Karen's bookshelf: read

Karen's bookshelf: read en-US Sat, 05 Jul 2025 19:27:33 -0700 60 Karen's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Soulmate 60784540
Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths, and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.

Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. . . .Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate . . . lie? As the perfect façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.]]> 327 Sally Hepworth 1250229707 Karen 3
I’ve read The Good Sister
/review/show...

and

The Mother-in-Law
/review/show....

Am I becoming less enamored of Sally Hepworth the more I read her – because quite frankly, I just found The Soulmate OK.

There is that typical Hepworth tension and that time to wonder who to trust and who is twisting the truth – but, for the most part it just fell flat.

Without giving away spoilers…

Perfect marriage? Really?

Perfect parent? Really?

Were the twists and turns really that twisty?

And what about that ending? Can you let readers down any better than this way?

How underwhelming can you be, Hepworth?

So, let me ask readers this…

Have you ever been in a book where you were rooting against the main character, in favor of the individual getting caught and being sent to jail?

]]> 3.77 2022 The Soulmate

author: Sally Hepworth
name: Karen
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/07/21
date added: 2025/07/05
shelves: creates-questions, creepy, dark, haunting, page-turner, riveting, spine-tingling, twisted
review:
Pippa and Gabe and their 2 daughters move to a coastal cottage along a picturesque cliff that just happens to be a popular suicide spot. They discover that Gabe has a gift of being able to talk people down, and in so doing, help prevent 7 suicides. However, the 8th stranger who turns up upset and alone on the cliff turns out to be less of a stranger.

I’ve read The Good Sister
/review/show...

and

The Mother-in-Law
/review/show....

Am I becoming less enamored of Sally Hepworth the more I read her – because quite frankly, I just found The Soulmate OK.

There is that typical Hepworth tension and that time to wonder who to trust and who is twisting the truth – but, for the most part it just fell flat.

Without giving away spoilers…

Perfect marriage? Really?

Perfect parent? Really?

Were the twists and turns really that twisty?

And what about that ending? Can you let readers down any better than this way?

How underwhelming can you be, Hepworth?

So, let me ask readers this…

Have you ever been in a book where you were rooting against the main character, in favor of the individual getting caught and being sent to jail?

]]> Old Heart 23259002
And so he slips away, deftly covers his tracks, and begins his search for her in Eindhoven. While his children try to track him down and then have him extradited back home, Tom delves into love and loss and the value of memory. Soon he catches sight of a woman he believes to be Sarah, the love he lost almost a lifetime ago.

He will have to fight for her affections and forgiveness, even as he fights for the legal right to stay in the Netherlands in the name of love and family and all the remaining rights of an old man.]]> 256 Peter Ferry 1609531175 Karen 5
I posted about this book on January 16, 2019 on my Facebook page. And then... shared the book in my Little Free Library Shed with readers, and off it went.

And then… It came back as a donation once again.

And then…I decided to read it. Again. (This is totally unlike me.)

I liked the blurb written about it, so I thought I would read it first before making it available to other readers. I am happy I did.

Old Heart is a thought-provoking and beautifully written meditation on the intricacies of growing old.

It is a quiet story, but moving.

And...There are so many little nuggets of wisdom in the way the author, or his protagonist, reflect upon life and how decisions made long ago changed his direction.

It also made me think of the dignity so often stolen from our elders when they reach a certain age.

As an example...For the protagonist, in the eyes of his children, he appeared lost and incapable of taking care of himself, when in all reality, as he was getting older he was learning to slow down, to listen and reflect.

I loved how the story blended together history and modern day (2007) to illustrate how the past is perpetually present in our thoughts and the people we become.

I highly recommend this lovely little book.]]> 3.94 2015 Old Heart

author: Peter Ferry
name: Karen
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2022/01/16
date added: 2025/07/05
shelves: favorites, beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, captivating, cozy, creates-questions, easy-to-read, educating-moments, engaging, excellent, feel-good, heart-felt, inspiring, loved-it, makes-you-think, realistic, thought-provoking, transformative
review:
Have you ever read something twice? And absolutely loved it again?

I posted about this book on January 16, 2019 on my Facebook page. And then... shared the book in my Little Free Library Shed with readers, and off it went.

And then… It came back as a donation once again.

And then…I decided to read it. Again. (This is totally unlike me.)

I liked the blurb written about it, so I thought I would read it first before making it available to other readers. I am happy I did.

Old Heart is a thought-provoking and beautifully written meditation on the intricacies of growing old.

It is a quiet story, but moving.

And...There are so many little nuggets of wisdom in the way the author, or his protagonist, reflect upon life and how decisions made long ago changed his direction.

It also made me think of the dignity so often stolen from our elders when they reach a certain age.

As an example...For the protagonist, in the eyes of his children, he appeared lost and incapable of taking care of himself, when in all reality, as he was getting older he was learning to slow down, to listen and reflect.

I loved how the story blended together history and modern day (2007) to illustrate how the past is perpetually present in our thoughts and the people we become.

I highly recommend this lovely little book.
]]> <![CDATA[A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #3)]]> 199116301
Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.]]> 255 Peter Swanson 0063205033 Karen 5
Martha’s husband, Alan is a travelling salesman. And, they have a really neat, rather compact and comfortable marriage. As a librarian she is content with her life. But when he comes back from one of his trips with blood on one of his shirts, she begins to question what exactly happens at his “selling” conferences, after all.

And, as she begins the painstaking research, to figure out what her husband might be up to, she is uncomfortable enough about what she discovers, that she calls one of her friends from college, Lily Kintner for support.

Now, as I mention Lily Kintner, for those who have not read this series, please understand that this is book #3. It is best if you read the series, to know Lily and Henry from book 1, so you understand their characters fully. You can read this as a stand-alone, but you will appreciate this story better, if you have followed the series.

Back to this story…

Martha and Lily have their own past, in which Lily helped rescue her from an ill-fated relationship with Ethan Saltz back in graduate school.

How can Lily help her discover if her husband could be a potential serial killer? And, will Henry Kimball be able to also help when Lily ventures into dark and deadly territory?

What will readers discover in this twisty, riveting, page-turning tale? And, when all seems to be clear, don’t be so sure. This author has a way of throwing many twists that will keep readers going up to the very last page!

4.5 stars rounded up.]]> 3.58 2024 A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #3)

A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #3)

author: Peter Swanson
name: Karen
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/05
date added: 2025/07/05
shelves: compelling, complex, creates-questions, creepy, dark, easy-to-read, gripping, haunting, intense, page-turner, riveting, thought-provoking, twisted
review:
How well do we really know the people we think we love?

Martha’s husband, Alan is a travelling salesman. And, they have a really neat, rather compact and comfortable marriage. As a librarian she is content with her life. But when he comes back from one of his trips with blood on one of his shirts, she begins to question what exactly happens at his “selling” conferences, after all.

And, as she begins the painstaking research, to figure out what her husband might be up to, she is uncomfortable enough about what she discovers, that she calls one of her friends from college, Lily Kintner for support.

Now, as I mention Lily Kintner, for those who have not read this series, please understand that this is book #3. It is best if you read the series, to know Lily and Henry from book 1, so you understand their characters fully. You can read this as a stand-alone, but you will appreciate this story better, if you have followed the series.

Back to this story…

Martha and Lily have their own past, in which Lily helped rescue her from an ill-fated relationship with Ethan Saltz back in graduate school.

How can Lily help her discover if her husband could be a potential serial killer? And, will Henry Kimball be able to also help when Lily ventures into dark and deadly territory?

What will readers discover in this twisty, riveting, page-turning tale? And, when all seems to be clear, don’t be so sure. This author has a way of throwing many twists that will keep readers going up to the very last page!

4.5 stars rounded up.
]]> The House of Broken Angels 40696911 In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend.

"All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death."

In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life.

Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home.

Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank.

"Epic . . . Rambunctious . . . Highly entertaining." -- New York Times Book Review"Intimate and touching . . . the stuff of legend." -- San Francisco Chronicle"An immensely charming and moving tale." -- Boston GlobeNational Bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalistA New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the Year from National Public Radio, American Library Association, San Francisco Chronicle, BookPage, Newsday, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Literary Hub]]> 326 Luis Alberto Urrea 031615489X Karen 5
This was one that I chose to read (a while back – finally bringing my review to 카지노싸이트).

I am especially excited about this book, since, I had the opportunity to also read and review, Into the Beautiful North /review/show... (which was also a donation).

I know, I am very lucky to be a repository for such wonderful books. As is, my neighborhood.

There is no doubt, Urrea is a gifted storyteller. With this story, it is almost like getting invited to a party. Also, a funeral.

When the novel opens, Big Angel de la Cruz, the patriarch of a sprawling Mexican-American family, is getting ready to bury his mother, and to die. I mean seriously, the first sentence of the book says…

“Big Angel was late to his own mother’s funeral.”

Doesn’t that make you want to keep reading?

Big Angel is in the late stages of terminal cancer, and so he gathers his relatives for a Saturday, funeral and on Sunday, his last birthday party.

Now…This may sound like a tearjerker. But the book’s spirit is high.

Even in its saddest moments this book just feels full of joy.

Even Big Angel spends a lot of time listing what he is grateful for…

“Family, marriage, working, oysters, being taller than my kids.”

Readers can still feel the passion between him and his wife, Perla, even if he can’t act on it.

And…We feel the pleasure of family, throughout the pages.

It doesn’t mean the de la Cruz family is perfect. They struggle with all sorts of ailments…addiction, exhaustion, alienation, frustrated ambition. One is married to a woman who might be a bit off. One spends the whole funeral and most of the birthday party outside in their car. Everyone is grieving. Especially Big Angel.

Yet…This is not a novel about grief.

It is a novel about how amazing it is to have been alive.

About being amazed.

This book is a celebration. Of life. Of vulnerability.

So even if the subject seems morose, the story isn’t told in that way.

Open the pages of this book, settle back and be amazed.

P.S. – be sure and read the Author’s Note and Acknowledgments.]]> 3.83 2018 The House of Broken Angels

author: Luis Alberto Urrea
name: Karen
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/08/13
date added: 2025/07/05
shelves: beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, captivating, dazzling, easy-to-read, engaging, excellent, favorites, feel-good, fun, inspiring, loved-it, makes-you-think, page-turner, quirky, thought-provoking, transformative
review:
I have a wonderful neighborhood of prolific readers who once they are done, donate their books to my Little Free Library Shed. And then of course, because I am the one organizing my LFL, I get to pick and choose what I would like to read.

This was one that I chose to read (a while back – finally bringing my review to 카지노싸이트).

I am especially excited about this book, since, I had the opportunity to also read and review, Into the Beautiful North /review/show... (which was also a donation).

I know, I am very lucky to be a repository for such wonderful books. As is, my neighborhood.

There is no doubt, Urrea is a gifted storyteller. With this story, it is almost like getting invited to a party. Also, a funeral.

When the novel opens, Big Angel de la Cruz, the patriarch of a sprawling Mexican-American family, is getting ready to bury his mother, and to die. I mean seriously, the first sentence of the book says…

“Big Angel was late to his own mother’s funeral.”

Doesn’t that make you want to keep reading?

Big Angel is in the late stages of terminal cancer, and so he gathers his relatives for a Saturday, funeral and on Sunday, his last birthday party.

Now…This may sound like a tearjerker. But the book’s spirit is high.

Even in its saddest moments this book just feels full of joy.

Even Big Angel spends a lot of time listing what he is grateful for…

“Family, marriage, working, oysters, being taller than my kids.”

Readers can still feel the passion between him and his wife, Perla, even if he can’t act on it.

And…We feel the pleasure of family, throughout the pages.

It doesn’t mean the de la Cruz family is perfect. They struggle with all sorts of ailments…addiction, exhaustion, alienation, frustrated ambition. One is married to a woman who might be a bit off. One spends the whole funeral and most of the birthday party outside in their car. Everyone is grieving. Especially Big Angel.

Yet…This is not a novel about grief.

It is a novel about how amazing it is to have been alive.

About being amazed.

This book is a celebration. Of life. Of vulnerability.

So even if the subject seems morose, the story isn’t told in that way.

Open the pages of this book, settle back and be amazed.

P.S. – be sure and read the Author’s Note and Acknowledgments.
]]> <![CDATA[The Maid's Secret (Molly the Maid, #3)]]> 216351856 When a daring art heist takes place at the Regency Grand, Molly’s life is threatened. The question is who’s out to get her, and why? Long-buried secrets will be revealed in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest

A wedding. A heist. A secret.

Molly Gray’s life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As the esteemed Head Maid and recently promoted Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, good things are just around the corner, including her marriage to her beloved fiancé, Juan Manuel, only two months away.

But Molly’s entire existence is upended when a film crew descends upon the hotel to shoot the hit reality TV show Hidden Treasures, starring popular art appraisers Brown and Beagle. On a whim, Molly brings in a shoebox containing a few of her gran’s old things for appraisal, and much to everyone's surprise, one item turns out to be a rare and priceless treasure. Instantly, Molly is both a multi-millionaire and a media sensation—the world’s rags-to-riches darling—until the priceless piece vanishes from the hotel in the boldest, brashest antiquities heist in recent memory.

The key to the mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about Gran’s true-to-life fairytale, a young girl to the manor born, the only child of a wealthy magnate. But when Gran falls head over heels in love with a young man her parents deem below her station, her life is thrown into turmoil. As fate would have it, the greatest love of Gran’s life is someone Molly knows quite well….

Together with her friends, Molly combs the past and the present to catch the thief before looming threats against her become real.

A spirited heist caper and an epic love story, The Maid’s Secret is a spellbinding whodunnit that will capture and warm your heart.]]> 336 Nita Prose 0593875419 Karen 3
Why reluctant you ask?

Well…the truth is, I wasn’t too into the last book I read in the series. Still, it is, for the most part, a sweet series. And, knowing that this is the last book, I felt I owed it to myself to read all the books in the series. And, I always have hope that a series will end well.

So, does it? End well? Afterall, Molly is a lovely character. One that once readers meet her, we always hope the best for her.

And…Will this last book evoke emotions, elicit tears and smiles and ultimately leave readers with a sense of peace for its ending?

“What did you learn?
That my life isn’t so bad after all.
…that a life without love is not worth living.”

Well, this wasn’t just to be Molly’s story. This was also Gran’s story. Which means, that readers shouldn’t read this one as a stand-alone. It is best to read the full arc to understand who Gran is to Molly, so that you can appreciate why Gran’s story is important.

But does that necessarily mean this is a good ending to the series?

Readers will be taken to the past as we read-along with Molly through Gran’s diary passages. Readers also find themselves in present time with Molly and her fiancé Juan Manuel at their beloved employer setting the Grand Hotel in the midst of a special event, when the popular television series, “Hidden Treasures” comes to film an episode. After all, both Molly and Juan Manuel now both hold important positions at the hotel.

Molly decides to share some of her own collections with the show’s hosts. Will what she shares prove beneficial and set something in motion? Also, what will Molly learn about her Gran’s past and herself as she reads the diary?

How will this final story end? Will there be an HEA for Molly? Will she and Juan Manual finally get married? (No spoilers from me.)

To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I was reading this story under the right conditions. I started it during the negotiations and final vote (7/3/25) of Trumps ‘big beautiful bill’ which is anything but. And, all I could think about was a quote by author, Oliver Bullough when he said…

“All money corrupts, and big money corrupts bigly.”

So, obviously when the bill was approved by the Republican majority, I couldn’t help but feel deeply saddened.

How does the politics of today play into this book you wonder? Well, so much of what happens within this story has to deal with the discovery of something that is worth a lot of money, and people’s reaction to it. And, unfortunately, it just seems like what we are witnessing in today’s politics is that money corrupts. I couldn’t help but compare the two circumstances, unfortunately.

So, as I was reading about Gran, and considering Molly’s ‘treasure’ dilemma, and the eventual ending of this trilogy, I could only surmise that this maid’s secret final book, was okay, at best. Would the timing of my read make the story feel differently? I’m not sure. Please check-in with other reviews.
]]> 3.87 2025 The Maid's Secret (Molly the Maid, #3)

author: Nita Prose
name: Karen
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/07/04
date added: 2025/07/04
shelves: boring, been-here-before, easy-to-read, disappointed, ok, predictable
review:
On May 3, 2025, I reluctantly put myself on the waitlist for this book at my local library.

Why reluctant you ask?

Well…the truth is, I wasn’t too into the last book I read in the series. Still, it is, for the most part, a sweet series. And, knowing that this is the last book, I felt I owed it to myself to read all the books in the series. And, I always have hope that a series will end well.

So, does it? End well? Afterall, Molly is a lovely character. One that once readers meet her, we always hope the best for her.

And…Will this last book evoke emotions, elicit tears and smiles and ultimately leave readers with a sense of peace for its ending?

“What did you learn?
That my life isn’t so bad after all.
…that a life without love is not worth living.”

Well, this wasn’t just to be Molly’s story. This was also Gran’s story. Which means, that readers shouldn’t read this one as a stand-alone. It is best to read the full arc to understand who Gran is to Molly, so that you can appreciate why Gran’s story is important.

But does that necessarily mean this is a good ending to the series?

Readers will be taken to the past as we read-along with Molly through Gran’s diary passages. Readers also find themselves in present time with Molly and her fiancé Juan Manuel at their beloved employer setting the Grand Hotel in the midst of a special event, when the popular television series, “Hidden Treasures” comes to film an episode. After all, both Molly and Juan Manuel now both hold important positions at the hotel.

Molly decides to share some of her own collections with the show’s hosts. Will what she shares prove beneficial and set something in motion? Also, what will Molly learn about her Gran’s past and herself as she reads the diary?

How will this final story end? Will there be an HEA for Molly? Will she and Juan Manual finally get married? (No spoilers from me.)

To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I was reading this story under the right conditions. I started it during the negotiations and final vote (7/3/25) of Trumps ‘big beautiful bill’ which is anything but. And, all I could think about was a quote by author, Oliver Bullough when he said…

“All money corrupts, and big money corrupts bigly.”

So, obviously when the bill was approved by the Republican majority, I couldn’t help but feel deeply saddened.

How does the politics of today play into this book you wonder? Well, so much of what happens within this story has to deal with the discovery of something that is worth a lot of money, and people’s reaction to it. And, unfortunately, it just seems like what we are witnessing in today’s politics is that money corrupts. I couldn’t help but compare the two circumstances, unfortunately.

So, as I was reading about Gran, and considering Molly’s ‘treasure’ dilemma, and the eventual ending of this trilogy, I could only surmise that this maid’s secret final book, was okay, at best. Would the timing of my read make the story feel differently? I’m not sure. Please check-in with other reviews.

]]> Origin (Robert Langdon, #5) 32283133
As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation—which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch's precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling, and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch's secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain's Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. Following a trail illuminated by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch's shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.

Origin is stunningly inventive—Dan Brown's most brilliant and entertaining novel to date]]> 461 Dan Brown 0385514239 Karen 3
So don't be surprised when we begin by asking ourselves...

Where do we come from?

Where are we going?

Yes, it's the new Dan Brown book, Origin.

Yes, it's out-there.

But I have to say -- it was really entertaining, too.

Origin draws on current events and hot topics to make it more relevant to today's world.

The author touches on subjects like "fake news", the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, and the dark corners of the Internet.

He may not be as amazing as I'd liked him in previous books - but in this one, he does play on universal thoughts, fears and questions.

It makes for a very compelling tale.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for, well-developed characters and a whole lot of sense-making. But if you want to sprint through an almost 500-page novel at breakneck pace and escape from thinking for a while, then this is the book for you.

One last thing... there is a reference to Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck on page 447. I won't say more as it does provide an interesting explanation to everything about one of the characters through that reference.

Those who have read Of Mice and Men will understand when they get there.]]> 3.80 2017 Origin (Robert Langdon, #5)

author: Dan Brown
name: Karen
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/03
date added: 2025/07/03
shelves: creates-questions, ok, makes-you-think, page-turner, wanted-more, adventurous, compelling, conversational, easy-to-read, engaging, gripping, thought-provoking, why-so-many-pages
review:
Typically, I am a Dan Brown fan. He usually has a rather interesting story that makes one think. He takes us outside the box of regular thinking. And in this story, this is where we will go.

So don't be surprised when we begin by asking ourselves...

Where do we come from?

Where are we going?

Yes, it's the new Dan Brown book, Origin.

Yes, it's out-there.

But I have to say -- it was really entertaining, too.

Origin draws on current events and hot topics to make it more relevant to today's world.

The author touches on subjects like "fake news", the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, and the dark corners of the Internet.

He may not be as amazing as I'd liked him in previous books - but in this one, he does play on universal thoughts, fears and questions.

It makes for a very compelling tale.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for, well-developed characters and a whole lot of sense-making. But if you want to sprint through an almost 500-page novel at breakneck pace and escape from thinking for a while, then this is the book for you.

One last thing... there is a reference to Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck on page 447. I won't say more as it does provide an interesting explanation to everything about one of the characters through that reference.

Those who have read Of Mice and Men will understand when they get there.
]]> The Accident 18050094 From the author of the New York Times-bestselling and Edgar Award-winning The Expats

As dawn approaches in New York, literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript, racing through the explosive revelations about powerful people, as well as long-hidden secrets about her own past. In Copenhagen, veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of an unexpected gun. And in Zurich, the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life, trying to atone for a lifetime’s worth of lies and betrayals with publication of The Accident, while always looking over his shoulder.

Over the course of one long, desperate, increasingly perilous day, these lives collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication, toward saving or ruining careers and companies, placing everything at risk—and everyone in mortal peril. The rich cast of characters—in publishing and film, politics and espionage—are all forced to confront the consequences of their ambitions, the schisms between their ideal selves and the people they actually became.

The action rockets around Europe and across America, with an intricate web of duplicities stretching back a quarter-century to a dark winding road in upstate New York, where the shocking truth about the accident itself is buried.

Gripping, sophisticated, layered, and impossible to put down, The Accident proves once again that Chris Pavone is a true master of suspense.]]> 381 Chris Pavone 0385348452 Karen 5
Just thinking about this book again gives me chills. This book is one of my all-time favorites. It is full of intrigue, betrayal, murder, mystery and a maze of conundrums that puts who-dunit theories that we all think are correct...out the window! I was on the edge of my seat to the very last page. This story was as satisfying as it was gripping. This is about a manuscript. An accident. And what people will do to...

This is a thrilling adventure. Just take my word for it and read it.]]> 3.58 2014 The Accident

author: Chris Pavone
name: Karen
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/29
date added: 2025/07/03
shelves: favorites, loved-it, excellent
review:
We discussed this in our Mystery Library book discussion group years ago. I am now bringing my review to 카지노싸이트.

Just thinking about this book again gives me chills. This book is one of my all-time favorites. It is full of intrigue, betrayal, murder, mystery and a maze of conundrums that puts who-dunit theories that we all think are correct...out the window! I was on the edge of my seat to the very last page. This story was as satisfying as it was gripping. This is about a manuscript. An accident. And what people will do to...

This is a thrilling adventure. Just take my word for it and read it.
]]> 2025 on 카지노싸이트 216825549 2025 on 카지노싸이트 should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on 카지노싸이트 on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various Karen 5
UPDATE 6-30-25:

Who knew that June would be such a transitional month for me? ]]> 4.70 2025 2025 on 카지노싸이트

author: Various
name: Karen
average rating: 4.70
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/01
date added: 2025/07/01
shelves: action-packed, adventurous, animal-love, author-publisher-initiated, beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, brilliant, captivating, cat-love, charming, classic, compelling, complex, conversational, cozy, creates-questions, cute, dazzling, delightful, dog-love, easy-to-read, educating-moments, enchanting, engaging, entertaining, excellent, favorites, feel-good, gripping, heart-felt, inspiring, intense, intriguing, life-changing, loved-it, magical, makes-you-think, memorable, page-turner, powerful, riveting, scenic, suspenseful, sweet, thought-provoking, thoughtful, transformative, uplifting
review:
2025 on 카지노싸이트

UPDATE 6-30-25:

Who knew that June would be such a transitional month for me?
]]> Harry's Trees 36540759
Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane, lifelong lover of trees, works as an analyst in a treeless US Forest Service office. When his wife dies in a freak accident, devastated, he makes his way to the remote woods of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, intent on losing himself. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She, too, has lost someone—her father. And in the magical, willful world of her reckoning, Oriana believes that Harry is the key to finding her way back to him.

As Harry agrees to help the young girl, the unlikeliest of elements—a tree house, a Wolf, a small-town librarian and a book called The Grum’s Ledger—come together to create the biggest sensation ever to descend upon the Endless Mountains…a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wildest dreams and open the door to a new life for Harry.

Harry’s Trees is an uplifting tale about love, loss, friendship, and redemption. Fans of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove and Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry will find in its relentless good humor a much-needed remedy for these fraught times]]> 432 Jon Cohen 0778364151 Karen 5
As a reader could I hope that he could overcome his grief over the loss of his wife? Or even the guilt of the loss? Does anyone ever forgive themselves for such a great loss, when they believe they may be the cause of it – even if it isn’t their fault?

Grief is such a difficult emotion, isn’t it?

Will I personally be able to address all these questions this book led me to ask?

Maybe, maybe not. But isn’t that what we typically hope a book will do for us? Get us to think? Or feel? Or wonder? Or reflect? Certainly, this one did that for me. Will it do that for you, too?

Harry’s answer for his grief is to escape to the forest. In his escape he encounters Oriana. A young girl, who believes her father has become a tree. Between them, readers can only hope that the magic and beauty of nature will help heal them both.

This is a story of overcoming intense and immense grief. Finding oneself through loss. There is also hope for a renewed sense of purpose. This is not an easy read, but there is something poetic and heart-felt about this journey, if readers are willing to take it. Yes, and Kleenex is encouraged.]]> 4.13 2018 Harry's Trees

author: Jon Cohen
name: Karen
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/30
date added: 2025/07/01
shelves: compelling, complex, heart-felt, intense, magical, makes-you-think, thought-provoking, thoughtful, tragic
review:
How could I not be enchanted? Or sad all the time? Or hopeful? Or desiring something more? What did I want for Harry?

As a reader could I hope that he could overcome his grief over the loss of his wife? Or even the guilt of the loss? Does anyone ever forgive themselves for such a great loss, when they believe they may be the cause of it – even if it isn’t their fault?

Grief is such a difficult emotion, isn’t it?

Will I personally be able to address all these questions this book led me to ask?

Maybe, maybe not. But isn’t that what we typically hope a book will do for us? Get us to think? Or feel? Or wonder? Or reflect? Certainly, this one did that for me. Will it do that for you, too?

Harry’s answer for his grief is to escape to the forest. In his escape he encounters Oriana. A young girl, who believes her father has become a tree. Between them, readers can only hope that the magic and beauty of nature will help heal them both.

This is a story of overcoming intense and immense grief. Finding oneself through loss. There is also hope for a renewed sense of purpose. This is not an easy read, but there is something poetic and heart-felt about this journey, if readers are willing to take it. Yes, and Kleenex is encouraged.
]]> Nightshade 221508547 #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces a new cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina island.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.

Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.

Propulsive and atmospheric, Nightshade launches a brand new character into the Connelly universe, and proves without question that Michael Connelly is “the undisputed master of the modern crime novel” (Real Book Spy).]]> 345 Michael Connelly 0316588482 Karen 5
How did I come up with that conclusion?

As it so happens, new library books are allowed to be checked out for 3 weeks at a time by library patrons. Which means that if each library patron checked out this book for the allotted 3 weeks each, I may not see this book until June of 2026. Of course, if the library had multiple copies of the book, I may be able to read it sooner. But budgets this year are tight because cutbacks at the federal level. So, word on down is that less library books were being purchased for the system. ]]> 3.92 2025 Nightshade

author: Michael Connelly
name: Karen
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/27
date added: 2025/07/01
shelves: action-packed, complex, creates-questions, easy-to-read, engaging, excellent, gripping, high-energy, makes-you-think, page-turner, riveting, scenic, twisted, compelling
review:
For those of you who follow me, I get the majority of my books from my local library. But I do have to wait for them, a long time sometimes, especially when they are by bestselling authors, like this one. I ordered this book on May 14, 2025, and according to the library I was still #16 on the list as of June 15th.This meant I most likely would not see this book for check-out until sometime in 2026, if I was lucky!

How did I come up with that conclusion?

As it so happens, new library books are allowed to be checked out for 3 weeks at a time by library patrons. Which means that if each library patron checked out this book for the allotted 3 weeks each, I may not see this book until June of 2026. Of course, if the library had multiple copies of the book, I may be able to read it sooner. But budgets this year are tight because cutbacks at the federal level. So, word on down is that less library books were being purchased for the system.
]]> This Is Not a Game 216247527
Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of her fiancé, Brian, dumping her and cutting her out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game, Murderscape, they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting).

When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland--a seventysomething narcissist who is having an affair with her son-in-law--to a charity auction, it is the perfect excuse to get Addie to join her for the weekend. What Mimi isn’t telling Addie is that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party’s invitation.

In case the scene wasn’t already set for a turbulent weekend, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane’s body is found. Soon Mimi and Addie are caught in a dangerous game, relying on their skills (Mimi loves a crossword puzzle, and Addie is a brilliant game designer, after all) to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night. . . .]]> 320 Kelly Mullen 0593854470 Karen 4
This is actually her debut novel that starts off leading readers to believe something is amiss. What did our main character, Mimi do that would force her to attend a neighbor’s upcoming event? And, what did Mimi do in her past that would cause her to be blackmailed by the event’s host?

Now, Mimi isn’t your ordinary protagonist. She is a grandmother leading a rather comfortable, quiet secluded lifestyle quite happy with her plants. So, what is this past that she doesn’t want revealed?

Feeling a bit rattled, Mimi calls her estranged granddaughter Addie to attend this event with her. Addie agrees, believing this invitation by her grandmother is meant to reconcile their distant relationship.

But soon chaos ensues when the host is found dead. Oh no!

Before long, Mimi and Addie find themselves fully vested sleuths at the mansion amidst a snow storm, with more dead bodies and other possible blackmail victims. What is going on here? What secrets are at play here? And, who is the killer?

With an intriguing cast of characters, and some puzzle-like twists, this fun pair should keep readers engaged. And, with Mimi’s Gibson Martini recipe at the end of the book, do you think you might need a drink, to try and figure this one out? Cheers.]]> 3.47 2025 This Is Not a Game

author: Kelly Mullen
name: Karen
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/29
date added: 2025/07/01
shelves: compelling, creates-questions, dog-love, easy-to-read, engaging, intriguing, makes-you-think, page-turner, twisted, fun
review:
For those who may or may not be aware, this author has some interesting resume credentials. She started as a Hollywood producer. She has worked on the Academy Award-nominated ‘Trumbo,’ starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren, and Apple TV + ‘Dads’ also produced by Ron Howard.

This is actually her debut novel that starts off leading readers to believe something is amiss. What did our main character, Mimi do that would force her to attend a neighbor’s upcoming event? And, what did Mimi do in her past that would cause her to be blackmailed by the event’s host?

Now, Mimi isn’t your ordinary protagonist. She is a grandmother leading a rather comfortable, quiet secluded lifestyle quite happy with her plants. So, what is this past that she doesn’t want revealed?

Feeling a bit rattled, Mimi calls her estranged granddaughter Addie to attend this event with her. Addie agrees, believing this invitation by her grandmother is meant to reconcile their distant relationship.

But soon chaos ensues when the host is found dead. Oh no!

Before long, Mimi and Addie find themselves fully vested sleuths at the mansion amidst a snow storm, with more dead bodies and other possible blackmail victims. What is going on here? What secrets are at play here? And, who is the killer?

With an intriguing cast of characters, and some puzzle-like twists, this fun pair should keep readers engaged. And, with Mimi’s Gibson Martini recipe at the end of the book, do you think you might need a drink, to try and figure this one out? Cheers.
]]> An Officer and a Spy 18007532
Paris in 1895. Alfred Dreyfus, a young Jewish officer, has just been convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil’s Island, and stripped of his rank in front of a baying crowd of twenty-thousand. Among the witnesses to his humiliation is Georges Picquart, the ambitious, intellectual, recently promoted head of the counterespionage agency that “proved” Dreyfus had passed secrets to the Germans. At first, Picquart firmly believes in Dreyfus’s guilt. But it is not long after Dreyfus is delivered to his desolate prison that Picquart stumbles on information that leads him to suspect that there is still a spy at large in the French military. As evidence of the most malignant deceit mounts and spirals inexorably toward the uppermost levels of government, Picquart is compelled to question not only the case against Dreyfus but also his most deeply held beliefs about his country, and about himself.

Bringing to life the scandal that mesmerized the world at the turn of the twentieth century, Robert Harris tells a tale of uncanny timeliness––a witch hunt, secret tribunals, out-of-control intelligence agencies, the fate of a whistle-blower--richly dramatized with the singular storytelling mastery that has marked all of his internationally best-selling novels.]]> 429 Robert Harris 0385349580 Karen 5
Harris is undoubtedly a phenomenally talented author when it comes to writing historical fiction. He obviously is well-researched and a master storyteller.

Yet, I wouldn’t have considered reading this one, hadn’t it been for the comments left under my review of his most recent book, “Precipice” by 카지노싸이트 friend, Terence M. I recommend you read his review of this book, as well: /review/show...

It starts with an eerie setting that shows a passionate view of people’s hatefulness towards Jews. During those times, they didn’t see being Jewish as a religion, they saw it as a race to mock. And, in this particular case, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew, was labeled a traitor towards his country, even when lacking evidence. 20,000 people came to view the moment of his humiliation even as he cried out his innocence.

“…that the human impulse to watch another’s humiliation will always prove sufficient insulation against even the bitterest cold.”

This is the fictionalized account of the true story of ‘The Dreyfus Affair’ which would certainly affect French Society. It started on October 15, 1894 with the arrest for high treason of Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

This is a complicated story. And, his narrator, Lt. Col. Georges Picquart, who believes at first in his guilt, soon becomes the investigator to unravel the truth, before becoming his eventual savior.

Harris takes readers through the various aspects of the affair: the court-martial trial, the investigation, the perjured testimony, the forged documents, the secret files, the mobs of people. While reading, it feels as if we are present amongst history.

When Georges is reading the love letters between Alfred and his wife Lucie, that he is written while he is imprisoned on Devil’s Island, we can’t help but be touched by their passion towards each other.

So, who is the real traitor? What will tip Georges off to save Dreyfus? Will he be saved in time? And, will Georges be rewarded for his investigative work?

This is truly a gripping and thrilling story. And, as a true story, for those who didn’t know the history, we can’t wait to find out what happens in the end. For those who did know the history, I have to believe you can’t wait to find out what happens in the end, too. Because, Harris has a way of keeping readers riveted. Thank you, Terrence.]]> 4.18 2013 An Officer and a Spy

author: Robert Harris
name: Karen
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/26
date added: 2025/07/01
shelves: brilliant, captivating, compelling, complex, dark, educating-moments, engaging, excellent, intriguing, gripping, makes-you-think, realistic, scenic, thought-provoking
review:
"My four golden principles are more important now than ever: take it one step at a time; approach the matter dispassionately; avoid a rush to judgment; confide in nobody until there is hard evidence.”

Harris is undoubtedly a phenomenally talented author when it comes to writing historical fiction. He obviously is well-researched and a master storyteller.

Yet, I wouldn’t have considered reading this one, hadn’t it been for the comments left under my review of his most recent book, “Precipice” by 카지노싸이트 friend, Terence M. I recommend you read his review of this book, as well: /review/show...

It starts with an eerie setting that shows a passionate view of people’s hatefulness towards Jews. During those times, they didn’t see being Jewish as a religion, they saw it as a race to mock. And, in this particular case, Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew, was labeled a traitor towards his country, even when lacking evidence. 20,000 people came to view the moment of his humiliation even as he cried out his innocence.

“…that the human impulse to watch another’s humiliation will always prove sufficient insulation against even the bitterest cold.”

This is the fictionalized account of the true story of ‘The Dreyfus Affair’ which would certainly affect French Society. It started on October 15, 1894 with the arrest for high treason of Captain Alfred Dreyfus.

This is a complicated story. And, his narrator, Lt. Col. Georges Picquart, who believes at first in his guilt, soon becomes the investigator to unravel the truth, before becoming his eventual savior.

Harris takes readers through the various aspects of the affair: the court-martial trial, the investigation, the perjured testimony, the forged documents, the secret files, the mobs of people. While reading, it feels as if we are present amongst history.

When Georges is reading the love letters between Alfred and his wife Lucie, that he is written while he is imprisoned on Devil’s Island, we can’t help but be touched by their passion towards each other.

So, who is the real traitor? What will tip Georges off to save Dreyfus? Will he be saved in time? And, will Georges be rewarded for his investigative work?

This is truly a gripping and thrilling story. And, as a true story, for those who didn’t know the history, we can’t wait to find out what happens in the end. For those who did know the history, I have to believe you can’t wait to find out what happens in the end, too. Because, Harris has a way of keeping readers riveted. Thank you, Terrence.
]]> The Two Lives of Lydia Bird 46225061
But she was wrong. On her twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.

So now it's just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world, open to life--and perhaps even love--again.

But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened.

Lydia is pulled again and again across the doorway of her past, living two lives, impossibly, at once. But there's an emotional toll to returning to a world where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there's someone in her new life, her real life, who wants her to stay.

Written with Josie Silver's trademark warmth and wit, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love story about the what-ifs that arise at life's crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them.]]> 369 Josie Silver 0593135237 Karen 5
This one caused me to cry uncontrollably page after page. It was Beautiful and imperfect. But just what I needed at the right and perfect time.

Readers may have to suspend disbelief as you decide for yourself about the nature of Lydia's sleeping and waking lives. But this novel shows how Lydia tries to find her way back to herself through grief in the best way she can. Can we be patient for her?]]> 3.71 2020 The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

author: Josie Silver
name: Karen
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/05
date added: 2025/06/30
shelves: beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, easy-to-read, engaging, excellent, favorites, feel-good, heart-felt, intriguing, life-changing, loved-it, makes-you-think, page-turner, thought-provoking, thoughtful, transformative, why-so-many-pages, imperfect
review:
Where do I begin? What do I say? How does anyone deal with the loss of one's great love? Is this what grief does to someone?

This one caused me to cry uncontrollably page after page. It was Beautiful and imperfect. But just what I needed at the right and perfect time.

Readers may have to suspend disbelief as you decide for yourself about the nature of Lydia's sleeping and waking lives. But this novel shows how Lydia tries to find her way back to herself through grief in the best way she can. Can we be patient for her?
]]> Franklin's Flying Bookshop 30313729
Franklin, a well-read and peace-loving dragon, and Luna, a young girl with an independent spirit and an insatiable love of reading, make fantastic role models for young children. Franklin’s Flying Bookshop brings the magic of classic fairy tales into the twenty-first century through exquisite illustrations, and will enchant children as well as anyone who loves books.]]> 32 Jen Campbell Karen 4
This is truly a book that shows kids not to be so quick to judge others just because of how they may look or act based on what they were “born” to be.

And, even if that wasn’t the intended “learning” lesson, it certainly can be one from this sweetly illustrated book about a flying dragon named Franklin that loved to read.

And, a young girl, named Luna who befriended Franklin and found a way to make books and an unconventional bookshop available to the town.

