heads to a nearby nursing home. Carl Iverson is a dying Vietnam veteran -- and a convicted murderer. Writing about him, Joe can't reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict, and tries to uncover the truth.

It's a crime novel as well as a well done detective story. it will draw you in and hold your attention right to the very last page. The hero is likable and to me this is always important. I really liked that he was "hell-bent" on doing a selfless deed for a dying old man, who was a Vietnam veteran with a less than stellar past but absolutely no future. It's the authors first book but it won't be the last one that I will read.

The Rule of Law by John Lescroart
Dismas Hardy series Book #18
2.5★

Dismas Hardy knows something is amiss with his trusted secretary, Phyllis. Her out-of-character behavior and sudden disappearances concern Hardy, especially when he learns that her convict brother—a man who had served twenty-five years in prison for armed robbery and attempted murder—has just been released.

Things take a shocking turn when Phyllis is suddenly arrested at work for allegedly being an accessory to the murder of Hector Valdez, a coyote who’d been smuggling women into this country from El Salvador and Mexico. That is, until recently, when he was shot to death—on the very same day that Phyllis first disappeared from work. The connection between Phyllis, her brother, and Hector’s murder is not something Dismas can easily understand, but if his cherished colleague has any chance of going free, he needs to put all the pieces together—and fast.

This is going to probably be the shortest review I have ever written in my entire life. It was a decent criminal story but had entirely too much political opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs but pick a different venue.

rainpebble's TBR for April:

1921: Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery; bk 8; (4 1/2*)
1942: Winter's Tales by Isak Dinesen; (4*)
1943: These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder; bk 8; (3*)
1953: The First Four Years by Laura Ingles Wilder; bk 9; (2 1/2*)
1991: Dark Star by Alan Furst; bk 2; (4*)
______________________

1924: The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell; C/R
1926: Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne; bk 1
1944: Liana by Martha Gellhorn;
1961: The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck;
1984: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende;
1995: The Polish Officer by Alan Furst; bk 3; C/R
2005: Ingo by Helen Dunmore; bk 1;
2012: Spring Tide by Rolf Borjlind;
2015: Blue Wide Sky by Inglath Cooper; bk 1; C/R

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole
4.5★

William Fawkes, a controversial detective known as The Wolf, has just been reinstated to his post after he was suspended for assaulting a vindicated suspect. Still under psychological evaluation, Fawkes returns to the force eager for a big case. When his former partner and friend, Detective Emily Baxter, calls him to a crime scene, he’s sure this is it: the body is made of the dismembered parts of six victims, sewn together like a puppet—a corpse that becomes known as “The Ragdoll.” Fawkes is tasked with identifying the six victims, but that gets dicey when his reporter ex-wife anonymously receives photographs from the crime scene, along with a list of six names, and the dates on which the Ragdoll Killer plans to murder them. The final name on the list is Fawkes. Baxter and her trainee partner, Alex Edmunds, hone in on figuring out what links the victims together before the killer strikes again. But for Fawkes, seeing his name on the list sparks a dark memory, and he fears that the catalyst for these killings has more to do with him—and his past—than anyone realizes.

Please don’t be fooled by the book description and think that the book is filled with gore…it isn’t … although the killers methods are a bit over the top…but interestingly different. What we have is a well balanced team who have been tasked with finding a very determined killer who is armed with a list, a grudge, and seeming endless methods of carrying out his self made task. These well drawn characters should be the focus of a series or at least, hopefully, a sequel.

Us Against You – Fredrik Backman
Book on CD narrated by Marin Ireland
3.5*** (rounded up)

Backman returns to Beartown to explore what happens in the aftermath of the first book’s stunning events. I think that readers who have not experienced Beartown could still read and enjoy this book on its own, but it will definitely make more sense if you’ve read the first book before delving into this one.

On the plus side, I love the way that Backman writes these characters, how he reveals them through their actions and reactions to one another. People react without much thought, other times they are deliberate and careful. Sometimes they cling to old loyalties blindly. Other times they switch allegiance on a whim. Some are lost in their troubles and stuck in old ways. Others forge ahead blindly, refusing to dwell on the past or even really consider the consequences.

I also love the way Backman follows the story arc. He moves back and forth between characters’ points of view as he tells the story of the town. Yet the story is always moving forward, keeping me enthralled and interested.

What I didn’t like so much … the constant “telling.” Backman can’t resist telling me what people feel, how they think, why this or that is important or critical, what might happen. Trust your readers; if you present the characters, flaws and strengths alike, the reader will understand how they feel, why they behave as they do. You don’t have to spell it out.

Marin Ireland does an excellent job of narrating the audiobook. She has a lot of characters to handle: men, women, teens, elderly, officious jerks and tender hearts. She brings all of them to life and clearly differentiates them.

Candlenight by Phil Rickman
3★

Journalist Giles Freeman and his wife Claire are thrilled when they inherit a cottage far from the noise of the city. And though the locals are slow to welcome them, the Freemans believe that in time they will be accepted. But the Freemans have fallen under an ancient Celtic curse--and soon they will learn the truth about what it means to be outsiders.

I can’t say I didn’t like it. Lets just say that I expected more from a “village that hides an ancient and bloody secret.” (from the book cover). When it got around to the “secret” it was well worth the wait, but it took forever it seemed. I liked the characters and I liked the “meat” of the story but it felt that it was somewhat rushed to the end. I also thought some of the characters needed to be fleshed out more so the reader understands their purpose in the story. I have another of Phil Rickman’s books, Chalice…that I am looking forward to starting soon.

The Chalice by Phil Rickman
4★

Glastonbury, legendary resting place of the Holy Grail, is a mysterious and haunting town. But when plump, dizzy Diane Ffitch returns home, it's with a sense of deep unease—and not only about her aristocratic family's reaction to her broken engagement and her New Age companions. Plans for a new motorway have intensified the old bitterness between the local people and the "pilgrims," so already the sacred air is soured. And, as the town becomes increasingly split by violence and death, Diane, local bookseller Juanita Carey, and the writer Joe Powys must now face up to the worst of all possibilities: the existence of an anti-Grail—the dark chalice.

I really liked the complex dark and creepy plot of this one. The author has drawn a real life picture of the tensions in the town between the long-time residents and the new comers brought by its mystical aura. He writes about Pagans, Christians, and New Age people who all have to deal with the horror and hatred that goes with fascism. Power goes to those who desperately want it and are willing to pay with their humanity and their immortal souls…but he conveys the message to never allow only one group to ever be in complete power. Good lesson in that one Mr. Rickman. One word of warning…the paperback addition is 500 pages of tiny print that you could go blind trying to read….so go for audio or hardcover if you can.

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
5 ★

It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery. So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in and try to make the best of it. Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic. Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm--and one another.

It was a perfect murder mystery with a beautifully creepy atmosphere. I love this authors first book, The Couple Next Door, and thought that she couldn’t top that one…but I was wrong! I am probably the only person on the planet that only likes one of Agatha Christie’s books… but the more I read of this one the more it reminded me of Christie’s writing style with And Then There Were None. I didn’t want it to end. If you read all the reviews you will find a wide range of opinions among the readers of likes and dislikes… but this reader loved it.

Marriage: A History / Stephanie Coontz
3.5 stars

Love has only been a precursor to marriage the past couple of hundred years or so. Before that, marriage was mostly for financial or political reasons. Love may or may not have come later. So what many call “traditional marriage” is not really as “traditional” as some might have one believe. What’s often seen as traditional or ideal was really only what marriage was (seen as) in the 1950s for just over a decade. Of course, what went on behind closed doors is not exactly what “Ozzie and Harriet” would have us all believe, either.