Reading Level: 4 – 8 years – Grade Level: Preschool – 3rd Grade
]]> 4.29 2017 Franklin's Flying Bookshop

author: Jen Campbell
name: Karen
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/29
date added: 2025/06/29
shelves: adventurous, animal-love, captivating, charming, conversational, cute, delightful, easy-to-read, educating-moments, engaging, entertaining, feel-good, fun, heart-felt, inspiring, magical, makes-you-think, page-turner, sweet, thoughtful, uplifting, whimsical
review:
Sometimes we can find friendship and books in the most unexpected places. And, when we do, that we not make assumptions about others.

This is truly a book that shows kids not to be so quick to judge others just because of how they may look or act based on what they were “born” to be.

And, even if that wasn’t the intended “learning” lesson, it certainly can be one from this sweetly illustrated book about a flying dragon named Franklin that loved to read.

And, a young girl, named Luna who befriended Franklin and found a way to make books and an unconventional bookshop available to the town.

Reading Level: 4 – 8 years – Grade Level: Preschool – 3rd Grade

]]> Slow Burn Summer 218695924 A talent agent hires an actress to play the part of “novelist” on a book tour for his agency’s publicity-shy client

She’s playing the part of romance author, but has she found her own real life love story?

Talent agent Charlie Francisco has three problems: a divorce that ended his screenwriting career, a business he never planned to inherit, and a take-your-breath-away romance novel whose author wants nothing to do with its publication. The book is a surefire hit, if only his agency can find someone to “play” author on its summer book tour.

Enter Kate Elliott, a former soap actress who’s miraculously right for the part at the very moment her life seems to be going all wrong. Kate is still recovering from her own divorce and Charlie’s job offer is a lifeline. She agrees to the pretense for all interviews, signings, and appearances surrounding the novel’s publication. But she can’t know who really wrote the remarkable story—the one so beautiful it’s made her believe in love again.

When Kate and Charlie meet they’re all friction and sparks—the one thing they have in common is they’re determined to play their respective parts. But as the summer heat ups and the lies get bigger and bigger, can they stick to their lines . . . or will they go off-script?]]> 352 Josie Silver 0593722884 Karen 0 to-read 3.50 2025 Slow Burn Summer

author: Josie Silver
name: Karen
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop Mystery, #1)]]> 25663657 A bold adventurer who wants to travel the world from a comfortable and safe spot behind a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes. A humble book and rare manuscript shop seeks a keenly intelligent investigator to assist us in our search for things thought lost, and in our quest to return lost items to their rightful owners.

Never an adventurer, no one was more surprised than Delaney Nichols when she packed her bags and moved halfway across the world to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine, a bookshop located in the heart of the city. Her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime, albeit a cryptic one, and Delaney can’t wait to take her spot behind the desk.

The Cracked Spine is filled with everything a book lover could want, each item as eclectic as the people who work there; the spirited and lovable Rosie, who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An extra bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his cobalt eyes, and a gentle brogue—and it doesn’t hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.

But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact goes missing, and Edwin’s sister is brutally murdered. Never did Delaney think that searching for things lost could mean a killer, but if she’s to keep her job, and protect her new friends, she’ll need to learn the truth behind this Scottish tragedy.]]> 294 Paige Shelton 1250057485 Karen 4
This is one of those stories, that readers will not only be engaged in because of the setting of a bookstore, but the scenic beauty of Edinburgh, Scotland.

We find Delaney leaving Kansas and taking a job at a bookstore in Scotland. It doesn’t take her long to find friends, a mysterious mystery room, missing items, murder and, herself in the midst of amateur sleuthing. Oh my! What a beginning, right?

For those who enjoy easy-to-read cozies centered around bookstores, this one is a nice introduction to the series. But there will be literal dialect conversations that may be hard to follow at times.

3.5 stars]]> 3.43 2016 The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop Mystery, #1)

The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop Mystery, #1)

author: Paige Shelton
name: Karen
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/28
date added: 2025/06/28
shelves: been-here-before, cozy, cute, easy-to-read, entertaining, fun, light-hearted, ok, page-turner, predictable, scenic, dog-love, engaging
review:
I was on a mission. I wanted some ‘fun’ books with a bookstore or library theme attached to it. So, I did an online library search and this one came up. This book is apparently the first in the ‘Scottish Bookshop Mystery series.’

This is one of those stories, that readers will not only be engaged in because of the setting of a bookstore, but the scenic beauty of Edinburgh, Scotland.

We find Delaney leaving Kansas and taking a job at a bookstore in Scotland. It doesn’t take her long to find friends, a mysterious mystery room, missing items, murder and, herself in the midst of amateur sleuthing. Oh my! What a beginning, right?

For those who enjoy easy-to-read cozies centered around bookstores, this one is a nice introduction to the series. But there will be literal dialect conversations that may be hard to follow at times.

3.5 stars
]]> Whale Fall 231769508 THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE BOOK A stunning debut from an award-winning writer, about loss, isolation, folklore, and the joy and dissonance of finding oneself by exploring life outside one’s community

“Both blunt and exquisite . . . O’Connor’s excellent debut . . . is an example of precisely observed writing that makes a character’s specific existence glimmer with verisimilitude.”—Maggie Shipstead, New York Times Book Review

" Whale Fall is a powerful novel, written with a calm, luminous precision, each feeling rendered with chiseled care, the drama of island life unfolding with piercing emotional accuracy."—Colm Toibin, New York Times bestselling author of Long Island

In 1938, a dead whale washes up on the shores of remote Welsh island. For Manod, who has spent her whole life on the island, it feels like both a portent of doom and a symbol of what may lie beyond the island's shores. A young woman living with her father and her sister (to whom she has reluctantly but devotedly become a mother following the death of their own mother years prior), Manod can't shake her welling desire to explore life beyond the beautiful yet blisteringly harsh islands that her hardscrabble family has called home for generations.

The arrival of two English ethnographers who hope to study the island culture, then, feels like a boon to her—both a glimpse of life outside her community and a means of escape. The longer the ethnographers stay, the more she feels herself pulled towards them, reckoning with a sensual awakening inside herself, despite her misgivings that her community is being misconstrued and exoticized.

With shimmering prose tempered by sharp wit, Whale Fall tells the story of what happens when one person's ambitions threaten the fabric of a community, and what can happen when they are realized. O'Connor paints a portrait of a community and a woman on the precipice, forced to confront an outside world that seems to be closing in on them.]]> 224 Elizabeth O'Connor 0593686012 Karen 0 to-read 4.20 2024 Whale Fall

author: Elizabeth O'Connor
name: Karen
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Art of Vanishing 219848297 A stunningly original love story between a museum employee and the man in a masterpiece hanging on the walls—a breathtaking debut about time, art, and the enduring power of love.

Jean’s life is the same day in and day out. Frozen in time by his painter father, the legendary Henri Matisse, Jean observes the ebb and flow of museum guests as they take in the works of his father and other masters like Renoir, Picasso, and Van Gogh. But his world takes a mesmerizing turn when Claire, a new museum employee, enters his life.

Night after night, Claire moves through the gallery where Jean's painting hangs, mopping the floors, talking softly to herself to stem her loneliness and gazing admiringly at the masterpieces above. The alluring man in the corner of the Matisse—is he watching her? Why does she feel a deepening pull to him, like he can see her truest self, her secrets? Did he just move?

In an extraordinary twist of fate, Claire discovers she can step through the frame of Jean's painting and into a bygone era, a lush, verdant snapshot of family life in France in the throes of World War I. She and Jean begin a seemingly impossible affair, falling in love against the backdrop of the gallery’s other paintings come to life—glittering parties, exhilarating horse races, and windswept beach bluffs, that they can move through together and where Claire is seemingly the only modern visitor, alone in possession of this gift.

But as their happiness is threatened by challenges both inside and outside the museum, Claire and Jean find themselves in a fight to preserve the love they’ve only dared to dream of. Will their extraordinary connection defy the confines of reality, or will the forces conspiring against them shatter their carefully curated happiness?]]> 304 Morgan Pager 0593875389 Karen 0 to-read 3.65 2025 The Art of Vanishing

author: Morgan Pager
name: Karen
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Spellman Files (The Spellmans, #1)]]> 129117
Part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, Izzy walks an indistinguishable line between Spellman family member and Spellman employee. Duties include: completing assignments from the bosses, aka Mom and Dad (preferably without scrutiny); appeasing her chronically perfect lawyer brother (often under duress); setting an example for her fourteen-year-old sister, Rae (who's become addicted to "recreational surveillance"); and tracking down her uncle (who randomly disappears on benders dubbed "Lost Weekends").

But when Izzy's parents hire Rae to follow her (for the purpose of ascertaining the identity of Izzy's new boyfriend), Izzy snaps and decides that the only way she will ever be normal is if she gets out of the family business. But there's a hitch: she must take one last job before they'll let her go -- a fifteen-year-old, ice-cold missing person case. She accepts, only to experience a disappearance far closer to home, which becomes the most important case of her life.]]> 6 Lisa Lutz 0743571355 Karen 5
They sent me their newsletter with the heading: 12 super sleuth books for grown-up fans of Nancy Drew. Well, that headline definitely caught my attention!

When I went through the list, I was pleased to see that I had already read quite a few of the recommended books.

Still, there was one that I hadn't read that caught my eye.

They described The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz in the following way:

“Described as part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, Izzy Spellman is a talented sleuth with a checkered past working for her dysfunctional family of private investigators.”

What mystery reader wouldn’t be intrigued by this description?

This book was the first in a series (originally published in 2007) of several other Spellman cases to follow.

Will I read more Spellman cases? Stay tuned.]]> 3.88 2007 The Spellman Files (The Spellmans, #1)

author: Lisa Lutz
name: Karen
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/12
date added: 2025/06/25
shelves: cozy, creates-questions, cute, feel-good, fun, high-energy, makes-you-think, page-turner, quirky, action-packed, adventurous, captivating, conversational, easy-to-read, engaging, excellent
review:
One of my favorite book newsletters is Off The Shelf.

They sent me their newsletter with the heading: 12 super sleuth books for grown-up fans of Nancy Drew. Well, that headline definitely caught my attention!

When I went through the list, I was pleased to see that I had already read quite a few of the recommended books.

Still, there was one that I hadn't read that caught my eye.

They described The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz in the following way:

“Described as part Nancy Drew, part Dirty Harry, Izzy Spellman is a talented sleuth with a checkered past working for her dysfunctional family of private investigators.”

What mystery reader wouldn’t be intrigued by this description?

This book was the first in a series (originally published in 2007) of several other Spellman cases to follow.

Will I read more Spellman cases? Stay tuned.
]]> Welcome to Murder Week 220160455 In this delightfully funny and heartfelt new novel from the author of the “bittersweet page-turner” (The New York Times) The Last Book Party, an American woman travels to the English countryside when she discovers tickets her late mother had purchased for a murder mystery simulation in a small British town.

When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak. A whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.

Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers—Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband’s birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels—Cath sets about solving the “crime” and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling—or something more—with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.

Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter’s reckoning with her grief, her past—and her own budding sense of adventure.]]> 304 Karen Dukess 1668079771 Karen 4
Imagine the main protagonist Cath having these thoughts:

‘Oh Mom, you weren’t there while I was growing up. And, now I find that you had this paid-in-full trip we were supposed to go on together. But you are now dead. Should I go anyway?’

Well, as it so happens, everyone who cares about Cath agrees that she should do this special ‘Murder Week’ trip to England. So, off she goes. What will she discover about herself, and maybe about her elusive dearly departed mother?

Upon arrival, she finds connection with her fellow American roommates, Wyatt who is travelling sans husband, and Amity, a mystery writer who is looking for inspiration.

So, how many of us mystery readers have actually dreamed of the experience of being a true amateur sleuth? We’ve read all the stories, right? Is it safer to just be a ‘reading’ bystander or actually being a participant in a ‘fake’ murder production expected to figure out the ‘whodunit,’ the ‘howdunit’ and/or the ‘whydunit?’

You don’t have to answer that question. It just was an interesting observation for me to consider as I found myself reading along about the characters little murder week adventure.

Was Cath up for the challenge?

Were we as readers?

And, as Cath and her roommates, and all the other players get into ‘murder week’ by following the clues, taking in the scenery, the town, and meeting the townspeople, there is something that is touching Cath deeply. Why does she feel as if her mother has been here? Why is everything feeling familiar to her?

And we as readers are left wondering, what mystery are we really solving here? A Murder Week murder or something more?

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up this book. But I believe I got something more. It felt like a story of discovery. Self-discovery. Finding oneself through heart-ache and grief. Learning to live. Second chances. Maybe even finding love and friendship and home in unexpected places.

In this thoughtful and heart-felt story, some readers may grow annoyed over the many details of “fake” characters set up to confuse those playing the murder week game. Which may make readers frustrated by the time the solution to the ‘fake mystery’ is finally explained.

“Fake mysteries are like roller coasters at an amusement park, thrills and relief without pain.”

Still, I think there is something to be said about this unique premise. There is a cuteness to what the town was willing to do to create atmosphere and fun for the participants. Thus, providing an easy-to-read, page-turning ease to the reading experience.

But do we get our happy ending? (No spoilers from me.)
]]> 3.70 2025 Welcome to Murder Week

author: Karen Dukess
name: Karen
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/25
date added: 2025/06/25
shelves: adventurous, charming, compelling, creates-questions, cute, easy-to-read, engaging, entertaining, feel-good, fun, heart-felt, imperfect, page-turner, quirky, scenic, sweet
review:
“A mystery that is easy to solve, after all, is not worthy of the name.”

Imagine the main protagonist Cath having these thoughts:

‘Oh Mom, you weren’t there while I was growing up. And, now I find that you had this paid-in-full trip we were supposed to go on together. But you are now dead. Should I go anyway?’

Well, as it so happens, everyone who cares about Cath agrees that she should do this special ‘Murder Week’ trip to England. So, off she goes. What will she discover about herself, and maybe about her elusive dearly departed mother?

Upon arrival, she finds connection with her fellow American roommates, Wyatt who is travelling sans husband, and Amity, a mystery writer who is looking for inspiration.

So, how many of us mystery readers have actually dreamed of the experience of being a true amateur sleuth? We’ve read all the stories, right? Is it safer to just be a ‘reading’ bystander or actually being a participant in a ‘fake’ murder production expected to figure out the ‘whodunit,’ the ‘howdunit’ and/or the ‘whydunit?’

You don’t have to answer that question. It just was an interesting observation for me to consider as I found myself reading along about the characters little murder week adventure.

Was Cath up for the challenge?

Were we as readers?

And, as Cath and her roommates, and all the other players get into ‘murder week’ by following the clues, taking in the scenery, the town, and meeting the townspeople, there is something that is touching Cath deeply. Why does she feel as if her mother has been here? Why is everything feeling familiar to her?

And we as readers are left wondering, what mystery are we really solving here? A Murder Week murder or something more?

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up this book. But I believe I got something more. It felt like a story of discovery. Self-discovery. Finding oneself through heart-ache and grief. Learning to live. Second chances. Maybe even finding love and friendship and home in unexpected places.

In this thoughtful and heart-felt story, some readers may grow annoyed over the many details of “fake” characters set up to confuse those playing the murder week game. Which may make readers frustrated by the time the solution to the ‘fake mystery’ is finally explained.

“Fake mysteries are like roller coasters at an amusement park, thrills and relief without pain.”

Still, I think there is something to be said about this unique premise. There is a cuteness to what the town was willing to do to create atmosphere and fun for the participants. Thus, providing an easy-to-read, page-turning ease to the reading experience.

But do we get our happy ending? (No spoilers from me.)

]]> Sea Wife 49666975 For readers of Meg Wolitzer, Lionel Shriver, Kate Atkinson, and Jennifer Egan

From the highly acclaimed author of Schroder, a smart, sophisticated literary page turner about a young family who escape suburbia for a year-long sailing trip that upends all of their lives

Juliet is failing to juggle motherhood and her anemic dissertation when her husband, Michael, informs her that he wants to leave his job and buy a sailboat. The couple are novice sailors, but Michael persuades Juliet to say yes. With their two kids--Sybil, age seven, and George, age two, Juliet and Michael set off for Panama, where their forty-four-foot sailboat awaits them--a boat that Michael has christened the Juliet.

The initial result is transformative: their marriage is given a gust of energy, and even the children are affected by the beauty and wonderful vertigo of travel. The sea challenges them all--and most of all, Juliet, who suffers from postpartum depression.

Sea Wife is told in gripping dual perspectives: Juliet's first-person narration, after the journey, as she struggles to come to terms with the dire, life-changing events that unfolded at sea; and Michael's captain's log--that provides a riveting, slow-motion account of those same inexorable events.

Exuberant, harrowing, witty, and exquisitely written, Sea Wife is impossible to put down. A wholly original take on one of our oldest stories--survival at sea--it also asks a pertinent question for our polarized political moment: How does a crew with deep philosophical differences and outmoded gender roles bring a ship safely to shore?]]> 288 Amity Gaige 0525656499 Karen 3
So, what did I think?

Something is terribly wrong. Why is Juliet hanging out in her closet? And, that is how readers first meet Juliet, the ‘sea wife’ who has retreated from her family. It will take a while before readers understand exactly what is going on or what has happened.

In Juliet’s present-day narrative, she regains family life with her two children and begins to recount the experience of living with her family on a 44-foot sailboat. Thus, giving readers a sense of what constitutes a sea wife. (Hence: the title of the book.)

We also get Michael’s point of view from his ship’s logs. And, sometimes we hear from Sybil’s young voice, their 7-year-old.

Readers learn that it is Michael’s desired bliss to have a year-long odyssey sail to Panama before returning home to Connecticut.

It becomes clear to readers that this is clearly not Juliet’s dream, but she wants to support her husband. Their children, Sybil (7) and George (2) thrive on this adventure, but there is no escaping whatever ailed Juliet and Michael’s marriage.

The author gives readers a strong sense of the scenic challenges of life at sea.

Clearly, this isn’t the trip that this couple had hoped for, and readers will feel dread almost immediately through a series of unfortunate events. And, as the family found themselves adrift, it was easy to be adrift as a reader without quotation marks around the author’s characters’ dialogue.

Whatever eventually happened to the characters, (no spoilers from me) it was hard to know how to feel about it. The story is definitely, tense, awkward, compelling, multi-layered and unsettling. But to be honest, I am still shaking my head wondering about what I just read. I may be an outlier, so please read other reviews.

3.5 stars]]> 3.59 2020 Sea Wife

author: Amity Gaige
name: Karen
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/24
date added: 2025/06/24
shelves: compelling, complex, creates-questions, dark, haunting, intense, scenic
review:
I wouldn’t have even noticed this book, hadn’t I been waiting for her latest one, “Heartwood” which is on the hot waitlist at my local library. So, I thought I would check-it out on one of my recent local library visits since it mentioned it was a psychological suspense thriller.

So, what did I think?

Something is terribly wrong. Why is Juliet hanging out in her closet? And, that is how readers first meet Juliet, the ‘sea wife’ who has retreated from her family. It will take a while before readers understand exactly what is going on or what has happened.

In Juliet’s present-day narrative, she regains family life with her two children and begins to recount the experience of living with her family on a 44-foot sailboat. Thus, giving readers a sense of what constitutes a sea wife. (Hence: the title of the book.)

We also get Michael’s point of view from his ship’s logs. And, sometimes we hear from Sybil’s young voice, their 7-year-old.

Readers learn that it is Michael’s desired bliss to have a year-long odyssey sail to Panama before returning home to Connecticut.

It becomes clear to readers that this is clearly not Juliet’s dream, but she wants to support her husband. Their children, Sybil (7) and George (2) thrive on this adventure, but there is no escaping whatever ailed Juliet and Michael’s marriage.

The author gives readers a strong sense of the scenic challenges of life at sea.

Clearly, this isn’t the trip that this couple had hoped for, and readers will feel dread almost immediately through a series of unfortunate events. And, as the family found themselves adrift, it was easy to be adrift as a reader without quotation marks around the author’s characters’ dialogue.

Whatever eventually happened to the characters, (no spoilers from me) it was hard to know how to feel about it. The story is definitely, tense, awkward, compelling, multi-layered and unsettling. But to be honest, I am still shaking my head wondering about what I just read. I may be an outlier, so please read other reviews.

3.5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life]]> 36298843 In these nine essays, Richard Russo provides insight into his life as a writer, teacher, friend, and reader. From a commencement speech he gave at Colby College, to the story of how an oddly placed toilet made him reevaluate the purpose of humor in art and life, to a comprehensive analysis of Mark Twain's value, to his harrowing journey accompanying a dear friend as she pursued gender-reassignment surgery, The Destiny Thief reflects the broad interests and experiences of one of America's most beloved authors. Warm, funny, wise, and poignant, the essays included here traverse Russo's writing life, expanding our understanding of who he is and how his singular, incredibly generous mind works. An utter joy to read, they give deep insight into the creative process from the prospective of one of our greatest writers.]]> 224 Richard Russo Karen 5
Here is a book I saw that I knew I needed to read, but wasn’t sure I would want to put on my 카지노싸이트 shelf. But now that I have read it, I knew I needed to tell you about it, too.

Why is Russo so attractive to me? I think because I can so easily relate to him. There is so much to his own story that reads as if he is talking directly to me. No, I am not a writer, but I did teach college, like him, and I love when he talks about his experiences. Especially, his early beginnings before he became the writer and the teacher.

“College is, after all, where we go to reinvent ourselves, to sever our ties with the past, to become the person we always wanted to be.”

And, as in any stage of life, and as we grow, we come to appreciate that growth – whether it is good or bad, we are learning more about ourselves.

“I’d made my choice…and there was no going back. I was becoming someone else. Someone better.”

Russo is telling his personal his-story in essays about writing, writers and life. He had intentions of being a teacher when he went to college to get his Ph.D. And, surprisingly, to himself, he ended up a writer, as well as a teacher. Maybe, it was a surprise to everyone else he knew, as well. And, that was the someone better he alluded to above.

I love that personal challenge he gave to himself. And, maybe this was the part that I could relate too so well.

I know that for me, when I was in high school, I also wanted to be a teacher. So, I went to my counselor and asked her what I could do to meet my dream. Instead of encouraging me, she told me I didn’t have what it took to be one. Her news to me was devastating to hear. Why couldn’t she just have told me what I needed to do to be a teacher, instead of discouraging me and saying I could never be one? Thankfully I didn’t let her discouraging words stop me from following my dreams. I went on to teach college for almost 23 years.

Russo writes with humor and heart. He shares honestly about the impact of people that have touched his life. For better or worse. Including himself.

Throughout these essays, readers will get a great sense of who Russo is, what challenged him in creating the characters he did, and his vast humor that encompassed his writing. This became clear in one of his essays, which was actually his address to the graduates of Colby College. Especially when he challenged students with the following question…

“How does a person keep from living the wrong life?”

He also encouraged them to follow ‘Russo’s Rules for a Good Life.’ These rules are amazing! (No spoilers from me.)

These essays are also a look into Russo’s successful career. Just as much as they are his reflections. His life. His musings. His literary friendships.

For anybody who has ever enjoyed his novels, readers will most likely also enjoy a peek behind the scenes of his storytelling.

This is an insightful exploration into the mind of one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read him before, this might be an opportunity to learn more about him before reading one of his fiction novels. And, if you haven’t read one yet, start with my favorite by him,“Straight Man.” Review here: /review/show...]]> 3.78 2018 The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life

The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life

author: Richard Russo
name: Karen
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/22
date added: 2025/06/24
shelves: captivating, charming, delightful, easy-to-read, engaging, entertaining, heart-felt, inspiring, loved-it, makes-you-think, realistic, thoughtful
review:
“I never dreamed you had books in you.”

Here is a book I saw that I knew I needed to read, but wasn’t sure I would want to put on my 카지노싸이트 shelf. But now that I have read it, I knew I needed to tell you about it, too.

Why is Russo so attractive to me? I think because I can so easily relate to him. There is so much to his own story that reads as if he is talking directly to me. No, I am not a writer, but I did teach college, like him, and I love when he talks about his experiences. Especially, his early beginnings before he became the writer and the teacher.

“College is, after all, where we go to reinvent ourselves, to sever our ties with the past, to become the person we always wanted to be.”

And, as in any stage of life, and as we grow, we come to appreciate that growth – whether it is good or bad, we are learning more about ourselves.

“I’d made my choice…and there was no going back. I was becoming someone else. Someone better.”

Russo is telling his personal his-story in essays about writing, writers and life. He had intentions of being a teacher when he went to college to get his Ph.D. And, surprisingly, to himself, he ended up a writer, as well as a teacher. Maybe, it was a surprise to everyone else he knew, as well. And, that was the someone better he alluded to above.

I love that personal challenge he gave to himself. And, maybe this was the part that I could relate too so well.

I know that for me, when I was in high school, I also wanted to be a teacher. So, I went to my counselor and asked her what I could do to meet my dream. Instead of encouraging me, she told me I didn’t have what it took to be one. Her news to me was devastating to hear. Why couldn’t she just have told me what I needed to do to be a teacher, instead of discouraging me and saying I could never be one? Thankfully I didn’t let her discouraging words stop me from following my dreams. I went on to teach college for almost 23 years.

Russo writes with humor and heart. He shares honestly about the impact of people that have touched his life. For better or worse. Including himself.

Throughout these essays, readers will get a great sense of who Russo is, what challenged him in creating the characters he did, and his vast humor that encompassed his writing. This became clear in one of his essays, which was actually his address to the graduates of Colby College. Especially when he challenged students with the following question…

“How does a person keep from living the wrong life?”

He also encouraged them to follow ‘Russo’s Rules for a Good Life.’ These rules are amazing! (No spoilers from me.)

These essays are also a look into Russo’s successful career. Just as much as they are his reflections. His life. His musings. His literary friendships.

For anybody who has ever enjoyed his novels, readers will most likely also enjoy a peek behind the scenes of his storytelling.

This is an insightful exploration into the mind of one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read him before, this might be an opportunity to learn more about him before reading one of his fiction novels. And, if you haven’t read one yet, start with my favorite by him,“Straight Man.” Review here: /review/show...
]]> <![CDATA[Hate Won't Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than You Found It]]> 215749341 In this urgent expansion of her viral speech, Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow details a life in politics in one of the most precarious moments in our nation’s history - alongside a call to action to use our voices—with actionable steps and advice that anyone can take—to build community, fight for what's right, and create real, lasting change.

Mallory McMorrow was on the verge of giving up. Once the youngest state senator in Michigan's history—a title she assumed after defeating an incumbent in one of the biggest political upsets of 2018—the work of legislating was nothing like she’d hoped. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she wasn’t expecting an insidious culture of sexual harassment, armed protestors storming the state Capitol, or colleagues who had zero interest in reaching across the aisle to get anything meaningful done.

And things really needed to get done. A new mother to a baby girl, Mallory was as worried as the rest of us about the state of our country and the world. School shootings, dire climate reports, natural disasters, escalating political violence and extremism, a plummeting life expectancy and birth rate, crippling student and healthcare debt, the rolling back of reproductive rights… the list was overwhelming. Where could one even start?

But then fate forced her hand. A Senate colleague had called her a “groomer” for standing up for LGBTQ+ kids and against attempts to whitewash history in our schools. In response, Mallory delivered a blistering rebuke with a speech from the Michigan Senate floor that reverberated throughout the country (and the world), leading many long-jaded political pundits to hail Mallory’s action as a “blueprint” for fighting back. Here, Mallory breaks down her unlikely journey into politics with a front-row seat to conspiracy theories, division, and democracy at its breaking point, then outlines the tangible, proven steps that she and others have used to drive real systemic change, with practical advice that anyone can follow.

Hate Won’t Win is a step-by-step guide for anyone who’s fed up with the unending nightmare of American politics who wants to make a real difference but has no idea where to start. It’s a book with a big to empower anyone and everyone to find their voice and find their power to leave this place better than we found it and create the communities and country we want to see.]]> 288 Mallory McMorrow 0306835401 Karen 4
It was also a few days before #NOKINGSDAY, so having this book staring out at me, seemed like a perfect read.

I found myself loving this author and all that she stood for in service to this country. For those who may want a reminder to her famous 4 minute+ speech in 2022, here is a link: Hate Won’t Win:

I also loved the title of the book. I really want to believe it and promote the idea of it everywhere. Maybe if we say it enough times, it CAN become true.

Because so far, every indication of what is happening from top/down tells me differently.

As an example, very recently, our California citizens learned of an unwarranted assault and arrest of our own Senator Alex Padilla.

And, consider the morning of Saturday, June 14, 2025 when a lone gunman while posing as a police officer, shot and killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, and their precious pet dog, Gilbert; and, wounded two more who are currently in stable condition.

Even if these events I mention above seem separate, we could always count on Presidents in the past to say something. Not so with this one. A sitting president refusing to call the governor of a state after two elected officials were shot, one fatally, is beyond words. A typical president, regardless of politics, would pick up the phone. Offer condolences. Ask what the federal government can do to help and show leadership. The horrific violence that seems to be celebrated and encouraged by this President is reckless, troubling, dangerous and dehumanizing.

So, reading books like this one feels significant in moments of political discontent. The title of this book, as mentioned earlier, is taken verbatim from a speech that launched the author in to political notoriety. Something she didn’t initially desire for herself. See link above.

I also love the subtitle: “Find your Power & Leave this Place Better than you Found It.” We need a lot more of this too, don’t you think?

The book is divided into three areas: Memoir, Call-to-action, and a Workbook.

Of course, it is nice to learn more about the author’s life, and what makes her such a motivational role model. But the book could also be considered inspirational for anybody who wants to make a difference in their community and beyond. And yet, what makes this book really work is the workbook section which provides many actionable steps towards building community and creating change.

For anyone looking for a way out of the divisiveness of politics, this book provides credible insights. It can also be utilized as a viable textbook.]]> 4.48 Hate Won't Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than You Found It

Hate Won't Win: Find Your Power and Leave This Place Better Than You Found It

author: Mallory McMorrow
name: Karen
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/18
date added: 2025/06/24
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, conversational, creates-questions, easy-to-read, educational, engaging, inspiring, life-changing, makes-you-think, realistic, thought-provoking, thoughtful, transformative
review:
It was local library day for me. I always love this day because I get to walk around the stacks and pick and check-out books to read. I haven’t been doing this lately, especially since we had been busy with our grandsons. So, now that they were back home with their parents, this was a long over-due personal activity.

It was also a few days before #NOKINGSDAY, so having this book staring out at me, seemed like a perfect read.

I found myself loving this author and all that she stood for in service to this country. For those who may want a reminder to her famous 4 minute+ speech in 2022, here is a link: Hate Won’t Win:

I also loved the title of the book. I really want to believe it and promote the idea of it everywhere. Maybe if we say it enough times, it CAN become true.

Because so far, every indication of what is happening from top/down tells me differently.

As an example, very recently, our California citizens learned of an unwarranted assault and arrest of our own Senator Alex Padilla.

And, consider the morning of Saturday, June 14, 2025 when a lone gunman while posing as a police officer, shot and killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, and their precious pet dog, Gilbert; and, wounded two more who are currently in stable condition.

Even if these events I mention above seem separate, we could always count on Presidents in the past to say something. Not so with this one. A sitting president refusing to call the governor of a state after two elected officials were shot, one fatally, is beyond words. A typical president, regardless of politics, would pick up the phone. Offer condolences. Ask what the federal government can do to help and show leadership. The horrific violence that seems to be celebrated and encouraged by this President is reckless, troubling, dangerous and dehumanizing.

So, reading books like this one feels significant in moments of political discontent. The title of this book, as mentioned earlier, is taken verbatim from a speech that launched the author in to political notoriety. Something she didn’t initially desire for herself. See link above.

I also love the subtitle: “Find your Power & Leave this Place Better than you Found It.” We need a lot more of this too, don’t you think?

The book is divided into three areas: Memoir, Call-to-action, and a Workbook.

Of course, it is nice to learn more about the author’s life, and what makes her such a motivational role model. But the book could also be considered inspirational for anybody who wants to make a difference in their community and beyond. And yet, what makes this book really work is the workbook section which provides many actionable steps towards building community and creating change.

For anyone looking for a way out of the divisiveness of politics, this book provides credible insights. It can also be utilized as a viable textbook.
]]> Big Lies in a Small Town 45046808
North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?]]> 391 Diane Chamberlain 1250087333 Karen 4
The first story takes place in 1939. It tells the original beginning of the mural, being designed and painted by an artist named Anna. And then, Anna mysteriously disappears. Why?

Fast forward to 2018 when Morgan, a former art student who is a current prisoner is offered an early release if she will restore the mural. But as she is working on it, she becomes curious about Anna and begins to want to find answers to her disappearance. Could those answers be in the story that the mural tells?

Readers will go back and forth in time to learn more about these women’s lives. Their voices will be captivating and compelling capturing readers attention along the way. Will Morgan be able to unravel the mystery and find herself, as well?

The author weaves an interesting historical mystery with fascinating characters that will keep readers engaged.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end.]]> 4.08 2020 Big Lies in a Small Town

author: Diane Chamberlain
name: Karen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/22
date added: 2025/06/24
shelves: captivating, compelling, creates-questions, intriguing, makes-you-think, ok, page-turner
review:
This is a rather different mystery with two timelines depicting two artists around a mural centered in the town of Ederton, NC.

The first story takes place in 1939. It tells the original beginning of the mural, being designed and painted by an artist named Anna. And then, Anna mysteriously disappears. Why?

Fast forward to 2018 when Morgan, a former art student who is a current prisoner is offered an early release if she will restore the mural. But as she is working on it, she becomes curious about Anna and begins to want to find answers to her disappearance. Could those answers be in the story that the mural tells?

Readers will go back and forth in time to learn more about these women’s lives. Their voices will be captivating and compelling capturing readers attention along the way. Will Morgan be able to unravel the mystery and find herself, as well?

The author weaves an interesting historical mystery with fascinating characters that will keep readers engaged.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end.
]]> Fun for the Whole Family 216522634 A breathtaking, joy-filled novel about the people we love, the secrets we keep, and the enduring power of family, from the bestselling author of The Unsinkable Greta James.

The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude—were once inseparable, a bond created by the absence of their dazzling, mercurial mother, who would return for a few weeks each summer to whisk them off on sprawling road trips around the country.

Decades later, the unthinkable has happened: the Endicotts haven’t spoken in years . . . until an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a small town in North Dakota. They’re each at a crossroads: Gemma, who put her own ambitions aside to raise the others, now isn’t sure if she wants to be a mother herself; Connor, a celebrated novelist, is floundering after his recent divorce and suffering from an epic case of writer’s block; and Roddy, at the tail end of a professional soccer career, is dangerously close to losing his future husband for the chance at one last season.

Jude is the only Endicott who seems to have it all together—but appearances can be deceiving. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover that Jude has been keeping three secrets . . . each of which could change everything.

A captivating journey and an ode to forgiveness that takes readers across all fifty states, Fun for the Whole Family brims with heart and resonates long after the final page.]]> 357 Jennifer E. Smith 0593358309 Karen 3
The author seems to be fascinated with families. Her books revolve around families. There are flaws or mysteries attached to them, quirky characters amongst them, and undoubtedly complicated relationships. This one is no different. Afterall, look at the title of the book! Still, how many families can boast a pro-athlete, famous actress and award-winning author in the same tumultuous mix of relatives? Believable?

So, why not have a family of estranged siblings being brought back together in hopes of reconciliation. What could possibly go wrong? Or right?

What the author wants readers to experience is hope and forgiveness amongst family through short chapters and changing points of view. And, even if it seemed a bit exaggerated and out-there, who doesn’t love a family filled with hope? I’m just not sure it was fun. For the whole family. Or readers. But please read other reviews, because I am undoubtedly an outlier here.]]> 4.09 2025 Fun for the Whole Family

author: Jennifer E. Smith
name: Karen
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/23
date added: 2025/06/23
shelves: complex, exasperating, ok, quirky
review:
I have been a fan of this author since seeing the movie based on her book (and reading the book, too), “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.” And, I wasn’t disappointed by her book, “The Unsinkable Greta James.” So, when this book came out, I was interested.

The author seems to be fascinated with families. Her books revolve around families. There are flaws or mysteries attached to them, quirky characters amongst them, and undoubtedly complicated relationships. This one is no different. Afterall, look at the title of the book! Still, how many families can boast a pro-athlete, famous actress and award-winning author in the same tumultuous mix of relatives? Believable?

So, why not have a family of estranged siblings being brought back together in hopes of reconciliation. What could possibly go wrong? Or right?

What the author wants readers to experience is hope and forgiveness amongst family through short chapters and changing points of view. And, even if it seemed a bit exaggerated and out-there, who doesn’t love a family filled with hope? I’m just not sure it was fun. For the whole family. Or readers. But please read other reviews, because I am undoubtedly an outlier here.
]]> Straight Man 414298 391 Richard Russo 0375701907 Karen 5
This is the story of William Henry "Hank" Deveraux, Jr. He is an English professor and department chair working in a small, lower-tier university.

And…It appears he is in the midst of a mid-life crisis as he tackles a series of work and family issues over the course of a week.

I think what I enjoyed most about reading this book at the time I was reading it (several years ago - this is a refresh/re-visit), was how well I could relate to the atmosphere, since I taught at a small college. It was almost as if I could recognize William. I have met so many Williams in the course of my teaching life. Not that every middle-aged man was a William, and that this wouldn’t happen to a middle-aged woman.

But…this is William’s story.

And…It certainly was familiar…to me.

What is so funny about William, is that whatever he does, he makes worse, because most of the messes he creates on his own.

Now…

Some critics found William tedious and dull. Where I found him familiar and comical and maybe a little sympathetic.

Sometimes people in Department Chair positions can be a little bit full of themselves. (I hope that anyone I know, doesn’t believe I think this of them!)

But come on, let’s get over this ego thing in academia. The reality is, William is in his own self-made crisis, and each reader will get through it with him…

Or not.

Coming from academia, I could see the humor of it all.

The story also has nice observations about friendship, family and academic politics.

I say give it a chance.]]> 4.01 1997 Straight Man

author: Richard Russo
name: Karen
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2023/08/30
date added: 2025/06/22
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, captivating, compelling, conversational, easy-to-read, engaging, favorites, fun, heart-felt, light-hearted, loved-it, makes-you-think, page-turner, quirky, thought-provoking, thoughtful
review:
This was my first-time reading Richard Russo. What a perfect introduction to this author.

This is the story of William Henry "Hank" Deveraux, Jr. He is an English professor and department chair working in a small, lower-tier university.

And…It appears he is in the midst of a mid-life crisis as he tackles a series of work and family issues over the course of a week.

I think what I enjoyed most about reading this book at the time I was reading it (several years ago - this is a refresh/re-visit), was how well I could relate to the atmosphere, since I taught at a small college. It was almost as if I could recognize William. I have met so many Williams in the course of my teaching life. Not that every middle-aged man was a William, and that this wouldn’t happen to a middle-aged woman.

But…this is William’s story.

And…It certainly was familiar…to me.

What is so funny about William, is that whatever he does, he makes worse, because most of the messes he creates on his own.

Now…

Some critics found William tedious and dull. Where I found him familiar and comical and maybe a little sympathetic.

Sometimes people in Department Chair positions can be a little bit full of themselves. (I hope that anyone I know, doesn’t believe I think this of them!)

But come on, let’s get over this ego thing in academia. The reality is, William is in his own self-made crisis, and each reader will get through it with him…

Or not.

Coming from academia, I could see the humor of it all.

The story also has nice observations about friendship, family and academic politics.

I say give it a chance.
]]> <![CDATA[The Cherry Cola Book Club (A Cherry Cola Book Club #1)]]> 13613777 Which is why Maura Beth has founded the Cherry Cola Book Club - a last-ditch attempt to boost circulation and save her job. Over potluck dinners featuring treasured family recipes, the book lovers of Cherico come together to talk about literary classics. But soon it's not just Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee being discussed over chicken gumbo and homemade biscuits with green pepper jelly. Secrets are shared, old dreams rekindled, and new loves slowly blossom.

Southern charm, wit, and warmth combine in this delightful novel about great books, true friends, and the stories that give life its richest meaning, on and off the page.

]]> 255 Ashton Lee 075827341X Karen 4
I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, so I didn’t include it on my 카지노싸이트 reading shelf. Some reviews for this book were abysmal.

But I am usually attracted to books about books, and there is so much going on these days about books and libraries and the fight to keep libraries in our communities, that I wanted to give this one a chance.

Speaking of libraries.

My cousins Larry and Susan had a fight on their hands. They live in Huntington Beach, California which also made the national news, when their Trump loving majority Huntington Beach City Council continued to misinterpret the 1st Amendment — often invoking freedom of religion while ignoring the foundational principle of separation of church and state when making decisions on behalf of the city and its citizens.

Residents reacted to the latest council overreach and collected more than 13,000 signatures to get Measures A and B on the ballot (June, 2025) to protect their city library. This special election went beyond library content. It was about protecting freedoms, the community’s quality of life, and the 1st Amendment rights of all its residents. It became a referendum on how the community expected the City Council to govern — respectfully, lawfully and with due consideration.

Measure A would repeal a City Council ordinance that created a 21-member panel to oversee children’s books — an unelected, unqualified group overriding trained library staff. Measure B would protect the public library from privatization by requiring voter approval from being outsourced.

Interestingly, a local newspaper letter to the editor fighting the city council commented that “Hitler did not start with ovens — he started with books. First banned, then burned — then came the people.” These feelings made sense, especially in today’s climate of hate. The fight waged by my cousins couldn’t help but feel personal (we are Jewish), or to the citizens of their community, whether they were Jewish or not – hate is a powerful divider – and, their obvious message to convey was that hate wasn’t welcome in their community.

Why do I share this?

Because this book starts with the City Council coming to our main protagonist, Maura Beth Mayhew, the Librarian with the intention of closing down the town library.

Since this is the first in the series you can imagine that the library will most likely survive to the next book, but I don’t have to tell you ALL the details of how that will happen. (No spoilers from me.)

But I can share that the citizens of Huntington Beach did defeat the City Council overwhelmingly (60/40) with Measures A and B to save their library! That shows the power of community voice!

Now granted, it may not have been political reasons that motivated this book’s City Council’s need to shut down this community library when this book was written and published in 2013. It seems to be a shame that most community services are the first programs to be targeted when city budgets are threatened. Still, emotions do run deep when it comes to community services that matter to community members – like our libraries. And, that is the core of this story.

So, is this story told well? That is also key. What will our librarian do to save her library?
A book club. Of course. Consider the title of the book. Why not bring the community in to discuss books? And, some yummy ]]> 3.06 2013 The Cherry Cola Book Club (A Cherry Cola Book Club #1)

The Cherry Cola Book Club (A Cherry Cola Book Club #1)

author: Ashton Lee
name: Karen
average rating: 3.06
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/21
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: charming, cute, easy-to-read, feel-good, fun, heart-felt, imperfect, low-energy, ok, predictable, recipes, slow-burn, sweet
review:
“With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one – no one at all – can tell you what to read and when and how.” – Doris Lessing

I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book, so I didn’t include it on my 카지노싸이트 reading shelf. Some reviews for this book were abysmal.

But I am usually attracted to books about books, and there is so much going on these days about books and libraries and the fight to keep libraries in our communities, that I wanted to give this one a chance.

Speaking of libraries.

My cousins Larry and Susan had a fight on their hands. They live in Huntington Beach, California which also made the national news, when their Trump loving majority Huntington Beach City Council continued to misinterpret the 1st Amendment — often invoking freedom of religion while ignoring the foundational principle of separation of church and state when making decisions on behalf of the city and its citizens.

Residents reacted to the latest council overreach and collected more than 13,000 signatures to get Measures A and B on the ballot (June, 2025) to protect their city library. This special election went beyond library content. It was about protecting freedoms, the community’s quality of life, and the 1st Amendment rights of all its residents. It became a referendum on how the community expected the City Council to govern — respectfully, lawfully and with due consideration.

Measure A would repeal a City Council ordinance that created a 21-member panel to oversee children’s books — an unelected, unqualified group overriding trained library staff. Measure B would protect the public library from privatization by requiring voter approval from being outsourced.

Interestingly, a local newspaper letter to the editor fighting the city council commented that “Hitler did not start with ovens — he started with books. First banned, then burned — then came the people.” These feelings made sense, especially in today’s climate of hate. The fight waged by my cousins couldn’t help but feel personal (we are Jewish), or to the citizens of their community, whether they were Jewish or not – hate is a powerful divider – and, their obvious message to convey was that hate wasn’t welcome in their community.

Why do I share this?

Because this book starts with the City Council coming to our main protagonist, Maura Beth Mayhew, the Librarian with the intention of closing down the town library.

Since this is the first in the series you can imagine that the library will most likely survive to the next book, but I don’t have to tell you ALL the details of how that will happen. (No spoilers from me.)

But I can share that the citizens of Huntington Beach did defeat the City Council overwhelmingly (60/40) with Measures A and B to save their library! That shows the power of community voice!

Now granted, it may not have been political reasons that motivated this book’s City Council’s need to shut down this community library when this book was written and published in 2013. It seems to be a shame that most community services are the first programs to be targeted when city budgets are threatened. Still, emotions do run deep when it comes to community services that matter to community members – like our libraries. And, that is the core of this story.

So, is this story told well? That is also key. What will our librarian do to save her library?
A book club. Of course. Consider the title of the book. Why not bring the community in to discuss books? And, some yummy
]]> Tell Me What You Did 209823382
Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they've committed to her audience. She can't guarantee the police won't come after her "guests," but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame—a potent combination that's proven difficult to resist. After an episode recording, Poe usually erases both criminal and crime from her mind.

But when a strange and oddly familiar man appears on her show, Poe is forced to take a second look. Not only because he claims to be her mother's murderer from years ago, but because Poe knows something no one else does. Her mother's murderer is dead.

Poe killed him.

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys?]]> 420 Carter Wilson 1464226229 Karen 4
She can’t guarantee the police won’t come after her “guests.” But her show grants anonymity and instant fame – which could be a very dangerous combination that is also hard to resist.

There is also one slightly terrible problem with what Poe is doing. She is harboring a terrible secret. And, when Hindley comes on her show appearing oddly familiar, it soon becomes clear to Poe that he knows her terrible secret. What is she going to do?

What does Hindley know about Poe? And, what is Poe going to do about Hindley now?

This heart-pounding, gripping, page-turning psychological thriller will keep readers thoroughly engaged wanting to know the truth.]]> 3.72 2025 Tell Me What You Did

author: Carter Wilson
name: Karen
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/20
date added: 2025/06/21
shelves: dog-love, cat-love, compelling, complex, creates-questions, dark, gripping, high-energy, intense, makes-you-think, page-turner, spine-tingling, suspenseful, twisted
review:
Poe Webb is the host of a popular true crime podcast series that gets people to confess their crimes on her show. So, why would her guests put themselves at such risk? Let alone Poe?

She can’t guarantee the police won’t come after her “guests.” But her show grants anonymity and instant fame – which could be a very dangerous combination that is also hard to resist.

There is also one slightly terrible problem with what Poe is doing. She is harboring a terrible secret. And, when Hindley comes on her show appearing oddly familiar, it soon becomes clear to Poe that he knows her terrible secret. What is she going to do?

What does Hindley know about Poe? And, what is Poe going to do about Hindley now?

This heart-pounding, gripping, page-turning psychological thriller will keep readers thoroughly engaged wanting to know the truth.
]]> <![CDATA[Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures]]> 52668915
Neither plant nor animal, it is found throughout the earth, the air and our bodies. It can be microscopic, yet also accounts for the largest organisms ever recorded, living for millennia and weighing tens of thousands of tonnes. Its ability to digest rock enabled the first life on land, it can survive unprotected in space, and thrives amidst nuclear radiation.

In this captivating adventure, Merlin Sheldrake explores the spectacular and neglected world of fungi: endlessly surprising organisms that sustain nearly all living systems. They can solve problems without a brain, stretching traditional definitions of ‘intelligence’, and can manipulate animal behaviour with devastating precision. In giving us bread, alcohol and life-saving medicines, fungi have shaped human history, and their psychedelic properties, which have influenced societies since antiquity, have recently been shown to alleviate a number of mental illnesses. The ability of fungi to digest plastic, explosives, pesticides and crude oil is being harnessed in break-through technologies, and the discovery that they connect plants in underground networks, the ‘Wood Wide Web’, is transforming the way we understand ecosystems. Yet they live their lives largely out of sight, and over ninety percent of their species remain undocumented.

Entangled Life is a mind-altering journey into this hidden kingdom of life, and shows that fungi are key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel and behave. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.]]> 352 Merlin Sheldrake 0525510311 Karen 5
UPDATE 6-20-25: See below.

When this was dropped off as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I wasn’t sure if this was the book for me. But since I am always looking for healthy ways to live my life as a cancer watch and monitor patient, I was up for the reading challenge.

The author is a known biologist who received his Ph.D. in tropical ecology from the University of Cambridge for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama. This book talks about his work. And, thankfully he talks from a layman’s point of view.

For me, his book opened my mind to the many uses of fungi. Actually, a universe of possibilities. What we know and don’t know about fungi is fascinating. What we can learn about them can guide us in how we can take care of ourselves and our world.

Much of what the author discusses is offered through footnotes and references. He wants us to think, question and consider the complexities of our world. So much about science can be messy and imprecise, which allows us to contemplate and explore our world.

“Fungi make worlds. They also unmake them.”

This is a thoughtful, informative and fascinating resource for anyone interested in exploring the topic. There are also beautiful color photographs, illustrations, footnotes, notes, bibliography and an index supporting the author’s research and discussion. I have a feeling I will continue to peruse and review this book over and over again.

4.5 stars

UPDATE: Fun personal facts. This is my 2500th full review! My husband, shared that in a sense I have written more than 600,000+words by writing 2500 reviews. With an average review being about 240 words. He said that an average novel is about 85,000 words which is the equivalent of about 7 novels.

(He is musing that is about how many novels I would have written in this same time period, had I written novels, instead of reviews!)]]> 4.33 2020 Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures

author: Merlin Sheldrake
name: Karen
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/13
date added: 2025/06/20
shelves: complex, creates-questions, educational, makes-you-think, thought-provoking
review:
“The difference between animals and fungi is simple: Animals put food in their bodies, whereas fungi put their bodies in the food.”

UPDATE 6-20-25: See below.

When this was dropped off as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I wasn’t sure if this was the book for me. But since I am always looking for healthy ways to live my life as a cancer watch and monitor patient, I was up for the reading challenge.

The author is a known biologist who received his Ph.D. in tropical ecology from the University of Cambridge for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama. This book talks about his work. And, thankfully he talks from a layman’s point of view.

For me, his book opened my mind to the many uses of fungi. Actually, a universe of possibilities. What we know and don’t know about fungi is fascinating. What we can learn about them can guide us in how we can take care of ourselves and our world.

Much of what the author discusses is offered through footnotes and references. He wants us to think, question and consider the complexities of our world. So much about science can be messy and imprecise, which allows us to contemplate and explore our world.

“Fungi make worlds. They also unmake them.”

This is a thoughtful, informative and fascinating resource for anyone interested in exploring the topic. There are also beautiful color photographs, illustrations, footnotes, notes, bibliography and an index supporting the author’s research and discussion. I have a feeling I will continue to peruse and review this book over and over again.

4.5 stars

UPDATE: Fun personal facts. This is my 2500th full review! My husband, shared that in a sense I have written more than 600,000+words by writing 2500 reviews. With an average review being about 240 words. He said that an average novel is about 85,000 words which is the equivalent of about 7 novels.

(He is musing that is about how many novels I would have written in this same time period, had I written novels, instead of reviews!)
]]> My Friends 217163697 "The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else's belief in them."

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of a wide expanse of sea. But Louisa, soon to be eighteen years old and an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise. She is determined to find out the story behind these three enigmatic figures.

More than two decades before, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up every morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that, after a chance encounter in an alleyway, will unexpectedly be placed into Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to discover how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more anxious she becomes about what she'll find. Louisa's complicated life is proof that happy endings are sometimes possible, but they don't always take the form we expect them to.

Fredrik Backman's signature charm, humor, and attention to the poignant details of everyday life are on full display in this funny, moving novel. His most heartfelt and personal tale yet, My Friends is a stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of art and friendship.]]> 436 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 Karen 5
I haven’t read Backman in a long time. It was 카지노싸이트 friend, Shelley’s Book Nook review that convinced me to give him a chance again. Her review is here: /review/show...

There is a pure unadulterated beginning to this story that just broke and captured my heart. There is something about Louisa that begs us readers to notice her. She is invisible to others, and yet so present for us to see.

“There is art that can be so beautiful that it makes a teenager too big for her body. There is a sort of happiness so overwhelming that it is almost unbearable, your soul seems to kick its way through your bones. You can see a painting, and for a single moment of your life, just for a single breath, you can forget to be afraid. If you’ve ever experienced that, you know how it feels.”

For these moments, we follow in Louisa’s shoes, and we are held captive, longing to understand her traumas. What are her challenges? What are her motivations? What is her story? Where will it take us?

Mostly, we as readers are learning the power of friendship amongst heartache in the worst possible way. Abandonment. Rejection. Abuse. Anger. Pain. Loss. Grief.

Yet, Bachman is giving us two stories here. Louisa’s connection to this painting. And a story from the past of 4 friends that become the painting.

As readers we are drawn into this friendship. We hear the words “tomorrow.” A promise. The strength they give each other in friendship. What they need to get through the ugliness of their nights. Because what they need to survive those nights is the togetherness of their days together.

Oh goodness. Could I make it through these pages without Kleenex? No.

This story was tender, heart-felt, heart-warming, sad and maybe just a little bit happy, too. I just wanted to give all these ‘characters’ a warm hug and tell them they were loved. Because there would be love and trust in unexpected change and unexpected hope. And, sometimes we just have to believe that to be true. Right?

Thank you, Shelley for leading me back to Backman. I needed a heart-cleansing. ❤️‍]]> 4.48 2025 My Friends

author: Fredrik Backman
name: Karen
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/15
date added: 2025/06/19
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dark, haunting, heart-felt, intense, makes-you-think, page-turner, thought-provoking, thoughtful, tragic, uplifting
review:
“What would someone like me write a book about?”

I haven’t read Backman in a long time. It was 카지노싸이트 friend, Shelley’s Book Nook review that convinced me to give him a chance again. Her review is here: /review/show...

There is a pure unadulterated beginning to this story that just broke and captured my heart. There is something about Louisa that begs us readers to notice her. She is invisible to others, and yet so present for us to see.

“There is art that can be so beautiful that it makes a teenager too big for her body. There is a sort of happiness so overwhelming that it is almost unbearable, your soul seems to kick its way through your bones. You can see a painting, and for a single moment of your life, just for a single breath, you can forget to be afraid. If you’ve ever experienced that, you know how it feels.”

For these moments, we follow in Louisa’s shoes, and we are held captive, longing to understand her traumas. What are her challenges? What are her motivations? What is her story? Where will it take us?

Mostly, we as readers are learning the power of friendship amongst heartache in the worst possible way. Abandonment. Rejection. Abuse. Anger. Pain. Loss. Grief.

Yet, Bachman is giving us two stories here. Louisa’s connection to this painting. And a story from the past of 4 friends that become the painting.

As readers we are drawn into this friendship. We hear the words “tomorrow.” A promise. The strength they give each other in friendship. What they need to get through the ugliness of their nights. Because what they need to survive those nights is the togetherness of their days together.

Oh goodness. Could I make it through these pages without Kleenex? No.

This story was tender, heart-felt, heart-warming, sad and maybe just a little bit happy, too. I just wanted to give all these ‘characters’ a warm hug and tell them they were loved. Because there would be love and trust in unexpected change and unexpected hope. And, sometimes we just have to believe that to be true. Right?

Thank you, Shelley for leading me back to Backman. I needed a heart-cleansing. ❤️‍
]]> The Collected Stories 33299 432 Amy Hempel 0743289463 Karen 4
In this case, with this book, my 77-year-old neighbor brought this book to me. He said he had a love-hate relationship with this author, and was anxious to hear what I thought about it. He felt because I loved dogs, that I might like her stories about the dogs. (No spoilers from me.)

Willow, an Asian transgender, comes to my LFL at least once a week. The other day we had the opportunity to talk about books and how much they appreciated all the variety of books I made available in my LFL. Will they like this one perhaps for all the questions about life it brings up?

The reason I am sharing my thoughts and ‘role’ as a Book Whisperer, is that this is what I love about my LFL. The experience of what books bring to our neighborhood. Discussion. About all kinds of books. And, a sense of community. We need more books, and connection, and the ability to just have civil discussion about life in general with each other in our crazy, mixed-up world these days. Right?

This book won the English-Speaking Union’s Ambassador Book Award for Fiction in 2007. It was also named one of “The Ten Best Books of the Year” by the New York Times in 2006 and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2007. Hempel won the Rea Award for the Short Story in 2008 and she received the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction in 2009.

Hempel’s “Collected Stories” is made up of four slim volumes of previously published stories: ‘Reasons to Live,’ ‘At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom,’ ‘Tumble Home,’ and ‘The Dog of the Marriage.’

In many ways the stories are weird, unsettling, disquieting, and yet, amazingly expressive. They epitomize the true short story, by being blissfully short. Sometimes humorous, but even when they are, it takes a moment to get the joke.

And, who exactly are Hempel’s narrators? Do we want to know them? How can we even describe them? If readers eventually get them, through her story “Offertory” maybe it will make sense. And, that is all that will matter. Because that is what is so interesting about her – to read her is an experience. An individual one. Just like what my 77-year-old neighbor was describing. He felt different things about her work. And, so did I. I have a feeling if you give her a chance, you will, too.
]]> 4.28 2006 The Collected Stories

author: Amy Hempel
name: Karen
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/19
date added: 2025/06/19
shelves: animal-love, cat-love, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dog-love, easy-to-read, entertaining, fun, light-hearted, makes-you-think, quirky, silly, thought-provoking
review:
Some of my neighbors call me the Book Whisperer. When they come by my Little Free Library Shed and I am present, they ask me to suggest books to read, and I usually will hand them a book that I think might appeal to them, and they go off hopeful that I selected the right book. And, I go back in my house hopeful that I did the same.

In this case, with this book, my 77-year-old neighbor brought this book to me. He said he had a love-hate relationship with this author, and was anxious to hear what I thought about it. He felt because I loved dogs, that I might like her stories about the dogs. (No spoilers from me.)

Willow, an Asian transgender, comes to my LFL at least once a week. The other day we had the opportunity to talk about books and how much they appreciated all the variety of books I made available in my LFL. Will they like this one perhaps for all the questions about life it brings up?

The reason I am sharing my thoughts and ‘role’ as a Book Whisperer, is that this is what I love about my LFL. The experience of what books bring to our neighborhood. Discussion. About all kinds of books. And, a sense of community. We need more books, and connection, and the ability to just have civil discussion about life in general with each other in our crazy, mixed-up world these days. Right?

This book won the English-Speaking Union’s Ambassador Book Award for Fiction in 2007. It was also named one of “The Ten Best Books of the Year” by the New York Times in 2006 and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2007. Hempel won the Rea Award for the Short Story in 2008 and she received the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction in 2009.

Hempel’s “Collected Stories” is made up of four slim volumes of previously published stories: ‘Reasons to Live,’ ‘At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom,’ ‘Tumble Home,’ and ‘The Dog of the Marriage.’

In many ways the stories are weird, unsettling, disquieting, and yet, amazingly expressive. They epitomize the true short story, by being blissfully short. Sometimes humorous, but even when they are, it takes a moment to get the joke.

And, who exactly are Hempel’s narrators? Do we want to know them? How can we even describe them? If readers eventually get them, through her story “Offertory” maybe it will make sense. And, that is all that will matter. Because that is what is so interesting about her – to read her is an experience. An individual one. Just like what my 77-year-old neighbor was describing. He felt different things about her work. And, so did I. I have a feeling if you give her a chance, you will, too.

]]> Precipice 199820684
In London, twenty-six-year-old Venetia Stanley—aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless—is part of a fast group of upper-crust bohemians and socialites known as “The Coterie.” She’s also engaged in a clandestine love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state.

As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer with Scotland Yard is assigned to investigate a leak of top-secret documents. Suddenly, what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that could topple the British government—and will alter the course of political history.

An unrivaled master of seamlessly weaving fact and fiction, Precipice is another electrifying thriller from the brilliant imagination of Robert Harris.]]> 464 Robert Harris 0063248050 Karen 4
“There were twelve deliveries ‘of mail’ a day in London.”

It only took a penny stamp, and most likely all the mail was never scrutinized or handled by anyone other than the writer and the intended reader, or an unknown unscrupulous person who had easy access to the mail, since security was so lax.

This could easily become an issue when it became clear that the married Prime Minister (PM), H. H. Asquith was having a rather ‘interesting’ correspondence and affair with a rather provocative aristocrat named Venetia Stanley who was half his age.

How will this correspondence affect matters of the state?

Not only are readers becoming aware of this May-December clandestine affair, but of the PM’s own impulsive behavior of just handing Venetia state folders for her input. Seriously?!

At the same time, readers learn of a river tragedy in which two deaths occur, and much cover-up happens. Who is protecting whom and why? And, why are they so quick to close the case?

And, what happens when the Prime Minister learns of the murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand? Is this a foretelling he should pay attention to?

But readers let us put this all aside. Right now, Special Constable Paul Deemer has a more pressing case to investigate when highly classified telegrams seem to be showing up thrown across the countryside. What?!

Well, as it turns out, our PM seems to think this is one way to impress his pretty lover. What?!

So, what is our Special Constable discovering? Could it possibly be an overabundance of love letters and secret information telegrams with classified information that is seemingly a casual disregard for (inter)national security? Seems rather different for a premise story plot don’t you think?

Could it be a sign of madness on Asquith’s part? Or is he just a hopelessly infatuated older man? Does this all sound like a preposterous premise?

Well, the circumstances that are being presented here are based on true events. The question is, will this fictionalized story of those true events seem believable? (No spoilers from me.)

For those who enjoy historical fiction, this particular story may appear to some readers to be sweet, romantic, staid, wrapped up in an epistolary style story within a story. It will also include the experience of early signs of WWI, British politics and social climate, which showcases the obvious class system of the times.

Be sure to read the Author’s Historical Note at the end.

3.5 stars]]> 3.85 2024 Precipice

author: Robert Harris
name: Karen
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/17
date added: 2025/06/17
shelves: educating-moments, ok, sweet, what-were-they-thinking
review:
Harris, who has successfully written several books, like, “Conclave” which was made into an Academy Award movie winning Best Adapted Screenplay in 2025, has now given us this historical fiction story. With something we don’t see in our modern world…

“There were twelve deliveries ‘of mail’ a day in London.”

It only took a penny stamp, and most likely all the mail was never scrutinized or handled by anyone other than the writer and the intended reader, or an unknown unscrupulous person who had easy access to the mail, since security was so lax.

This could easily become an issue when it became clear that the married Prime Minister (PM), H. H. Asquith was having a rather ‘interesting’ correspondence and affair with a rather provocative aristocrat named Venetia Stanley who was half his age.

How will this correspondence affect matters of the state?

Not only are readers becoming aware of this May-December clandestine affair, but of the PM’s own impulsive behavior of just handing Venetia state folders for her input. Seriously?!

At the same time, readers learn of a river tragedy in which two deaths occur, and much cover-up happens. Who is protecting whom and why? And, why are they so quick to close the case?

And, what happens when the Prime Minister learns of the murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand? Is this a foretelling he should pay attention to?

But readers let us put this all aside. Right now, Special Constable Paul Deemer has a more pressing case to investigate when highly classified telegrams seem to be showing up thrown across the countryside. What?!

Well, as it turns out, our PM seems to think this is one way to impress his pretty lover. What?!

So, what is our Special Constable discovering? Could it possibly be an overabundance of love letters and secret information telegrams with classified information that is seemingly a casual disregard for (inter)national security? Seems rather different for a premise story plot don’t you think?

Could it be a sign of madness on Asquith’s part? Or is he just a hopelessly infatuated older man? Does this all sound like a preposterous premise?

Well, the circumstances that are being presented here are based on true events. The question is, will this fictionalized story of those true events seem believable? (No spoilers from me.)

For those who enjoy historical fiction, this particular story may appear to some readers to be sweet, romantic, staid, wrapped up in an epistolary style story within a story. It will also include the experience of early signs of WWI, British politics and social climate, which showcases the obvious class system of the times.

Be sure to read the Author’s Historical Note at the end.

3.5 stars
]]> Fire in the Canyon 125059583 A new novel about a California grape-grower, his family, and the climate disaster that upends their quiet lives.

Since his release from prison after serving an eighteen-month sentence for growing cannabis, Ben Hecht’s life has settled into a familiar routine. On his farm in the foothills of California, he stays busy cultivating a dozen acres of grapes and tending to a flock of mistrustful sheep. Meanwhile, from her desk in their old redwood barn, his novelist wife, Ada, continues to work on what may be her most important book yet. When their only son, Yoel, comes home from Los Angeles for a rare visit, Ben is forced to confront their long troubled relationship, which has continued to degrade in recent years. But before the two of them can truly address their past, a wildfire sweeps through the region, forcing the Hecht family to flee to the coast, and setting into motion a chain of events that will transform them all.

This is a story about grape growing and wine, financial and familial struggles, and the peculiar characters and unlikely heroes one will always find in small-town California. Through the experiences of the Hechts and the escalating challenges that face their community, Fire in the Canyon is an intimate look at the lives of those already living through the climate crisis.]]> 297 Daniel Gumbiner 1662602413 Karen 4
Why am I telling you this?

Because this book was selected as Cuesta College’s Book of the Year for 2025 which means that it was also carried as the book to read by all the local library book groups in our county, as well.

When any book is hosted as a ‘Book of the Year,’ several programs are also created around the theme of the book and then the author will come and speak, typically to a sold-out crowd. I didn’t have the opportunity to hear the author speak, or read the book at the time the book was being discussed, because so few books were available for check-out in the library. It wasn’t until this was donated to my Little Free Library Shed that I finally got to experience reading it.

And, as a Californian, I appreciated that this was a book that addressed wildfires and climate change. The author sensitively communicated through his writing what anyone would most likely feel and experience during these difficult seasons.

Premise: This is a story of a family. Ben grows grapes in the central California valley. His wife, Ada is a commercially successful author, and their son, Yoel works for a production company in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Ben and Yoel have a strained relationship because of Yoel’s 18-month prison sentence for growing cannabis years earlier, that Ben has had a difficult time getting over.

And now, a new tragedy is on the horizon. Something that Californians are all too familiar with, which the title of the book alludes to, as well…fire in the canyon. How will the family be able to overcome it? If at all?

This is the story of what happens to a family and a community, before, during and after the devastation of fire. Will this be the beginning of healing? Or will the stress affect them further?

This book is scenic, sad, encompassing, thoughtful and thought-provoking. It is a statement of the beauty and destruction of nature, and the reality of what is occurring from the changing climate. The author does a stellar job in addressing the reality of this without attempting to be political.

Also, he remains true to family and community by showcasing the importance of what is happening to each character. So, it is truly a heart-touching story of family, and the harsh realities of what a fire can do to a community.

My biggest concern with the book might be that readers might feel the author is too technical in his climate details, or will leave them with too abrupt an ending. (Even if it feels realistic.)

Otherwise, it was a very compelling read. Which I can see why it was selected as a countywide discussion book. Kleenex may be needed.

4.5 stars
]]> 3.88 Fire in the Canyon

author: Daniel Gumbiner
name: Karen
average rating: 3.88
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/16
date added: 2025/06/16
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, educating-moments, engaging, gripping, haunting, heart-felt, intense, makes-you-think, page-turner, realistic, scenic, thought-provoking, thoughtful, tragic, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions
review:
If you read my profile page, you will learn that I was a college instructor and director at Cuesta College, in San Luis Obispo, California; and, the Facilitator and Program Director of the Book Discussion Group & Local Authors Program for my local Library, in my ‘past life.’

Why am I telling you this?

Because this book was selected as Cuesta College’s Book of the Year for 2025 which means that it was also carried as the book to read by all the local library book groups in our county, as well.

When any book is hosted as a ‘Book of the Year,’ several programs are also created around the theme of the book and then the author will come and speak, typically to a sold-out crowd. I didn’t have the opportunity to hear the author speak, or read the book at the time the book was being discussed, because so few books were available for check-out in the library. It wasn’t until this was donated to my Little Free Library Shed that I finally got to experience reading it.

And, as a Californian, I appreciated that this was a book that addressed wildfires and climate change. The author sensitively communicated through his writing what anyone would most likely feel and experience during these difficult seasons.

Premise: This is a story of a family. Ben grows grapes in the central California valley. His wife, Ada is a commercially successful author, and their son, Yoel works for a production company in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Ben and Yoel have a strained relationship because of Yoel’s 18-month prison sentence for growing cannabis years earlier, that Ben has had a difficult time getting over.

And now, a new tragedy is on the horizon. Something that Californians are all too familiar with, which the title of the book alludes to, as well…fire in the canyon. How will the family be able to overcome it? If at all?

This is the story of what happens to a family and a community, before, during and after the devastation of fire. Will this be the beginning of healing? Or will the stress affect them further?

This book is scenic, sad, encompassing, thoughtful and thought-provoking. It is a statement of the beauty and destruction of nature, and the reality of what is occurring from the changing climate. The author does a stellar job in addressing the reality of this without attempting to be political.

Also, he remains true to family and community by showcasing the importance of what is happening to each character. So, it is truly a heart-touching story of family, and the harsh realities of what a fire can do to a community.

My biggest concern with the book might be that readers might feel the author is too technical in his climate details, or will leave them with too abrupt an ending. (Even if it feels realistic.)

Otherwise, it was a very compelling read. Which I can see why it was selected as a countywide discussion book. Kleenex may be needed.

4.5 stars

]]> Euroglass 233792954 322 Lika Vetra 1967963681 Karen 4
As Maxim begins to investigate Carlos’ actions against him, readers find themselves in the midst of complex office politics and whistleblowing for what doesn’t always seem clear.

What is really going on in this company?

This is a challenging, twisty, edgy, multi-layered and complex story that should keep readers adequately engaged and hoping for answers. Which should become clear by the end.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
]]> 3.33 Euroglass

author: Lika Vetra
name: Karen
average rating: 3.33
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/14
date added: 2025/06/14
shelves: author-publisher-initiated, compelling, complex, creates-questions, makes-you-think, ok, so-confused, twisted
review:
Maxim is excited to begin a new job with a start-up German company called Innovation Support. And, as he is getting acquainted with all the different employees, he is finding himself at odds with the agency director, Carlos. Why would Carlos not want to work with Maxim? A project analyst. And, why would Maxim find himself distrustful of Carlos?

As Maxim begins to investigate Carlos’ actions against him, readers find themselves in the midst of complex office politics and whistleblowing for what doesn’t always seem clear.

What is really going on in this company?

This is a challenging, twisty, edgy, multi-layered and complex story that should keep readers adequately engaged and hoping for answers. Which should become clear by the end.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.

]]> The Grave Tattoo 91482 From bestselling author Val McDermid comes a modern thriller about an ancient murder set on the high seas…

After summer rains uncover a corpse bearing tattoos like those of eighteenth-century seafarers, many residents of the English Lake District can’t help but wonder whether it’s the body of one of the town’s most legendary fugitives.

Scholar and native Lakelander Jane Gresham feels compelled to finally discover the truth about the myths and buried secrets rooted in her hometown. What she never expected was to find herself at the heart of a 200-year-old mystery that still has the power to put lives on the line. And with each new lead she pursues, death follows hard on her heels….

]]> 390 Val McDermid 0312339216 Karen 3
I read this one quite a while ago. I am now bringing my review to 카지노싸이트.

The first thing that attracts me to McDermid’s writing is her landscapes. The international settings are beautifully described, and an envious place to want to be. (As long as we don’t ‘become’ the victim in her story!)

The second thing I like about her writing, is typically the premise. And, the characters she creates around it.

So, for the most part, anytime there is a McDermid story to be read, or re-visited, I am open. And, even if I may not be very good at keeping up with her series characters, I appreciate the opportunity to read whatever I can of hers, when I can.

In this instance, when a donation, such as this one, landed in my Little Free Library Shed, I was more than pleased to re-visit the story to remind me of what appealed to me about this one. Or not.

Readers will be quickly immersed in the scenic setting – and in this book, it starts with the village of Fellhead, where a body is discovered in a *bog. Because of the extraordinary circumstance of a bog, River Wilde, a forensic anthropologist is called to the scene.

It is quickly determined that the tattooed body was not only murdered, but was reminiscent of 18th-century sailors from the South Sea islands. A scholar, Jane Gresham presumes the tattooed sailor to have been a lead mutineer on the HMS Bounty, which carries a lot of local legend.

But where is the proof of said legend? And, why is his body only being discovered now? Can Jane find the manuscript associated with the legend that will prove her theory of the legend? And, what notorious people will come out of the woodwork as this investigation strengthens?

With atmosphere, mystery, academia and murder in the mix, this imperfect, sometimes descriptively violent, stand-alone page-turner should please most McDermid fans. But to be honest, I am becoming weary of descriptive violence in books. Is it really necessary?

3.5 stars

*Bog = a type of wetland that is waterlogged, with spongy ground composed of decaying plant matter known as peat. Bogs are typically acidic and nutrient-poor with moss as the dominant vegetation.
]]> 3.67 2006 The Grave Tattoo

author: Val McDermid
name: Karen
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/12
date added: 2025/06/12
shelves: compelling, complex, creates-questions, dark, imperfect, ok, page-turner, scenic, uncomfortable
review:
Catching up…

I read this one quite a while ago. I am now bringing my review to 카지노싸이트.

The first thing that attracts me to McDermid’s writing is her landscapes. The international settings are beautifully described, and an envious place to want to be. (As long as we don’t ‘become’ the victim in her story!)

The second thing I like about her writing, is typically the premise. And, the characters she creates around it.

So, for the most part, anytime there is a McDermid story to be read, or re-visited, I am open. And, even if I may not be very good at keeping up with her series characters, I appreciate the opportunity to read whatever I can of hers, when I can.

In this instance, when a donation, such as this one, landed in my Little Free Library Shed, I was more than pleased to re-visit the story to remind me of what appealed to me about this one. Or not.

Readers will be quickly immersed in the scenic setting – and in this book, it starts with the village of Fellhead, where a body is discovered in a *bog. Because of the extraordinary circumstance of a bog, River Wilde, a forensic anthropologist is called to the scene.

It is quickly determined that the tattooed body was not only murdered, but was reminiscent of 18th-century sailors from the South Sea islands. A scholar, Jane Gresham presumes the tattooed sailor to have been a lead mutineer on the HMS Bounty, which carries a lot of local legend.

But where is the proof of said legend? And, why is his body only being discovered now? Can Jane find the manuscript associated with the legend that will prove her theory of the legend? And, what notorious people will come out of the woodwork as this investigation strengthens?

With atmosphere, mystery, academia and murder in the mix, this imperfect, sometimes descriptively violent, stand-alone page-turner should please most McDermid fans. But to be honest, I am becoming weary of descriptive violence in books. Is it really necessary?

3.5 stars

*Bog = a type of wetland that is waterlogged, with spongy ground composed of decaying plant matter known as peat. Bogs are typically acidic and nutrient-poor with moss as the dominant vegetation.

]]> <![CDATA[A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2)]]> 9648240 No one liked CC de Poitiers. Not her quiet husband, not her spineless lover, not her pathetic daughter—and certainly none of the residents of Three Pines. CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone, right up until the moment of her death.
When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, of the Sûreté du Québec, is called to investigate, he quickly realizes he's dealing with someone quite extraordinary. CC de Poitiers was electrocuted in the middle of a frozen lake, in front of the entire village, as she watched the annual curling tournament. And yet no one saw anything. Who could have been insane enough to try such a macabre method of murder—or brilliant enough to succeed?
With his trademark compassion and courage, Gamache digs beneath the idyllic surface of village life to find the dangerous secrets long buried there. For a Quebec winter is not only staggeringly beautiful but deadly, and the people of Three Pines know better than to reveal too much of themselves. But other dangers are becoming clear to Gamache. As a bitter wind blows into the village, something even more chilling is coming for Gamache himself.]]> 313 Louise Penny 0312541163 Karen 5
When I was in the midst of cancer treatments just a few months ago, even though I didn’t want to project my thoughts into an unknown future, I still couldn’t help but wonder if there was a ticking time clock I needed to be aware of so that I could take advantage of what time I had. Left. Still have. Left. Not knowing what one day to the next would bring while cancer loomed within. (Gratefully, I am currently considered a watch and monitor patient. Which means I get tested every few months to make sure that the cancer is still in remission and benign.) This morning, I see my Oncologist to hear his opinion of those test results. Fingers crossed. ]]> 4.08 2006 A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2)

A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2)

author: Louise Penny
name: Karen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/11
date added: 2025/06/11
shelves: captivating, charming, compelling, complex, cozy, easy-to-read, engaging, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, slow-burn
review:
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you knew you only had days to live? Where would you go? Who would you spend time with? What would you say?

When I was in the midst of cancer treatments just a few months ago, even though I didn’t want to project my thoughts into an unknown future, I still couldn’t help but wonder if there was a ticking time clock I needed to be aware of so that I could take advantage of what time I had. Left. Still have. Left. Not knowing what one day to the next would bring while cancer loomed within. (Gratefully, I am currently considered a watch and monitor patient. Which means I get tested every few months to make sure that the cancer is still in remission and benign.) This morning, I see my Oncologist to hear his opinion of those test results. Fingers crossed.
]]> Faithful 29430788
What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.

Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.]]> 258 Alice Hoffman 1476799202 Karen 2
I read this one quite a while ago, but only posted my stars and that I read it without a review. I am now sharing why I rated it the way I did.

This is supposed to be considered a coming-of-age story, about guilt, redemption and love.

Shelby is our heroine, wounded in mind and spirit, and thus, choosing to live exiled from people (other than her parents and pot dealer) in Long Island.

Readers will learn that an event happened years ago that caused Shelby tremendous guilt. Which gave her reason to detour her life to her parents’ basement. The only time she ventures out is to meet with Ben, a sweet, well-read pot dealer. Ben has a crush on Shelby and eventually convinces her to move with him to New York City.

As we watch her adventure to Manhattan, we still wonder if she will ever get out of her funk.

Once in Manhattan, Shelby begins working at a pet store, and then parenting rescue dogs. She interacts with a co-worker which opens the door to more possibilities, including Hoffman’s slight touch of magical realism. But those experiences fall flat for this reader. It is hard to know how to move beyond Shelby’s character who unfortunately feels one-dimensional and cliché.