The author is a family studies professor. The book takes a look at the history of marriage during different times and cultures in history (though the focus, certainly for modern marriages, is on the Western world). I found this quite interesting. The book has an extensive “Notes” section at the end for those of us who also like to peruse through it for extra tidbits of information. As someone who has never been married, for some reason, I added this to my tbr ages ago!

Dead Lake by Darcy Coates
5★

A week's visit to the remote Harob Lake cabin couldn't have come at a better time for Sam.
She's battling artist's block ahead of a major gallery exhibition. Staying at Harob Lake is her final, desperate attempt to paint the collection that could save her floundering career. It seems perfect: no neighbours, no phone, no distractions. But the dream retreat disintegrates into a nightmare when Sam discovers she's being stalked. A tall, strange man stands on the edge of her dock, staring intently into the swirling waters below. He starts to follow her. He disables her car. He destroys her only way to communicate with the outside world. Sam is beginning to suspect he's responsible for the series of disappearances from a nearby hiking trail. Stranded at Harob Lake, Sam realizes she’s become the prey in the hunter’s deadliest game.>/i>

If you are a ghost story enthusiast like I am you will love any of this author’s books. The four that I have read thus far have been very short but the story that they tell doesn’t need four or five hundred pages. They are all creepy and you will have no problem painting the picture they evoke clearly in your imaginations. Haunted houses, haunted lakes, haunted people…Darcy Coates will introduce you to them all.

My Sister, The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite
4****

From the book jacket: Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now, Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead.

My reactions
What an interesting concept! I was immediately drawn into the sisters’ co-dependent relationship. I understood and sympathized with Korede’s dilemma: she loves her sister, has vowed to protect her, but now is racked with guilt and wondering how she can safeguard not only her sister, but the man SHE loves (quietly and from afar). Ayoola is frustratingly irresponsible, cavalier, and, yes, charming. Her lies fall effortlessly from her lips until even Korede seems to believe them. And yet …

I was fearful for Korede. She is the quiet, smart, professionally employed, responsible one. Not very pretty, but always kind and sensitive. The patients at the hospital where she is a nurse love her, and the doctors and administration appreciate her. And yet, she is lonely and longs for a love of her own. How can she possibly not be jealous of her beautiful sister, who has men fawning over her right left and sideways? I just knew she would come to harm as the plot moved relentlessly towards its inevitable conclusion.

Flashbacks to their violent father’s actions helped me understand the sisters’ bond. But I cannot help but wonder if Korede had more to do with his death than originally implied.

The tension is nonstop. Will she? Won’t she? When will she? How will she? In the end I’m left wondering WHO is the psychopath here?

The Spyglass by Richard Paul Evans
3★

There once was a king who ruled over a darkened kingdom. Crops were planted and then failed, houses were built and then neglected, and people were impoverished and dispirited. But when a traveler arrives at the crumbling palace, and shows the monarch his kingdom through the lens of an enchanted spyglass -- a spyglass that shows him his kingdom not as it is, but as it could be. The king's imagination is ignited by the spark of faith, and with faith comes hope and change. By sharing his vision and inspiring his subjects to work alongside him, the king restores his land to glory.

My mother loved Richard Paul Evan's books and this was one of her all-time favorites. Some will see this book as just being about faith. I believe it is much more. I saw it as teaching you to have a positive outlook on life...having a vision for a better world and then working towards making it happen. Teachers seem to be using the book in their classrooms, so that may qualify it as being a children's/young adult book... but it will appeal to adults in that everyone can understand the simple message of faith that it brings.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
Burning Cove series Book #1
3.5 ★

At the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel on the coast of California, rookie reporter Irene Glasson finds herself staring down at a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool. The dead woman had som… a red-hot secret about an up-and-coming leading man…a scoop that may have gotten her killed. As Irene searches for the truth about the drowning, she’s drawn to a master of deception. Once a world-famous magician whose career was mysteriously cut short, Oliver Ward is now the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel. He can’t let scandal threaten his livelihood, even if it means trusting Irene, a woman who seems to have appeared in Los Angeles out of nowhere four months ago. With Oliver’s help, Irene soon learns that the glamorous paradise of Burning Cove hides dark and dangerous secrets. And that the past is always just out of sight and could drag them both under.

It was a decent start to a new series. I believe the author chose a really interesting era to set this series in as it was reminiscent of The Thin Man series also from that period. Readers of Amanda Quick’s previous books will find that she has combined her dry wit, plots that twist and turn, and fantastic characterization into this series as well. The character of Irene was a woman that was certainly ahead of her time. I’m looking forward to more of these books.

The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis
Wesley Peterson series Book #2
3★

Norman Openheim is an American veteran of the D Day Landings on a sentimental journey with his old unit to their West Country base. His body is the last one archaeologist Neil Watson expects to find in the ruins of an old chantry chapel. Neil naturally turns to his old friend from student days, Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, for help. Ironically, both men are looking at an invading force - Wes, the WWII Yanks, and Neil, a group of shipwrecked Spaniards reputed to have met a sticky end at the hands of outraged locals as they limped from the wreckage of the great Armada. Local memories are retentive, and Wes is soon caught up in old accusations, resentments, and romances from fifty years before. But the coolness of Openheim's wife Dorinda, and her reliance on a fellow veteran in the party, offer an all-too-familiar motive for murder. As if that is not enough, a belligerent group of homeless youths are also under suspicion: then another veteran's wife disappears. Wes's case grows more perplexing, while Neil uncovers a tragic story from the distant past. Over four hundred years apart, two strangers in a strange land have died violently - could the same motives of hatred, jealousy, and revenge be at work? Wes is running out of time to find out.

I feel guilty only awarding this one 3 stars. This is one of my favorite authors. I love her other series and was really liking this series after reading the first book. This one, while having an interesting topic...just didn't have the punch of the first book. The character of Wesley Peterson that drives the series was almost absent from participation in the 50 year old murder...the Armada Boy really didn't seem to have much to do with the crime at all in spite of the title...It just didn't grab me the way the first one did. Wesley is going to be a father any day now so maybe his mind wasn't in the game. I'll give him a pass on this one if he promises to be more present in the next one. Is it a deal, Wesley?

The Round House / Louise Erdrich
3 stars

Joe is only 13-years old when his mother is attacked. She has a hard time getting back on her feet when it comes out that she was raped. Joe and his father (a judge) try to figure out who might have done this, as they don’t know if the police (or which police, if any – the town police?, the tribal police?) will do anything.

The beginning of the book started off with a “bang”, so to speak, and it kind of ended that way, as well, but it was pretty slow-going in the middle. Overall, it was ok for me. I liked one of the other characters’ stories a bit better (but that could also be because it was condensed) – Linda. The author included some sad stats at the end of the book, with regards to native women and rape.

Wild Card by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington series Book # 49
2.5 ★

Stone Barrington and his latest paramour are enjoying a peaceful country retreat when their idyll is broken by an unwelcome stranger. He was sent by an enemy, someone who'd be happy to silence Stone and all his collaborators for good . . . only it's soon clear that Stone is not an easy man to target.

But with boundless resources and a thirst for vengeance, this foe will not be deterred, and when one plot fails another materializes. Their latest plan is more ambitious and subtle than any they've tried before, and the consequences could remake the nation. With the country's future in the balance, Stone will need to muster all his savvy and daring to defeat this rival once and for all.

I’m all over the map with this series. I have always liked the character of Stone Barrington but I hate what Mr. Woods has turned him into. The description says quiet clearly the problem here…”his LATEST paramour”. He goes through women like water through quicksand. He has, in some books, become an alley cat with alley cat morality. Stone is a brilliant attorney and when the majority of his efforts are devoted to this venture these books are a pleasure to read. I’m not in any way opposed to sex in a book but how about a little mystery to the mystery?

The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah, a Revolution in Hollywood, and the Making of a Legendary Film
W.K. Stratton
3.5/5 stars
Stratton writes about the making of the film The Wild Bunch, the time period surrounding and influencing the making of the film and of course the director Sam Peckinpah and his new darker version of the western genre. This is definitely for film buffs and people who have seen the film. I enjoyed it.

Trouble On The Books by Essie Lang
Castle Book Store series Book #1
4★

Rookie bookstore owner Shelby Cox must hit the books to learn the ropes before she loses a killer in the stacks. Shelby Cox never intended to become a bookseller, so when the former editor returns to her hometown of Alexandria Bay, nestled in upstate New York’s breathtaking Thousand Islands region, to take over her aunt’s bookstore, she has no idea what to expect. To her amazement, she discovers that she now owns a fifty-percent share in Bayside Books, and will also run the store’s second location in the majestic castle on nearby Blye Island. But just as Shelby is gearing up for the start of the tourist season, the Castle volunteer coordinator is found murdered in the nearby Grotto. Castle caretaker Matthew Kessler is suspect number one, but Shelby thinks the killing may be connected to an earlier era, when violence among Prohibition-era smugglers was rampant in the region. As Shelby launches her own investigation, handsome and unnerving Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services tries to quell her smuggling theory and keep her safe. But Shelby is determined to summon all her savvy as a book editor to plot the murder―and find the killer before he strikes again.

I love books that I pick up for challenges because I find that I am constantly surprising myself...usually in a good way. This one, from the cover, reeked of "cozy"...and I am not a big fan of that genre....but it had an animal on the cover so off I go with it. From the very first chapter I really liked it. The only glitch keeping it from an extra half star was that this author is very "detail oriented" which tended to slow down the pace. I didn't need a detailed description of how the water filled the kettle for her tea. Other than that it was a captivating beginning to a new series that is well worth reading.

Elegy For Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie Dobbs series Book #9
4★

Maisie Dobbs takes on her most personal case yet, a twisting investigation into the brutal killing of a street peddler that will take her from the working-class neighborhoods of her childhood into London’s highest circles of power.

It was a little longer than was necessary, but well-written with a twist to the plot that was very interesting. Maisie Dobbs is a strong character and an extremely independent woman. This is at a time when such independence would have been quite unusual and probably not very well received on either side of the pond. What I particularly liked was that the character of Maisie Dobbs is less concerned with "who" the villain is...although that is always worked through for the reader...but "why" they behaved as they did. Makes for an different and interesting story.

Nine Perfect Strangers – Liane Moriarty
Audiobook performed by Caroline Lee
2.5***

Adapted from the book jacket: Nine people gather at a remote health resort, expecting luxury, pampering, and meditation. But none can imagine how challenging the next ten days will be. As guests arrive they are struck by the strange and charismatic owner/director. Should they surrender to the process – or run while they still can?

My reactions:
It’s certainly not Moriarty’s best work, in my humble opinion.

On the one hand I really enjoyed some of these guests’ stories: a romance writer who fell prey to an internet dating scam, a family trying to heal from one member’s suicide, a divorced woman obsessed with body image, a gay attorney struggling with the decision to become a parent, a young couple whose lives change when they won the lottery, and a former footballer and now divorced grandfather. Like the guests, I was initially mesmerized by the story of Masha, the owner/director of Tranquillum House.

On the other hand, I didn’t really like any of these characters, and was completely irritated by Masha’s psychobabble new-age philosophy on fixing what was wrong with them. I also didn’t like the ending, with its fast-forward to weeks or years later in order to catch up on what happened.

Caroline Lee does a fine job performing the audio version, however. She sets a good pace and is up to the task of voicing a wide range of characters.

The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood by Sy Montgomery
5★

“Christopher Hogwood came home on my lap in a shoebox. He was a creature who would prove in many ways to be more human than I am.”
–from The Good Good Pig
A naturalist who spent months at a time living on her own among wild creatures in remote jungles, Sy Montgomery had always felt more comfortable with animals than with people. So she gladly opened her heart to a sick piglet who had been crowded away from nourishing meals by his stronger siblings. Yet Sy had no inkling that this piglet, later named Christopher Hogwood, would not only survive but flourish–and she soon found herself engaged with her small-town community in ways she had never dreamed possible. Unexpectedly, Christopher provided this peripatetic traveler with something she had sought all her life: an anchor (eventually weighing 750 pounds) to family and home. The Good Good Pig celebrates Christopher Hogwood in all his glory, from his inauspicious infancy to hog heaven in rural New Hampshire, where his boundless zest for life and his large, loving heart made him absolute monarch over a (mostly) peaceable kingdom.

Pigs have gotten a bad rap. They are among the most misunderstood creatures on Earth. I worked at a zoo for 28 years and learned from "Petunia"..our education program pig that they are smart, loyal, mischievous and charming. They can be taught a variety of tasks and learn faster than dogs and some children. So when I ran across Sy Montgomery's book about Christopher Hogwood I just knew I had to have it. Ms. Montgomery is in many ways my heroine. She is a naturalist who travels all over the world and writes books about wild animals for both children and adults. All of her books are outstanding. Christopher was a dearly loved, sweet little guy who had many wonderful years with Ms. Montgomery and her family and friends. You can't go wrong with any of her books but I loved this one.

Sister Queens / Julia Fox
3.5 stars

Katherine of Aragon (Henry VIII’s first wife) and Juana of Castile (often referred to as Juana the Mad) were sisters, both daughters of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. Katherine went on to become first Arthur’s, then his brother Henry’s, wife and Mary I’s mother. Katherine was divorced by Henry (after he split from the Catholic Church) after she would not give him a son, so he could wed Anne Boleyn. Juana married Philip of Spain and had many children, but was ruled by Philip, although she was a queen in her own right after Isabella died. After Philip died, Ferdinand ruled while indicating to the world that Juana was insane after Philip’s death. When Ferdinand died, Charles (Juana’s son) continued to insist that Juana was crazy, so while she remained locked up, Charles was able to rule instead.

I listened to the audio, which overall, I’ll rate good. I have read so much about the Tudors, there wasn’t a whole lot new to me about Katherine. Though, the author did highlight some of the connections and interactions (few that there were) between Katherine and Juana. I’ve read only a little bit about Juana and it’s been a while, so she was a bit more interesting; however (and the author warns us of this at the start), there are a lot of years where there just isn’t a lot of information about Juana, while she is locked away.

Classified as Murder / Miranda James
4 stars

Charlie is a librarian and works with rare books at the local college. While volunteering at the local public library, he meets wealthy James Delacorte. James asks to hire Charlie to go through his personal rare book library to help discover what’s gone missing, as James is certain some items have. Unfortunately, James is found dead on Charlie’s first day of work.