Other events included seem unnecessary to the story, and one can’t help wonder why they were even put in.

The most uplifting part of the story were the dogs. But that wasn’t enough to rescue this story. But please read other reviews. I am most likely an outlier.

Triggers: suicide-attempt, mental breakdown, rape.
]]> 3.96 2017 Faithful

author: Alice Hoffman
name: Karen
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2025/06/10
date added: 2025/06/10
shelves: animal-love, dog-love, disappointed, low-energy, thumbs-down, uncomfortable, wanted-less, what-were-they-thinking
review:
Catching up…

I read this one quite a while ago, but only posted my stars and that I read it without a review. I am now sharing why I rated it the way I did.

This is supposed to be considered a coming-of-age story, about guilt, redemption and love.

Shelby is our heroine, wounded in mind and spirit, and thus, choosing to live exiled from people (other than her parents and pot dealer) in Long Island.

Readers will learn that an event happened years ago that caused Shelby tremendous guilt. Which gave her reason to detour her life to her parents’ basement. The only time she ventures out is to meet with Ben, a sweet, well-read pot dealer. Ben has a crush on Shelby and eventually convinces her to move with him to New York City.

As we watch her adventure to Manhattan, we still wonder if she will ever get out of her funk.

Once in Manhattan, Shelby begins working at a pet store, and then parenting rescue dogs. She interacts with a co-worker which opens the door to more possibilities, including Hoffman’s slight touch of magical realism. But those experiences fall flat for this reader. It is hard to know how to move beyond Shelby’s character who unfortunately feels one-dimensional and cliché.

Other events included seem unnecessary to the story, and one can’t help wonder why they were even put in.

The most uplifting part of the story were the dogs. But that wasn’t enough to rescue this story. But please read other reviews. I am most likely an outlier.

Triggers: suicide-attempt, mental breakdown, rape.

]]> The Patron Saint of Liars 20133514 400 Ann Patchett Karen 3 compelling, disappointed, ok
This is Ann Patchett’s first novel.

Although…It wasn’t the first one I read. My first experience with her was with “Bel Canto” which we discussed in our Library Book Discussion group. Review here: /review/show...

So…When this was donated to my Little Free Library Shed a while ago, I decided to give it a try.

But…The subject was not an easy one to read – unwanted pregnancies and decisions made based on this circumstance.

And…The period and religious expectations of that time weren’t delved into, which may have given the story more substance and understanding.

Still…The novel felt like it was about a pilgrimage and healing.

So…Even if it may not have addressed social change, or the experience of an unwanted pregnancy or even the Church…

It…Still may be considered an engaging read that was also, sad and poignant…

Which…May appeal to some readers.

Yet…There is an ambiguous ending which left a lot of questions unanswered…

Which…May be disappointing for some readers, (me).]]> 3.85 1992 The Patron Saint of Liars

author: Ann Patchett
name: Karen
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/27
date added: 2025/06/09
shelves: compelling, disappointed, ok
review:
Catching up…

This is Ann Patchett’s first novel.

Although…It wasn’t the first one I read. My first experience with her was with “Bel Canto” which we discussed in our Library Book Discussion group. Review here: /review/show...

So…When this was donated to my Little Free Library Shed a while ago, I decided to give it a try.

But…The subject was not an easy one to read – unwanted pregnancies and decisions made based on this circumstance.

And…The period and religious expectations of that time weren’t delved into, which may have given the story more substance and understanding.

Still…The novel felt like it was about a pilgrimage and healing.

So…Even if it may not have addressed social change, or the experience of an unwanted pregnancy or even the Church…

It…Still may be considered an engaging read that was also, sad and poignant…

Which…May appeal to some readers.

Yet…There is an ambiguous ending which left a lot of questions unanswered…

Which…May be disappointing for some readers, (me).
]]> Mona Acts Out 213395510 An exuberant, deeply moving novel by the National Book Award–nominated author of Fieldwork.

Celebrated stage actress Mona Zahid wakes up on Thanksgiving morning to the clamor of guests packed into her Manhattan apartment and to a wave of her in-laws are lurking on the other side of the bedroom door; she’s still fighting with her husband; and in just a few weeks she will begin rehearsals as Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, the hardest role in theater. In an impulsive burst, Mona bounds out the door with the family dog in tow (“I forgot the parsley!” is her lame excuse) to find her estranged mentor, Milton Katz, who was recently forced out of the legendary theater company he founded amid accusations of sexual misconduct. Mona’s escape turns into an overnight adventure that brings her face-to-face with her past, with her creative power and its limitations, and ultimately, with all the people she has ever loved.

Beguilingly approachable and intricately constructed, at once funny and sad and wise, Mona Acts Out is a novel about acting and telling the truth, about how we play roles to get through our days, and how the great roles teach us how to live.]]> 320 Mischa Berlinski 1324095202 Karen 2
Relationships are complicated. And, sometimes it takes time to realize that they are truly a gift that is given to us. At least the ending of this book, if you can make it that far, will lead us to see this. And, I’d like to believe I haven’t given away any spoilers. That is not what I like to do in my reviews.

So, why did I go for this book?

I think it was the book cover that initially attracted me to this novel. And, that the premise alluded to the protagonist escaping her life briefly with her beagle dog, Barney.

I liked that idea.

Have you ever just wanted to pick up everything and your precious pet and just go somewhere comforting to escape the chaos of the world?

Still, would this premise be enough to sustain the story? And, was that really the essence of the premise? I was just presuming it was when I was daydreaming my life away in the book cover.

Back to the review.

I will say this much…I am not one for characters that need illegal drugs to get by in their life. So, when that happens, I wince. I feel uncomfortable, and uncertain I want to even continue reading. I recognize that flaws in character can add to a story, but using drugs to give it a comedic flair or any story build-up just isn’t my thing.

Just like I don’t like prison stories, or abusive characters. There already is too much ugly in the world.

Do I need to read it, too?

Mona, an actress is escaping her household, in a drug-like state of mind, to find her mentor director who was accused of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. (Another icky trigger warning.)

Why? (No spoilers from me.)

But I will say this. I just found myself becoming more uncomfortable. And, I couldn’t help but ask myself…

How will I get myself through this story?

Answer…

To be honest, not easily.

As Mona struggles to come to terms with her marriage, with a Trump like father-in-law and too many other characters in this story to keep track of, I found myself coming up with excuses to exit stage right from this book.

The only one I was hanging on to hope for was Barney. Maybe you may feel differently. Not about Barney, but this book.

You might want to consider again my first paragraph, and then consider other reviewers before making your final decision about reading this book or not.
]]> 3.21 2025 Mona Acts Out

author: Mischa Berlinski
name: Karen
average rating: 3.21
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/06/09
date added: 2025/06/09
shelves: disappointed, dog-love, exasperating, thumbs-down, too-many-characters, uncomfortable, what-were-they-thinking
review:
“All things considered, time was nothing but a gift.”

Relationships are complicated. And, sometimes it takes time to realize that they are truly a gift that is given to us. At least the ending of this book, if you can make it that far, will lead us to see this. And, I’d like to believe I haven’t given away any spoilers. That is not what I like to do in my reviews.

So, why did I go for this book?

I think it was the book cover that initially attracted me to this novel. And, that the premise alluded to the protagonist escaping her life briefly with her beagle dog, Barney.

I liked that idea.

Have you ever just wanted to pick up everything and your precious pet and just go somewhere comforting to escape the chaos of the world?

Still, would this premise be enough to sustain the story? And, was that really the essence of the premise? I was just presuming it was when I was daydreaming my life away in the book cover.

Back to the review.

I will say this much…I am not one for characters that need illegal drugs to get by in their life. So, when that happens, I wince. I feel uncomfortable, and uncertain I want to even continue reading. I recognize that flaws in character can add to a story, but using drugs to give it a comedic flair or any story build-up just isn’t my thing.

Just like I don’t like prison stories, or abusive characters. There already is too much ugly in the world.

Do I need to read it, too?

Mona, an actress is escaping her household, in a drug-like state of mind, to find her mentor director who was accused of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. (Another icky trigger warning.)

Why? (No spoilers from me.)

But I will say this. I just found myself becoming more uncomfortable. And, I couldn’t help but ask myself…

How will I get myself through this story?

Answer…

To be honest, not easily.

As Mona struggles to come to terms with her marriage, with a Trump like father-in-law and too many other characters in this story to keep track of, I found myself coming up with excuses to exit stage right from this book.

The only one I was hanging on to hope for was Barney. Maybe you may feel differently. Not about Barney, but this book.

You might want to consider again my first paragraph, and then consider other reviewers before making your final decision about reading this book or not.

]]> <![CDATA[Marble Hall Murders (Susan Ryeland, #3)]]> 217432789 Murder links past and present once again in this mind-boggling metafictional mystery from Anthony Horowitz—another tribute to the golden age of Agatha Christie featuring detective Atticus Pund and editor Susan Ryland, stars of the New York Times bestsellers Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders.

Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel, and her Greek boyfriend Andreas in search of a new life back in England.

Freelancing for Causton Books, she’s working on the manuscript of a novel, Pund’s Last Case, by a young author named Eliot Crace, a continuation of the popular Alan Conway series. Susan is surprised to learn that Eliot is the grandson of legendary children’s author Marian Crace, who died some fifteen years ago—murdered, Elliot insists, by poison.

As Susan begins to read the manuscript’s opening chapters, the skeptical editor is relieved to find that Pund’s Last Case is actually very good. Set in the South of France, it revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, who, though mortally ill, is poisoned—perhaps by a member of her own family. But who did it? And why?

The deeper Susan reads, the more it becomes clear that the clues leading to the truth of Marian Crace’s death are hidden within this Atticus Pund mystery.

While Eliot’s accusation becomes more plausible, his behavior grows increasingly erratic.. Then he is suddenly killed in a hit-and-run accident, and Susan finds herself under police scrutiny as a suspect in his killing.

Three mysterious deaths. Multiple motives and possible murderers. If Susan doesn’t solve the mystery of Pund’s Last Case, she may well be the next victim.]]> 582 Anthony Horowitz 0063305704 Karen 2
For Susan she may have a different answer. She has a mortgage to pay. And thus, she was being asked to read and edit a manuscript that was being written by another author that would extend dead author Alan Conway’s, Atticus Pund’s mysteries. To her that would bring up tortuous memories. Was it going to be worth it? For me, would it be worth it? Especially since I didn’t like “Moonflower Murders,” the second in the series.

In this book, Susan is typically a loner, after realizing a relationship back in Crete had gone the distance. Susan and readers will learn she will be better off with the adoption of Hugo the cat. Readers will learn that Hugo will be an important relationship that doesn’t become clear to us until towards the end when something happens.

And, what did the author mean when they started the book with the following paragraph…

“Marble Hall Murders is a stand-alone novel – but it is also the third book in a series that began with Magpie Murders. Readers should be aware that the solution to Magpie Murders is revealed in this book.”

Huh? What does that mean?

I mean, I obviously loved “Magpie Murders” both as a book and a Britbox television series, even if I didn’t like “Moonflower Murders.” So, that paragraph absolutely confused me.

What I do know is that this is the third and final installment in this series. And, for that I am grateful. Because to be honest, this book within a book is underwhelming. Now that I have read all three, I think the series should have stayed with the first book, and stopped there.

As I mentioned earlier, Susan is expected to work with another author to finish off the dead author’s Atticus Pund mystery who also eventually ends up dead. Oh my! Her hope in putting herself in this regretful position will be to get a full-time editing position out of the deal. But complications obviously occur which leads her in a very unpleasant direction that also becomes rather complicated. Poor Susan! Isn’t she just supposed to be an editor?

When we first are introduced to “Magpie Murders,” it was a unique premise and concept to read a book within a book. Now, it feels old and worn out, with 130ish pages of ‘Pund’s Last Case’ also included within this story. Supposedly, if we pay close attention, this continuation novel gives us keys and clues within clues to Susan’s story of armchair sleuthing. Unfortunately though, the telling felt rather uninspiring.

Of course, for Agatha Christie fans, there will be those twisty moments, but it won’t happen until towards the end which means you have a long time to wait for it, and that may take some incredible patience because this book is 579 pages. Would it just be easier to skim through?

So, was the Pund story really necessary? And, what finally happens to Susan Ryeland? Does she get what she needs in the end? Could the story have been told just through her, without readers having to be dragged through ‘Pund’s Last Case?’

Typically, I am a Horowitz fan. But as I said earlier, I am glad this series is over. I hope you enjoy this one more than I did.

One last thing…

Remember when I said that the cat Hugo will be important to Susan when something happens towards the end? Well, I won’t give away spoilers, but I will say that, Hugo lives. I wanted to be sure you knew that much. ]]> 4.29 2025 Marble Hall Murders (Susan Ryeland, #3)

author: Anthony Horowitz
name: Karen
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/06/08
date added: 2025/06/08
shelves: cat-love, complex, disappointed, exasperating, so-confused, thumbs-down, too-many-characters, wanted-less, what-were-they-thinking, why-so-many-pages
review:
As I sat here reading the 3rd and final novel in the Susan Ryeland series, I had to ask myself the same thing Susan Ryeland, the editor was asking herself, ‘why am I here, again?”

For Susan she may have a different answer. She has a mortgage to pay. And thus, she was being asked to read and edit a manuscript that was being written by another author that would extend dead author Alan Conway’s, Atticus Pund’s mysteries. To her that would bring up tortuous memories. Was it going to be worth it? For me, would it be worth it? Especially since I didn’t like “Moonflower Murders,” the second in the series.

In this book, Susan is typically a loner, after realizing a relationship back in Crete had gone the distance. Susan and readers will learn she will be better off with the adoption of Hugo the cat. Readers will learn that Hugo will be an important relationship that doesn’t become clear to us until towards the end when something happens.

And, what did the author mean when they started the book with the following paragraph…

“Marble Hall Murders is a stand-alone novel – but it is also the third book in a series that began with Magpie Murders. Readers should be aware that the solution to Magpie Murders is revealed in this book.”

Huh? What does that mean?

I mean, I obviously loved “Magpie Murders” both as a book and a Britbox television series, even if I didn’t like “Moonflower Murders.” So, that paragraph absolutely confused me.

What I do know is that this is the third and final installment in this series. And, for that I am grateful. Because to be honest, this book within a book is underwhelming. Now that I have read all three, I think the series should have stayed with the first book, and stopped there.

As I mentioned earlier, Susan is expected to work with another author to finish off the dead author’s Atticus Pund mystery who also eventually ends up dead. Oh my! Her hope in putting herself in this regretful position will be to get a full-time editing position out of the deal. But complications obviously occur which leads her in a very unpleasant direction that also becomes rather complicated. Poor Susan! Isn’t she just supposed to be an editor?

When we first are introduced to “Magpie Murders,” it was a unique premise and concept to read a book within a book. Now, it feels old and worn out, with 130ish pages of ‘Pund’s Last Case’ also included within this story. Supposedly, if we pay close attention, this continuation novel gives us keys and clues within clues to Susan’s story of armchair sleuthing. Unfortunately though, the telling felt rather uninspiring.

Of course, for Agatha Christie fans, there will be those twisty moments, but it won’t happen until towards the end which means you have a long time to wait for it, and that may take some incredible patience because this book is 579 pages. Would it just be easier to skim through?

So, was the Pund story really necessary? And, what finally happens to Susan Ryeland? Does she get what she needs in the end? Could the story have been told just through her, without readers having to be dragged through ‘Pund’s Last Case?’

Typically, I am a Horowitz fan. But as I said earlier, I am glad this series is over. I hope you enjoy this one more than I did.

One last thing…

Remember when I said that the cat Hugo will be important to Susan when something happens towards the end? Well, I won’t give away spoilers, but I will say that, Hugo lives. I wanted to be sure you knew that much.
]]> The Candidate (Newsmakers #2) 29388876
In covering the presidential election campaign, star newsmaker Erica Sparks notices that favored candidate Senator Mike Ortiz seems dependent on his wife to an unnatural degree. Celeste Ortiz is a brilliant and glamorous billionaire who—along with her best friend and confidant Lily Lau—has engineered her husband’s meteoric rise. The White House is within their reach. But the more Erica investigates the Ortizes’ strange relationship, the more intrigued she becomes.

Erica begins an investigation. But everyone material to her probe ends up dead. With each death, her foreboding grows. Is she next? And can she find out in time if the country’s beloved candidate is what he seems . . . or a threat to national security?]]> 334 Lis Wiehl 0718037685 Karen 3
Have you ever walked into a thriller story and immediately hated one of the main characters? So much so, that you were hoping they would be the one they found dead in the next scene? Of course, in most mysteries, it is a given that someone will be murdered, but whom? And if not, how are we as readers going to deal with this despicable character for the remainder of the story? Can we at least hope that they will get their just deserts?

Well, if there is anything to say, it is that the author has done a convincing job of creating a villain. Or two.

So, what is going on here? We have a Senate candidate running for the President of the United States. (Hence: the title of the book.) He seems much too perfect, with a questionable background as a prisoner of war while serving in Iraq. So, what is his true story?

Also, is there a sinister plan to get him into the White House? And, if so, by whom? And, why?

And, as our main character and the star of this series, Erica Sparks, a TV journalist begins her investigation, suddenly she disappears. What happened to her and why?

This is the second in the series, that could easily be read as a stand-alone. It is a rather fast-paced, twisty, page-turning, dark psychological thriller with a rather convoluted plot. If readers can be patient with the overall plot, the book might be considered bearable. But please don’t rely on just my review. I may be an outlier.
]]> 3.83 2016 The Candidate (Newsmakers #2)

author: Lis Wiehl
name: Karen
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/07
date added: 2025/06/07
shelves: creepy, dark, gritty, haunting, intense, page-turner, twisted, high-energy
review:
After reading my review of this author’s book, “Face of Betrayal,” it was recommended by one of my 카지노싸이트 friends that I may want to give this author another chance by reading one of her other series books. So, I decided to do just that with this one. Unsure whether I would write a review for 카지노싸이트 or not, I did not include this one on my currently reading GR shelf.

Have you ever walked into a thriller story and immediately hated one of the main characters? So much so, that you were hoping they would be the one they found dead in the next scene? Of course, in most mysteries, it is a given that someone will be murdered, but whom? And if not, how are we as readers going to deal with this despicable character for the remainder of the story? Can we at least hope that they will get their just deserts?

Well, if there is anything to say, it is that the author has done a convincing job of creating a villain. Or two.

So, what is going on here? We have a Senate candidate running for the President of the United States. (Hence: the title of the book.) He seems much too perfect, with a questionable background as a prisoner of war while serving in Iraq. So, what is his true story?

Also, is there a sinister plan to get him into the White House? And, if so, by whom? And, why?

And, as our main character and the star of this series, Erica Sparks, a TV journalist begins her investigation, suddenly she disappears. What happened to her and why?

This is the second in the series, that could easily be read as a stand-alone. It is a rather fast-paced, twisty, page-turning, dark psychological thriller with a rather convoluted plot. If readers can be patient with the overall plot, the book might be considered bearable. But please don’t rely on just my review. I may be an outlier.

]]> <![CDATA[The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen]]> 11909374 A former soldier turned movie star turned spy must stop a catastrophic nuclear weapons deal. This gripping thriller from Thomas Caplan propels readers around the globe-from Hollywood to Rome, the Black Sea to the Mediterranean-and to the very brink of nuclear abyss.

The novel's charismatic hero, former covert operative Ty Hunter, has become, almost by accident, the number one film star in the world. When he is recruited on a clandestine mission to thwart the transfer of nuclear warheads into rogue hands, he must deploy every skill he has as an actor, soldier, and spy. Donning his fame as a disguise, Ty matches wits and muscle with the enigmatic billionaire Ian Santal and his nefarious protégé Philip Frost-two supremely sophisticated adversaries- even as he falls in love with the entrancing young woman closest to them both, the jewelry designer Isabella Cavill.

In prose that is both elegant and powerful, The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen gives us a breakneck parable of good and evil-and a hero in the tradition of James Bond and Jason Bourne, who is sure to become an icon of the genre.

]]> 384 Thomas Caplan 0670023213 Karen 3 2.70 2012 The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen

author: Thomas Caplan
name: Karen
average rating: 2.70
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2025/06/06
date added: 2025/06/06
shelves: action-packed, adventurous, disappointed, exasperating, imperfect, entertaining, scenic, silly, spicy, twisted, wanted-less, what-were-they-thinking
review:
The other day I found myself in an unusually precarious position for one who owned a Little Free Library Shed. I had run out of books to read. What?!
]]> The Ghostwriter 217506549
The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book. What she doesn't know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it's not another horror novel he wants her to write.

After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.]]> 328 Julie Clark 1464221286 Karen 0 to-read 4.12 2025 The Ghostwriter

author: Julie Clark
name: Karen
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/06/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation]]> 232681941 The New Civic Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation

We are suffering from a crisis of belief in our country today. So many people have lost faith in America—in our leaders, institutions, and even one another. The status quo is not working for far too many of us. Our central task today is to meet this historic moment. But how do we grow our belief that we can get things done together—not as Republicans or Democrats or Independents, but as Americans? How do we rebuild trust and reclaim agency?

In this deeply personal manifesto written while crisscrossing the country for his “Enough. Time to Build.” civic campaign, Richard C. Harwood reveals how we can address the fundamental challenges holding us back in America today. We must dedicate ourselves to forging a new civic path that grows our belief that we can move forward amid our real differences. The New Civic Path is a must-read for those who want to spark civic renewal and get our communities and the country moving again.]]> 148 Richard C. Harwood Karen 5
I want to thank 카지노싸이트 Friend Sharon Orloff for making me aware of this book. I wouldn’t have known about it, if it weren’t for her. This small book was what I really needed after finding myself in a funk about today’s politics. It was certainly a breath of fresh air to read someone who has not only a positive outlook about life and community but about humanity as a whole.

The author’s sub-title was “Restoring our Belief in One Another and Our Nation – A Manifesto.” And, in many ways, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful by this book’s message. What could he say that could give any of us a sense that this could be possible?

As I read, I was energized by the author’s many ideas. Mostly, he spoke my truth when he said…

“There is too much division, hatred, bigotry, and mistrust, and a lack of hope. If the 2024 election proved anything, it is this:

The status quo is not working for far too many of us. And that’s regardless of whom you may have voted for.”

Exactly. We needed a way out of the mire. His question wrung true for me when he asked…

“How can we create a path forward where we tap into our innate goodness?”

The author shared that, the first step forward was for us to build community. In our local communities. Where we can see and hear one another. This is the place to begin to take action and restore a sense of possibility and hope. And, certainly to do so is to be an “us.” And, to see ourselves as “agents of hope.” Where we create a “deeper sense of connection, belonging, and dignity.”

It has become particularly clear how difficult this may be to imagine when there is so little civility in our world today. We seem so divided between one side and another. Where people are questioning loyalties as opposed to allowing people to just be whomever they choose to be. The author suggests that…

“…the problem today is that unending noise and confusion in our public lives squeeze out room for even a relatively healthy exchange of ideas. Instead, many of us have been forced into fight-or-flight mode, resulting in a dangerous vacuum in our society where the loudest and most divisive voices are now dominating our public discourse.”

The author is asking us to instead come together – amid differences – and choose to build on those differences – to care for our communities. That in all reality we can recognize how much – we actually need each other. And, when we realize this – we can accomplish much, together.

As the author explains his process, it is clear he is showing a path forward through shifting our thinking from “getting together’ to actually “working together.” He sees “creating change is a journey and belief is the fuel for that journey.”

It is interesting how the author argues and inspires readers to believe in possibilities. Which makes this truly a manifesto for good towards positive change in our communities. This short book, was powerful and impactful. I highly recommend it for everyone to read.

For anybody interested, this is truly a movement worth exploring. Go to to access resources to guide your own community.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
]]> 4.92 2025 The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation

The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation

author: Richard C. Harwood
name: Karen
average rating: 4.92
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/05
date added: 2025/06/05
shelves: author-publisher-initiated, book-discussion-perfect, brilliant, compelling, conversational, creates-questions, easy-to-read, educational, engaging, excellent, inspiring, life-changing, loved-it, makes-you-think, page-turner, powerful, realistic, thought-provoking, thoughtful, transformative, uplifting
review:
“If you save one life, you are placing a clear value on the dignity of others.”

I want to thank 카지노싸이트 Friend Sharon Orloff for making me aware of this book. I wouldn’t have known about it, if it weren’t for her. This small book was what I really needed after finding myself in a funk about today’s politics. It was certainly a breath of fresh air to read someone who has not only a positive outlook about life and community but about humanity as a whole.

The author’s sub-title was “Restoring our Belief in One Another and Our Nation – A Manifesto.” And, in many ways, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful by this book’s message. What could he say that could give any of us a sense that this could be possible?

As I read, I was energized by the author’s many ideas. Mostly, he spoke my truth when he said…

“There is too much division, hatred, bigotry, and mistrust, and a lack of hope. If the 2024 election proved anything, it is this:

The status quo is not working for far too many of us. And that’s regardless of whom you may have voted for.”

Exactly. We needed a way out of the mire. His question wrung true for me when he asked…

“How can we create a path forward where we tap into our innate goodness?”

The author shared that, the first step forward was for us to build community. In our local communities. Where we can see and hear one another. This is the place to begin to take action and restore a sense of possibility and hope. And, certainly to do so is to be an “us.” And, to see ourselves as “agents of hope.” Where we create a “deeper sense of connection, belonging, and dignity.”

It has become particularly clear how difficult this may be to imagine when there is so little civility in our world today. We seem so divided between one side and another. Where people are questioning loyalties as opposed to allowing people to just be whomever they choose to be. The author suggests that…

“…the problem today is that unending noise and confusion in our public lives squeeze out room for even a relatively healthy exchange of ideas. Instead, many of us have been forced into fight-or-flight mode, resulting in a dangerous vacuum in our society where the loudest and most divisive voices are now dominating our public discourse.”

The author is asking us to instead come together – amid differences – and choose to build on those differences – to care for our communities. That in all reality we can recognize how much – we actually need each other. And, when we realize this – we can accomplish much, together.

As the author explains his process, it is clear he is showing a path forward through shifting our thinking from “getting together’ to actually “working together.” He sees “creating change is a journey and belief is the fuel for that journey.”

It is interesting how the author argues and inspires readers to believe in possibilities. Which makes this truly a manifesto for good towards positive change in our communities. This short book, was powerful and impactful. I highly recommend it for everyone to read.

For anybody interested, this is truly a movement worth exploring. Go to to access resources to guide your own community.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.

]]> <![CDATA[At Home in Mitford (Mitford Years, #1)]]> 71776
It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable.

Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that's sixty years old.

Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich, provincial comedy in which mysteries and miracles abound.

- Includes new Readers' Guide to group discussion or personal reflection
- Includes a new introduction by Professor Dale Brown, a friend of Jan Karon.]]> 413 Jan Karon 1589190629 Karen 4
I had the pleasure of watching the cute made-for-television Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring Andie McDowell recently when I opted in on the Hallmark streaming service.

This first book in the series was published in 1994, with this paperback version coming out in 1996.

For anyone who is looking for saccharine sweet faith based small town storytelling this is the book to read.

The story follows Father Tim and his many parishioners in the fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina. He is a long-time minister at Lord’s Chapel. He also finds himself adopted by Barnabas a huge black dog and a young boy named Dooley that is in need of a home. How will this affect his bachelorhood?

And, then there is his neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith. What emotions will this bring out in Father Tim?

So, which did I prefer the book or the movie?

It was easier for me to fall in love with the movie, as the characters were more believable at 40-something, as opposed to the more mature age given to the Father Tim described in the book. (In the book, he was 60.)

Not that I am not opposed to older people having romances. I have after all been quite charmed by stories with older protagonists lately. But this one didn’t ring as true for me in the book. Still, the author does her best to provide a sense of realism and warmth to her characters.

As a classic book series, this may be more appealing to those who are attracted to books that are faith based.

3.5 stars
]]> 4.12 1994 At Home in Mitford (Mitford Years, #1)

author: Jan Karon
name: Karen
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/04
date added: 2025/06/04
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, charming, classic, compelling, conversational, creates-questions, cute, delightful, dog-love, easy-to-read, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, inspiring, light-hearted, ok, predictable, scenic, sweet, thoughtful, uplifting
review:
This is the first book in the Mitford series. A couple of months ago a Little Free Library steward from the state of Washington came by and dropped off a copy of all the books currently published in this series. I was completely overwhelmed with gratitude with her generous donation. But I never took the time to put this in my currently reading pile on 카지노싸이트 because I wasn’t sure if I would read the books or review them, until now.

I had the pleasure of watching the cute made-for-television Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring Andie McDowell recently when I opted in on the Hallmark streaming service.

This first book in the series was published in 1994, with this paperback version coming out in 1996.

For anyone who is looking for saccharine sweet faith based small town storytelling this is the book to read.

The story follows Father Tim and his many parishioners in the fictional town of Mitford, North Carolina. He is a long-time minister at Lord’s Chapel. He also finds himself adopted by Barnabas a huge black dog and a young boy named Dooley that is in need of a home. How will this affect his bachelorhood?

And, then there is his neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith. What emotions will this bring out in Father Tim?

So, which did I prefer the book or the movie?

It was easier for me to fall in love with the movie, as the characters were more believable at 40-something, as opposed to the more mature age given to the Father Tim described in the book. (In the book, he was 60.)

Not that I am not opposed to older people having romances. I have after all been quite charmed by stories with older protagonists lately. But this one didn’t ring as true for me in the book. Still, the author does her best to provide a sense of realism and warmth to her characters.

As a classic book series, this may be more appealing to those who are attracted to books that are faith based.

3.5 stars

]]> Dog Tags (Andy Carpenter, #8) 7315174 368 David Rosenfelt 044655152X Karen 4
Also, I don’t always post an older book I may start to read in my GR reading pile. Sometimes I may read a book, but may not necessarily want to review it. And, in this case, I wasn’t sure how I was going to address this book, until now. Especially since it is a long-time series. My question usually being, will I have something new to contribute about the series or the book in another review?

The Andy Carpenter series, is one of my favorites. It follows Andy Carpenter, a criminal defense attorney who happens to love dogs. And, on many occasions, like this one, he will find himself, representing them, along with humans. And, in this particular case, Milo, a retired military German Shepherd dog is worth Andy’s time defending in court and fostering. Readers also get to appreciate Rosenfelt’s regular returning ‘character,’ Andy’s golden retriever, Tara.]]> 4.08 2010 Dog Tags (Andy Carpenter, #8)

author: David Rosenfelt
name: Karen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/03
date added: 2025/06/03
shelves: action-packed, charming, cute, dog-love, easy-to-read, entertaining, light-hearted, page-turner, quirky, suspenseful, intriguing, engaging
review:
I don’t intentionally read this series out of order. For those of you who follow me, I have mentioned in some of my previous reviews of series books, that I am a lucky person with the donations I receive to my Little Free Library Shed. And, I also only read print versions of books from my local library. So, if books aren’t available through those means, I may not get to read a book right-away or at all. Or, when I do get it, it may not be for several years, like in the case of this book.

Also, I don’t always post an older book I may start to read in my GR reading pile. Sometimes I may read a book, but may not necessarily want to review it. And, in this case, I wasn’t sure how I was going to address this book, until now. Especially since it is a long-time series. My question usually being, will I have something new to contribute about the series or the book in another review?

The Andy Carpenter series, is one of my favorites. It follows Andy Carpenter, a criminal defense attorney who happens to love dogs. And, on many occasions, like this one, he will find himself, representing them, along with humans. And, in this particular case, Milo, a retired military German Shepherd dog is worth Andy’s time defending in court and fostering. Readers also get to appreciate Rosenfelt’s regular returning ‘character,’ Andy’s golden retriever, Tara.
]]> The Curiosity 18695274
Dr. Kate Philo and her scientific exploration team make a breathtaking discovery in the the body of a man buried deep in the ice. Remarkably, the frozen man is brought back to the lab and successfully reanimated. As the man begins to regain his memories, the team learns that he was—is—a judge, Jeremiah Rice, and the last thing he remembers is falling overboard into the Arctic Ocean in 1906.

Thrown together by circumstances beyond their control, Kate and Jeremiah grow closer. But the clock is ticking and Jeremiah’s new life is slipping away...and all too soon, Kate must decide how far she is willing to go to protect the man she has come to love.]]> 464 Stephen P. Kiernan 0062221078 Karen 4
The story is told through multiple voices, which include the head scientist, the reporter, the frozen man, we come to know as Jeremiah; and, specifically Kate, a biologist who has been relegated to the night shift to watch over him in the ‘lab.’ Through their voices we can see that Jeremiah is regaining his memory, and Kate and he are becoming close. Which may be a conflict, considering this is a time when science wants ownership over their own masterpiece ‘Frankenstein’ experiment.

I wasn’t sure I was going to read this one because when I first looked it up on 카지노싸이트, I only saw low star reviews and DNF’s for the book. I couldn’t help but ask myself as to whether I should invest in reading it.

But I have been a typical fan of magical realism. Which this story seems to show signs of, with hints of science fiction. After all, has there really been a human brought back to life after being frozen in the Artic Ocean for 100-years?

Curious, I chose to read it. I found myself focused mostly on Kate and Jeremiah’s chapters in the beginning. I wanted to know them. And, how they would navigate this circumstance they found themselves in. I wondered what their outcome would be.

Kate was certainly concerned when she shared…

“It felt like the rules were designed to prevent my efforts, or anyone’s, to humanize the poor lab creature we’d awakened.”

Kate found herself doing everything she could to introduce Jeremiah to this new world of 2006. She showed compassion for him as a human spirit trying to reconnect him to living and the industrialized advanced world progress. As readers, we can’t help but feel Jeremiah’s reaction to 2006 when he shares…

“Humanity, you’ve been busy.”

But more than anything, I was interested in Kate and Jeremiah. Which led me to wonder too if this book might also be a romance, as well. Was Kate’s character hinting at it?

“…when love comes into your life, it calls upon your whole being to be worthy. If you rise to that challenge, it will plant roots and you will blossom.”

So why the low reviews? I recognize that we all see books differently. Feel them at different times when we read them. I know I am one of the worst moody readers I know. But could the combination of the 3 genres of magical realism, science fiction and romance have set this story on the wrong path? I really wanted to know. So, I kept reading.

With the media and religious fundamentalists questioning the ethics of the research, it was interesting to ‘watch’ the firestorm ignite. What happens when scientists mess with the dead? What are the ethics of this research?

And, for those of us who may have held out for a well-crafted romance, what will Kate’s actions do to her life and eventually Jeremiah’s?

This is a thoughtful, introspective read which may create discomfort for some readers, and moments of pause for others. A read that should make for interesting group discussion.

3.5 stars
]]> 3.68 2013 The Curiosity

author: Stephen P. Kiernan
name: Karen
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/02
date added: 2025/06/02
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, engaging, heart-felt, imperfect, intriguing, makes-you-think, thought-provoking, haunting, sweet, thoughtful
review:
The story’s premise could be considered a compelling one. It presumes to be about a man frozen in the Artic Ocean and found by scientists in 2006. Who then reanimate him by bringing him back to life in a future he is not familiar with nor aware of, since the time of his ‘drowning’ occurred in 1906.

The story is told through multiple voices, which include the head scientist, the reporter, the frozen man, we come to know as Jeremiah; and, specifically Kate, a biologist who has been relegated to the night shift to watch over him in the ‘lab.’ Through their voices we can see that Jeremiah is regaining his memory, and Kate and he are becoming close. Which may be a conflict, considering this is a time when science wants ownership over their own masterpiece ‘Frankenstein’ experiment.

I wasn’t sure I was going to read this one because when I first looked it up on 카지노싸이트, I only saw low star reviews and DNF’s for the book. I couldn’t help but ask myself as to whether I should invest in reading it.

But I have been a typical fan of magical realism. Which this story seems to show signs of, with hints of science fiction. After all, has there really been a human brought back to life after being frozen in the Artic Ocean for 100-years?

Curious, I chose to read it. I found myself focused mostly on Kate and Jeremiah’s chapters in the beginning. I wanted to know them. And, how they would navigate this circumstance they found themselves in. I wondered what their outcome would be.

Kate was certainly concerned when she shared…

“It felt like the rules were designed to prevent my efforts, or anyone’s, to humanize the poor lab creature we’d awakened.”

Kate found herself doing everything she could to introduce Jeremiah to this new world of 2006. She showed compassion for him as a human spirit trying to reconnect him to living and the industrialized advanced world progress. As readers, we can’t help but feel Jeremiah’s reaction to 2006 when he shares…

“Humanity, you’ve been busy.”

But more than anything, I was interested in Kate and Jeremiah. Which led me to wonder too if this book might also be a romance, as well. Was Kate’s character hinting at it?

“…when love comes into your life, it calls upon your whole being to be worthy. If you rise to that challenge, it will plant roots and you will blossom.”

So why the low reviews? I recognize that we all see books differently. Feel them at different times when we read them. I know I am one of the worst moody readers I know. But could the combination of the 3 genres of magical realism, science fiction and romance have set this story on the wrong path? I really wanted to know. So, I kept reading.

With the media and religious fundamentalists questioning the ethics of the research, it was interesting to ‘watch’ the firestorm ignite. What happens when scientists mess with the dead? What are the ethics of this research?

And, for those of us who may have held out for a well-crafted romance, what will Kate’s actions do to her life and eventually Jeremiah’s?

This is a thoughtful, introspective read which may create discomfort for some readers, and moments of pause for others. A read that should make for interesting group discussion.

3.5 stars

]]> Letters to an Embryo 235483408
A broken marriage.

A frozen embryo.

And one impossible

SHOULD IT not LIVE?]]> 320 Jasna Kaluđerović Karen 5
In the author’s case, she decided to write letters to her last embryo from the IVF treatments she endured prior to the divorce from her husband.

There is a special connection that readers will feel to the author, as we become privy to the intimate letters of her life that she openly shares with her embryo. Especially as we embrace the emotions of the ‘mama’ to her unborn ‘child.’

“You might be just a frozen embryo, but I’m still your mama.”

In this unique, compelling, thought-provoking measured story, readers may find themselves deeply affected by this complex personal story. It is both heart-warming and heart-felt with an engrossing ending.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
]]> 5.00 Letters to an Embryo

author: Jasna Kaluđerović
name: Karen
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/02
date added: 2025/06/02
shelves: author-publisher-initiated, compelling, engaging, heart-felt, complex, realistic, thoughtful, thought-provoking
review:
What happens when life doesn’t go as originally planned? And, all you ever wanted in life was to be a mother?

In the author’s case, she decided to write letters to her last embryo from the IVF treatments she endured prior to the divorce from her husband.

There is a special connection that readers will feel to the author, as we become privy to the intimate letters of her life that she openly shares with her embryo. Especially as we embrace the emotions of the ‘mama’ to her unborn ‘child.’

“You might be just a frozen embryo, but I’m still your mama.”

In this unique, compelling, thought-provoking measured story, readers may find themselves deeply affected by this complex personal story. It is both heart-warming and heart-felt with an engrossing ending.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.

]]> <![CDATA[Testimony (Kindle County Legal Thriller, #10)]]> 32480883 In the bestselling tradition of Presumed Innocent--the 1987 debut novel that made him "one of the major writers in America" (NPR)--comes what may be Scott Turow's best thriller yet.