I really enjoyed this! I loved Charlie’s Maine Coon cat, Diesel, who pretty much goes everywhere with Charlie. Charlie’s adult son also moved back him with his dog, so the critters were a lot of fun! There may have been a few things, librarian-related, that I found more interesting or enjoyable than others might (and there were a few things I wasn’t sure a non-librarian would understand, but maybe those things were small enough for most people to gloss over if it didn’t mean anything to them?). Overall, very enjoyable cozy mystery.

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly / Sun-Mi Hwang
4 stars

Sprout is an egg-laying hen, but is going to be culled. She manages to get free before she dies, but is not welcome in the farm-yard. She has always wanted to lay an egg and be able to sit on it and hatch it and raise the chick, so imagine her happiness when she finds a deserted egg that she is able to hatch!

I really enjoyed this. I love animals, and really felt for Sprout. Even if they weren’t animals, there is a lot of mother-child type interactions going on between Sprout and the little one. And interesting (and sad) interactions between Sprout, the little one, and the other farm animals.

Dead If You Don't by Peter James
Roy Grace series Book #14
5★

Kipp Brown, successful businessman and compulsive gambler, is having the worst run of luck of his life. He’s beginning to lose big style. However, taking his teenage son, Mungo, to their club’s big Saturday afternoon football match should have given him a welcome respite, if only for a few hours. But it’s at the stadium where his nightmare begins. Within minutes of arriving at the game, Kipp bumps into a client. He takes his eye of Mungo for a few moments, and in that time, the boy is gone. Then he gets the terrifying message that someone has his child, and to get him back alive, Kipp will have to pay.

Another 5 star offering from Peter James. The Roy Grace series has got to be one of the best series in print. This author always keeps the pages turning with short chapters, great characters, and a story that always has an unpredictable outcome.

The First Wife by Erica Spindler
4★

All her life, Bailey Browne dreamed of a storybook rescue: a knight in shining armor swooping in to bring her and her mother to a better life. Then, suddenly, there he is: handsome, wonderful Logan Abbott. Despite their ten-year difference age, Bailey’s working-class upbringing and his of privilege, they fall deeply in love. Marriage quickly follows. When Logan brings her home to his family’s stately horse farm in Louisiana, Bailey’s dreams of happily-ever-after begin to unravel. A tragic family history she knew nothing about surfaces, plus there are whispering about the disappearance of Logan’s first wife…and rumors about other women from the area who have gone missing. When yet another woman mysteriously vanishes, all signs point to Logan’s involvement. Bailey wants to ignore the gossip but even she can’t ignore the mounting evidence against her husband. Ultimately, it’s up to Bailey to make a desperate choice: believe what everyone says―or bet her life on the man she loves…but who she still doesn’t really know.

As most that know me know by now I am not fan of romance novels. Even though it is advertised as a Mystery/Suspense novel it has more romance than mystery. Still it was a decent read even if it does border a bit on the ridiculous side. Bailey meets this charming man on vacation. She knows absolutely nothing about his background but what the heck?...lets marry him anyway. Seems the "charming, handsome" man left out one small detail when telling her how great he is...his ex-wife. Not just his ex wife but his MISSING ex wife. To make matters more ridiculous seems she wasn't the first woman that has come up missing that became involved with Mr. Charming. I gave it 4 stars because it was intriguing to see just how dumb our Bailey was going to be before she too came up missing.

Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 / Sally M. Walker
4 stars

On Dec 6, 1917, there was an explosion in the Halifax Harbour. Around 2000 people were killed and many more injured.

This book is aimed toward younger readers, but I found it a good introduction. There are also plenty of archival photos included. The author decided to tell the stories of a few specific families – to follow what happened to the people in those families, what they were doing at the time, etc. I do think this makes the book more “relatable”.

I did know of the explosion, but this is the first I’ve read about it, to really get more info/details on it. I already have other books on my tbr about the topic, as well. I thought this book was very well done. (Hate to say I “really liked” a book about a disaster, though I’m sure I have before!)

A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman
5/5 stars
This is a lovely book about an anti-social man who struggles with living by himself when a new neighbor intrudes into his life forcing him to become more social. Great book and a favorite author for me! I had seen the movie earlier and enjoyed that too.

Sleeping In The Ground by Peter Robinsin
Alan Banks series Book #24
4.5★

At the doors of a charming country church, an unspeakable act destroys a wedding party. A huge manhunt ensues. The culprit is captured. The story is over. Except it isn't. For Alan Banks, still struggling with a tragic loss of his own, there's something wrong about this case — something unresolved. Reteaming with profiler Jenny Fuller, the relentless detective deeper into the crime... deep enough to unearth long-buried secrets that reshape everything Banks thought he knew about the events outside that chapel. And when at last the shocking truth becomes clear, it's almost too late.

I have never read a bad or mediocre book in this series. I like the way Peter Robinson ages his character of Alan Banks and how he gives him a private life that we are privy to outside of his life as a detective. Alan is a very through police officer. He sees things that are often overlooked and helps to solve the crime. Banks family and professional history always adds context to the story. In this one, compassion was also a big factor. The books don't necessarily need to be be read in order but each one just serves to make Alan Banks come alive for the reader.

>32 JulieLill: I loved this book too.

In a Dark, Dark Wood / Ruth Ware
4.25 stars

When Nora (Lee when she was growing up; both short for Leonora) is invited to the “hen party” (bachelorette party/stagette) of a friend from high school, a friend she hasn’t seen in 10 years, she wonders why she was invited. However, a mutual friend. Nina, decides to go, so Nora figures she’ll join them. This hen party is a weekend away in the woods in a glass house.

Chapters alternate between what happened at the hen party and Nora currently in the hospital, with a police guard outside her hospital room door, while she tries to remember what happened. Imagine her surprise when she overhears the word “homicide”!

I really liked this. It wasn’t go-go-go from the start, with the hen party and the set up there, but it was definitely enough to get me curious as to what was going on. Part-way through, especially with that glass house in the woods, it did get creepy in parts. Of course, it was easy to second-guess everything that went on, with Nora not really being able to remember what had happened. There was more history between Clair and Nora to delve into, as well.

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️

Well what a wonderful read that was! Three timelines run through this book, modern day, Regency, and Stuart. The main historical protagonist being Elizabeth of Bohemia (Charles I’s sister). If this isn’t enough to whet your appetite we have a set of historical memoirs to read through, a curse and cursed artefacts finding their way through time. All the ingredients of a truly cracking and addictive read, in the style of Barbara Erskine! Recommended

The Cold Blue Blood by David Handler
Berger & Mitry series Book #1
3.5★

Mitch Berger, a top film critic with a major New York newspaper at a surprisingly young age, has become almost a recluse since his wife died one year ago. He spends his time secluded in his apartment or in the dark recesses of a screening room. Although he continues to dazzle moviegoers and the film elite with his criticisms. His editor, and good friend, is alarmed about him. As a scheme to pull him out of the doldrums of his grief, she gives him a non-film assignment - to do a color story on the wealthy and social homeowners on Connecticut's Gold Coast. It takes some doing, but in the end Mitch agrees. The discovery of a body during a bout of optimistic gardening in Dolly's (his landlady) back yard brings on the other main player - Lieutenant Desiree Mitry, one of only three women on the Connecticut State Police major crimes squad, the youngest of the three, and the only black. A dedicated officer, she is the terror of everyone who doesn't really want to give a home to one of her stray cats. She is, as well, a closet artist and a complicated and beautiful woman, and she intrigues Mitch from the start.

I wasn't real impressed with the description of the book but again...it met a challenge, so I thought I can stand less than 200 pages so lets go for it. I'm glad I did. It's not often that a writer can make the reader feel completely immersed in a story...David Handler can. The only complaint that I had was that he tried to hard to make Mitry into the idea of what a black woman is supposedly suppose to sound like and act like. She was more well bred that that and he didn't really do her justice. For the first book in the series...the author did very well and I will find the others soon.

A River Of Stars – Vanessa Hua
3***

Hua’s first novel looks at the immigrant experience from a slightly different angle: wealthy Chinese who pay a high fee to ensure their pregnant partners will stay in a secure location until they give birth to babies who will automatically have the always-coveted native-born U.S. citizenship.

The story focuses on Scarlett Chen, the mistress or Boss Yeung. Boss already has three daughters with his wife, but ultrasound has shown that Scarlet is carrying a boy, so he wants to be sure to give his son every advantage. But most of the other women at Perfume Bay are wives, and they shun Scarlett. The only other “outcast” is teenaged Daisy, another unwed mother whose parents are trying to keep her separated from her American-Chinese boyfriend. When Scarlet’s dreams seem to be falling apart, she panics, taking the facility’s dilapidated van and heading towards the only location she can think of – San Francisco’s Chinatown. En route she discovers that Daisy has stowed away and is intent on accompanying Scarlett. Together they forge an unusual alliance.

I found this an interesting and engaging story. I really liked Scarlett, who is intelligent, resourceful, determined, and a very hard worker. I found Daisy frustratingly immature, but then she’s a teenager, impetuous, quick to react, easily bored, and not always thinking of future consequences to her actions. And yet, the two of them DO work together, Daisy using her fluency in English and brash personality, Scarlett lending her entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to work hard so that they two of them can stay ahead of those who are seeking them.

I was less interested in Boss Yeung’s story and the drama/suspense that it brought to the novel. Although I do recognize the importance of his role to the story arc, and I liked the way Hua ended the story.

I also have to make a comment about the role of food in this story. I was hungry all the time, reading this, and definitely wanted to seek out one of Scarlett’s hanbaobao “sliders”!

Final verdict: a good, but not great, debut. I’d consider reading another of Hua’s works.

The Devil's Queen / Jeanne Kalogridis
2 stars

Note that this review is for the abridged audio. Catherine de Medici, in the mid-16th century, went from Italy to France to marry, and she later became queen. Her husband much preferred his mistress, who was old enough to be his mother, to Catherine.

Unfortunately, this book had a double whammy against it – audios don’t always hold my attention (though some, I have no problem with). And, just after I checked it out from the library, I happened to notice it was abridged. Sigh. Why…? Why bother making them abridged! Now, I have read a bit about Catherine de Medici, but not a lot, so it’s sometimes hard to remember the people and how they are related to each other. This can be harder to follow in an audio book, but even worse in an abridged audio where there are huge parts that seem to be skipped over (or, in the case of this historical fiction, huge chunks of time, anyway).

So, this is more a review of the abridged audio (not worthwhile), than of the book itself. Also, one of the “books” I’ve read about her was a trilogy. So, if one author had to write 3 books to cover her life… this is already narrowed down to one book, but not only that, the one book is abridged! I hate abridged. If I’d had another audio book lined up and ready to go, I might have switched.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman
Audiobook performed by Cathleen McCarron
5*****

Eleanor Oliphant is a bookkeeper for a design firm in Glasgow. Originally from London, she’s settled here and made a small life for herself. She works, has her own flat, never takes a holiday, and has her routine down pat. Every Friday she stops on her way home to buy a pizza and two litres of vodka. She has the pizza for dinner that night and drinks all the vodka over the weekend, ready to face another week.

What a marvelous character-driven novel! I loved Eleanor as much as I was frustrated by her. Her conversations with Mummy gave us clues to the trauma in her past that resulted in the fragile woman she is when we first meet her. She’s socially backward, unable or unwilling to trust, unrealistic about potential love interests, and totally unaware of popular slang or culture. She knows her co-workers poke fun at her, but she also knows she is “completely fine.” And then a new IT support person comes to fix her computer and he strikes up a conversation.

I love the way the friendship between Raymond and Eleanor develops. How he introduces her to possibilities, but also accepts her at face value. He recognizes the good person Eleanor is, and helps her to recognize her own potential. THIS is what love is at its most pure. He does not judge or berate, he supports her, he opens new doors but lets her find her way. And he cheers her on.

Honeyman gives us some wonderful supporting characters as well: elderly Sammy, hip hairdresser Laura, boss Bob, and the local shopkeeper Mr Dewan. Even if their scenes are small, they are fully developed and add to the richness of the novel, and of Eleanor’s life (though she may not always recognize it).

Cathleen McCarron does a fine job of performing the audiobook. I loved her Scottish brogue for Raymond, and the clipped, sometimes confused, tone she used for Eleanor.

By the Shores of Silver Lake / Laura Ingalls Wilder
4 stars

Laura and her family are heading West. Laura and Pa are excited, though Ma is a bit hesitant, but Pa has promised they will find a homestead and settle down, and the girls can go to school.

This is such a great series! There were some beautiful descriptions of the Prairies (there were also some “extra” descriptions (of the prairie and other things) as Laura was Mary’s eyes, as Mary had recently gone blind after a bout with scarlet fever). I also really enjoyed the building of the town. You just don’t think about what it takes to start from scratch with no one else around and to watch a town be built from nothing!

Isolation by Travis Thrasher
4★

James Miller is a burned-out missionary whose time on the mission field in Papua New Guinea left him exhausted and disillusioned. His wife, Stephanie, feels like she's losing her mind. After moving to North Carolina, Stephanie begins seeing strange and frightening things: blood dripping down the walls, one of her children suffocating. Premonitions, she's sure, of what's to come. As the visions and haunting images intensify, Stephanie asks her brother to come for a much-needed visit--but he's hiding secrets of his own that will prove more destructive than Stephanie can imagine. Nine-year-old Zachary sees his family's move as an adventure, and as he explores the new house, he discovers every young boy's dream: secret passageways and hidden rooms. But what seems exciting at first quickly becomes altogether frightening. When a snowstorm traps the Millers, the supernatural dangers of their new home will test everything they thought they knew about each other, and about their faith.

It was a chilling story of a families' terror in a giant maze of a house in the high mountains of North Carolina. isolation was a good title for this book as well as a spot on description of what was happening to to the family. Something isn't right in the big lodge house that was supposed to give them a fresh start. We know that they are not alone... and they know they are not alone...but they are unprepared for the terrible thing that is residing as yet unseen within the rooms with them. A blizzard has imprisoned them inside with IT and what it wants is unimaginable. It was listed as "Christian fiction"...which I didn't realize at the time...but the author was in no way "preachy"...just told a very good story.

Deviant – Harold Schechter
3***

The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original “Psycho”.

The residents of Plainfield Wisconsin were more than a little concerned when the owner of a local tavern disappeared in December 1955. She was a middle-aged woman with a no-nonsense attitude and a somewhat mysterious past, but who would want to kill her? Yet the evidence was clear: a pool a blood on the floor, a spent .32-caliber cartridge nearby, and a bloody trail indicating the body had been dragged out the door to a spot in the parking lot where presumably it was loaded into a truck.