Bill ten Boom has walked out on everything he thought was important to him: his career, his wife, Kindle County, even his country. Still, when he is tapped to examine the disappearance of an entire Gypsy refugee camp--unsolved for ten years--he feels drawn to what will become the most elusive case of his career.

In order to uncover what happened during the apocalyptic chaos after the Bosnian War, Boom must navigate a host of suspects ranging from Serb paramilitaries to organized crime gangs to the U.S. government, while also maneuvering among the alliances and treacheries of those connected to the case: Morgan Merriwell, a disgraced U.S. Major General; Ferko Rincic, the massacre's sole survivor; and Esma Czarni, an alluring barrister with secrets to protect.

A master of the legal thriller, Scott Turow has returned with his most irresistibly confounding and satisfying novel yet.]]> 497 Scott Turow Karen 4
It is complex.

Although it does not take place in the courtroom, the legal investigation does occur on the international stage.

As a reader you are intrigued, you want to know what happened, how it happened, why it happened, and will there be some justice. Mostly, what is the truth?

And, do readers get your answers at the end?

Scott Turow is an excellent storyteller. He has made his reputation on his ability to meld deep character study with court procedure and a twisted plot.

Whether or not the questions are answered (I will not give away spoilers), this book attempts to do the same in unfamiliar territory.

The fact that there were more than the usual number of players (characters) was challenging but ultimately rewarding.

As readers, you will have to figure out why.]]> 3.81 Testimony (Kindle County Legal Thriller, #10)

Testimony (Kindle County Legal Thriller, #10)

author: Scott Turow
name: Karen
average rating: 3.81
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/27
date added: 2025/06/01
shelves: captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, easy-to-read, engaging, high-energy, intriguing, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, thought-provoking
review:
This is a tense, absorbing and atmospheric international legal drama that follows a prosecutor’s case from The Hague to Bosnia to DC and other parts of the country.

It is complex.

Although it does not take place in the courtroom, the legal investigation does occur on the international stage.

As a reader you are intrigued, you want to know what happened, how it happened, why it happened, and will there be some justice. Mostly, what is the truth?

And, do readers get your answers at the end?

Scott Turow is an excellent storyteller. He has made his reputation on his ability to meld deep character study with court procedure and a twisted plot.

Whether or not the questions are answered (I will not give away spoilers), this book attempts to do the same in unfamiliar territory.

The fact that there were more than the usual number of players (characters) was challenging but ultimately rewarding.

As readers, you will have to figure out why.
]]> <![CDATA[Max and the Mighty Hurricane (Navigating Natural Disasters)]]> 232324765 A hurricane is barrelling toward Max’s coastal home. Max is scared. What will happen to his family and friends and home as this monster storm roars in?

Max knows about hurricanes. Over the years, some have hit his coastal town. The locals talk about ferocious winds, heavy rain, and flooding. His mom and dad are worried about the hurricane, which is getting stronger by the hour.
Max worries his home could be blown away. He’s nervous as his dad helps them gather the supplies they will need. When his parents tell him it’s time to evacuate to an emergency shelter, Max wonders if his world will ever feel safe again.
Max and the Mighty Hurricane explores the natural fears of a young boy who is forced to face the possible loss of his life, his home, and the people he loves. As Max and his family, friends, and neighbors come together, they show us the power of community in the face of a major natural disaster.

Max and the Mighty Hurricane is an engaging resource for parents, grandparents, and educators to help young people understand and accept our natural fears of extreme weather events and plan ahead to survive them. Included are checklists for emergency supplies, links for online resources, and an Award of Merit for young weather heroes.
]]> 36 Chrissy Hobbs 1988656931 Karen 5
Which makes this a compelling, fascinating and realistic reading adventure for kids. As well as an excellent educational tool for parents and teachers. Readers will also find this story, captivating, meaningful, and inspiring.

The authors are also to be commended for their upbeat opening message…

“To all the brave kids who have faced the storms of life –
Your resilience, courage, and strength are nothing short of heroic.
You remind us all that even in the darkest skies,
There’s light and hope within each of us.
This story is for you. You are a hero.”

Along with the message of the book, the beautiful illustrations are visually appealing, quite expressive and enhance the story.

For any reader needing to learn about the importance of being prepared for hurricanes, as well as the value of community, they will appreciate the author’s attention to detail.

This book should be a must-read for anyone living in hurricane territory.

Please also note the Certificate of Strength, and a ‘help your family get ready’ checklist at the back of the book.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.]]> 4.67 Max and the Mighty Hurricane (Navigating Natural Disasters)

Max and the Mighty Hurricane (Navigating Natural Disasters)

author: Chrissy Hobbs
name: Karen
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/06/01
date added: 2025/06/01
shelves: compelling, conversational, delightful, easy-to-read, educating-moments, engaging, excellent, feel-good, author-publisher-initiated, heart-felt, captivating, inspiring, loved-it, makes-you-think, page-turner, realistic, scenic, thought-provoking, thoughtful
review:
There is definitely more to these bestselling author’s than writing children’s books. They incorporate within their story their own personal and professional experiences which allows for the story not only to be told from the heart of those experiences, but in a way that helps to educate readers.

Which makes this a compelling, fascinating and realistic reading adventure for kids. As well as an excellent educational tool for parents and teachers. Readers will also find this story, captivating, meaningful, and inspiring.

The authors are also to be commended for their upbeat opening message…

“To all the brave kids who have faced the storms of life –
Your resilience, courage, and strength are nothing short of heroic.
You remind us all that even in the darkest skies,
There’s light and hope within each of us.
This story is for you. You are a hero.”

Along with the message of the book, the beautiful illustrations are visually appealing, quite expressive and enhance the story.

For any reader needing to learn about the importance of being prepared for hurricanes, as well as the value of community, they will appreciate the author’s attention to detail.

This book should be a must-read for anyone living in hurricane territory.

Please also note the Certificate of Strength, and a ‘help your family get ready’ checklist at the back of the book.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
]]> Memory Theater 25387716 From this renowned philosopher comes a debut work of fiction, at once a brilliant précis of the history of philosophy, a semiautobiographical meditation on the absurd relationship between knowledge and memory, and a very funny story

A French philosopher dies during a savage summer heat wave. Boxes carrying his unpublished papers mysteriously appear in Simon Critchley’s office. Rooting through them, Critchley discovers a brilliant text on the ancient art of memory and a cache of astrological charts predicting the deaths of various philosophers. Among them is a chart for Critchley himself, laying out in great detail the course of his life and eventual demise. While waiting for his friend’s prediction to come through, Critchley receives the missing, final box, which contains a maquette of Giulio Camillo’s sixteenth-century Venetian memory theater, a space supposed to contain the sum of all knowledge. With nothing left to hope for, Critchley devotes himself to one final project before his death—the building of a structure to house his collective memories and document the remnants of his entire life.]]> 112 Simon Critchley 1590517406 Karen 4
Never could I imagine that it would be one that would be filled with such philosophical musings. Certainly, something any of us can relate to given the right mood.

The beginning had our narrator, the author, sharing his fight with sleep over his fear with death. He declared…

“I was exhausted by exhaustion.”

I could relate to his thoughts so easily, especially in the early days when my medical care team was trying to define my symptoms, which turned out to be Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Thymoma cancers. (Currently, and thankfully, they are respectively in remission and benign. Hopefully, further tests this week will have the same conclusion.) While all this testing was happening, there would be many nights where I would toss and turn as I attempted not to live in the future of the unknown, but stay present with hope for healing. Leaving me with many days where I would wake up ‘exhausted by exhaustion.’

The premise of this short novella is that the narrator, is left a series of boxes by a recently dead philosopher named Michel, who he had minimal involvement with in his past. The boxes were named after astrological signs. As the narrator goes through these boxes, he reflects on the art of memory. Especially as it relates to a variety of writers and other philosophers that are translated by Michel.

“Through the art of memory, we learn to see ourselves from the perspective of the whole, from the standpoint of totality. In so doing, we become infinite, divinely human.”

The more the narrator reads, the more reflective he becomes about the ‘idea of a memory theater.’

A memory theater ‘where the long path of the world’s historical development can be held in the storehouse of memory and obsessively replayed.’

So, what does this all really mean? And, what does this self-reflection do? How does it guide the value of our memories? And, how does it play into our present-future?

In many ways this book is a discussion in existentialism. What memories are grounded in truth? Should we be concerned with our human existence? What memory theater are we here to create in this life?

“Might not a landscape itself be seen as a memory theater? Might not the whole globe be viewed as a set of memory traces for life, organic and inorganic, past and future?”

Is it true that in order “to see the future, we must turn inward?”

Needless to say, this was not a simple ordinary short book to be read. It was one that expected readers to go inward along with the narrator, to consider: our present world, the memories we have experienced and created for ourselves; and, an opportunity to ‘recall the totality of our own knowledge’ of life itself. Especially as it relates to life decisions we have made and choose to still make.

This debut is profound, sometimes murky, thought-provoking, different, sometimes funny, and definitely odd. Who is this philosophical narrator and why are we having this discussion? But at the same time, in its quirkiness, it certainly opens the door for introspection. Which makes this book perfect for group discussion.

The author also includes ‘a partial glossary of potential obscurities’ at the end.
]]> 3.47 2014 Memory Theater

author: Simon Critchley
name: Karen
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/01
date added: 2025/06/01
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dark, educating-moments, makes-you-think, quirky, thought-provoking, what-were-they-thinking
review:
How often are we as readers gifted with a story that is less than 100 pages? I saw this one in my local library and was intrigued by its premise. But to be honest, my greatest attraction was that it was a short book.

Never could I imagine that it would be one that would be filled with such philosophical musings. Certainly, something any of us can relate to given the right mood.

The beginning had our narrator, the author, sharing his fight with sleep over his fear with death. He declared…

“I was exhausted by exhaustion.”

I could relate to his thoughts so easily, especially in the early days when my medical care team was trying to define my symptoms, which turned out to be Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Thymoma cancers. (Currently, and thankfully, they are respectively in remission and benign. Hopefully, further tests this week will have the same conclusion.) While all this testing was happening, there would be many nights where I would toss and turn as I attempted not to live in the future of the unknown, but stay present with hope for healing. Leaving me with many days where I would wake up ‘exhausted by exhaustion.’

The premise of this short novella is that the narrator, is left a series of boxes by a recently dead philosopher named Michel, who he had minimal involvement with in his past. The boxes were named after astrological signs. As the narrator goes through these boxes, he reflects on the art of memory. Especially as it relates to a variety of writers and other philosophers that are translated by Michel.

“Through the art of memory, we learn to see ourselves from the perspective of the whole, from the standpoint of totality. In so doing, we become infinite, divinely human.”

The more the narrator reads, the more reflective he becomes about the ‘idea of a memory theater.’

A memory theater ‘where the long path of the world’s historical development can be held in the storehouse of memory and obsessively replayed.’

So, what does this all really mean? And, what does this self-reflection do? How does it guide the value of our memories? And, how does it play into our present-future?

In many ways this book is a discussion in existentialism. What memories are grounded in truth? Should we be concerned with our human existence? What memory theater are we here to create in this life?

“Might not a landscape itself be seen as a memory theater? Might not the whole globe be viewed as a set of memory traces for life, organic and inorganic, past and future?”

Is it true that in order “to see the future, we must turn inward?”

Needless to say, this was not a simple ordinary short book to be read. It was one that expected readers to go inward along with the narrator, to consider: our present world, the memories we have experienced and created for ourselves; and, an opportunity to ‘recall the totality of our own knowledge’ of life itself. Especially as it relates to life decisions we have made and choose to still make.

This debut is profound, sometimes murky, thought-provoking, different, sometimes funny, and definitely odd. Who is this philosophical narrator and why are we having this discussion? But at the same time, in its quirkiness, it certainly opens the door for introspection. Which makes this book perfect for group discussion.

The author also includes ‘a partial glossary of potential obscurities’ at the end.

]]> <![CDATA[The Au Pair Affair (Big Shots, #2)]]> 199793632
Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah. ]]> 384 Tessa Bailey 0063308428 Karen 3
And, do we need to be reminded of just how cute they are – over and over again?

Also, the insta lust was a bit too saucy and spicy for me, especially with an over-abundance of foul and coarse language spread throughout the story.

Although it had a plot that could be considered interesting, i.e., a past that for one of the characters left her somewhat traumatized which affected her life decisions, and a child in the middle of a divorced couple, expecting more for her parents, it was hard to connect to this rom-com for all the reasons shared above. Still, don’t go by just my review, I may be an outlier.

2.5 stars

]]> 3.77 2024 The Au Pair Affair (Big Shots, #2)

author: Tessa Bailey
name: Karen
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/31
date added: 2025/05/31
shelves: disappointed, spicy, thumbs-down, uncomfortable, wanted-less
review:
Typically, I enjoy this author. But this time I found myself a bit put off by the more than perfect good-looking pair of main characters. Is that really possible to be so perfect?

And, do we need to be reminded of just how cute they are – over and over again?

Also, the insta lust was a bit too saucy and spicy for me, especially with an over-abundance of foul and coarse language spread throughout the story.

Although it had a plot that could be considered interesting, i.e., a past that for one of the characters left her somewhat traumatized which affected her life decisions, and a child in the middle of a divorced couple, expecting more for her parents, it was hard to connect to this rom-com for all the reasons shared above. Still, don’t go by just my review, I may be an outlier.

2.5 stars

]]> Miss Morgan's Book Brigade 199798905 The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the “captivating, richly drawn” (Woman’s World) The Paris Library returns with a brilliant new novel based on the true story of Jessie Carson—the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France.

1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.

1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.]]> 318 Janet Skeslien Charles 166800898X Karen 4
There is something about this author that should be noted. And that is, her absolute love of libraries and books and those stewards responsible for them, can be felt deeply through the pages. Consider the quote above. It truly is giving all of us a sense of the importance of libraries and what we can hope to gain from their existence.

And, it was also felt to be true in her debut novel, “The Paris Library.” The impact that a library has on a community.

So, I was obviously interested when I saw this one displayed so prominently at my local library. It was meant for me to read, right?

This book feels like a series of quotes to appreciate and opportunities for self-reflection. At least for me. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I would start and stop reading just to pause and contemplate what the author just wrote. As an example, the very first line of the book shares…

“You can learn a lot about a life by looking in someone’s closet.”

Makes one wonder just how revealing we are, if we were to take a tour of each other’s closets.

“The stories this cloth could tell…It had seen love and hate, sacrifice and stinginess, longing and hope, despair and courage. Always courage.”

I’m not sure if that is what my closet would reveal. But if you were to take a closer look, it might show a very casual person whose uniform of the past was closer to a nice suit and sensible heels. Now, I am happy with comfortable leggings, a t-shirt and sweatshirt or hoodie for added warmth, and homely safe flats! And, maybe my jeans.

And, that was my point about all these various ‘quote’ moments. Sometimes being in a moment of self-reflection felt like a better place to be than our confused, messy world right now.

In the case of our characters, there is something to be noted about their service to country, and how their clothing/‘uniform’ interpreted their role.

Or a ribbon with engraved words that show off the women’s motto…

“Do right and fear no man.”

Was that the symbol that could possibly carry these women as they lived through a war? Maybe it should be our calling card for women in today’s era now?

Mostly, as I continued on through the book, I found myself sometimes entranced by the poetic feel to the author’s writing that could give any reader the opportunity to feel deeply about what was being said. Like…

“The past presses on me, memories fill the air.”

Doesn’t that happen to all of us at some point? Consider some of these issues that would take us to that place…The passing of time. Aging. Illness. Death of loved ones. The way things were. All could easily translate to moments of memories.

But this is what got to me most…

“Imagine being surrounded by more books than anyone could read in a lifetime. Imagine the limitless possibilities of stories and truths and adventures.”

The life of a librarian. These people within the book.

My ultimate dream would be to have an overnight stay at such a library. Can you imagine that experience?

I can’t help but sigh. ]]> 3.91 2024 Miss Morgan's Book Brigade

author: Janet Skeslien Charles
name: Karen
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/30
date added: 2025/05/30
shelves: action-packed, book-discussion-perfect, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, educating-moments, engaging, heart-felt, imperfect, inspiring, realistic, thoughtful, uplifting
review:
“The library should be thought of as a river where knowledge flows.”

There is something about this author that should be noted. And that is, her absolute love of libraries and books and those stewards responsible for them, can be felt deeply through the pages. Consider the quote above. It truly is giving all of us a sense of the importance of libraries and what we can hope to gain from their existence.

And, it was also felt to be true in her debut novel, “The Paris Library.” The impact that a library has on a community.

So, I was obviously interested when I saw this one displayed so prominently at my local library. It was meant for me to read, right?

This book feels like a series of quotes to appreciate and opportunities for self-reflection. At least for me. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I would start and stop reading just to pause and contemplate what the author just wrote. As an example, the very first line of the book shares…

“You can learn a lot about a life by looking in someone’s closet.”

Makes one wonder just how revealing we are, if we were to take a tour of each other’s closets.

“The stories this cloth could tell…It had seen love and hate, sacrifice and stinginess, longing and hope, despair and courage. Always courage.”

I’m not sure if that is what my closet would reveal. But if you were to take a closer look, it might show a very casual person whose uniform of the past was closer to a nice suit and sensible heels. Now, I am happy with comfortable leggings, a t-shirt and sweatshirt or hoodie for added warmth, and homely safe flats! And, maybe my jeans.

And, that was my point about all these various ‘quote’ moments. Sometimes being in a moment of self-reflection felt like a better place to be than our confused, messy world right now.

In the case of our characters, there is something to be noted about their service to country, and how their clothing/‘uniform’ interpreted their role.

Or a ribbon with engraved words that show off the women’s motto…

“Do right and fear no man.”

Was that the symbol that could possibly carry these women as they lived through a war? Maybe it should be our calling card for women in today’s era now?

Mostly, as I continued on through the book, I found myself sometimes entranced by the poetic feel to the author’s writing that could give any reader the opportunity to feel deeply about what was being said. Like…

“The past presses on me, memories fill the air.”

Doesn’t that happen to all of us at some point? Consider some of these issues that would take us to that place…The passing of time. Aging. Illness. Death of loved ones. The way things were. All could easily translate to moments of memories.

But this is what got to me most…

“Imagine being surrounded by more books than anyone could read in a lifetime. Imagine the limitless possibilities of stories and truths and adventures.”

The life of a librarian. These people within the book.

My ultimate dream would be to have an overnight stay at such a library. Can you imagine that experience?

I can’t help but sigh.
]]> Resurrection 6578344 Resurrection is an intimate, psychological tale of guilt, anger and forgiveness, translated from the Russian with an introduction and notes by Anthony Briggs in Penguin Classics.

Serving on the jury at a murder trial, Prince Dmitri Nekhlyudov is devastated when he sees the prisoner - Katyusha, a young maid he seduced and abandoned years before. As Dmitri faces the consequences of his actions, he decides to give up his life of wealth and luxury to devote himself to rescuing Katyusha, even if it means following her into exile in Siberia. But can a man truly find redemption by saving another person? Tolstoy's most controversial novel, Resurrection (1899) is a scathing indictment of injustice, corruption and hypocrisy at all levels of society. Creating a vast panorama of Russian life, from peasants to aristocrats, bureaucrats to convicts, it reveals Tolstoy's magnificent storytelling powers.

Anthony Briggs' superb new translation preserves Tolstoy's gripping realism and satirical humour. In his introduction, Briggs discusses the true story behind Resurrection, Tolstoy's political and religious reasons for writing the novel, his gift for characterization and the compelling psychological portrait of Dmitri. This edition also includes a chronology, notes and a summary of chapters.

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) spent his youth in wasteful idleness until 1851, when he travelled to the Caucasus and joined the army with his older brother, fighting in the Crimean war. After marrying in 1862, Tolstoy settled down, managing his estates and writing two of his best-known novels, War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878). A Confession (1879-82) marked a spiritual crisis in his life, and in 1901 he was excommunicated by the Russian Holy Synod. He died in 1910, in the course of a dramatic flight from home, at the small railway station of Astapovo.

If you enjoyed Resurrection, you might like Ivan Goncharov's Oblomov, also available in Penguin Classics.]]> 520 Leo Tolstoy 0140424636 Karen 4
It started with an online book search at my local library. I was interested in reading books that dealt specifically with fictionalized stories about jury trials. I was surprised when this book came up in the search.

My only experience reading Leo Tolstoy has been “Anna Karenina” and that was not exactly an easy read. What would I be in for with this one? Was I up for the challenge?

This paperback version included an introduction by *Anthony Briggs, a chronology of events of Tolstoy’s life events, a notes section; and, a summary by chapters. Clearly, this version would be excellent for any college student or book group needing to read, discuss and/or study this book.

Tolstoy is mostly known for ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘War and Peace.’ This was his last novel which was published in 1899. And, even if it isn’t well-known, it still carries narrative power.

Tolstoy was also known for creating stories that embodied moral improvement. This was his life’s vision for a time, until he got personally sidetracked and found himself in need of money and enjoying fame. This cost him a sense of himself, which included his moral standards. There was even conjecture that this change may have influenced how he chose to write this story. Perhaps a need to regain his soul again? This would most likely be reflected in the early reviews of the book, which were conflicted on whether or not they appreciated the transformation in Tolstoy’s writing.

If anything, this would be considered his most controversial work. Mostly, because it wasn’t ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Anna Karenina.’ But also because of its subject matter. The law, the courts, the judgments, the punishments, the prisons, the brutality of the whole system of justice of the time.

Through his story he chooses to expose and condemn the prison system. Readers will get a sense of how Tolstoy views government and the legal system and how both treat the ‘lower’ classes. As well as Tolstoy’s overall view of human nature through his character development. Because his characters are well-fleshed out and play integral roles within the story.

The premise finds Katerina Maslova charged with murder. Questions surround her guilt. Will the injustice of the system expose the truth? Will the various individuals attached to the case be able to advise and help her? What will eventually happen in the end to bring these issues to a ‘satisfactory’ conclusion? Or not.

Having read “Framed” by John Grisham, it becomes all to understandable how wrongful imprisonments occur. Is this that kind of a case? And, if it is, will justice prevail in the end?

Readers will be exposed to depravity, poverty, debasement, and gloom throughout the pages which may not be easy to read.

All we can hope is that as readers we will recognize that even if this wasn’t his most known or popular work, there is still a brilliance to Tolstoy’s narrative. Readers will be able to reflect on personal responsibility, the nature of sin, and the possibility of moral resurrection. Could this possibly be, something Tolstoy wanted for himself – a moral resurrection of sorts?

“Every man and every living creature has a sacred right to the gladness of springtime.”

And yes, this book did give me my fictionalized jury trial.

*Anthony Briggs is known for his writing, translating and editing books in the fields of Russian and English literature.

If interested, “Framed” by John Grisham review here: /review/show...
]]> 4.11 1899 Resurrection

author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Karen
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1899
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/29
date added: 2025/05/29
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, classic, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dark, engaging, gritty, haunting, intense, makes-you-think, thought-provoking, tragic, uncomfortable, why-so-many-pages
review:
“Natural love is the fundamental law of human life.”

It started with an online book search at my local library. I was interested in reading books that dealt specifically with fictionalized stories about jury trials. I was surprised when this book came up in the search.

My only experience reading Leo Tolstoy has been “Anna Karenina” and that was not exactly an easy read. What would I be in for with this one? Was I up for the challenge?

This paperback version included an introduction by *Anthony Briggs, a chronology of events of Tolstoy’s life events, a notes section; and, a summary by chapters. Clearly, this version would be excellent for any college student or book group needing to read, discuss and/or study this book.

Tolstoy is mostly known for ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘War and Peace.’ This was his last novel which was published in 1899. And, even if it isn’t well-known, it still carries narrative power.

Tolstoy was also known for creating stories that embodied moral improvement. This was his life’s vision for a time, until he got personally sidetracked and found himself in need of money and enjoying fame. This cost him a sense of himself, which included his moral standards. There was even conjecture that this change may have influenced how he chose to write this story. Perhaps a need to regain his soul again? This would most likely be reflected in the early reviews of the book, which were conflicted on whether or not they appreciated the transformation in Tolstoy’s writing.

If anything, this would be considered his most controversial work. Mostly, because it wasn’t ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Anna Karenina.’ But also because of its subject matter. The law, the courts, the judgments, the punishments, the prisons, the brutality of the whole system of justice of the time.

Through his story he chooses to expose and condemn the prison system. Readers will get a sense of how Tolstoy views government and the legal system and how both treat the ‘lower’ classes. As well as Tolstoy’s overall view of human nature through his character development. Because his characters are well-fleshed out and play integral roles within the story.

The premise finds Katerina Maslova charged with murder. Questions surround her guilt. Will the injustice of the system expose the truth? Will the various individuals attached to the case be able to advise and help her? What will eventually happen in the end to bring these issues to a ‘satisfactory’ conclusion? Or not.

Having read “Framed” by John Grisham, it becomes all to understandable how wrongful imprisonments occur. Is this that kind of a case? And, if it is, will justice prevail in the end?

Readers will be exposed to depravity, poverty, debasement, and gloom throughout the pages which may not be easy to read.

All we can hope is that as readers we will recognize that even if this wasn’t his most known or popular work, there is still a brilliance to Tolstoy’s narrative. Readers will be able to reflect on personal responsibility, the nature of sin, and the possibility of moral resurrection. Could this possibly be, something Tolstoy wanted for himself – a moral resurrection of sorts?

“Every man and every living creature has a sacred right to the gladness of springtime.”

And yes, this book did give me my fictionalized jury trial.

*Anthony Briggs is known for his writing, translating and editing books in the fields of Russian and English literature.

If interested, “Framed” by John Grisham review here: /review/show...

]]> <![CDATA[Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions]]> 209786389
A fundamental principle of our legal system is a presumption of innocence, but once someone has been found guilty there is very little room to prove doubt. Framed shares ten true stories of men who were innocent but found guilty and forced to sacrifice friends, families, wives, and decades of their lives to prison while the guilty parties remained free. In each of the stories, John Grisham and Jim McCloskey recount the dramatic hard-fought battles for exoneration. They take a close look at what leads to wrongful convictions in the first place, and the racism, misconduct, flawed testimony, and the corrupt court system that can make them so hard to reverse.

Told with page-turning suspense as only John Grisham can deliver, Framed is the story of overcoming adversity when the battle already seems lost, and the deck is stacked against you.]]> 368 John Grisham 0385550448 Karen 5
This book is co-written with Jim McCloskey. Jim McCloskey is the founder of the Centurion Ministries, an organization devoted to freeing the wrongly convicted.

I requested the book from my local library on October 30, 2024, and received it on March 13, 2025. Being a fan of John Grisham, I was interested to read another non-fiction version of writings from him. Especially since I had appreciated his first non-fiction book, “An Innocent Man” which I recently re-visited. Review here: /review/show...

The authors present 10 wrongly convicted murder cases and ‘a note on sources’ section at the end of the book that provides research background for the stories. As well as some photographs. Each author wrote about 5 cases, some of which may be well-known to the criminal law community, and, others that have not attracted the same attention.

Most notable throughout was how the authors portrayed the human cost of mistaken convictions. It would soon be clear to readers as they read each case, how each conviction affected the wrongly accused individual(s) and their loved ones, what they would miss when removed from the “outside” world; and, the indignities suffered from incarceration. The authors also provided an excellent view of those inspiring fighters who worked so hard to overturn these convictions and how that impacted their lives, too.

As readers dive into the cases through the author’s point of view, they will most likely find themselves with many questions and emotions. Such as…

What caused the convictions in the first place? What role did police, witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and judges play?

And, what happens when there are unprincipled, conscienceless individuals involved in the cases? Or, politics taking center stage above truth?

“They…fled the scene, and, typical for politicians, immediately began denying they were involved or blaming other people.”

And, what are the ‘unfair laws, practices and procedures’ that Grisham alludes to here? Does he provide solutions or resolutions for improvement in the justice system? And, why is it so difficult to admit to one’s mistakes for the wrongly accused and convicted, once innocence is determined?

“Over the years, observers…have often asked why the …authorities insisted on prosecuting…when the real killers surfaced before the trial and offered confessions that comported with the facts of the crime. There could be several reasons. One is that it would have been embarrassing, even humiliating, to admit to the wrongful indictment …, an indictment that was the result of work done by the entire law enforcement community… Another reason may have been the authorities’ fear that if they had gone after…the real killer, their past leniency with him, despite his violent history, would come to light. …The repercussions of such a revelation could have been devastating to the careers of …elected officials.”

Each author writes with their own stylistic flair.

Grisham writes as if we are in one of his novels, by creating an ambiance and undertone that sometimes feels over-dramatic. But most the time feels heart-felt, tethered with anger and dismay in the system – and the people who are supposed to provide fair and unbiased justice.

McCloskey comes in formulating a fact-based presentation, setting the tone for what is to come. There is a compassionate feeling to his words, where readers want to understand what occurred, especially since he and his organization played a part in representing those falsely convicted. Grisham also does an honorable job of shining the light and attention to McCloskey’s work. But would this book have gotten the same attention if McCloskey was the singular author for it?

The cases will no doubt affect readers. They are many times heart-breaking and heart-wrenching. Especially knowing that systematic racial bias played a part in many of the cases. Which makes the re-telling of these stories both gripping, infuriating and engaging reading.

4.5 stars]]> 4.07 2024 Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions

Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions

author: John Grisham
name: Karen
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/05/29
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, brilliant, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, educating-moments, engaging, excellent, gripping, haunting, heart-felt, intriguing, makes-you-think, realistic, thought-provoking
review:
“It is of paramount importance that the reader has full confidence in the accuracy of each case narrative. I have done my best to write in such a way as to not betray or violate that trust.” – Jim McCloskey

This book is co-written with Jim McCloskey. Jim McCloskey is the founder of the Centurion Ministries, an organization devoted to freeing the wrongly convicted.

I requested the book from my local library on October 30, 2024, and received it on March 13, 2025. Being a fan of John Grisham, I was interested to read another non-fiction version of writings from him. Especially since I had appreciated his first non-fiction book, “An Innocent Man” which I recently re-visited. Review here: /review/show...

The authors present 10 wrongly convicted murder cases and ‘a note on sources’ section at the end of the book that provides research background for the stories. As well as some photographs. Each author wrote about 5 cases, some of which may be well-known to the criminal law community, and, others that have not attracted the same attention.

Most notable throughout was how the authors portrayed the human cost of mistaken convictions. It would soon be clear to readers as they read each case, how each conviction affected the wrongly accused individual(s) and their loved ones, what they would miss when removed from the “outside” world; and, the indignities suffered from incarceration. The authors also provided an excellent view of those inspiring fighters who worked so hard to overturn these convictions and how that impacted their lives, too.

As readers dive into the cases through the author’s point of view, they will most likely find themselves with many questions and emotions. Such as…

What caused the convictions in the first place? What role did police, witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and judges play?

And, what happens when there are unprincipled, conscienceless individuals involved in the cases? Or, politics taking center stage above truth?

“They…fled the scene, and, typical for politicians, immediately began denying they were involved or blaming other people.”

And, what are the ‘unfair laws, practices and procedures’ that Grisham alludes to here? Does he provide solutions or resolutions for improvement in the justice system? And, why is it so difficult to admit to one’s mistakes for the wrongly accused and convicted, once innocence is determined?

“Over the years, observers…have often asked why the …authorities insisted on prosecuting…when the real killers surfaced before the trial and offered confessions that comported with the facts of the crime. There could be several reasons. One is that it would have been embarrassing, even humiliating, to admit to the wrongful indictment …, an indictment that was the result of work done by the entire law enforcement community… Another reason may have been the authorities’ fear that if they had gone after…the real killer, their past leniency with him, despite his violent history, would come to light. …The repercussions of such a revelation could have been devastating to the careers of …elected officials.”

Each author writes with their own stylistic flair.

Grisham writes as if we are in one of his novels, by creating an ambiance and undertone that sometimes feels over-dramatic. But most the time feels heart-felt, tethered with anger and dismay in the system – and the people who are supposed to provide fair and unbiased justice.

McCloskey comes in formulating a fact-based presentation, setting the tone for what is to come. There is a compassionate feeling to his words, where readers want to understand what occurred, especially since he and his organization played a part in representing those falsely convicted. Grisham also does an honorable job of shining the light and attention to McCloskey’s work. But would this book have gotten the same attention if McCloskey was the singular author for it?

The cases will no doubt affect readers. They are many times heart-breaking and heart-wrenching. Especially knowing that systematic racial bias played a part in many of the cases. Which makes the re-telling of these stories both gripping, infuriating and engaging reading.

4.5 stars
]]> The Heartbeat Library 207003910 The Heartbeat Library is a tender, contemplative, and uplifting novel about grief, friendship, and the many ways we heal, by the internationally bestselling author of The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World.

On the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. In this small, isolated building, the heartbeats of people who are still alive or have already passed away continue to echo.

Several miles away, in the ancient city of Kamakura, two lonely souls meet: Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, who returns to his hometown to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi’s house.

Day by day, the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows, until they discover they share a bond that will tie them together for life. Their journey will lead them to Teshima and to the library of heartbeats . . .

Enchanting, touching, and emotionally riveting, The Heartbeat Library is a story about loss and hope, pain and joy, reality and imagination, and the promise of healing and overcoming the odds thanks to the relationships we build and rediscover. Inspired by Les Archives du Cœur, an art installation in Japan that permanently houses recordings of the heartbeats of people throughout the world, Laura Imai Messina returns in this novel to the themes and atmospheres of her internationally bestselling novel The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World, combining a real-life pilgrimage site of healing with an unforgettable and heartwarming story.]]> 400 Laura Imai Messina 141977249X Karen 4
“A handover: one heart letting another speak.”

What does this all mean?

“This island is a heart. It contracts with the irregular beat of the waves. The tides prolong its pulse, a beat or two is sometimes skipped. But it always begins again.”

There is a gentleness to the storytelling here even if it is not told in a linear way. Where readers are introduced to the past and present life of Shuichi. His experiences. His heart. (Its own unique character.) His thoughts. His grief. And, the grief of others who find solace on this island for their heartbeats.

The heartbeats are based on a true to life art installation created by artist Christian Boltanski, known as the Library of Heartbeats on Teshima Island. Its intention is to capture and record the heartbeats of the people who come to visit.

“If you live a good life, your heart will complete a journey of three billion beats.”

Because it is not a linear story, it feels abstract, making it a bit confusing to follow at times. The story is told through memories, present time and trips past and present to the island. Still, even if it is hard to follow or keep up at times, there is something unique and special about its thought-provoking, heartwarming and heart-felt message.

Although grief is not always an easy subject to read, the author has created characters who learn and grow, show resilience and persevere despite and because of it. Thus, allowing readers to experience the full emotions that take any of us towards healing.

At the back of the book, readers will be provided with ‘the sounds of the heart in Japanese’ and ‘an important note’ by the author. The author also offers a glossary of Japanese terms, including definitions.

The author in her important note at the end shares…

“…if we renounce pain, joy disappears with it!”

The expectation is for us to feel it all, especially the pain caused by our grief, in order to appreciate joy. In many ways, as we read along, we are being taken on a self-reflective journey.

Kleenex recommended.
]]> 4.01 2022 The Heartbeat Library

author: Laura Imai Messina
name: Karen
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/28
date added: 2025/05/28
shelves: adventurous, book-discussion-perfect, compelling, conversational, creates-questions, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, intriguing, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, thought-provoking, thoughtful, uplifting
review:
Imagine a beautiful island surrounded by pristine crystal blue ocean somewhere in Japan. Now imagine that there is a special unique library/museum on this island. Not of books or artifacts, but heartbeats.

“A handover: one heart letting another speak.”

What does this all mean?

“This island is a heart. It contracts with the irregular beat of the waves. The tides prolong its pulse, a beat or two is sometimes skipped. But it always begins again.”

There is a gentleness to the storytelling here even if it is not told in a linear way. Where readers are introduced to the past and present life of Shuichi. His experiences. His heart. (Its own unique character.) His thoughts. His grief. And, the grief of others who find solace on this island for their heartbeats.

The heartbeats are based on a true to life art installation created by artist Christian Boltanski, known as the Library of Heartbeats on Teshima Island. Its intention is to capture and record the heartbeats of the people who come to visit.

“If you live a good life, your heart will complete a journey of three billion beats.”

Because it is not a linear story, it feels abstract, making it a bit confusing to follow at times. The story is told through memories, present time and trips past and present to the island. Still, even if it is hard to follow or keep up at times, there is something unique and special about its thought-provoking, heartwarming and heart-felt message.

Although grief is not always an easy subject to read, the author has created characters who learn and grow, show resilience and persevere despite and because of it. Thus, allowing readers to experience the full emotions that take any of us towards healing.

At the back of the book, readers will be provided with ‘the sounds of the heart in Japanese’ and ‘an important note’ by the author. The author also offers a glossary of Japanese terms, including definitions.

The author in her important note at the end shares…

“…if we renounce pain, joy disappears with it!”

The expectation is for us to feel it all, especially the pain caused by our grief, in order to appreciate joy. In many ways, as we read along, we are being taken on a self-reflective journey.

Kleenex recommended.

]]> The Unsinkable Greta James 58265135 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

Greta James's meteoric rise to indie stardom was hard-won. Before she graced magazine covers and sold out venues, she spent her girlhood strumming her guitar in the family garage. Her first fan was her mother, Helen, whose face shone bright in the dusty downtown bars where she got her start—but not everyone encouraged Greta to follow her dreams. While many daydream about a crowd chanting their name, her father, Conrad, saw only a precarious life ahead for his daughter.

Greta has spent her life trying to prove him wrong, but three months after Helen's sudden death, and weeks before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta has an onstage meltdown that goes viral. Attempting to outrun the humiliation and heartbreak, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise, the very one that her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary.

This could be the James family's last chance to heal old wounds and will prove to be a voyage of discovery for them, as well as for Ben Wilder, a historian also struggling with a major upheaval in his life. Ben is on board to lecture about Jack London's The Call of the Wild, the adventure story Greta's mother adored, and he captures Greta's attention after her streak of dating hanger-ons. As Greta works to build up her confidence and heal, and Ben confronts his uncertain future, they must rely on one another to make sense of life’s difficult choices. In the end, Greta must make the most challenging decision of all: to listen to the song within her or make peace with those who love her.

An indie musician reeling from tragedy reconnects with her estranged father on a week-long cruise in this tale of grief, fame, and love from bestselling author Jennifer E. Smith.]]> 320 Jennifer E. Smith 0593358279 Karen 4
I wouldn’t have known about this book, hadn’t I seen it listed in the recent 카지노싸이트 newsletter. And, even then I wasn’t certain I was interested until I recognized the author’s name.

For those who may be unfamiliar, Smith wrote “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.” And, to be honest, I wouldn’t have known about that book hadn’t I first seen the movie version (“Love at First Sight”) of it on Netflix. So, when I saw that this was her book, I knew I wanted to read it. As a side note, I recommend both the book, ‘The Statistical…’ and the movie. Review here: /review/show...

This story is measured and told in days. The days that Greta James, a successful singer/musician has decided, by her brother Asher’s prodding, to go on the Alaskan cruise with her dad, Conrad. The cruise that was meant for her dad and mom. Unfortunately, their mom passed, and her brother felt that her dad shouldn’t be left alone with his friends as the awkward tag-along. So, guilted into going, Greta reluctantly books a cabin.