Nearly two years later another middle-aged store-owner disappeared from Plainfield. But this time authorities quickly honed in on the mild-mannered little man whom everyone thought of as odd but harmless. What they found at Ed Gein’s farmhouse, however, would shock not only the residents of Plainfield, but the entire nation. The gruesome case captured the attention of a novelist, who wrote Psycho based on Gein’s story, and that captured the attention of Alfred Hitchcock.

Schechter writes a detailed account of Gein’s upbringing (as best as he could re-create it), the events and suspicions of the townspeople, his trial and his life in a mental institution. I was too young to know the details at the time the crimes were committed, but I vividly remember the renewed interest when Gein passed away. I’ve always like “true crime” books, and this is a pretty good, though not great, example of the genre.

A Single Shard– Linda Sue Park
4****

In 12th-century Korea the orphan Tree-Ear longs to become a potter and learn the art of creating the much-sought exquisite celadon pottery his village is known for. His big chance comes when he begins to work for the master potter Min, and a competition for a royal commission.

This middle-grade novel is a beautiful introduction to the Korean culture, as well as to the art of pottery. Park gives us a wonderful cast of characters, starting with the main character, Tree-Ear, an orphan who wound up in the care of the homeless Crane-man, who was crippled from birth and lived under a bridge. I love their relationship, how they care for one another, and give to one another so selflessly.

I also really appreciated the complex relationship of Tree-Ear to his mentor Min, and to Min’s wife, Ajima. The cultural barriers to truly bringing him on as an apprentice were as shocking to Tree-Ear as they were to this reader.

I learned much about celadon pottery, and particularly the uniqueness of the inlay process. The Author Notes expand on the culture and the art, and sent me to Google to look up the Thousand Cranes vase.

The novel was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in Children’s Literature.

Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived – Ralph Helfer 3***

This is Ralph Helfer’s memoir of raising and working with the lion he rescued as a young cub, Zamba, who became possibly the most famous lion and a leading Hollywood star.

I’m not a great animal lover, but I was interested and engaged in most of this memoir. I particularly liked some of the stories Helfer told of how he trained Zamba (and other animals in his care) using affection rather than fear and physical punishment. There are scenes of humor and tenderness, and some rather frightening scenarios as well.

I did find Helfer a bit preachy at times. Still, I applaud the way that he changed the minds of many animal “trainers” about the best techniques to use; but worry that a casual reader might not recognize the extremely hard work this is and decide to try to “sleep with my pet tiger” as Helfer frequently slept with Zamba.

Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory & Irvine / Jochen Hemmleb, Larry A. Johnson, Eric R. Simonson.
4 stars

In 1999, the authors, along with others including a crew from the BBC, got together to climb Mount Everest, not necessarily with the plan to summit, but wanting to find clues to George Mallory’s and Andrew Irvine’s disappearance and the mystery as to whether or not they’d actually been the first to summit the mountain in 1924. This book details that expedition, in addition to telling the story of Mallory and Irvine, in general.

The first half of the book – including preparation and parts of the known portions of Mallory and Irvine’s story – I would rate 3.5 stars (good), but it really picked up for me in the second half when the group searching for clues got climbing. And they did find quite a few things, and a couple of them even managed to summit afterward. This book contains some of the best photos I’ve seen of Everest in the books I’ve read; they really gave me a better perspective than I think I’ve realized before, possibly due to the fact that all the photos are in colour. It’s easier to see details in the colour photos. The second half of the book and the photos upped my enjoyment and rating of the book.

Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves
Shetland Island series Book #8 (Last Book - end of this series)
5★

Hoping for a fresh start, an English family moves to the remote Shetland islands, eager to give their autistic son a better life. But when a young nanny's body is found hanging in the barn beside their home, rumors of her affair with the husband spread like wildfire. As suspicion and resentment of the family blazes in the community, Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate. He knows it will mean his boss, Willow Reeves, returning to run the investigation, and confronting their complex relationship. With families fracturing and long-hidden lies emerging, Jimmy faces the most disturbing case of his career.

I almost hated to read this book as it would be the end of a fabulous series. Saying goodbye to these characters was a bit like saying goodbye to friends and family. Ann Cleeves certainly ended the series on a high note. As is Ann Cleeves usual habit she gave us suspects galore and a perfectly good reason for each of them to have committed the murder. She manged to keep us guessing until the very end. I'm glad to see that she has chosen to allow life to go on for the characters that we have come to love. "Slàinte mhath" Jimmy and friends.

>47 Carol420: 😢😭😢😭

Goodbye dear friends!

I feel like starting back at book 1!

Have any of you seen the TV series?

>49 dustydigger: Own all 4 of the Shetland seasons on DVD. The first set was based on the first 4 books the others aren't but still very good. I also own all the Vera Stanhope series. I love Brenda Blethyn. She will always... now and forever...personalize Vera for me no matter how fat and dumpy Ann Cleeves tries to make her.

Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses by Dianna Higgs Stampfler
5★

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. Former keepers like the cigar-smoking Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City maintain their watch long after death ended their duties. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other children and female companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks. Join author and Promote Michigan founder Dianna Stampfler as she recounts the tales from Michigan's ghostly beacons.

It was a really short little book but filled with really good information about, and photos of the many allegedly haunted lighthouses that cover my beautiful state of Michigan. It's divided by the lighthouses locations on 3 of the 5 Great Lakes...Michigan ,Superior and Huron. I believe she has another book that covers the Upper Peninsular. I was surprised to see that I had visited 5 of these lighthouses and plan to see the others in the future. Proof that ghost story enthusiast will go out of their way to pursue a good haunt.

November Road - Lou Berney
Book on CD performed by Jonathan McClain
4****

From the book jacket: Frank Guidry’s luck has finally run out. A loyal lieutenant to mob boss Carlos Marcello, he’s learned that …it’s his turn – he knows too much about the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Within hours of the murder, people with ties to Marcello are turning up dead, and Guidry suspects he’s next. He hits the road to Las Vegas where one man who hates Marcello just might help him. En route he comes across a young mother with two girls, who has her own reasons to be running. Frank sees a perfect disguise and offers to help Charlotte.

My reactions
This is a fast-paced thriller with very interesting and complex characters, and more than a few twists and turns. I love the 1963 time frame, and Guidry put me right back in that time. I travelled many of those same highways with my parents when I was a child. I vividly remember those motels, diners, and roadside attractions with their dusty giftshops full of trinkets my brother and I just HAD TO HAVE. I also remember the excitement of seeing new things, and the worry of having our car break down in a small town where we knew no one.

I was quickly invested in the story and eager to see how it would turn out. I loved the way Berney wrote these characters. I could practically hear the gears grinding as Guidry tried to think three steps ahead of the assassin on his trail. Charlotte, starting out as rather meek, young and mostly uneducated, showed true mettle and a strength and determination that seemed to surprise even herself. The other characters seemed more stereotyped: ruthless mob boss, serene and equally ruthless mob girl, psychopathic assassin, young street-smart kid, oily Vegas casino magnate, and even a British butler.

I listened to the audio which was marvelously performed by Jonathan McClain. He really brought these characters to life. I particularly liked the way he voiced the seven-year-old Rosemary.

Old Bones by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
DI Slider series Book #19
3.5★

A young couple discover human remains buried in the garden of their new house: could this be the resting place of 14-year-old Amanda Knight, who disappeared from the same garden two decades before, and was never seen again? The problem comes almost as a relief to DCI Slider, still suffering from the fallout of his previous case. He is not popular with the Powers That Be, and his immediate boss, Detective Superintendent Porson, reckons that at least this little puzzle will keep Slider out of trouble. After all, with a murder twenty years in the past, this is the coldest of cold cases. Most of the suspects and principal players are now dead too, and all passion is long spent … Or is it?

It was an interesting story with a plot that was fairly difficult to figure out. The book was nearly at the end before I finally figured out what was happening and found the guilty party of this 25-year old murder. The main problem I had with the story was the attitude of the police. They were all an obnoxious lot that seemed to be fed up with their jobs, their supervisors and even the men that had put in their time and were long retired. The found fault with everybody and everything. I have read this author before and found the characters to be much more likable so I'm going to assume she was just having a bad week...or month...or year.

Al Capone and the 1933 Worlds Fair
William Hazelgrove
4/5 stars
This book is about the end of Capone’s career as a gangster and the building of the 1933 World’s Fair that took place in Chicago during the depression. Not a long book but a fascinating look at the time period, though in this book Capone and the World’s Fair weren’t really linked together but were events occurring at the same time. This reminded me of Erik Larson’s fascinating book The Devil in the White City which was about a serial killer who lured and killed visitors from the 1893 Exposition in Chicago.

The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
3.5★

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues.
But that's just the beginning of the mystery. Because the more they learn about the man and the baffling circumstances of his death, the less they understand. Was it an impossible crime? Or something stranger still...?

I have been watching the series "Haven" which is based on this book so was anxious to read it because of the tie to the TV series but also because I couldn't believe that there was a Stephen King book that I hadn't read. Stephen King himself stated that there would be no middle ground on this book. People would either hate it or love it...but I found that I was on middle ground. The characters were likable enough but it was rather short on entertainment value. The mystery was never actually answered or maybe the answer was not all mysteries have an answer. Strange little story to say the least...but then King fans know that he is the master of strange.

The Annotated Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
3/5 stars
I found this classic story of Little Women which was made into an annotated version. I wish I could I say I loved this version but I had a hard time with it. There were copious annotations in the book and most were very tedious which took me away from the storyline. I was looking forward to a re-read but I must have never read this version because this was so different from what I remembered. Perhaps I had read a children’s version when I was younger.

The Beautiful Poetry of Donald Trump
Rob Sears
3/5 stars
This came across the desk at the library and was so intriguing I just had to read it. Rob Sears took President Trump's tweets and transcripts arranging each sentence and made them into poetry. Every sentence was spoken by Trump which the author backs up with notes on where each sentence came from.

Lady of the Forest / Jennifer Roberson
3 stars

Robert of Locksley (later Robin of Locksley, then Robin Hood) has been fighting with King Richard (the Lionheart) in the Crusades. Richard has been imprisoned, but Robert makes his way home. There, he comes across Marian, who he knew when they were younger. Marian is the King’s ward since her father passed away, and the Sheriff hopes to marry her. When Will Scarlet, wanted for murder, kidnaps her, though he doesn’t “defile” her, everyone assumes so, so she is ruined. Doesn’t change that the Sheriff still wants to marry her, but she will have none of it.

It’s a long book. It took 200 of the 800 pages for me to get interested, and even then, that was only when they started bringing in characters I already recognized from the Robin Hood story: Little John, Will Scarlett, “Brother” Tuck. I feel like I shouldn’t have to recognize the story to get interested in it. I also sometimes have a hard time when the same person/character is referred to by different names – last name, first name, title – at different points. It took me way too long to realize that Willian deLacey and the Sheriff were one and the same! I really did like the last 100 pages. Overall, though, I’m keeping it at an “ok” rating. I already have the sequel, so I will read it at some point.

A Broth Of Betrayal – Connie Archer
2.5**

Book two in the Soup Lover’s Mystery series. There’s a lot going on this summer in Snowflake, Vermont. A developer is running afoul of local residents with his plans to build a big car wash in a prominent location. Construction workers uncover a skeleton that may require examination by an archeologist or historian. There’s to be a Revolutionary War battle re-enactment. The village’s car mechanic is found murdered in his office. The mayor has gone missing. And then another murder takes place.

At least Lucky tries to leave the murder investigations to the police, but she is all over trying to find Elizabeth, who is the Mayor (and a close family friend). And, of course, instead of working with on of the teams of volunteers who are searching for clues, she has to go off on her own without telling anyone where she is or when to expect her.

The main problem I have with this story line is that despite ALL the stuff that’s going on, it feels as if the action is dragging. And what’s with the insistence on using Naval time-telling? Yes, I know that Lucky’s grandfather was in the Navy but do both Jack and Lucky have to keep time this way? Over and over there’s a reference to “four bells” and then a translation to “2 o’clock.” I just found this irritating.

The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
Book on CD performed by Bahni Turpin
4****

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is the narrator of this contemporary novel that deals with some major social issues facing America. Starr and her friend Khalil are driving home from a party when they are stopped by a policeman, presumably for a broken taillight. Things go badly and Starr is left reeling from the trauma of the event, as well as her guilt and fear.

I love the way that Thomas writes these characters. Starr is, in many respects, a typical teenager. She has a boyfriend (who she’s kept hidden from her parents), she works part time in her father’s store, she fights with her brothers, and hangs out with her girlfriends. But she also struggles with leading a dual life: Starr from the hood, whose father is an ex-con and former gang member, vs Starr the good pupil at a predominantly white private school.

Thomas gives Starr a relatively stable home environment: a family-owned house (including a fenced yard and vegetable garden), neighbors who look out for one another, and, most importantly, two parents who love one another, work hard, set a good example and try to give their children the education they’ll need to succeed. She also gives Starr a couple of very good friends, both at her high school and in the neighborhood.

The realities of living in an urban neighborhood that is stressed by unemployment, gangs, poverty, drug use and broken families are all present, however. Her parents give her “the talk” when she’s about twelve – No, not the birds and the bees talk (though they do that as well), but the “here’s how to behave when the police stop you” talk. Something that most parents never even consider a necessity. Starr is keenly aware of the differences in her own situation as opposed to that of her neighborhood acquaintances; and of the even larger differences between her home and that of her fellow students at her privileged high school.

I thought Thomas did a good job showing Starr’s emotional swings; she’s scared, angry, anxious, and numb. But she also experiences love, joy and humor. There are no easy answers here, and in fact the novel raises more questions than it gives solutions. But these are issues than need examining, and this is a great way to start the conversation.

Bahni Turpin does a superb job narrating the audio. She really shows the range of Starr’s emotions as the events unfold. I also liked the way she interpreted Maverick and Lisa (Starr’s parents), as well as her boyfriend, Chris. It’s an emotionally charged story, but Turpin never over-acted the story. Brava.

>50 Carol420: - The TV Vera doesn't make much of her physical appearance,though that hat and coat are rather odd! lol. They make sure to show her trotting up and down cliffs etc in an active way that I very much admire. I am enjoying the repeats of series 4 at the moment,and they certainly don't make much of her weight,no moans and groans at all.,she's very active.
Just wish her accent was a little more consistent,it varies quite a bit in the ears of local people. lol.But we are a bit picky about accents,we have a lot of variation in a very small area.
In fact way back in the time of the Yorkshire Ripper when some idiot sent false tapes to the police,the experts could actually pin the accent down to one small area of the town of Sunderland. That sent the investigation off in a totally wrong direction for several years,with tragic results,more deaths. So perhaps Vera came from some weird little village with its own distinct accent,but its a bit of an oddity at times. :0) Sounds quite Yorkshire at times.
Our own Question Master Andrew has in- laws up in our area,I don't know how much he understands with the broader forms of Geordie.Its taken Mr Dusty 30 years,and he still doesn't always comprehend the accent. Of course ,Carol,you who had a Scottish grandmother whom your mother had to interpret for US citizens,will find any other accent a doddle after scots! :0)

Do you watch Vera,Andrew? Notice its always blowing a gale in Vera,we call them gentle sea breezes round here in Northumbria and Durham.Last week when London was around 22 degrees,on our charming coast it was nominally 14,but the freezing winds made it feel like 8!!! :0) We're a hardy folk.lol.