“The name of the ship is painted across the broad white side. It’s called the Escape, which is the only thing so far today that’s made her want to laugh.”

It doesn’t help that her dad thinks less of Greta and her career choices. But both are mourning the loss of their beloved wife/mother, and this might be a way to bring them closer.

“Please try not to get kicked off the ship, okay?”
“What could they even do?” she asks, “Send me off on a dinghy?”

But as each struggle with their emotions, memories and loss, what will happen for these two during these measured days?

And then there is Ben Wilder a single recently separated father who is serving as a historian lecturer on the ship. What is his story? Is there something here for Greta and Ben to find in these days to help them through this time? What will happen after the cruise has ended?

“I mean, look around. How many people really live? Like, really and truly do something big with their lives?”

And then there is the scenic Alaskan waters and countryside. Who can’t appreciate the value of setting within the story?

“…how beautiful it is, all of it – the dreamlike mountains and cerulean sky, the clouds reflected in the bay…”

Told through past ‘memories,’ and present time, readers will have the opportunity to connect to the well-drawn characters to better appreciate their journey. Although at times the break between a memory shared and present time conversation may at times feel a bit confusing, the emotional connection to both will most likely be felt by readers.

Also, there is something about this story that readers might connect to as it touches on grief, loss, familial relationships, true connections and dealing with change.

“I trust you with important things.”

And, this will not be a typical rom-com with a predictable HEA ending. Something different happens for all these characters, that is discovered in the short time they all spend together at sea.

Up for a cruise between the pages?

“Time to turn the page.”

All aboard! ]]> 3.81 2022 The Unsinkable Greta James

author: Jennifer E. Smith
name: Karen
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/27
date added: 2025/05/27
shelves: charming, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, page-turner, scenic, sweet, thoughtful
review:
“Maybe the point isn’t always to make things last. Maybe it’s just to make them count.”

I wouldn’t have known about this book, hadn’t I seen it listed in the recent 카지노싸이트 newsletter. And, even then I wasn’t certain I was interested until I recognized the author’s name.

For those who may be unfamiliar, Smith wrote “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.” And, to be honest, I wouldn’t have known about that book hadn’t I first seen the movie version (“Love at First Sight”) of it on Netflix. So, when I saw that this was her book, I knew I wanted to read it. As a side note, I recommend both the book, ‘The Statistical…’ and the movie. Review here: /review/show...

This story is measured and told in days. The days that Greta James, a successful singer/musician has decided, by her brother Asher’s prodding, to go on the Alaskan cruise with her dad, Conrad. The cruise that was meant for her dad and mom. Unfortunately, their mom passed, and her brother felt that her dad shouldn’t be left alone with his friends as the awkward tag-along. So, guilted into going, Greta reluctantly books a cabin.

“The name of the ship is painted across the broad white side. It’s called the Escape, which is the only thing so far today that’s made her want to laugh.”

It doesn’t help that her dad thinks less of Greta and her career choices. But both are mourning the loss of their beloved wife/mother, and this might be a way to bring them closer.

“Please try not to get kicked off the ship, okay?”
“What could they even do?” she asks, “Send me off on a dinghy?”

But as each struggle with their emotions, memories and loss, what will happen for these two during these measured days?

And then there is Ben Wilder a single recently separated father who is serving as a historian lecturer on the ship. What is his story? Is there something here for Greta and Ben to find in these days to help them through this time? What will happen after the cruise has ended?

“I mean, look around. How many people really live? Like, really and truly do something big with their lives?”

And then there is the scenic Alaskan waters and countryside. Who can’t appreciate the value of setting within the story?

“…how beautiful it is, all of it – the dreamlike mountains and cerulean sky, the clouds reflected in the bay…”

Told through past ‘memories,’ and present time, readers will have the opportunity to connect to the well-drawn characters to better appreciate their journey. Although at times the break between a memory shared and present time conversation may at times feel a bit confusing, the emotional connection to both will most likely be felt by readers.

Also, there is something about this story that readers might connect to as it touches on grief, loss, familial relationships, true connections and dealing with change.

“I trust you with important things.”

And, this will not be a typical rom-com with a predictable HEA ending. Something different happens for all these characters, that is discovered in the short time they all spend together at sea.

Up for a cruise between the pages?

“Time to turn the page.”

All aboard!
]]> <![CDATA[The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight]]> 10798416
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.]]> 236 Jennifer E. Smith 0316122386 Karen 4
When…I learned that the film was based on this book, I had to order the book from the library.

And…So here it is. (I will compare between movie and book in this review since both are fresh in my mind.)

Now…What I have learned is that the film stayed fairly close to the plot. They did age the characters, which made the storyline a bit more realistic in the film. (My opinion.)

The story is set in a 24-hour period and takes readers to JFK airport, on a flight across the Atlantic, and throughout the city of London.

There is whimsy and wish fulfilling.

And then…The film makes a few deviations from the book.

First, the film is told from both Hadley and Oliver’s point of view, shedding light especially on Oliver’s fragile backstory.

There is a new character in the movie who plays the Narrator, who ties the themes of fate together.

And then…There are reasons that Oliver is returning home. The book shares one way, and the movie shares another way. To divulge what those reasons are, would give away major plot points, and I don’t do spoilers.

So…I would encourage you to watch it (and/or read it), because they definitely do add to the major climax of the stories!

With the movie…

It is rather whimsical in its presentation.

And…Surprisingly, realistic.

So please…Pass the Kleenex.

In the book… (well, the movie, too...)

Hadley is still traveling to her dad’s wedding. She still needs to address her feelings about her dad leaving her and her mom behind. The divorce.

And yet…Her mom has now moved on, too.

So, can Hadley?

Can she learn to let her father love again with Charlotte?

And in the end…Being the romantic I am…

What do I want for Hadley and Oliver?

Perhaps…The statistical probability of love at first sight to work…

Into forever. (Both movie and book.)

Question is…

Which will you like best – the book or the movie?]]> 3.76 2012

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

author: Jennifer E. Smith
name: Karen
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/05
date added: 2025/05/27
shelves: captivating, compelling, conversational, cozy, creates-questions, cute, easy-to-read, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, light-hearted, loved-it, magical, page-turner, realistic, thought-provoking, thoughtful
review:
I blame Netflix for this one. I saw the movie first. I was in need of an escape, and “Love at First Sight” was the perfect one. If you have Netflix, and you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend it.

When…I learned that the film was based on this book, I had to order the book from the library.

And…So here it is. (I will compare between movie and book in this review since both are fresh in my mind.)

Now…What I have learned is that the film stayed fairly close to the plot. They did age the characters, which made the storyline a bit more realistic in the film. (My opinion.)

The story is set in a 24-hour period and takes readers to JFK airport, on a flight across the Atlantic, and throughout the city of London.

There is whimsy and wish fulfilling.

And then…The film makes a few deviations from the book.

First, the film is told from both Hadley and Oliver’s point of view, shedding light especially on Oliver’s fragile backstory.

There is a new character in the movie who plays the Narrator, who ties the themes of fate together.

And then…There are reasons that Oliver is returning home. The book shares one way, and the movie shares another way. To divulge what those reasons are, would give away major plot points, and I don’t do spoilers.

So…I would encourage you to watch it (and/or read it), because they definitely do add to the major climax of the stories!

With the movie…

It is rather whimsical in its presentation.

And…Surprisingly, realistic.

So please…Pass the Kleenex.

In the book… (well, the movie, too...)

Hadley is still traveling to her dad’s wedding. She still needs to address her feelings about her dad leaving her and her mom behind. The divorce.

And yet…Her mom has now moved on, too.

So, can Hadley?

Can she learn to let her father love again with Charlotte?

And in the end…Being the romantic I am…

What do I want for Hadley and Oliver?

Perhaps…The statistical probability of love at first sight to work…

Into forever. (Both movie and book.)

Question is…

Which will you like best – the book or the movie?
]]> True Colors 7058814 Women across America laughed, cried, and reconnected with their friends after reading Kristin Hannah's smash hit, Firefly Lane. Now, in True Colors, she explores the poignant, powerful, complex world of sisters…

The Grey sisters had only each other when their mother died years ago. Their stern, unyielding father gave them almost no attention. Winona, the oldest, needs her father's approval most of all. An overweight dreamer, she never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that had been in her family for three generations. Aurora, the middle, is the peacemaker. Vivi Ann, the youngest, is the undisputed star of the family. Everything comes easily to Vivi Ann, her father's love most of all. But when Vivi Ann makes a fateful decision to follow her heart, rather than take the route of a dutiful daughter, events are set in motion that will test the love and loyalties of the Grey sisters. They will be pitted against each other in ways none could have imagined. Secrets will be revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both the family and their beloved town. With breathtaking pace and penetrating insight, Kristin Hannah's True Colors is a novel about sisters, vengeance, jealousy, betrayal—and ultimately, what it truly means to be a family.]]> 512 Kristin Hannah 0312606125 Karen 3
My experience with this author is conflicted. I sometimes find myself deeply engaged or detached from her characters. But because she is a popular author, her books are constantly donated and “checked out” from my Little Free Library Shed.

As a recent donation, I was able to re-visit this story from 2009. I thought I would appreciate it more because the story revolves around sisters who have nobody to lean on but each other. It includes all the types of drama that could be expected with family.

And, totally adoring my sister and knowing how much we lean in to each other, I thought I could feel a sense of empathy towards the characters.

This is also a testament to what families go through to survive under the most challenging of circumstances. What readers may appreciate most is the family dynamics – especially the sisters’ relationship, in the face of tragedy. With the story touching on rivalry, jealousy, redemption, and forgiveness.

The good and bad of this story is that I wasn’t sure what the novel genre was meant to be. Because it was a mixture of love story, family drama and courtroom drama/legal thriller.

The good part of that was that I am attracted to all 3 genres. But when mixed into one book, it did feel a bit overwritten. Still, the best part was the sisters’ interactions, the descriptions of small-town injustice and the price paid for prejudice. So, obviously I am conflicted about this story and, this author again.

Although predictable with a slow start, the lessons of believing in love and hope were strongly felt.

3.5 stars
]]> 4.10 2009 True Colors

author: Kristin Hannah
name: Karen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/26
date added: 2025/05/26
shelves: easy-to-read, feel-good, heart-felt, ok, thoughtful
review:
Catching up…

My experience with this author is conflicted. I sometimes find myself deeply engaged or detached from her characters. But because she is a popular author, her books are constantly donated and “checked out” from my Little Free Library Shed.

As a recent donation, I was able to re-visit this story from 2009. I thought I would appreciate it more because the story revolves around sisters who have nobody to lean on but each other. It includes all the types of drama that could be expected with family.

And, totally adoring my sister and knowing how much we lean in to each other, I thought I could feel a sense of empathy towards the characters.

This is also a testament to what families go through to survive under the most challenging of circumstances. What readers may appreciate most is the family dynamics – especially the sisters’ relationship, in the face of tragedy. With the story touching on rivalry, jealousy, redemption, and forgiveness.

The good and bad of this story is that I wasn’t sure what the novel genre was meant to be. Because it was a mixture of love story, family drama and courtroom drama/legal thriller.

The good part of that was that I am attracted to all 3 genres. But when mixed into one book, it did feel a bit overwritten. Still, the best part was the sisters’ interactions, the descriptions of small-town injustice and the price paid for prejudice. So, obviously I am conflicted about this story and, this author again.

Although predictable with a slow start, the lessons of believing in love and hope were strongly felt.

3.5 stars

]]> <![CDATA[Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again]]> 223927267 From two of America’s most respected journalists, an unflinching and explosive reckoning with one of the most fateful decisions in American political life: Joe Biden’s run for reelection despite evidence of his serious decline—amid desperate efforts to hide the extent of that deterioration. In Greek tragedy, the protagonist’s effort to avoid his fate is what seals his fate. In 2024, American politics became a Greek tragedy.

Joe Biden launched his successful 2020 bid for the White House with the stated goal of saving the nation from a second Trump presidential term. He, his family, and his senior aides were so convinced that only he could beat Trump again, they lied to themselves, allies, and the public about his condition and limitations. At his debate with Trump on June 27, 2024, the consequences of that deception were exposed to the world. It was shocking and upsetting.

Now the full, unsettling truth is being told for the first time. Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson take us behind closed doors and into private conversations between the heaviest of hitters, revealing how big the problem was and how many people knew about it. From White House staffers at the highest to lowest levels, to leaders of Congress and the Cabinet, from governors to donors and Hollywood players, the truth is finally being told. What you will learn makes President Biden’s decision to run for reelection seem shockingly narcissistic, self-delusional, and reckless—a desperate bet that went bust—and part of a larger act of extended public deception that has few precedents. The story the authors tell raises fundamental issues of accountability and responsibility that will continue for decades.

The irony is that in the name of defeating what they called an existential threat to democracy, Biden and his inner circle ensured it, tossing aside his implicit promise to serve for only one term, denying the existence of health issues the nation had been watching for years, dooming the Democrats to defeat. The decision to run again, the Original Sin of this president, led to a campaign of denial and gaslighting, leading directly to Donald Trump's return to power and all that has happened as a consequence. Rarely does hubris meet nemesis more explosively. Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, Original Sin is essential reading.]]> 352 Jake Tapper Karen 1
Full Disclosure: I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book. And, I wasn’t sure why this book needed to be written by these supposed ‘respected’ journalists. Especially when it was learned that the anonymous sources who made up most of the alleged book’s claims were unreliable. The authors say they talked with 100’s of sources. And yet, only a dozen are ‘willing’ to be on the record, and barely any are standing behind ‘their’ quotes. What gives?

Naomi Biden, President Biden’s granddaughter, considered this a “silly book” one that was filled with “political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class.” Of course, she would defend her grandfather, but her concerns do pose relevant questions about the timing and true intentions for such a book.

For those who still choose to believe this is another ‘I told you so’ story against Biden, I hope you will soon come to recognize the lack of consistency within this book, where ‘evidence’ to support the title of this book appears sketchy. I leave that to readers to discover.

Mostly, this is my take on what really should have been discussed.

I happen to be a true fan of President Biden and his illustrious career as a civil servant. And, in my continued, full disclosure I want it known that, I respect President Biden’s accomplishments while in service to our country. I recognize that he was imperfect, but I have to believe, being in the public eye isn’t an easy position for anyone. And, thus many trips and flubs will most likely be noted, especially by those looking for fodder.

Still, we can’t help but note his vast accomplishments while President. To begin, Biden worked to minimize the damage of Covid, which Trump irresponsibly let enter our country during his first administration. Because Trump arrogantly and blatantly ignored the blueprint for handling pandemics that was left for him by President Obama and then Vice President Biden.

Also, there were so many wins under Biden’s leadership. Some of which include but are not limited to…

He created a phenomenal executive team of competent, well-educated visionary leaders; added millions of jobs, tackled junk fees, built a fairer tax system, worked towards affordable housing for Americans, provided for a healthy economy, gave our country the American Recovery Act, the Chips and 카지노싸이트 Act, the Inflation Reduction Act; united, reinvigorated and strengthened NATO, supported Ukraine, supported student debt relief, protected Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare; advanced equality, racial justice and reproductive rights, delivered for diverse communities, provided for infrastructure funding across the states; as well, as continued to strengthen the pandemic response. Amongst many other programs that helped countless Americans. Including responding immediately to any weather induced or horrific crisis in which support was needed throughout the states.

For anyone believing that our country wasn’t in a better place under President Biden, in comparison to our current circumstances under Trump (even his first administration), has to be delusional.

Mostly, we as Americans could always count on Biden’s love of this country and the people, despite how they voted. He represented everyone. Equally.

His son, Hunter Biden shared recently, “That unconditional love has been his North Star as a President, and as a parent. He is unique in public life today, in that there is no distance between Joe Biden the man and Joe Biden the public servant of the last 54 years.”

There is so much to appreciate about Joe Biden for all that he has given to this country. That sometimes it is difficult to remember those moments when I was actually angry with him. The one time being when he chose to run again for President. I didn’t want him to do it. I thought he was only going to be a one-term President, and that was fine with me. By choosing to run, I believe he may have inadvertently set in motion the very circumstances we are facing in today’s world – and, especially in today’s un-United States. And, that is what concerned me then and now. President Biden deserves to be remembered for his legacy of service, not for whatever Tapper and his co-writer, Alex Thompson is choosing to blame him for within these pages.

The dismantling of our country by Trump, a conman, criminal, and his unethical, spineless henchmen, and countless cult-like followers who have no decency to consider the truth of what their vote has done and continues to do to our country, is what we should be concerned about – not whether Biden’s health, or decision to run again is the deciding factor for the current mess are country is in.

And, most of all, we cannot forget the flame that lit the fire in the first place. Mitch McConnell. I blame him most of all. Mitch McConnell is the lead factor for Trump being able to be in the oval office today. If McConnell would have done the right thing, by leading the GOP to convict Trump in the initial impeachment trial we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Trump was guilty, McConnell knew it, and he also knew it should have been handled on his watch as Majority Leader. He and his GOP complicit counterparts were just as guilty in putting our country in the hands of this authoritarian madman. The corruption continues relentlessly, and it astounds me that his followers are sitting by and letting Trump and his minions (those elected, and those who were not elected or legally appointed) to continue to get away with it. Shame on them.

Tapper and Thompson consider this book a tragedy. Their description for Biden. They describe Biden as failing with political allies, or aides helping him through important conversations. A mental decline that should have been noticed sooner, by the authors as journalists. By Congress. By everyone. And yet, they offer no set date as to when the decline actually began.

And, even if Tapper shares a sense of empathy for Biden, as a journalist he still felt the need to talk about the deterioration of the man’s mind openly. Tapper saw it as a cover-up. That needed to be revealed now. What Tapper and Thompson now consider their investigative deep dive into Biden’s deteriorating condition, and how ‘everyone’ protected him.

So, is this an important story? Does it matter now? The point for me, is this really the story journalists need to be writing now?

Regardless, did any of this impair Biden’s ability to do his job? Look at Biden’s accomplishments. Tapper/Thompson even concluded that his critics could “attest to Biden’s ability to make sound decisions.” So, what’s the big deal here?

Look at all Biden had to endure during his Presidency. Even an impeachment of Trump and an insurrection incited by Trump prior to Biden taking office. And, with an uncooperative Congress at most times. And, the ridiculous and unrelenting lawsuits proving over and over again that the 2020 election was not stolen – despite what Trump continues to claim, Biden did his best to get legislation passed and funding to where it was most needed.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tapper felt that keeping information from the public about Biden’s declining health could be considered a “horrible cover-up of something that wasn’t technically a crime, but you could argue morally it was.”

Maybe Tapper/Thompson should be concerned about what is going on in Trump’s head, and that should be the real story. Not this one. Trump is the true moral crime.

And since, the authors also concluded that staff and political allies felt Biden was able to do his job, again I ask, what is the big deal here about Biden?

Because as Trump is unraveling and destroying literally every institution in America, shouldn’t this be something everyone should be concerned about now? And, what about the ‘words’ that come out of Trump’s mouth? Have the authors followed his speeches that don’t make sense? His erratic behavior which is always on full display, even as staff say to not take his comments seriously? His relentless and vitriol threats and verbal attacks on individuals and countries? The disinformation, exaggerations and lies and lack of historical accuracy that Trump spews? But mostly…Clearly laws are being broken, the constitution is not being followed, and Trump and his GOP administration show absolutely no respect for American democracy or the rule of law.

“The president of the United States appears to have long ago forgotten that Americans fought the Revolutionary War not merely to secure their independence from the British monarchy but to establish a government of laws, not of men, so that they and future generations of Americans would never again be subject to the whims of a tyrannical king.” – J. Michael Luttig – Lawyer and former Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, “The End of Rule of Law in America” – The Atlantic, May 14, 2025

PLEASE. Stop the madness. Stop going after or blaming Biden. Go after the true bully, the true criminal in this dark VERY present story. Remove Trump now. Impeach, Convict and Remove him from office. For real this time. We have a country and citizens to protect here.

Please Tapper/Thompson re-direct your reporting energies. There are obviously more important things to focus on.
]]> 3.64 2025 Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again

Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again

author: Jake Tapper
name: Karen
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/05/25
date added: 2025/05/25
shelves: disappointed, exasperating, thumbs-down, what-were-they-thinking, should-never-have-been-published
review:
PLEASE NOTE: I would be exceedingly grateful that if you are a Trump supporter that you bypass reading and commenting on my review. I honestly have no tolerance for what you have done to our country by voting for Trump or continuing to support him. Especially after serving witness to the havoc he and his cohorts continue to create in our country and abroad. Thank you.

Full Disclosure: I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book. And, I wasn’t sure why this book needed to be written by these supposed ‘respected’ journalists. Especially when it was learned that the anonymous sources who made up most of the alleged book’s claims were unreliable. The authors say they talked with 100’s of sources. And yet, only a dozen are ‘willing’ to be on the record, and barely any are standing behind ‘their’ quotes. What gives?

Naomi Biden, President Biden’s granddaughter, considered this a “silly book” one that was filled with “political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class.” Of course, she would defend her grandfather, but her concerns do pose relevant questions about the timing and true intentions for such a book.

For those who still choose to believe this is another ‘I told you so’ story against Biden, I hope you will soon come to recognize the lack of consistency within this book, where ‘evidence’ to support the title of this book appears sketchy. I leave that to readers to discover.

Mostly, this is my take on what really should have been discussed.

I happen to be a true fan of President Biden and his illustrious career as a civil servant. And, in my continued, full disclosure I want it known that, I respect President Biden’s accomplishments while in service to our country. I recognize that he was imperfect, but I have to believe, being in the public eye isn’t an easy position for anyone. And, thus many trips and flubs will most likely be noted, especially by those looking for fodder.

Still, we can’t help but note his vast accomplishments while President. To begin, Biden worked to minimize the damage of Covid, which Trump irresponsibly let enter our country during his first administration. Because Trump arrogantly and blatantly ignored the blueprint for handling pandemics that was left for him by President Obama and then Vice President Biden.

Also, there were so many wins under Biden’s leadership. Some of which include but are not limited to…

He created a phenomenal executive team of competent, well-educated visionary leaders; added millions of jobs, tackled junk fees, built a fairer tax system, worked towards affordable housing for Americans, provided for a healthy economy, gave our country the American Recovery Act, the Chips and 카지노싸이트 Act, the Inflation Reduction Act; united, reinvigorated and strengthened NATO, supported Ukraine, supported student debt relief, protected Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare; advanced equality, racial justice and reproductive rights, delivered for diverse communities, provided for infrastructure funding across the states; as well, as continued to strengthen the pandemic response. Amongst many other programs that helped countless Americans. Including responding immediately to any weather induced or horrific crisis in which support was needed throughout the states.

For anyone believing that our country wasn’t in a better place under President Biden, in comparison to our current circumstances under Trump (even his first administration), has to be delusional.

Mostly, we as Americans could always count on Biden’s love of this country and the people, despite how they voted. He represented everyone. Equally.

His son, Hunter Biden shared recently, “That unconditional love has been his North Star as a President, and as a parent. He is unique in public life today, in that there is no distance between Joe Biden the man and Joe Biden the public servant of the last 54 years.”

There is so much to appreciate about Joe Biden for all that he has given to this country. That sometimes it is difficult to remember those moments when I was actually angry with him. The one time being when he chose to run again for President. I didn’t want him to do it. I thought he was only going to be a one-term President, and that was fine with me. By choosing to run, I believe he may have inadvertently set in motion the very circumstances we are facing in today’s world – and, especially in today’s un-United States. And, that is what concerned me then and now. President Biden deserves to be remembered for his legacy of service, not for whatever Tapper and his co-writer, Alex Thompson is choosing to blame him for within these pages.

The dismantling of our country by Trump, a conman, criminal, and his unethical, spineless henchmen, and countless cult-like followers who have no decency to consider the truth of what their vote has done and continues to do to our country, is what we should be concerned about – not whether Biden’s health, or decision to run again is the deciding factor for the current mess are country is in.

And, most of all, we cannot forget the flame that lit the fire in the first place. Mitch McConnell. I blame him most of all. Mitch McConnell is the lead factor for Trump being able to be in the oval office today. If McConnell would have done the right thing, by leading the GOP to convict Trump in the initial impeachment trial we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Trump was guilty, McConnell knew it, and he also knew it should have been handled on his watch as Majority Leader. He and his GOP complicit counterparts were just as guilty in putting our country in the hands of this authoritarian madman. The corruption continues relentlessly, and it astounds me that his followers are sitting by and letting Trump and his minions (those elected, and those who were not elected or legally appointed) to continue to get away with it. Shame on them.

Tapper and Thompson consider this book a tragedy. Their description for Biden. They describe Biden as failing with political allies, or aides helping him through important conversations. A mental decline that should have been noticed sooner, by the authors as journalists. By Congress. By everyone. And yet, they offer no set date as to when the decline actually began.

And, even if Tapper shares a sense of empathy for Biden, as a journalist he still felt the need to talk about the deterioration of the man’s mind openly. Tapper saw it as a cover-up. That needed to be revealed now. What Tapper and Thompson now consider their investigative deep dive into Biden’s deteriorating condition, and how ‘everyone’ protected him.

So, is this an important story? Does it matter now? The point for me, is this really the story journalists need to be writing now?

Regardless, did any of this impair Biden’s ability to do his job? Look at Biden’s accomplishments. Tapper/Thompson even concluded that his critics could “attest to Biden’s ability to make sound decisions.” So, what’s the big deal here?

Look at all Biden had to endure during his Presidency. Even an impeachment of Trump and an insurrection incited by Trump prior to Biden taking office. And, with an uncooperative Congress at most times. And, the ridiculous and unrelenting lawsuits proving over and over again that the 2020 election was not stolen – despite what Trump continues to claim, Biden did his best to get legislation passed and funding to where it was most needed.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tapper felt that keeping information from the public about Biden’s declining health could be considered a “horrible cover-up of something that wasn’t technically a crime, but you could argue morally it was.”

Maybe Tapper/Thompson should be concerned about what is going on in Trump’s head, and that should be the real story. Not this one. Trump is the true moral crime.

And since, the authors also concluded that staff and political allies felt Biden was able to do his job, again I ask, what is the big deal here about Biden?

Because as Trump is unraveling and destroying literally every institution in America, shouldn’t this be something everyone should be concerned about now? And, what about the ‘words’ that come out of Trump’s mouth? Have the authors followed his speeches that don’t make sense? His erratic behavior which is always on full display, even as staff say to not take his comments seriously? His relentless and vitriol threats and verbal attacks on individuals and countries? The disinformation, exaggerations and lies and lack of historical accuracy that Trump spews? But mostly…Clearly laws are being broken, the constitution is not being followed, and Trump and his GOP administration show absolutely no respect for American democracy or the rule of law.

“The president of the United States appears to have long ago forgotten that Americans fought the Revolutionary War not merely to secure their independence from the British monarchy but to establish a government of laws, not of men, so that they and future generations of Americans would never again be subject to the whims of a tyrannical king.” – J. Michael Luttig – Lawyer and former Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, “The End of Rule of Law in America” – The Atlantic, May 14, 2025

PLEASE. Stop the madness. Stop going after or blaming Biden. Go after the true bully, the true criminal in this dark VERY present story. Remove Trump now. Impeach, Convict and Remove him from office. For real this time. We have a country and citizens to protect here.

Please Tapper/Thompson re-direct your reporting energies. There are obviously more important things to focus on.

]]> Three Days in June 213243949 A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers

]]> 165 Anne Tyler 0593803485 Karen 5
Which leads readers wondering, can second chances be possible?

This heart-felt, self-reflecting, soulful quick read will give Tyler fans everything they need in one sitting. And, for cat lovers, even older cats like Celine, show why second chances are purr-fect for humans. ]]> 3.57 2025 Three Days in June

author: Anne Tyler
name: Karen
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/24
date added: 2025/05/24
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, cat-love, conversational, creates-questions, engaging, heart-felt, inspiring, makes-you-think, page-turner, quirky, thought-provoking, thoughtful
review:
This is a story about complicated families, and lives that may take a lifetime to fully understand. It takes place over 3 days in June that are titled: day of beauty, D-day and the day after. And, what could happen within those 3 days that could change everything for Gail, Max and their daughter, Debbie.

Which leads readers wondering, can second chances be possible?

This heart-felt, self-reflecting, soulful quick read will give Tyler fans everything they need in one sitting. And, for cat lovers, even older cats like Celine, show why second chances are purr-fect for humans.
]]> <![CDATA[A Year Full of Stories: 52 Classic Stories From All Around the World]]> 28634908
CONTENTS --
Dedication --
JANUARY --
New Year's Day Father Frost (A Russian story) --
Wintertime The Magic Porridge Pot (A German story) --
Chinese New Year King of the Forest (A Chinese story) --
FEBRUARY --
Candlemas The Empty Barn (A Latvian story) --
Valentine's Day The Frog Prince (A German story) --
The Mole's Wedding (A Korean story) --
Shrove Tuesday The Runaway Pancake (A German story) --
MARCH --
St. David's Day Gelert the Hound (A Welsh story) --
World Wildlife Day The Bird Wife (An Inuit story) --
Purim The Blue Coat (A Jewish story) St. Patrick's Day The Pot of Gold (An Irish story) --
World Water Day Tiddalik, the Thirsty Frog (An Indigenous Australian story) --
APRIL --
April Fools' Day Rabbit and Crab (A Mayan story) --
Easter The Basket of Eggs (A Canadian story) --
World Health Day How the Bear Clan Learned to Heal (An Iroquois story) --
St. George's Day The Glass Knight (An English story) --
The Shoemaker and the Dragon (A Polish story) --
MAY --
May Day The Cracked Pot (An Indian story) --
Springtime Spring and Autumn (A Japanese story) --
Vesak The Hare in the Moon (A Buddhist story) --
JUNE World Oceans Day Prince Fire Flash and Prince Fire Fade (A Japanese story) --
Ramadan The Boots of Hunain (An Arabic story) --
Midsummer Anansi and Turtle (A Caribbean story) --
World Music Day Skeleton oman (An Inuit story) --
JULY --
Eid ul- Fitr Zirak and Ring-dove (An Iraqi story) --
Tanabata The Weaving Maiden and the Oxherd (A Japanese story) --
St. Swithin's Day Elephant and the Rain Spirit (An African Bushman story) --
International Day of Friendship Heungbu and Nolbu (A Korean story) --
Androcles and the Lion (A Roman story) --
AUGUST --
Lammas Day The Little Red Hen (A Russian story) Harvest The Ship of Wheat (A Dutch story) --
Persephone (An ancient Greek story) --
SEPTEMBER --
Yom Kippur Jonah and the Whale (A Bible story) --
International Day of Peace The Two Kings (A Buddhist Story) --
Autumn Why the Evergreeens Keep Their Leaves (An American story) --
The Gifts of the North Wind (A Norwegian story) --
OCTOBER --
World Food Day The Raja and the Rice (An Indian story) --
Why the Bananas Belong to the Monkey (A Brazilian story) --
Diwali Rama and Sita (An Indian story) --
Halloween The Buried Moon (An English story) The Shortest Ghost Story in the World (An English story) --
NOVEMBER --
Thanksgiving How the Pine-tree Chief Got His Name (An Iroquois story) --
The Gift of a Cow-tail Switch (A West African story) --
Bonfire Night How Grandmother Spider Brought Fire (A Choctaw story) --
National Tree Week The Woodcutter and the Wolf (A French story) --
The Tree of Magical Leaves (A Chinese story) --
St. Andrew's Day Conall and the Thunder Hag (A Scottish story) --
DECEMBER --
Human Rights Day The Bell of Atri (An Italian story) --
Midwinter East of the Sun, West of the Moon (A Scandinavian story)]]> 128 Angela McAllister 1847808689 Karen 4
I want to thank 카지노싸이트 friend, Rosh for recommending this author and this series of books. I would never have been aware of the author’s many books, had I not read one of Rosh’s reviews.

Apparently, this author has quite the series for young readers, which are also creatively illustrated. With this book, the illustrator is Christopher Corr.

In this book, there are 52 folktales and legends from around the world. The idea is that each short, concisely-written story represents a season or a holiday, that is also representative of that country.

The author also includes an appendix with a year full of events that defines those celebrated special days and seasons.

This is a thoughtful, well-researched book that will provide many teachable moments.

Age level: 6 – 9 years+ - Grade Level: 1st – 4th+
]]> 4.13 A Year Full of Stories: 52 Classic Stories From All Around the World

A Year Full of Stories: 52 Classic Stories From All Around the World

author: Angela McAllister
name: Karen
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/24
date added: 2025/05/24
shelves: adventurous, animal-love, classic, conversational, creates-questions, easy-to-read, educating-moments, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, inspiring, uplifting
review:
I believe the intention of this book is that you take a year to read these stories either with your children, grandchildren, or young students. But when it is a library book, you take whatever time you have during your check-out period, or in-between reading your other novels, to sneak in one of these folktales to enjoy.

I want to thank 카지노싸이트 friend, Rosh for recommending this author and this series of books. I would never have been aware of the author’s many books, had I not read one of Rosh’s reviews.

Apparently, this author has quite the series for young readers, which are also creatively illustrated. With this book, the illustrator is Christopher Corr.

In this book, there are 52 folktales and legends from around the world. The idea is that each short, concisely-written story represents a season or a holiday, that is also representative of that country.

The author also includes an appendix with a year full of events that defines those celebrated special days and seasons.

This is a thoughtful, well-researched book that will provide many teachable moments.

Age level: 6 – 9 years+ - Grade Level: 1st – 4th+

]]> The Lonely Hearts Book Club 61341469
Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden...and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur's gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart—and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages.]]> 352 Lucy Gilmore 1728256216 Karen 5
Be still my heart. ]]> 3.84 2023 The Lonely Hearts Book Club

author: Lucy Gilmore
name: Karen
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/19
date added: 2025/05/24
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, charming, compelling, conversational, cozy, creates-questions, easy-to-read, engaging, excellent, favorites, heart-felt, inspiring, loved-it, page-turner, quirky, sweet, thought-provoking, thoughtful, transformative, uplifting
review:
“Life still called to me. It was time for me to answer.”

Be still my heart.
]]> <![CDATA[A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #12)]]> 28220985
Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec to places even he is afraid to go. But must.

And there he finds four young cadets in the Sûreté academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map.

Everywhere Gamache turns, he sees Amelia Choquet, one of the cadets. Tattooed and pierced. Guarded and angry. Amelia is more likely to be found on the other side of a police line-up. And yet she is in the academy. A protégée of the murdered professor.

The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia, and his possible involvement in the crime. The frantic search for answers takes the investigators back to Three Pines and a stained glass window with its own horrific secrets.

For both Amelia Choquet and Armand Gamache, the time has come for a great reckoning.

Number-one New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny pulls back the layers to reveal a brilliant and emotionally powerful truth in her latest spellbinding novel.]]> 389 Louise Penny 1250022134 Karen 4
This one starts off in a somewhat familiar way, when we find Armand Gamache, the retired homicide chief of the Surete du Quebec and his wife, Reine-Marie, wintering in Three Pines. The snow brings everyone to their favorite local bistro, (also under renovation), for good discussion, great food and a look at the past when newspapers, magazines and catalogs are found in the walls of the bistro that were once used as insolation.

In reviewing this lost history, Penny finds a way to tell stories of forgotten people while keeping readers in the present with a newly discovered police academy instructor’s murder.

As grisly as her subject is, there is still a sweet cozy feeling amongst the characters Penny has created to keep readers coming back to Three Pines book after book.
]]> 4.36 2016 A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #12)

A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #12)

author: Louise Penny
name: Karen
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/23
date added: 2025/05/23
shelves: compelling, cozy, easy-to-read, engaging, good, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, sweet
review:
To be honest, I am terribly out-of-order with this series. I am caught up with the very latest, “The Grey Wolf” which I read and reviewed last year when it first came out. But I am finding that when books are donated to my Little Free Library Shed, I realize there are some I still have not read. Like this one.

This one starts off in a somewhat familiar way, when we find Armand Gamache, the retired homicide chief of the Surete du Quebec and his wife, Reine-Marie, wintering in Three Pines. The snow brings everyone to their favorite local bistro, (also under renovation), for good discussion, great food and a look at the past when newspapers, magazines and catalogs are found in the walls of the bistro that were once used as insolation.

In reviewing this lost history, Penny finds a way to tell stories of forgotten people while keeping readers in the present with a newly discovered police academy instructor’s murder.

As grisly as her subject is, there is still a sweet cozy feeling amongst the characters Penny has created to keep readers coming back to Three Pines book after book.

]]> <![CDATA[A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)]]> 10680329 "Hearts are broken," Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. "Sweet relationships are dead."

But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musée in Montréal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Québec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light. Where nothing is as it seems. Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart. And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they've found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.]]> 339 Louise Penny 0312655452 Karen 4
I read this one years ago and I’m now bringing my review to 카지노싸이트 after the opportunity to re-visit it.

Back to Three Pines we go for those who are regular fans of this series. If this is your first time considering a Chief Inspector Gamache story, start at the beginning of the series. I have not, and sometimes have gotten confused about characters because of it. Although each murder investigation will be unique, and could possibly be read as a stand-alone, each story guides us through the character’s lives. Allowing regular readers to follow-along with their journey.

This story focuses on many sub-topics…murder, art and artists, relationships, love, hate, revenge and forgiveness. For those invested in the characters, you will feel them addressing their past, as well as current life demands and what could possibly work best for them in the future. And, of course, the solving of a murder.

This is an engaging, page-turning, cozy mystery series with well-developed characters.
]]> 4.26 2011 A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)

A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #7)

author: Louise Penny
name: Karen
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/23
date added: 2025/05/23
shelves: compelling, cozy, easy-to-read, engaging, good, page-turner, scenic
review:
Catching up…

I read this one years ago and I’m now bringing my review to 카지노싸이트 after the opportunity to re-visit it.

Back to Three Pines we go for those who are regular fans of this series. If this is your first time considering a Chief Inspector Gamache story, start at the beginning of the series. I have not, and sometimes have gotten confused about characters because of it. Although each murder investigation will be unique, and could possibly be read as a stand-alone, each story guides us through the character’s lives. Allowing regular readers to follow-along with their journey.

This story focuses on many sub-topics…murder, art and artists, relationships, love, hate, revenge and forgiveness. For those invested in the characters, you will feel them addressing their past, as well as current life demands and what could possibly work best for them in the future. And, of course, the solving of a murder.

This is an engaging, page-turning, cozy mystery series with well-developed characters.

]]> The Good Dog 49562989 40 Walker Jean Mills 1640033459 Karen 0 to-read 4.30 2018

author: Walker Jean Mills
name: Karen
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead]]> 42983724 WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind . . .

A deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale, Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead is a provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, autonomy and fate. Whom do we deem sane? it asks. Who is worthy of a voice?]]> 274 Olga Tokarczuk 0525541330 Karen 4
I picked this one up at my local library on one of my outings, and forgot to list it on my currently reading list. I am now providing my review for 카지노싸이트.

This book is also written by a controversial feminist writer who was the Polish winner of the 2018 International Man Booker prize for her novel, “Flights.” She also won in the same year the Nobel Prize in Literature for “a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.” The award was postponed due to controversy within the Swedish Academy.

This story follows an older woman named Janina, who lives in a secluded Polish village near the Czech-Polish border. There is a mystery that surrounds her as dead bodies of men start to show up. And, it appears that it could have to do with acts of revenge by animals on the local hunters. But are the animals able to commit these acts? Or, do they have someone doing this on their behalf?