To Sleep With the Angels: The Story of a Fire / David Cowan, John Kuenster
4.5 stars

On Dec. 1, 1958, a fire started in the basement of the overcrowded Our Lady of the Angels Catholic school in Chicago. The building was old and more recent fire regulations did not apply to the older buildings, as they were grandfathered in. The building had only one fire escape; it was two stories, but the only fire door was on the first floor. Because of that, the fire crept past the first floor, then exploded on to the 2nd floor. By the time the kids and nuns realized there was a fire, they couldn’t go out the hallways. Kids started jumping out the windows, while others – too scared to do so – waited and hoped to be helped to safety. Ninety-two kids, ages 8 to 14, died as a result of that fire, along with three nuns.

The book takes us through the lead-up to the end of the school day when the fire started, and some of the kids and families involved. It continues to describe the fire and the rescue efforts, and the aftermath, including those kids who got out alive, but had to recover in hospital. It continued still, with the investigation into what caused the fire and through the aftermath years later, as people remembered (or tried not to). The book also has a map of the school, and it shows the number of fatalities and injured in each room. There are also photos. Devastating story, but a fascinating read (and it always feels so weird to describe these real-life disaster books this way). But, they can be (and this one is) so compelling.

>60 dustydigger: Do you know, dusty, that when I visited Newcastle twice as a teenager, it was easier for me to understand a Scottish accent than Geordie? My sympathies to Mr. dusty indeed!

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
3***

'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit. But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: "Please, Santa, come back from the dead."

It's fun. It's not high humor, not Monty Python-esque, but has humorous takes on peoples' quirks from all over the town. What held this book back for me to give it 3 stars was that Moore seems to need to make a humorous, satirical, or biting observation about all of his characters. All the time. On all the pages. Which may work for some folks, and I'm certainly cynical enough to find biting social commentary a good thing, but . . . there was just . . . almost too much of his need to bite.

Maybe there are angels this stupid, and certainly Christmas celebrations in small towns can take a turn for the worst. And the ending was terrific and worth working towards, but it just left me flat. But at least now I understand people talking about Christopher Moore's sense of humor.

The Book of Lost Tales, Vol. 1 by J.R.R. Tolkien
4****

"The Book of Lost Tales" was the first major work of imagination by J.R.R. Tolkien, begun in 1916-17 when he was twenty-five years old and left incomplete several years later. It stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor, for the "Lost Tales" were the first form of the myths and legends that came to be called "The Silmarillion." Embedded in English legend and English association, they are set in the narrative frame of a great westward voyage over the Ocean by a mariner named Eriel (or AElfwine) to Tol Eressea, the Lonely Isle, where Elves dwelt; from them he learned their true history, the "Lost Tales of Elfinesse."

So this is Volume 1 of the 12 volume "History of Middle Earth" series and my bucket list is working its way towards completion. This is a fascinating look at the creative process, sort of like looking at an artist's earliest sketches, for the back story of what later came to be the story behind "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." I found it easiest to take my time with each chapter and not bother referencing the footnotes while I read the chapter, but instead read everything in sequence.

And it also shows how the idea of Journey and The West were central to Tolkien's writings, in whatever form, and how he created a mythology. The chapter that stands out the most to me is the one about the Creation of the Sun and the Moon, as it is sooo much more detailed than what survived in "Silmarillion." The Trees take a much longer part, the ships that bear the Sun and the Moon are much more detailed, as are the Elves that basically sacrifice their lives to sail in these ships throughout eternity.

Definitely a good read for this Tolkien geek, and perfectly timed to go along with my pilgrimage trip last month to the Morgan Library in New York City where the Tolkien exhibit was housed. Yup, some folks go for Times Square, I went for Tolkien :).

The Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint
3***

Minda Sealy is afraid to go to sleep, for when she does she is trapped inside the same terrible, dark nightmare. Over and over it happens, until she is ragged and raw. Then, one night, she dreams she is somewhere else--walking a high, peaceful moor. There she meets Jan, the "heart of the moors," who has been imprisoned by Ildran the Dreammaster--the same being who controls Minda's nightmares.

In exchange for her promise to free him, Jan gives Minda three things: a new name, Talenyn, meaning "Little Wren"; a pouch of pebbles that can function as a gate between worlds; and an acorn pendant that will keep the evil Ildran from invading her dreams.

A good early book of Charles de Lint's, and one that is in contrast to his later works, including the ones like "Moonheart" set in modern-day Toronto and early Britain and his more established Newford works.

It pulls from much Celtic mythology, with the Erlkin standing in for Elves, tall menhir, gates to travel between the worlds, and a version of the Tuatha de Danaan who are the undiminished Good Folk. Young Minda is living with a man she knows is her father who is an innkeeper and a mean, abusive dolt. Fortunately she has friends and support, and when her dreams are keeping her from going to sleep she learns that it is time for her to move on.

Her flight from Ildran and her meeting with Jan take her to other worlds and a slew of new people, including a scholar, Huorn the Hunter, a talking badger, and a mischievous tinker. She learns to believe in herself and her own strength by the very end, and the worlds are better for it. The look at a young, female protagonist as a person in her own right and worthy of her own adventures are elements that draw me time and again to de Lint's work and keep him on the top of my shelves.

Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
2**

Civilization. . . All his young life Fafhrd had hungered for it; in his mind, the Eight Cities were places of wonder, and he meant to see them one day. Neither the potent magic of his mother and the other Snow Women, nor the passion of his betrothed would keep him in Cold Corner. Cold Corner was no fit place for a man with adventure in his soul. Its women chained men to their will, destroying inner fire with spells cast with chilling ferocity. Fafhrd's father had escaped . . for a while. Defying his wife, he'd left home for the distant mountains he loved. But he dded when a preternatural cold shattered his rope on a peak called White Fang--a message not lost on his son.

Oh my. Just, oh. My. I read it as a book challenge and I really, really can't recommend it. Unless you are doing research into old sword-and-sorcery fantasy worlds and their relevance to the culture in which they were written.

Basic story is one of two guys, both put out and put upon by the women in their lives who are strong, smart, and deceitful, and our poor heroes have to go out and seek their fortune while Leiber seems to wonder what to do with the women-creatures who accompany them. The men seem impossibly strong/cunning and good, the women are caricatures and deceitful/evil or devoted and sexy. The three chapters of this book were published in 1970, 1962, and 1970 so they are definitely products of their time. But even Asimov and Bradbury and Clarke have written sci-fi books that were more respectful of women than Leiber. Comparing the writing and impossible deeds of the men and view of women to these authors, for example, shows that there are men who see women as "Other" and are therefore not to be trusted making men are the real heroes, and men who see women as "Other" and are fascinating and worth caring about and growing into real human beings and heroes as well. Just wow.