These questions will be the mystery for readers to ponder. Thus, this becomes the murder mystery that doesn’t seem to follow the general rules of typical storytelling.

For anyone willing to go with the flow, this story proves intriguing and somewhat compelling. And, since it is a short book, it doesn’t take long for the ending to wrap it’s story up to help readers understand what was really happening all along. Or does it?

So, is there a moral lesson being demonstrated here? Or, is it a political statement? Do we need to consider how we as humans behave towards animals? Or, towards nature? Are we as humans, forgetting how to respect the innocence of the natural world? Or, women? Perhaps there is something to also be said of our dismissal of the invisible Janina, too? Are we being reminded of how we treat the elderly, too? i.e., - once they age out, we forget them, and don’t listen to them any longer?

Which makes this book a rather fascinating book discussion selection.
]]> 3.92 2009 Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

author: Olga Tokarczuk
name: Karen
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/22
date added: 2025/05/22
shelves: animal-love, book-discussion-perfect, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dark, dog-love, intriguing, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, thought-provoking, uncomfortable
review:
If you are looking for a quirky, off-beat, doesn’t follow the rules kind of story, this is it. It is translated from Polish, and was first published in 2009. But even if the story is 16 years old, that doesn’t seem to date it. There is still a contemporary feel to it when we consider the subject of nature and how humans impact it through hunting and their innate cruelty to animals. (Some things don’t change.) Also, consider the cruelty, a trigger warning.

I picked this one up at my local library on one of my outings, and forgot to list it on my currently reading list. I am now providing my review for 카지노싸이트.

This book is also written by a controversial feminist writer who was the Polish winner of the 2018 International Man Booker prize for her novel, “Flights.” She also won in the same year the Nobel Prize in Literature for “a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life.” The award was postponed due to controversy within the Swedish Academy.

This story follows an older woman named Janina, who lives in a secluded Polish village near the Czech-Polish border. There is a mystery that surrounds her as dead bodies of men start to show up. And, it appears that it could have to do with acts of revenge by animals on the local hunters. But are the animals able to commit these acts? Or, do they have someone doing this on their behalf?

These questions will be the mystery for readers to ponder. Thus, this becomes the murder mystery that doesn’t seem to follow the general rules of typical storytelling.

For anyone willing to go with the flow, this story proves intriguing and somewhat compelling. And, since it is a short book, it doesn’t take long for the ending to wrap it’s story up to help readers understand what was really happening all along. Or does it?

So, is there a moral lesson being demonstrated here? Or, is it a political statement? Do we need to consider how we as humans behave towards animals? Or, towards nature? Are we as humans, forgetting how to respect the innocence of the natural world? Or, women? Perhaps there is something to also be said of our dismissal of the invisible Janina, too? Are we being reminded of how we treat the elderly, too? i.e., - once they age out, we forget them, and don’t listen to them any longer?

Which makes this book a rather fascinating book discussion selection.

]]> I Might Be in Trouble 210331628 A suspenseful, satirical dark comedy about a struggling writer who wakes up to find his date from the night before dead—and must then decide how far he’s willing to go to spin the misadventure into his next big book.

A few years ago, David Alvarez had it all: a six-figure book deal, a loving boyfriend, and an exciting writing career. His debut novel was a resounding success, which made the publication of his second book—a total flop—all the more devastating. Now, David is single, lonely, and desperately trying to come up with the next great idea for his third manuscript, one that will redeem him in the eyes of readers, reviewers…and maybe even his ex-boyfriend.

The issue is, good ideas are hard to come by, and the mounting pressure of a near-empty bank account isn’t helping. But when David connects with a sexy stranger on a dating app, he figures a wild night out in New York City may be just what he needs to find inspiration. Lucky for him, his date turns out to be handsome, confident, and wealthy, not to mention the perfect distraction from yet another evening staring at a blank screen.

After one of the best nights of his life, David wakes up hungover but giddy—only to find prince charming dead next to him in bed. Horrified, completely confused, and suddenly faced with the implausible-but-somehow-plausible idea that he may have actually killed his date, David calls the only person he can trust in a moment of crisis: his literary agent, Stacey.

Together, David and Stacey must untangle the events of the previous night, cover their tracks, and spin the entire misadventure into David’s career-defining novel—if only they can figure out what to do with the body first.]]> 329 Daniel Aleman 1538766345 Karen 3
On to the review…

So, what happens when your one-night stand turns out to be dead as a doornail the next morning? Well, for gay writer David who is suffering from writer’s block, will he see this as a book idea? Seriously, that is the place David decides to go?

Well maybe he should first figure out how to get rid of the body. Granted, David, our main protagonist, didn’t kill the guy, but the situation does pose a rather comic scenario. Or, does it?

Readers will soon determine whether they will like David or not and his antics at figuring out how he is going to get out of this mess and find a way to resume his life.

With other characters who make their entrances and exits, readers may not be sure whether they care about David’s self-reflections or not. Or, what happens to him and the body, in this unusual quirky dark comedy that focuses on loneliness and the misadventures of relationships.
]]> 3.58 2024 I Might Be in Trouble

author: Daniel Aleman
name: Karen
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/21
date added: 2025/05/21
shelves: disappointed, quirky, silly, wanted-less
review:
Sometimes I try to remember why I ordered a book from my local library. Especially when, like in this circumstance, I ordered the book on December 2, 2024, and finally received it on May 14, 2025. Please know that I am not complaining. I recognize that when I made the decision to focus on reading books that are available from my local library, I always feel fortunate when they are available to me. It is just, that when it takes so much time to get here, I can’t help but forget why I requested them. Until they come. And then, I can read the book blurb about them, and go, “oh yea, that is what you are about!”

On to the review…

So, what happens when your one-night stand turns out to be dead as a doornail the next morning? Well, for gay writer David who is suffering from writer’s block, will he see this as a book idea? Seriously, that is the place David decides to go?

Well maybe he should first figure out how to get rid of the body. Granted, David, our main protagonist, didn’t kill the guy, but the situation does pose a rather comic scenario. Or, does it?

Readers will soon determine whether they will like David or not and his antics at figuring out how he is going to get out of this mess and find a way to resume his life.

With other characters who make their entrances and exits, readers may not be sure whether they care about David’s self-reflections or not. Or, what happens to him and the body, in this unusual quirky dark comedy that focuses on loneliness and the misadventures of relationships.

]]> The Quiet Librarian 214175092 After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.]]> 320 Allen Eskens 0316566314 Karen 4 /review/show...

So, when this one came out, especially with a librarian as a main character I was ready to read it.

Eskens will take readers on an emotional roller coaster ride as we traverse the past and present through the Bosnian war and present-time crime drama. As readers we first meet quiet, preferably invisible librarian Hana. (Hence: the title of the book!)

We learn that there is more to this unassuming immigrant now settled in Minnesota, when Hana is confronted within the stacks of her beloved library by Detective David Claypool about the murder of her best friend Amina.

What past is Hana hiding from, and what danger does this past put her and Amina’s grandson, Dylan in the path of? Even so, why is the ‘enemy’ coming in present time?

Although, it may be difficult for this reader to understand why the ‘enemy’ from Bosnia may be tracking down someone 30 years later, the story still was compelling. It was relatively well-paced, heart-wrenching, and in many ways felt like a true-to-life thriller, giving readers a front seat view of the strength and resilience of individuals during the cruelties of war. (Which might also be a trigger for some.)
]]> 4.15 2025 The Quiet Librarian

author: Allen Eskens
name: Karen
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/20
date added: 2025/05/20
shelves: compelling, complex, dark, educating-moments, gripping, gritty, haunting, heart-felt, intense, page-turner, realistic, scenic, tragic
review:
This author first captured my attention with his book, “The Life We Bury.” That was the beginning of a wonderful series. If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to try it. Review here: /review/show...

So, when this one came out, especially with a librarian as a main character I was ready to read it.

Eskens will take readers on an emotional roller coaster ride as we traverse the past and present through the Bosnian war and present-time crime drama. As readers we first meet quiet, preferably invisible librarian Hana. (Hence: the title of the book!)

We learn that there is more to this unassuming immigrant now settled in Minnesota, when Hana is confronted within the stacks of her beloved library by Detective David Claypool about the murder of her best friend Amina.

What past is Hana hiding from, and what danger does this past put her and Amina’s grandson, Dylan in the path of? Even so, why is the ‘enemy’ coming in present time?

Although, it may be difficult for this reader to understand why the ‘enemy’ from Bosnia may be tracking down someone 30 years later, the story still was compelling. It was relatively well-paced, heart-wrenching, and in many ways felt like a true-to-life thriller, giving readers a front seat view of the strength and resilience of individuals during the cruelties of war. (Which might also be a trigger for some.)

]]> <![CDATA[Face of Betrayal (Triple Threat, #1)]]> 6114917 FOX News legal correspondent and former Federal Prosecutor Lis Wiehl has created a suspense series as timely as tomorrow's headlines.

While home on break, a seventeen-year-old Senate page takes her dog out for a walk and never returns. The resulting media firestorm quickly ensnares television reporter Cassidy Shaw, Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce, and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges. Together, these life-long friends call themselves The Triple Threat—a nickname derived from their favorite dessert as well as their uncanny ability to crack cases from their three unique positions of power.

Together, they must find the one face of betrayal amidst a crowd of growing suspects—including a US Senator—before they become the next victims.

Lis Wiehl's expertise in law, politics, and criminal investigation merges with April Henry's narrative genius to create a gripping mystery filled with rich characters, real danger, and a shocking yet satisfying final twist.]]> 310 Lis Wiehl 1595547053 Karen 3 When this author’s book, “Heart of Ice” was donated to my Little Free Library Shed a while back, I did what any other local library patron would do. I hoped that the first book in the series would be available to check out that I could read first. And, as it so happens it was.

Because I had never heard of this author, or this series, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about reading it, so I did not put it on my ‘currently reading’ list initially for 카지노싸이트. Thus, my review is the first time you may be reading about my connection to this book.

As background, this book is the first in the Triple Threat series. It was first published in 2008. *Heart of Ice, the one that was donated to my LFL, is the third book in the series, and was published in 2010. Apparently, there are four in the series. The last book being published in 2012.

What I have also come to learn is that this is a team writing effort. Lis Wiehl is a Harvard law graduate and former federal prosecutor. She has worked at NBC News, National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered, as well as Fox News Channel as a legal analyst and reporter. She has also served as a commentator for CNN and has appeared on CBS and NPR and other news outlets.

April Henry, her co-writer, is an American New York Times bestselling author known more for her mysteries and thrillers. Of which I have yet to read.

It is called the Triple Threat series because it features 3 female characters who consider themselves a triple threat because of their positions as Reporter, Cassidy Shaw, Federal Prosecutor, Allison Pierce and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges.

In this first in the series, we have the opportunity to get background on each of the women, as we are introduced to their strengths, relationships, how they met, their vulnerabilities, and how they will bring their individual talents together on this particular case. The women, although well-described appeared a bit cliché.

In this debut story a 17-year-old Senate intern goes missing, and it is presumed that the Senator may be responsible, especially after she is found dead. This sends all 3 women on the case, following leads.

Unfortunately, this story was too similar to a real “ripped from the headlines” case that took center stage years ago. (Think: Chandra Levy a former senate intern who was killed in 2001, which was tied to her romantic connection with Gary Condit, a married U.S. Representative.)

Along with some side stories, there will be several twists and unanticipated turns that will bring the various stories to a neat conclusion.

3.5 stars

*I decided not to continue with the series, because I was unable to find book 2, and less than interested in the triple threat team’s future.

]]> 3.69 2008 Face of Betrayal (Triple Threat, #1)

author: Lis Wiehl
name: Karen
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/18
date added: 2025/05/18
shelves: twisted, what-were-they-thinking, disappointed
review:

When this author’s book, “Heart of Ice” was donated to my Little Free Library Shed a while back, I did what any other local library patron would do. I hoped that the first book in the series would be available to check out that I could read first. And, as it so happens it was.

Because I had never heard of this author, or this series, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about reading it, so I did not put it on my ‘currently reading’ list initially for 카지노싸이트. Thus, my review is the first time you may be reading about my connection to this book.

As background, this book is the first in the Triple Threat series. It was first published in 2008. *Heart of Ice, the one that was donated to my LFL, is the third book in the series, and was published in 2010. Apparently, there are four in the series. The last book being published in 2012.

What I have also come to learn is that this is a team writing effort. Lis Wiehl is a Harvard law graduate and former federal prosecutor. She has worked at NBC News, National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered, as well as Fox News Channel as a legal analyst and reporter. She has also served as a commentator for CNN and has appeared on CBS and NPR and other news outlets.

April Henry, her co-writer, is an American New York Times bestselling author known more for her mysteries and thrillers. Of which I have yet to read.

It is called the Triple Threat series because it features 3 female characters who consider themselves a triple threat because of their positions as Reporter, Cassidy Shaw, Federal Prosecutor, Allison Pierce and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges.

In this first in the series, we have the opportunity to get background on each of the women, as we are introduced to their strengths, relationships, how they met, their vulnerabilities, and how they will bring their individual talents together on this particular case. The women, although well-described appeared a bit cliché.

In this debut story a 17-year-old Senate intern goes missing, and it is presumed that the Senator may be responsible, especially after she is found dead. This sends all 3 women on the case, following leads.

Unfortunately, this story was too similar to a real “ripped from the headlines” case that took center stage years ago. (Think: Chandra Levy a former senate intern who was killed in 2001, which was tied to her romantic connection with Gary Condit, a married U.S. Representative.)

Along with some side stories, there will be several twists and unanticipated turns that will bring the various stories to a neat conclusion.

3.5 stars

*I decided not to continue with the series, because I was unable to find book 2, and less than interested in the triple threat team’s future.

]]> Say You'll Remember Me 217182552 disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 368 Abby Jimenez 1538759195 Karen 5
The moment I picked this book up from my local library, I couldn’t put it down. I think that is what I love about this author most. She knows how to keep her readers engaged because she has a way of creating characters you want to know, connect to, and hope for. And, in this case, this is exactly what happened for me with this book.

My review…

When he walks in the room, she is sitting there with a kitten comfortably tucked within the midst of her breasts. As a Veterinarian doctor, that could make sense to him. But that still is one heck of a first impression for Dr. Xavier Rush of Samantha. And, when she returns later, he can’t help but ask her on a date. This first impression for Xavier of Samantha leads to the best date of his life, and one of the longest ever, too.

“The best moments don't have to be big to be forever.”

But did it have to be the last, realizing that she was moving from Minnesota to California?

Readers soon learn that Samantha has promised to take care of her mother, because her family can’t do it alone. Her mother is sinking into the worst form of dementia.

“I would be a witness to her life, even though she was done witnessing mine.”

How will Xavier and Samantha manage after the most epic date experience ever? She says forget her. He says, he can’t. Can they navigate the challenges of a long-distance relationship?

As is typical with any Jimenez story, she takes a difficult emotional issue and melds it together with relatable characters who are forced to face it. In this meet-cute, her characters and drama faced feel real enough, that readers will want to root for this couple to find a way to heal past hurts and manage the difficulties towards their own HEA.

At times, dealing with the tension of the long-distance relationship, the family focus on the mother’s dementia care (could it have been handled better?) and, Xavier’s past history, felt like it would never end. But the sweetness of their journey and wanting to know what would eventually happen for the two, made this a truly worthwhile binge read.

4.5 stars]]> 4.08 2025 Say You'll Remember Me

author: Abby Jimenez
name: Karen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/17
date added: 2025/05/17
shelves: animal-love, been-here-before, cat-love, charming, compelling, complex, cute, dog-love, easy-to-read, engaging, heart-felt, page-turner, predictable, sweet, thoughtful, uplifting
review:
“Love is the brightest color in a gray world.”

The moment I picked this book up from my local library, I couldn’t put it down. I think that is what I love about this author most. She knows how to keep her readers engaged because she has a way of creating characters you want to know, connect to, and hope for. And, in this case, this is exactly what happened for me with this book.

My review…

When he walks in the room, she is sitting there with a kitten comfortably tucked within the midst of her breasts. As a Veterinarian doctor, that could make sense to him. But that still is one heck of a first impression for Dr. Xavier Rush of Samantha. And, when she returns later, he can’t help but ask her on a date. This first impression for Xavier of Samantha leads to the best date of his life, and one of the longest ever, too.

“The best moments don't have to be big to be forever.”

But did it have to be the last, realizing that she was moving from Minnesota to California?

Readers soon learn that Samantha has promised to take care of her mother, because her family can’t do it alone. Her mother is sinking into the worst form of dementia.

“I would be a witness to her life, even though she was done witnessing mine.”

How will Xavier and Samantha manage after the most epic date experience ever? She says forget her. He says, he can’t. Can they navigate the challenges of a long-distance relationship?

As is typical with any Jimenez story, she takes a difficult emotional issue and melds it together with relatable characters who are forced to face it. In this meet-cute, her characters and drama faced feel real enough, that readers will want to root for this couple to find a way to heal past hurts and manage the difficulties towards their own HEA.

At times, dealing with the tension of the long-distance relationship, the family focus on the mother’s dementia care (could it have been handled better?) and, Xavier’s past history, felt like it would never end. But the sweetness of their journey and wanting to know what would eventually happen for the two, made this a truly worthwhile binge read.

4.5 stars
]]> The Missing Half 217213002 Two women haunted by their sisters' unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Good People Here and host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie.

Nicole “Nic” Monroe is in a rut. At twenty-four, she lives alone in a dinky apartment in her hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana, she’s just gotten a DWI, and she works the same dead-end job she’s been working since high school, a job she only has because her boss is a family friend and feels sorry for her. Everyone has felt sorry for her for the last seven years—since the day her older sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace.

On the night Kasey went missing, her car was found over a hundred miles from home. The driver’s door was open and her purse was untouched in the seat next to it. The only real clue in her disappearance was Jules Connor, another young woman from the same area who disappeared in the same way, two weeks earlier. But with so little for the police to go on, both their cases eventually went cold.

Nic wants nothing more than to move on—from her sister’s disappearance and the state it’s left her in. But then one day, Jules’s sister, Jenna Connor, walks into her life and offers Nic something she hasn’t felt in a long hope. What follows is a gripping tale of two sisters who will do anything to find their missing halves, even if it means destroying everything they’ve ever known.]]> 272 Ashley Flowers 0593726987 Karen 3
What happens when 2 women go missing from the same area within 2 weeks of each other? In this instance, it becomes a cold case that haunts both surviving sisters of each known victim.

After 7 years, Jenna, who lost her sister, Jules, contacts Nic, who lost her sister Kasey, and asks her to participate with her in an investigation into their missing family members. Jenna believes she has some leads into their disappearance.

What will they discover? And, what will they do when they find out the truth?

With this book, when all seems clear, nothing is truly as it seems. With short, fast-paced and cliffhanging chapters and questionable characters (both unlikable with an unreliable narrator), this twisty suspenseful, page-turning mystery will have readers guessing up to the last page. The most important questions being…

As readers, will your guess be right? And, will the ending feel believable? Or satisfying?

So, what about the BUT I alluded to in my opening paragraph? Yes, this book had everything that most readers would expect from their mysteries, as I described above. But for me, the lead up to the ending and actual finale seemed contrived. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. As if the author felt this final twist was going to give her a Wow moment.

Could this climax revelation, with all its predilections and tragedies provide readers with a believable or satisfying ending? I am left grappling with this question. I realize the ending may be what connected readers most to this book, but for me, I think it did the opposite.

I think I will pass on any more books from this author. I haven’t had successful outcomes with my reading experiences with her books. Still, please read other reviews, as there are higher stars out there for this one, than mine.
]]> 3.88 2025 The Missing Half

author: Ashley Flowers
name: Karen
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/16
date added: 2025/05/16
shelves: complex, creates-questions, creepy, dark, disappointed, exasperating, haunting, intense, makes-you-think, page-turner, suspenseful, twisted, what-were-they-thinking
review:
I was reluctant to read this one because I had a difficult experience with her debut novel, “All Good People Here.” But I was willing to give myself and this author another chance. To be honest, my experience was better with this one, BUT…

What happens when 2 women go missing from the same area within 2 weeks of each other? In this instance, it becomes a cold case that haunts both surviving sisters of each known victim.

After 7 years, Jenna, who lost her sister, Jules, contacts Nic, who lost her sister Kasey, and asks her to participate with her in an investigation into their missing family members. Jenna believes she has some leads into their disappearance.

What will they discover? And, what will they do when they find out the truth?

With this book, when all seems clear, nothing is truly as it seems. With short, fast-paced and cliffhanging chapters and questionable characters (both unlikable with an unreliable narrator), this twisty suspenseful, page-turning mystery will have readers guessing up to the last page. The most important questions being…

As readers, will your guess be right? And, will the ending feel believable? Or satisfying?

So, what about the BUT I alluded to in my opening paragraph? Yes, this book had everything that most readers would expect from their mysteries, as I described above. But for me, the lead up to the ending and actual finale seemed contrived. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. As if the author felt this final twist was going to give her a Wow moment.

Could this climax revelation, with all its predilections and tragedies provide readers with a believable or satisfying ending? I am left grappling with this question. I realize the ending may be what connected readers most to this book, but for me, I think it did the opposite.

I think I will pass on any more books from this author. I haven’t had successful outcomes with my reading experiences with her books. Still, please read other reviews, as there are higher stars out there for this one, than mine.

]]> Broken Country 214151202 A love triangle unearths dangerous, deadly secrets from the past in this thrilling tale perfect for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

“The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.”

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.]]> 320 Clare Leslie Hall 166807818X Karen 5
Readers will no doubt be touched by the well-developed characters. Who even as we learn about them in past and present time, we are never quite sure what the truth is until we as readers find ourselves riveted inside their well-plotted, intriguing journey.

How can we possibly explain what love or grief can do, to hearts looking for explanations and answers? Except to say, in this brilliant page-turning, heart-wrenching and heart-healing story, readers will be moved.

As an anomalous murder mystery, the story builds suspense that haunts and hides from readers, until actions taken are revealed that offer a sense of understanding and tears. Because in those tears, our tears, readers feel and experience everything the author wanted for us. Mostly because the author’s prose is poignant and poetic. A true master-class in writing.

The author will take readers on a journey with these characters that will feel compelling and emotional. Mostly, unforgettable. One that will stay in our hearts long after the last page. Kleenex is recommended.

Side note: This was a Reese’s Book Club pick, and Sony Pictures has acquired the film rights. It is currently in production.

Trigger: death of a dog

]]> 4.35 2025 Broken Country

author: Clare Leslie Hall
name: Karen
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/15
date added: 2025/05/15
shelves: animal-love, beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, brilliant, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dog-love, easy-to-read, enchanting, engaging, excellent, favorites, gripping, haunting, heart-felt, intense, intriguing, loved-it, makes-you-think, page-turner, riveting, suspenseful, thought-provoking, tragic
review:
Sometimes a book comes a long that just grabs readers and wreaks havoc on our hearts. This is that book.

Readers will no doubt be touched by the well-developed characters. Who even as we learn about them in past and present time, we are never quite sure what the truth is until we as readers find ourselves riveted inside their well-plotted, intriguing journey.

How can we possibly explain what love or grief can do, to hearts looking for explanations and answers? Except to say, in this brilliant page-turning, heart-wrenching and heart-healing story, readers will be moved.

As an anomalous murder mystery, the story builds suspense that haunts and hides from readers, until actions taken are revealed that offer a sense of understanding and tears. Because in those tears, our tears, readers feel and experience everything the author wanted for us. Mostly because the author’s prose is poignant and poetic. A true master-class in writing.

The author will take readers on a journey with these characters that will feel compelling and emotional. Mostly, unforgettable. One that will stay in our hearts long after the last page. Kleenex is recommended.

Side note: This was a Reese’s Book Club pick, and Sony Pictures has acquired the film rights. It is currently in production.

Trigger: death of a dog

]]> <![CDATA[One Golden Summer (Barry’s Bay, #2)]]> 217245654 I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.]]> 400 Carley Fortune 0593638921 Karen 5
Before professional photographer, Alice has a chance to answer these questions, her grandmother, Nan, has shattered her hip and will need support during her recovery after surgery. So, Alice is recruited from the family to be the one to be there for Nan. And, seeing that both of them are in need of some healing light, Alice decides to take Nan and herself to a place that had meant the world to them as a family when she was growing up. Barry’s Bay.

As it so happens, the cabin is available for them to use, and off they go. With John, the owner of the cabin, a long-time friend, making sure that all their needs are catered to by handyman, Charlie Florek.

Could Charlie Florek possibly be the “human beam of sunlight” that is needed for Alice to regain her inner light?

So, what is going to happen for Alice – and, possibly even Charlie Florek? How will this adventure to Barry’s Bay, help these 3?

That is where you come in as the reader. The answer isn’t for me to tell you. It is for you to read the book. Because when you do…

You will most likely be smitten, too.

P.S. – even though the character of Charlie has shown up in the author’s previous book, “Every Summer After,” this truly is a stand-alone. Be sure and read the author’s note at the end…Behind the Book.

]]> 4.35 2025 One Golden Summer (Barry’s Bay, #2)

author: Carley Fortune
name: Karen
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/14
date added: 2025/05/14
shelves: charming, cute, delightful, easy-to-read, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, page-turner, scenic, sweet
review:
What happens when you start to lose your inner light? Is it time for you to take a break from your life as it is now? And, possibly create some changes?

Before professional photographer, Alice has a chance to answer these questions, her grandmother, Nan, has shattered her hip and will need support during her recovery after surgery. So, Alice is recruited from the family to be the one to be there for Nan. And, seeing that both of them are in need of some healing light, Alice decides to take Nan and herself to a place that had meant the world to them as a family when she was growing up. Barry’s Bay.

As it so happens, the cabin is available for them to use, and off they go. With John, the owner of the cabin, a long-time friend, making sure that all their needs are catered to by handyman, Charlie Florek.

Could Charlie Florek possibly be the “human beam of sunlight” that is needed for Alice to regain her inner light?

So, what is going to happen for Alice – and, possibly even Charlie Florek? How will this adventure to Barry’s Bay, help these 3?

That is where you come in as the reader. The answer isn’t for me to tell you. It is for you to read the book. Because when you do…

You will most likely be smitten, too.

P.S. – even though the character of Charlie has shown up in the author’s previous book, “Every Summer After,” this truly is a stand-alone. Be sure and read the author’s note at the end…Behind the Book.

]]> Under the Hanalei Moon 224851933
In the summer of 1976, Maggie falls for Makai, a local surfer on the serene island of Kauai. Their forbidden love is fueled by stolen moments and the rush of adventure, but it becomes entangled in family expectations and the haunting events of that fateful night.

Fast forward to today, and Emma, Maggie’s daughter, uncovers a treasure in her mother’s a photo album from that fateful summer. Inspired by the images, she begins to paint, bringing the memories to life on canvas. Each stroke reveals a story of a past she longs to understand.

As Emma’s artwork gains attention, it catches the eye of Makai, who recognizes one painting in particular from his own memories. Curious and drawn to the piece, he travels to California to uncover the truth about Maggie, their shared past, and a secret that threatens to tear Maggie's life apart.

Under the Hanalei Moon is a story that weaves together love, discovery, and the secrets that bind them. What will they uncover as they dive into the tides of the past?]]> 346 Jill Lendahl Karen 4
With a story told between past and present and back and forth again, readers will find a mystery to solve, hearts to hope for, and a sad darkness that needs to find its light again.

What really happened in that storm that had the power to change these lives?

How will these dramatic characters be able to look beyond the past in order to find their happily-ever-after?

This is a scenic, easy-to-read, slow-paced narrative that will take readers to early Kauai and the beaches of southern California; and, eventually answers questions with a made-for-TV ending.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
]]> 4.50 Under the Hanalei Moon

author: Jill Lendahl
name: Karen
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/13
date added: 2025/05/13
shelves: been-here-before, creates-questions, easy-to-read, heart-felt, ok, predictable, scenic
review:
What will it take to heal the past that is filled with secrets, lies and misunderstandings?

With a story told between past and present and back and forth again, readers will find a mystery to solve, hearts to hope for, and a sad darkness that needs to find its light again.

What really happened in that storm that had the power to change these lives?

How will these dramatic characters be able to look beyond the past in order to find their happily-ever-after?

This is a scenic, easy-to-read, slow-paced narrative that will take readers to early Kauai and the beaches of southern California; and, eventually answers questions with a made-for-TV ending.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.

]]> <![CDATA[Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age, #2)]]> 214537816 Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their rest, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions before she gets the itch to get back in the game. When they receive a call from Naomi Ndiaye, the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, all of them connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster who rules her business empire with an iron fist and plays puppet master in international affairs. Naomi is convinced this criminal queen is bent upon revenge, killing off the agents who attempted to thwart her, and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster and her assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.]]> 356 Deanna Raybourn 0593638514 Karen 4
Even though the author does a relatively good job of bringing readers up to speed with the women and their history in this book, it is best to read this series in order.

Readers soon learn there is something off with this reunion summons. Used to 1st class accommodations, the women are taken aback when they realize that this ‘trip’ is Best Western hotel, with a compact rental car, and flying in coach economy. What is really going on?

Well, could it have anything to do with a revenge plot against the women who may have assassinated someone in the past?

What will the girls do to save themselves, and find the mole that is trying to bring ‘the Museum’ down?

For those who like a little sense of humor with their killings, this page-turning romp should be an easy-breezy, read. But to be honest, I think I am done with the series. It lacks substance. And, I am over the gore. ]]> 3.90 2025 Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age, #2)

Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age, #2)

author: Deanna Raybourn
name: Karen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/13
date added: 2025/05/13
shelves: action-packed, adventurous, easy-to-read, entertaining, fun, ok, page-turner, quirky
review:
Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie aren’t typical retired co-workers who have been summoned by their former employer ‘the Museum’ for a reunion. They are trained ‘retired’ assassins. For those who are unfamiliar with these characters, start with the author’s first book in the series, “Killers of a Certain Age.”

Even though the author does a relatively good job of bringing readers up to speed with the women and their history in this book, it is best to read this series in order.

Readers soon learn there is something off with this reunion summons. Used to 1st class accommodations, the women are taken aback when they realize that this ‘trip’ is Best Western hotel, with a compact rental car, and flying in coach economy. What is really going on?

Well, could it have anything to do with a revenge plot against the women who may have assassinated someone in the past?

What will the girls do to save themselves, and find the mole that is trying to bring ‘the Museum’ down?

For those who like a little sense of humor with their killings, this page-turning romp should be an easy-breezy, read. But to be honest, I think I am done with the series. It lacks substance. And, I am over the gore.
]]> The Four Queens of Crime 214540603 In this debut mystery DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, is determined to find a killer with the help of the four queens of crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Claudia Gray.

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Volunteer Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning Sir Henry is found dead in the library.

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary.

Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry’s death to solve the mystery and identify the killer.
]]> 320 Rosanne Limoncelli Karen 3
Interestingly enough, “The Queens of Crime” also featured the same real life crime fiction authors within her fictionalized story as this book is also doing: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham.

So, when I heard about this book, I was curious how this author was going to write these same women into her fictional murder mystery. And, I also wondered if I would be as captivated with it, as I was Benedict’s book.

As I opened this book, I was greeted with a 2-page list of 29 characters! Oh no! Will I be able to keep track of all these people?! The good news was that at least the author had provided a list. And, interestingly enough, in the author’s preface, she lets readers know that some of these characters she has listed (other than the ‘queens’ authors already mentioned) are based on real people. So, will this many characters enhance or hinder the story?

It is 1938 London. The sense of pending war is in the air with the recent actions of Hitler’s Nazis. The four queens have been invited to be the centerpiece attraction at a fundraiser for the Women’s Voluntary Service being hosted at the estate of Sir Henry Heathcote, an aristocrat.

As short chapters introduce readers to the various players/guests to the event, and the event itself, the murder of Sir Henry is eventually discovered.

Who wanted Sir Henry dead and why? Especially when so many within the family could possibly benefit from his death. Still, there were also others who may have been affected by Sir Henry’s actions as an aristocrat that may have been motivation for murder. Could the motive have been…

“Revenge, freedom from oppression, a crime of passion, money and property?”

The four queens decide to put their sleuthing skills together to try and figure out what occurred with the help of Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson.

With many suspects, will they be able to solve his murder?

The author finds a way to weave together the temperament of the time, including political leanings, which add to the eventual understanding of what could possibly have motivated the killer. As well as, provide good character development of the four queens, and the women police assigned to solve the case, based on their own historic real-life resumes. There were also a few more ‘real people’ characters within the story that were well-developed.

But unfortunately, the plot dragged a bit in the beginning and middle as it was weighed down by so many characters entering and exiting the scenes. It wasn’t until close to the end when characters started to be more revealing about what happened that night, that the story lit up and came to an interesting conclusion.

For this one, 2.5 stars for ‘authentic’ character development of the queens and chief inspectors.

Still, I recommend readers read “The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict instead. Review here: /review/show...

]]> 3.79 The Four Queens of Crime

author: Rosanne Limoncelli
name: Karen
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/12
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: cozy, creates-questions, disappointed, exasperating, imperfect, too-many-characters, wanted-less
review:
This April (2025) I read and reviewed “The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict. Review link available below, if interested.

Interestingly enough, “The Queens of Crime” also featured the same real life crime fiction authors within her fictionalized story as this book is also doing: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham.

So, when I heard about this book, I was curious how this author was going to write these same women into her fictional murder mystery. And, I also wondered if I would be as captivated with it, as I was Benedict’s book.

As I opened this book, I was greeted with a 2-page list of 29 characters! Oh no! Will I be able to keep track of all these people?! The good news was that at least the author had provided a list. And, interestingly enough, in the author’s preface, she lets readers know that some of these characters she has listed (other than the ‘queens’ authors already mentioned) are based on real people. So, will this many characters enhance or hinder the story?

It is 1938 London. The sense of pending war is in the air with the recent actions of Hitler’s Nazis. The four queens have been invited to be the centerpiece attraction at a fundraiser for the Women’s Voluntary Service being hosted at the estate of Sir Henry Heathcote, an aristocrat.

As short chapters introduce readers to the various players/guests to the event, and the event itself, the murder of Sir Henry is eventually discovered.

Who wanted Sir Henry dead and why? Especially when so many within the family could possibly benefit from his death. Still, there were also others who may have been affected by Sir Henry’s actions as an aristocrat that may have been motivation for murder. Could the motive have been…

“Revenge, freedom from oppression, a crime of passion, money and property?”

The four queens decide to put their sleuthing skills together to try and figure out what occurred with the help of Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson.

With many suspects, will they be able to solve his murder?

The author finds a way to weave together the temperament of the time, including political leanings, which add to the eventual understanding of what could possibly have motivated the killer. As well as, provide good character development of the four queens, and the women police assigned to solve the case, based on their own historic real-life resumes. There were also a few more ‘real people’ characters within the story that were well-developed.

But unfortunately, the plot dragged a bit in the beginning and middle as it was weighed down by so many characters entering and exiting the scenes. It wasn’t until close to the end when characters started to be more revealing about what happened that night, that the story lit up and came to an interesting conclusion.

For this one, 2.5 stars for ‘authentic’ character development of the queens and chief inspectors.

Still, I recommend readers read “The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict instead. Review here: /review/show...

]]> <![CDATA[How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files, #2)]]> 216970887 Welcome back to Castle Knoll, the idyllic English village home to a surprising number of murderers.

Present day: Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune-teller Peony Lane shares a cryptic message only hours before being found dead inside the locked Gravesdown estate. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of her new countryside home in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about, before her brand-new life comes crashing down around her.

1967: Teenage Frances Adams, Annie's great aunt, finds herself caught between two men. Ford Gravesdown is one of the only remaining members of a family known for its wealth and dubious uses of power. Archie Foyle is a local who can’t hold down a job and lives above the village pub. But when Frances teams up with Archie to investigate the car crash that killed most of Ford’s family, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident—hints of cover-ups, lies, and betrayals abound. The question is, just how far does the blackness creep through the heart of Castle Knoll? When Frances uncovers secrets kept by both Ford and Archie, she starts to wonder: What exactly has she gotten herself into?

As Annie and Frances investigate two new mysteries spanning decades, they'll unlock the next level of secrets held in Castle Knoll's dark heart.]]> 320 Kristen Perrin 059347404X Karen 3
The question often asked is, do readers need to read that one before reading this one? Probably best to, in order to get a sense of the characters history. Still even as I say that, my memory of the first book is a bit blurred, so I am glad the author provided a few inserted reminders. Still, I offer more of my experience about reading series books in order below, if interested.

The story is told in two narrative voices. Annie in present day, and excerpts from Aunt Frances’ diaries, her teenage years, 1967.

Annie is navigating her new life at Castle Knoll in present day where she has inherited Gravesdown Manor from her Aunt Frances after her death in book one.

And, it doesn’t take long for Annie to find trouble again at her beloved new home. A dead fortune teller inside the manor house.

What is going on here and why?

The best tool to guide Annie is her Aunts’ diaries and secret files about the townspeople, family and friends. But what happens when some of those files are missing?

With a huge cast of characters, a bit of a convoluted plot with some suspenseful interludes, readers may still be kept somewhat entertained by this cozy, murder mystery. But it will most likely be the charm of the town, and maybe the likable Annie that will help make this more of a semi-fun, engaging read.

3.5 stars

Sidenote about reading series in book order:

I will always promote reading series in book order, even when I sometimes don’t always do it. Now, I don’t mean to not read a series in order on purpose. But sometimes I am hindered from that occurring, because of my reading preferences.

As an example, I am mostly a print book reader, and a regular local library patron. As stubborn as I am about sticking to reading mostly just library books (and the wonderful donations to my Little Free Library Shed), I am fully aware that I miss out on getting to read lots of books when they are first released, or at all, because of my feeling most comfortable with print books. Because, sometimes not all books are made available in print format or at the local library.

I know it isn’t a good excuse, but that is a typical reason for my out-of-order reading bad habits. Of course, when the book is donated to my Little Free Library Shed, I am beside myself with joy! I can’t begin to share how lucky I feel for the donation and opportunity to read a book that wasn’t available to me otherwise. ☺️
]]> 3.68 2025 How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files, #2)

How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files, #2)

author: Kristen Perrin
name: Karen
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/11
date added: 2025/05/11
shelves: cozy, easy-to-read, entertaining, imperfect, ok, scenic, too-many-characters
review:
This is the second in the Castle Knoll Files series. The first being, “How to Solve Your Own Murder” which was left for Annie Adams to figure out when her great Aunt Frances died.

The question often asked is, do readers need to read that one before reading this one? Probably best to, in order to get a sense of the characters history. Still even as I say that, my memory of the first book is a bit blurred, so I am glad the author provided a few inserted reminders. Still, I offer more of my experience about reading series books in order below, if interested.

The story is told in two narrative voices. Annie in present day, and excerpts from Aunt Frances’ diaries, her teenage years, 1967.

Annie is navigating her new life at Castle Knoll in present day where she has inherited Gravesdown Manor from her Aunt Frances after her death in book one.

And, it doesn’t take long for Annie to find trouble again at her beloved new home. A dead fortune teller inside the manor house.

What is going on here and why?

The best tool to guide Annie is her Aunts’ diaries and secret files about the townspeople, family and friends. But what happens when some of those files are missing?

With a huge cast of characters, a bit of a convoluted plot with some suspenseful interludes, readers may still be kept somewhat entertained by this cozy, murder mystery. But it will most likely be the charm of the town, and maybe the likable Annie that will help make this more of a semi-fun, engaging read.

3.5 stars

Sidenote about reading series in book order:

I will always promote reading series in book order, even when I sometimes don’t always do it. Now, I don’t mean to not read a series in order on purpose. But sometimes I am hindered from that occurring, because of my reading preferences.

As an example, I am mostly a print book reader, and a regular local library patron. As stubborn as I am about sticking to reading mostly just library books (and the wonderful donations to my Little Free Library Shed), I am fully aware that I miss out on getting to read lots of books when they are first released, or at all, because of my feeling most comfortable with print books. Because, sometimes not all books are made available in print format or at the local library.

I know it isn’t a good excuse, but that is a typical reason for my out-of-order reading bad habits. Of course, when the book is donated to my Little Free Library Shed, I am beside myself with joy! I can’t begin to share how lucky I feel for the donation and opportunity to read a book that wasn’t available to me otherwise. ☺️

]]> The Death of Us 216522696 The Death of Us is the story of a marriage turned inside out by a violent encounter that sets fire to the hairline faults that were there from the start.

Late on a summer’s evening when they are thirty years old, husband and wife Edward and Isabel’s home is invaded by a serial killer. Theirs was a classic story of young love that moves into true partnership—but their solid foundation implodes in the wake of this violence.

At fifty-eight, they are reunited for their tormentor’s trial and forced to confront their lifelong love the secrets, passions, and encounter that bind them still. Isabel has waited years for the man who nearly ended her life to be caught. As she’s tracked news of his increasingly violent criminal life, she’s connected with other survivors and prepared for the moment that she’d get to read her victim impact statement aloud in court. She is sure she’ll speak her truth and finally let the past go. Edward has spent the years since the break-in—and the breakdown of his marriage—trying to figure out how a near-miss with death killed so much else in their shared life. Unlike Isabel, he’s not eager to relive these terrible memories. Even though he’s moved on—he’s remarried, his old life almost unrecognizable to him now—he can’t resist accompanying Isabel to their intruder’s sentencing. What would revenge or justice feel like? Can closure set Isabel free? And what might that freedom mean for Edward?]]> 336 Abigail Dean 0593831136 Karen 3
Readers will have the opportunity to experience the impact a series of sadistic crimes has on those who have been victimized and those who have survived. In this regard, it will not be an easy read. But a compelling, empathetic one.

And, especially when you consider the beginnings of a love story that is cruelly interrupted by such a crime and how their lives play out because of it.

The author weaves together past and present, courtroom scenes and victim’s stories, as they have the opportunity to finally seek justice when that person has been arrested and brought to justice.

Presented as a mixture of psychological thriller, police procedural, and love story, this will feel brutal, disturbing and heart-wrenching at times, in its telling. But it is a profound one even as a fiction book, that gives voice to the victims of tragedy.

3.5 stars
]]> 3.93 2025 The Death of Us

author: Abigail Dean
name: Karen
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/10
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: compelling, complex, dark, haunting, heart-felt, intense, uncomfortable, twisted
review:
How does one overcome a life that has been terrorized by a violent crime? Especially when it takes years for that killer to be caught?

Readers will have the opportunity to experience the impact a series of sadistic crimes has on those who have been victimized and those who have survived. In this regard, it will not be an easy read. But a compelling, empathetic one.

And, especially when you consider the beginnings of a love story that is cruelly interrupted by such a crime and how their lives play out because of it.

The author weaves together past and present, courtroom scenes and victim’s stories, as they have the opportunity to finally seek justice when that person has been arrested and brought to justice.

Presented as a mixture of psychological thriller, police procedural, and love story, this will feel brutal, disturbing and heart-wrenching at times, in its telling. But it is a profound one even as a fiction book, that gives voice to the victims of tragedy.

3.5 stars

]]> James 173754979 A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780385550369.]]> 303 Percival Everett 0385550367 Karen 4
My best friend Sharon wanted to discuss this book with me. So, I couldn’t wait for “James” to come in from our local library. Surprisingly, for both of us, we were one of the first to receive it.

And, so I put all my other books on my “currently reading” 카지노싸이트 list aside, and began to read this one.

Let me address the elephant in the room. For me. First.

I will give you an example of my concern here…

“Lak I say, I furst found my hat up on a nail. ‘I ain’t put dat dere,” I say to mysef. ‘How dat hat git dere?’

I recognize that speaking this way was the dialect of the time. But does it need to be written that way in contemporary books? Every time I had attempted to read this story, with words spoken in that dialect, it felt uncomfortable and unpleasant.

I can appreciate that the author was trying to stay true to the times, and the characters, but I felt myself tripping over those words and wondering if I would be able to get myself through the pages. My head would begin to hurt, and I would find myself slamming the book down in frustration.

And then I would find myself asking…

Was the whole book going to “talk” this way? And, if so, was I going to be disappointed and miss out on the story, and my discussion with Sharon? I could feel a dilemma coming on. What was I to do?

I read a few more pages.

It appeared as long as they weren’t talking, it was easy to follow the narrator, James telling of his story. It would just be when James or anyone else would speak that I would cringe. And, this book was full of conversations. And, of course, this story, and what we are wanting from his story, is his slave’s point of view.

I continued to read.

Thankfully, the author provides short chapters. He is taking us on the same adventure as Huckleberry Finn, but through James’ view instead. It would be his perspective. And, as readers, we will follow along with him.

If anyone remembers Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, some scenes may seem familiar, but the author finds ways to insert the story with his own backdrops. So, that the emphasis is on James and how he views the world and what is happening in it.

As I mentioned earlier, it was hard for me when the book was conversational. And yet, that was the majority of the story.

So, how did that make my reading experience? Less than enjoyable? And yet, could this be a brilliant telling of a homage to Twain? After all, this was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

To be honest, I am conflicted. It isn't going to be an easy read (besides what I mentioned). My 카지노싸이트 friend, Jamie shares it best. Her review is here: /review/show...

But…let’s just say it got better as I continued to read. It was an adventure, most importantly. And, despite the “language barrier” I think it was a worthwhile read.

Update: this book just won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction 2024. According to the NY Times article on May 6, 2025, it wasn't won easily though. "In a surprising twist, the prize went to Everett after the Pulitzer committee’s board failed to reach a consensus on the three finalists that the fiction jury initially presented — Rita Bullwinkel’s “Headshot,” Stacey Levine’s “Mice 1961,” and Gayl Jones’s “The Unicorn Woman.”" ]]> 4.44 2024 James

author: Percival Everett
name: Karen
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/11
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: adventurous, compelling, dark, exasperating, ok, scenic, thought-provoking, what-were-they-thinking
review:
“Heaven for this climate; hell for my long-awaited lunch with Mark Twain.”

My best friend Sharon wanted to discuss this book with me. So, I couldn’t wait for “James” to come in from our local library. Surprisingly, for both of us, we were one of the first to receive it.

And, so I put all my other books on my “currently reading” 카지노싸이트 list aside, and began to read this one.

Let me address the elephant in the room. For me. First.

I will give you an example of my concern here…

“Lak I say, I furst found my hat up on a nail. ‘I ain’t put dat dere,” I say to mysef. ‘How dat hat git dere?’

I recognize that speaking this way was the dialect of the time. But does it need to be written that way in contemporary books? Every time I had attempted to read this story, with words spoken in that dialect, it felt uncomfortable and unpleasant.

I can appreciate that the author was trying to stay true to the times, and the characters, but I felt myself tripping over those words and wondering if I would be able to get myself through the pages. My head would begin to hurt, and I would find myself slamming the book down in frustration.

And then I would find myself asking…

Was the whole book going to “talk” this way? And, if so, was I going to be disappointed and miss out on the story, and my discussion with Sharon? I could feel a dilemma coming on. What was I to do?

I read a few more pages.

It appeared as long as they weren’t talking, it was easy to follow the narrator, James telling of his story. It would just be when James or anyone else would speak that I would cringe. And, this book was full of conversations. And, of course, this story, and what we are wanting from his story, is his slave’s point of view.

I continued to read.

Thankfully, the author provides short chapters. He is taking us on the same adventure as Huckleberry Finn, but through James’ view instead. It would be his perspective. And, as readers, we will follow along with him.

If anyone remembers Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, some scenes may seem familiar, but the author finds ways to insert the story with his own backdrops. So, that the emphasis is on James and how he views the world and what is happening in it.

As I mentioned earlier, it was hard for me when the book was conversational. And yet, that was the majority of the story.

So, how did that make my reading experience? Less than enjoyable? And yet, could this be a brilliant telling of a homage to Twain? After all, this was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

To be honest, I am conflicted. It isn't going to be an easy read (besides what I mentioned). My 카지노싸이트 friend, Jamie shares it best. Her review is here: /review/show...

But…let’s just say it got better as I continued to read. It was an adventure, most importantly. And, despite the “language barrier” I think it was a worthwhile read.

Update: this book just won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction 2024. According to the NY Times article on May 6, 2025, it wasn't won easily though. "In a surprising twist, the prize went to Everett after the Pulitzer committee’s board failed to reach a consensus on the three finalists that the fiction jury initially presented — Rita Bullwinkel’s “Headshot,” Stacey Levine’s “Mice 1961,” and Gayl Jones’s “The Unicorn Woman.”"
]]> <![CDATA[The Octopus: Phantom of the Sea]]> 3620129 64 Mary M. Cerullo 0525651993 Karen 5
I have also enjoyed the stories by Sy Montgomery, “Secrets of the Octopus” and “The Soul of an Octopus.”

So, when this was dropped off, I was interested in reading and reviewing it, as well.

The photographs by Jeffrey L. Rottman are stunning, and provide young readers an opportunity to appreciate what is being said about this amazing sea creature. The author also provides a glossary and a bibliography at the back of the book for further information.

The book is informative and thoughtful in providing great background on the brilliance of octopi. This would make a great teaching book for young readers.

Age Level: 9 – 12 years – Grade Level: 4th – 6th

]]> 3.78 1997 The Octopus: Phantom of the Sea

author: Mary M. Cerullo
name: Karen
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: animal-love, beautiful, captivating, easy-to-read, educational, engaging, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic
review:
This 1997 former library book was donated to my Little Free Library Shed. Since I have seen the documentary on Netflix, “My Octopus Teacher,” I have been fascinated to learn about them. And of course, there have been many lovely fiction stories also written about them, too. One of my favorite being, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt.

I have also enjoyed the stories by Sy Montgomery, “Secrets of the Octopus” and “The Soul of an Octopus.”

So, when this was dropped off, I was interested in reading and reviewing it, as well.

The photographs by Jeffrey L. Rottman are stunning, and provide young readers an opportunity to appreciate what is being said about this amazing sea creature. The author also provides a glossary and a bibliography at the back of the book for further information.

The book is informative and thoughtful in providing great background on the brilliance of octopi. This would make a great teaching book for young readers.

Age Level: 9 – 12 years – Grade Level: 4th – 6th

]]> <![CDATA[The Page Turner: A Quirky and Humorous Tale of a Romance Writer's Hidden Past]]> 221515461 A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos.

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide: As much as she’s dreamed of the day her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?]]> 336 Viola Shipman 1525831631 Karen 4
And, he also writes in a way that makes his selections book discussion worthy.

So, how did this one fare?

What kind of story was this? Was it a standard rom-com? Or, was it a story emphasizing the power and agency of women in defending their own interests?

For me, it definitely was not a rom-com. There was no traditional romance trope, and there really was no comedy. Unless readers want to consider the romance with oneself that is emulated through Emma’s recalled moments of her grandmother GiGi. (Emma is our main protagonist.) In those moments, the message of self-love comes through so clearly, that one can’t help but give oneself a hug.

There were also a lot of quotable moments which I included some below.

Mostly, this was Emma’s story. In so many different ways. She is attempting to find herself. She is taking readers back in time; and, she is interacting with family and others in present time. Readers will connect to the story through Emma.

Or not.

It feels like Emma is having to spend the majority of her time proving herself to a fairly unlikable family. When all Emma seems to really want is to find her own way through her own words, on her own terms, as a writer. And, that family, parents most specifically, seemed much to in to their own superficial personas than they were with what was happening with their daughter.

As readers, we can also feel Emma’s immense devotion to her grandmother, GiGi. And, GiGi to her. Through GiGi’s life lessons Emma was finding her voice, even if she wasn’t getting encouragement from her parents, or her younger, physically stunning sister, Jess.

But what happens when an arrogant successful romance writer named Marcus enters the scene? Will Emma be able to reach through her parent’s plastic veneer? Will this help bring her closer to her sister, Jess?

And, what mystery exists within this family that needs to be solved to help them move forward successfully as a family?

For the most part, when Emma was taking readers through her life with GiGi, or searching to find herself and/or the family mystery to solve, the story had a rapid pace that became an easily compulsive, compelling and focused read. Especially when we hit Chapter 30. Which felt like a true power voice for women. At other times, it was a slow burn which lacked personality. Perhaps because the characters appeared so colorless.

Still, the redeeming characters of Emma, and GiGi carried the story. If readers could be patient with the rest it could be considered an almost satisfying read. And yes, sometimes this is what makes a book, discussion worthy, too.

3.5 stars

]]> 3.89 2025 The Page Turner: A Quirky and Humorous Tale of a Romance Writer's Hidden Past

The Page Turner: A Quirky and Humorous Tale of a Romance Writer's Hidden Past

author: Viola Shipman
name: Karen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, conversational, creates-questions, cute, compelling, exasperating, feel-good, heart-felt, imperfect, low-energy, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, sweet
review:
I typically love Wade Rouse, who is an openly gay man using the pen name Viola Shipman. He generally has a beautiful way of getting inside a woman’s head, and knowing how to create characters that are fairly believable and relatable. And, when I get to the end of his books, I know that I just finished reading a story that carried a strong message he wanted us readers to receive, and a personal letter that connected us to him. Kleenex is always recommended.

And, he also writes in a way that makes his selections book discussion worthy.

So, how did this one fare?

What kind of story was this? Was it a standard rom-com? Or, was it a story emphasizing the power and agency of women in defending their own interests?

For me, it definitely was not a rom-com. There was no traditional romance trope, and there really was no comedy. Unless readers want to consider the romance with oneself that is emulated through Emma’s recalled moments of her grandmother GiGi. (Emma is our main protagonist.) In those moments, the message of self-love comes through so clearly, that one can’t help but give oneself a hug.

There were also a lot of quotable moments which I included some below.

Mostly, this was Emma’s story. In so many different ways. She is attempting to find herself. She is taking readers back in time; and, she is interacting with family and others in present time. Readers will connect to the story through Emma.

Or not.

It feels like Emma is having to spend the majority of her time proving herself to a fairly unlikable family. When all Emma seems to really want is to find her own way through her own words, on her own terms, as a writer. And, that family, parents most specifically, seemed much to in to their own superficial personas than they were with what was happening with their daughter.

As readers, we can also feel Emma’s immense devotion to her grandmother, GiGi. And, GiGi to her. Through GiGi’s life lessons Emma was finding her voice, even if she wasn’t getting encouragement from her parents, or her younger, physically stunning sister, Jess.

But what happens when an arrogant successful romance writer named Marcus enters the scene? Will Emma be able to reach through her parent’s plastic veneer? Will this help bring her closer to her sister, Jess?

And, what mystery exists within this family that needs to be solved to help them move forward successfully as a family?

For the most part, when Emma was taking readers through her life with GiGi, or searching to find herself and/or the family mystery to solve, the story had a rapid pace that became an easily compulsive, compelling and focused read. Especially when we hit Chapter 30. Which felt like a true power voice for women. At other times, it was a slow burn which lacked personality. Perhaps because the characters appeared so colorless.

Still, the redeeming characters of Emma, and GiGi carried the story. If readers could be patient with the rest it could be considered an almost satisfying read. And yes, sometimes this is what makes a book, discussion worthy, too.

3.5 stars

]]> <![CDATA[Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls, #1)]]> 216524168 The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!]]> 336 Rachel Ekstrom Courage 1368102980 Karen 2
Anyone who watched these shows in real time or reruns could attest to the actor’s brilliance, in playing their distinctive characters.

Beatrice Arthur would play Dorothy with a sarcastic straight face and sharp wit, while Betty White’s Rose was the sweet naïve one. White conveyed her with an endless positive energy. The audience could count on Rue McClanahan’s flirty Blanche with her pure southern charm. McClanahan gave viewers a kittenish view of aging women. And, how we could age beautifully and confidently. While Estelle Getty, even with her short-stature, came off brilliantly as the wise-cracking Sophia. Getty with her sharp tongue, always had the one-liners that would create belly laughs. There was a respect for women that resonated with viewers.

The actors came to the series with their own rich resume. But even that didn’t matter. Together they embodied a phenomenal chemistry that worked and radiated a charm week after week that made this show popular with viewers.

And, now, this new murder mystery book series, stars the very same foursome. So, how does a 1980’s-early 90’s sitcom translate to a 2025 written page? Well, the author based the story in the 1980’s. Did it work?

In this story Rose wants to put on a wedding for her niece Nettie who currently lives in St. Olaf, Minnesota. So, she invites her to come to Miami, Florida, where she will put on the wedding for her and her fiancé, Jason. The young couple agree to come.

The girls decide to help Rose. In the meantime, Dorothy decides she wants to have a date at the wedding, and finds a man named Henry via a VHS dating service. She agrees to meet him for lunch in which he uncomfortably stands her up after a stilted meet-greet conversation at the restaurant. She dejectedly leaves without a word to the girls.

As wedding planning continues and the couple arrives from St. Olaf, it is time to partake of the cheesecake that Rose lovingly made as part of one of the many rituals necessary to make for a good St. Olaf traditional wedding. (Finally, we are getting to the point of the title of the book!)

But as Rose and Dorothy open the walk-in refrigerator at the motel to get the cheesecake, they discover a body. A dead body that took them all the way to page 60 to find the purpose of the title of the book!

So, why does this body have on him a note that he was meeting Dorothy at a restaurant? Could it be Henry? And, if it is Henry, what is he doing at this event – now dead?

To be honest, this was a silly read that tried too hard to bring the actors to life in print. (The actresses caricature drawings are on the book cover.) But to this reader, it only stumbled along miserably with an ill-conceived plot that just didn’t feel authentic to the time period or the characters that were beloved in the original series.

Sadly, this book was a convoluted mess. ]]> 3.61 2025 Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls, #1)

author: Rachel Ekstrom Courage
name: Karen
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/05/08
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves: boring, disappointed, recipes, thumbs-down, what-were-they-thinking, silly
review:
The Golden Girls was a popular American sitcom on NBC Television from 1985 – 1992. It starred Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty. It was about 4 mature single women, Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Dorothy’s mother, Sophia who shared a home in Miami, Florida. The half-hour show, each week navigated their ‘golden years’ with humor, friendship and comedic chaos.

Anyone who watched these shows in real time or reruns could attest to the actor’s brilliance, in playing their distinctive characters.

Beatrice Arthur would play Dorothy with a sarcastic straight face and sharp wit, while Betty White’s Rose was the sweet naïve one. White conveyed her with an endless positive energy. The audience could count on Rue McClanahan’s flirty Blanche with her pure southern charm. McClanahan gave viewers a kittenish view of aging women. And, how we could age beautifully and confidently. While Estelle Getty, even with her short-stature, came off brilliantly as the wise-cracking Sophia. Getty with her sharp tongue, always had the one-liners that would create belly laughs. There was a respect for women that resonated with viewers.

The actors came to the series with their own rich resume. But even that didn’t matter. Together they embodied a phenomenal chemistry that worked and radiated a charm week after week that made this show popular with viewers.

And, now, this new murder mystery book series, stars the very same foursome. So, how does a 1980’s-early 90’s sitcom translate to a 2025 written page? Well, the author based the story in the 1980’s. Did it work?

In this story Rose wants to put on a wedding for her niece Nettie who currently lives in St. Olaf, Minnesota. So, she invites her to come to Miami, Florida, where she will put on the wedding for her and her fiancé, Jason. The young couple agree to come.

The girls decide to help Rose. In the meantime, Dorothy decides she wants to have a date at the wedding, and finds a man named Henry via a VHS dating service. She agrees to meet him for lunch in which he uncomfortably stands her up after a stilted meet-greet conversation at the restaurant. She dejectedly leaves without a word to the girls.

As wedding planning continues and the couple arrives from St. Olaf, it is time to partake of the cheesecake that Rose lovingly made as part of one of the many rituals necessary to make for a good St. Olaf traditional wedding. (Finally, we are getting to the point of the title of the book!)

But as Rose and Dorothy open the walk-in refrigerator at the motel to get the cheesecake, they discover a body. A dead body that took them all the way to page 60 to find the purpose of the title of the book!

So, why does this body have on him a note that he was meeting Dorothy at a restaurant? Could it be Henry? And, if it is Henry, what is he doing at this event – now dead?

To be honest, this was a silly read that tried too hard to bring the actors to life in print. (The actresses caricature drawings are on the book cover.) But to this reader, it only stumbled along miserably with an ill-conceived plot that just didn’t feel authentic to the time period or the characters that were beloved in the original series.

Sadly, this book was a convoluted mess.
]]> <![CDATA[Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War]]> 10900047 A Library Journal Top Ten Best Books of 2011
A Boston Globe Best Nonfiction Book of 2011

Bestselling author Tony Horwitz tells the electrifying tale of the daring insurrection that put America on the path to bloody war

Plotted in secret, launched in the dark, John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was a pivotal moment in U.S. history. But few Americans know the true story of the men and women who launched a desperate strike at the slaveholding South. Now, Midnight Rising portrays Brown's uprising in vivid color, revealing a country on the brink of explosive conflict.

Brown, the descendant of New England Puritans, saw slavery as a sin against America's founding principles. Unlike most abolitionists, he was willing to take up arms, and in 1859 he prepared for battle at a hideout in Maryland, joined by his teenage daughter, three of his sons, and a guerrilla band that included former slaves and a dashing spy. On October 17, the raiders seized Harpers Ferry, stunning the nation and prompting a counterattack led by Robert E. Lee. After Brown's capture, his defiant eloquence galvanized the North and appalled the South, which considered Brown a terrorist. The raid also helped elect Abraham Lincoln, who later began to fulfill Brown's dream with the Emancipation Proclamation, a measure he called "a John Brown raid, on a gigantic scale."

Tony Horwitz's riveting book travels antebellum America to deliver both a taut historical drama and a telling portrait of a nation divided―a time that still resonates in ours.]]> 384 Tony Horwitz 080509153X Karen 4 /review/show...

In her book, she shared openly about the loss of him, by emotionally addressing her grief. He was on a book tour in 2019 promoting his latest book, “Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide” when while walking, he collapsed from cardiac arrest due to myocarditis. He sadly died on the spot. He was only 60 years young.

Because I was so in tune to Brooks book about their relationship, I became curious about Horwitz the writer. So, I thought I might be interested in reading something he would have written. Of course, it also helps that I do like to read a bit of history, every now and then, too. Thus, this is how I came to check out one of his books. This 2011 book finally became available at my local library early this month (May, 2025).

Even though this was non-fiction, I found myself riveted to the pages, as if it were a historical fiction read. His writing was provocative. His descriptions of the people of that time were engrossing and seductive. Most compelling was the blatant and harsh bigotry shared by the author of how the blacks were treated. It was like reading something out of today’s newspapers.

I know I sound like I am overstating this, because the author was obviously writing about a time in history that was discussing slavery. But that wasn’t my point. It was the attitude of the people he conveyed through his writing. The lack of respect, and dehumanizing of others because of the color of one’s skin, showed clearly a racist behavior that unfortunately plays out in today’s world.

As a society TODAY there is a glaring and undisguised promotion of hate based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, and socioeconomic background. And, when systemic biases/racism exists, they are used as political tools that reject the values of equality, coexistence and the rule of law in favor of raw power for white nationalist, fascist behavior. So much of Horwitz’s writing was a mirror into today’s politics.

So, who was John Brown and why was he interested in abolishing slavery? After all, he was a white man. Brown was raised as a Calvinist where life was a constant struggle against sin. The Browns believed they must bear witness against the sins of a nation. So, for John Brown to take the direction he eventually did, he naturally believed he was destined. Also, “John Brown, raised by disciplinarians, became one himself.”

He hated the idea of slavery due to a combination of personal experiences, religious beliefs and his view of slavery as a moral and political evil. He witnessed firsthand the brutality of slavery and believed it was a transgression against God which fueled his commitment to abolish it. Thus, turning him into an abolitionist. An abolitionist being a person who favored the ending of the practice of slavery.

The author tells the story leading up to and the actual raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859. An event that intensified animosities and contributed to the break out of the civil war and the divide between the North and the South and difficulty towards reconciliation between the two factions.

Particularly interesting was when the author chose to walk in Brown’s footsteps by visiting the actual location of the raid itself. He shared…

“…walking in the footsteps of history isn’t the same as being there. I could tread where Brown’s men did glimpse some of what they saw, but the place I wanted to be was inside their heads. What led them to launch a brazen assault on their own government and countrymen? Why were millions of other Americans willing to kill and die in the civil war that followed? How did one event connect to the other?”

Through meticulous historical research the author takes us through time and attempts to answer these very questions. With pictures and stories and journal entries of what took place that led up to the fateful days to come, during and after, readers learn about the true history of the time. And, why it was so important to fight for the cause.

Of particular importance is the author’s appendix which pays homage to the raiders killed in action, captured, escaped, killed or wounded by raiders. There are also notes at the end of the book that support his extensive research. As well as an artist rendering of Harpers Ferry 1859 on the opening and closing pages of the book.

This is a beautifully articulate narrative of one of America’s most troubling and brutal historical figures. Even if in Brown’s violence he made a statement, it was a time and a place in history that something needed to change. And, now that we are standing at a pivotal time in our own history in which prejudice and hate rears its ugly head again, we cannot ignore the magnitude of what the message of hate does to a nation.

Books like this need to be read, to remind us that we have got to stop the cycle of hate and prejudice. We need to embrace our differences so that violence like this does not have to occur.

No doubt the civil war was a devastating war. We cannot afford to go there again. Consider…Russia/Ukraine. Israel/Gaza. Our current: United States – Red vs Blue – Un-united States? Perhaps books like this remind us of the cost of wars.

Of particular note: Horwitz published this book in 2011. I am reading and reviewing this in 2025. Still, I can’t help but tie this directly to today’s politics. The author may not have intended to compare what was done ‘yesterday’ with today (especially since he died in 2019 and this was published in 2011 long before Trump was on the scene). But as we well know, the Holocaust being a vivid example, the past and the present have a way of melding together on their own. We can’t help but find a connection. And, in so doing, it really isn’t comforting at all.

Why does history have to repeat itself in these abominable and atrocious ways? What does it take for humanity to learn from these historical lessons?

Perhaps make readers of history of us all. So, we don’t repeat ourselves again and again.
]]> 3.98 2011 Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War

Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War

author: Tony Horwitz
name: Karen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/07
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, captivating, brilliant, compelling, complex, conversational, dark, educational, engaging, haunting, makes-you-think, page-turner, scenic, thought-provoking, tragic
review:
I have to admit my embarrassment about my initial lack of knowledge about this author. What I have come to understand is that he is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for national reporting who I knew nothing about until I read about him from his wife, author, Geraldine Brooks in her book, “Memorial Days.” Review here: /review/show...

In her book, she shared openly about the loss of him, by emotionally addressing her grief. He was on a book tour in 2019 promoting his latest book, “Spying on the South: An Odyssey Across the American Divide” when while walking, he collapsed from cardiac arrest due to myocarditis. He sadly died on the spot. He was only 60 years young.

Because I was so in tune to Brooks book about their relationship, I became curious about Horwitz the writer. So, I thought I might be interested in reading something he would have written. Of course, it also helps that I do like to read a bit of history, every now and then, too. Thus, this is how I came to check out one of his books. This 2011 book finally became available at my local library early this month (May, 2025).

Even though this was non-fiction, I found myself riveted to the pages, as if it were a historical fiction read. His writing was provocative. His descriptions of the people of that time were engrossing and seductive. Most compelling was the blatant and harsh bigotry shared by the author of how the blacks were treated. It was like reading something out of today’s newspapers.

I know I sound like I am overstating this, because the author was obviously writing about a time in history that was discussing slavery. But that wasn’t my point. It was the attitude of the people he conveyed through his writing. The lack of respect, and dehumanizing of others because of the color of one’s skin, showed clearly a racist behavior that unfortunately plays out in today’s world.

As a society TODAY there is a glaring and undisguised promotion of hate based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, and socioeconomic background. And, when systemic biases/racism exists, they are used as political tools that reject the values of equality, coexistence and the rule of law in favor of raw power for white nationalist, fascist behavior. So much of Horwitz’s writing was a mirror into today’s politics.

So, who was John Brown and why was he interested in abolishing slavery? After all, he was a white man. Brown was raised as a Calvinist where life was a constant struggle against sin. The Browns believed they must bear witness against the sins of a nation. So, for John Brown to take the direction he eventually did, he naturally believed he was destined. Also, “John Brown, raised by disciplinarians, became one himself.”

He hated the idea of slavery due to a combination of personal experiences, religious beliefs and his view of slavery as a moral and political evil. He witnessed firsthand the brutality of slavery and believed it was a transgression against God which fueled his commitment to abolish it. Thus, turning him into an abolitionist. An abolitionist being a person who favored the ending of the practice of slavery.

The author tells the story leading up to and the actual raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859. An event that intensified animosities and contributed to the break out of the civil war and the divide between the North and the South and difficulty towards reconciliation between the two factions.

Particularly interesting was when the author chose to walk in Brown’s footsteps by visiting the actual location of the raid itself. He shared…

“…walking in the footsteps of history isn’t the same as being there. I could tread where Brown’s men did glimpse some of what they saw, but the place I wanted to be was inside their heads. What led them to launch a brazen assault on their own government and countrymen? Why were millions of other Americans willing to kill and die in the civil war that followed? How did one event connect to the other?”

Through meticulous historical research the author takes us through time and attempts to answer these very questions. With pictures and stories and journal entries of what took place that led up to the fateful days to come, during and after, readers learn about the true history of the time. And, why it was so important to fight for the cause.

Of particular importance is the author’s appendix which pays homage to the raiders killed in action, captured, escaped, killed or wounded by raiders. There are also notes at the end of the book that support his extensive research. As well as an artist rendering of Harpers Ferry 1859 on the opening and closing pages of the book.

This is a beautifully articulate narrative of one of America’s most troubling and brutal historical figures. Even if in Brown’s violence he made a statement, it was a time and a place in history that something needed to change. And, now that we are standing at a pivotal time in our own history in which prejudice and hate rears its ugly head again, we cannot ignore the magnitude of what the message of hate does to a nation.

Books like this need to be read, to remind us that we have got to stop the cycle of hate and prejudice. We need to embrace our differences so that violence like this does not have to occur.

No doubt the civil war was a devastating war. We cannot afford to go there again. Consider…Russia/Ukraine. Israel/Gaza. Our current: United States – Red vs Blue – Un-united States? Perhaps books like this remind us of the cost of wars.

Of particular note: Horwitz published this book in 2011. I am reading and reviewing this in 2025. Still, I can’t help but tie this directly to today’s politics. The author may not have intended to compare what was done ‘yesterday’ with today (especially since he died in 2019 and this was published in 2011 long before Trump was on the scene). But as we well know, the Holocaust being a vivid example, the past and the present have a way of melding together on their own. We can’t help but find a connection. And, in so doing, it really isn’t comforting at all.

Why does history have to repeat itself in these abominable and atrocious ways? What does it take for humanity to learn from these historical lessons?

Perhaps make readers of history of us all. So, we don’t repeat ourselves again and again.

]]> The Body in Question 42046111
The place: central Florida. The situation: a sensational murder trial involving a rich, white teenage girl--a twin--on trial for the horrific murder of her toddler brother, and the sequestered jury deciding her fate.

The setting: a utilitarian marble cube of a courthouse, more Soviet than Le Corbusier; and the court-appointed motel off the interstate.

Two of the jurors: Hannah, a 52 year-old former Rolling Stone, Interview Magazine photographer of rock stars and socialites (she switched to photographing animals when she realized she looked at people "as a species" rather than as individuals), and Graham, a 41 year-old anatomy professor, sequestered (she, Juror C-2; he, F-17), holed up at the Econo-Lodge off I-75.

As the shocking and numbing details of the crime and its surrounding facts are revealed during a string of days and seemingly endless court hours, the nights, playing out in a series of court-financed meals (Outback Steak House; Red Lobster; Domino's pizza delivery), Hannah and Graham fall into a furtive affair, keeping their oath, as jurors, never to discuss the trial.

During deliberations the lovers learn they are on opposing sides of the case and realize that their fellow jurors are wise to their affair. After the trial's end, as Hannah returns home to her much older, now, suddenly, frail husband (they married when she was 24; he, 58) an exploding media fury involving the case catches them all up in a frenzy of public outrage at a jury that seems to have convicted the wrong twin, and a judge who has received an anonymous handwritten letter about a series of sexual encounters ("I feel it is my duty as a juror and a citizen to report that two of my fellow jurors had sexual contact on more than seven occasions during our nights at the motel..."), calling into question their respective verdicts, and announcing she is releasing the jurors' names to the media.

Hannah's "one last dalliance before she is too old" takes on profoundly personal and moral consequences, as the novel moves to its affecting, powerful and surprising conclusion.]]> 174 Jill Ciment 152474798X Karen 4
As I began to read, I was finding myself interested in who made up the prospective jury. But at the same time, I was also finding myself a bit detached from the characters, as well. Almost as if the author intended for it to be that way. Could it be because the author gave the characters no names?

As an example, she labeled jurors by names such as corn-rows or church lady or with letter-numbers to denote who they were, like C-2 and F-17. Even when they were within their personal home settings. Why did the author feel it was important to do this? Did she believe that it would bring another sense of mystery to the storyline? Even when the story wasn’t a mystery?

As readers we know that C-2 is a married woman. And, we know that the jurors are now sequestered and not allowed to interact with other jurors. But what if they do? Will those actions affect the verdict?

And, as names are revealed, will we as readers have more of a personal connection to the characters?

This short, brisk story is a sexy, compelling, morality read that should be entered blindly. It will most likely leave readers feeling a bit unsettled as they contemplate their feelings about what they just read. Especially when asked to consider a case, and how much jurors really know when they are expected to render a verdict.

4.5 stars

]]> 3.68 2019 The Body in Question

author: Jill Ciment
name: Karen
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/06
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, complex, conversational, creates-questions, engaging, haunting, intriguing, makes-you-think, page-turner, riveting, spicy, thought-provoking, uncomfortable
review:
I was in the mood for a good courtroom drama jury trial. So, I did an online search at my local library and this book came up.

As I began to read, I was finding myself interested in who made up the prospective jury. But at the same time, I was also finding myself a bit detached from the characters, as well. Almost as if the author intended for it to be that way. Could it be because the author gave the characters no names?

As an example, she labeled jurors by names such as corn-rows or church lady or with letter-numbers to denote who they were, like C-2 and F-17. Even when they were within their personal home settings. Why did the author feel it was important to do this? Did she believe that it would bring another sense of mystery to the storyline? Even when the story wasn’t a mystery?

As readers we know that C-2 is a married woman. And, we know that the jurors are now sequestered and not allowed to interact with other jurors. But what if they do? Will those actions affect the verdict?

And, as names are revealed, will we as readers have more of a personal connection to the characters?

This short, brisk story is a sexy, compelling, morality read that should be entered blindly. It will most likely leave readers feeling a bit unsettled as they contemplate their feelings about what they just read. Especially when asked to consider a case, and how much jurors really know when they are expected to render a verdict.

4.5 stars

]]> Saltwater 215362444 336 Katy Hays 0593875559 Karen 3
What I did get out of this story, is that it may not pay to be rich. That it could create selfishness and greed and murderous intentions. Which may not end well for some.

Which makes this story dark and twisty with some unlikable characters with not very redeeming qualities. So, does that mean they get what they deserve in the end? (No spoilers from me.)

3.5 stars
]]> 3.56 2025 Saltwater

author: Katy Hays
name: Karen
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/05
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: complex, dark, so-confused, twisted, uncomfortable, what-were-they-thinking
review:
I recommend you go into this book blind. Even after reading it I am sincerely flummoxed. This story has multiple narrators, and thus multiple points of view. And so many twists and turns that it took me to the last page to figure out what I had just read. Is that good or bad? I leave it to each reader to decide.

What I did get out of this story, is that it may not pay to be rich. That it could create selfishness and greed and murderous intentions. Which may not end well for some.

Which makes this story dark and twisty with some unlikable characters with not very redeeming qualities. So, does that mean they get what they deserve in the end? (No spoilers from me.)

3.5 stars

]]> Where the Wild Things Are 19543 38 Maurice Sendak 0099408392 Karen 5
This book has been popular since my kids were little. So, it has entertained and helped lots of kids through "angry emotions" to know they always have a safe place back home. So, yes, even though Max misbehaves, his subsequent adventure lays bare his youthful wish to have some kind of control over his world. The general idea is knowing, there is still peace that can be made, and love is still available to be received, and we can get through those difficult emotions.

Another great learning-teaching moment about dealing with emotions that can be discussed with kids - either by teachers or parents with a wonderfully illustrated book.]]> 4.25 1963 Where the Wild Things Are

author: Maurice Sendak
name: Karen
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1963
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/23
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: beautiful, creates-questions, educating-moments, favorites, inspiring, loved-it
review:
As a college educator for over 20 years, I look at books as gifts. As opportunities. As an experience. And I have always found the best experience usually starts with a children's book.

This book has been popular since my kids were little. So, it has entertained and helped lots of kids through "angry emotions" to know they always have a safe place back home. So, yes, even though Max misbehaves, his subsequent adventure lays bare his youthful wish to have some kind of control over his world. The general idea is knowing, there is still peace that can be made, and love is still available to be received, and we can get through those difficult emotions.

Another great learning-teaching moment about dealing with emotions that can be discussed with kids - either by teachers or parents with a wonderfully illustrated book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America]]> 215363226 How right-wing extremism has led to the fall of critical thinking and rise of reactionary politics—and what we can do about it to save our democracy

Known for providing incisive progressive political analysis without being dogmatic, popular radio and podcast host David Pakman delves into the vicious cycle of reactionary political ideology.

It's no secret how the right-wing has benefited and capitalized off disinformation and polarization of US politics. Critical thinking and media literacy are on a rapid decline, and our republic is unable to agree upon a shared set of facts.

Pakman challenges the right-wing head-on and encourages readers to understand how the status quo became the status quo.

Deeply researched and accessibly written, readers will

The underlying issues with political discourse in America today.How these issues have led to the intellectual race to the bottom.Practical ways to improve discourse through improving critical thinking, media literacy, and public education.Examples from real-world debates and discussions to better understand the impact of these issues on our democracy and why leftism is the best path forward.
The Echo Machine is not just a critique nor an instruction manual, but an invitation to think, question, and understand. Pakman equips readers with the knowledge to be inspired to break out of our toxic political echo chamber and ultimately save our democracy.]]> 201 David Pakman 0807016535 Karen 0 to-read 4.35 2025 The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America

The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America

author: David Pakman
name: Karen
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Doorman 217387696 In the new novel from the bestselling author of Two Nights in Lisbon, on the worst night in the greatest city on Earth, a doorman at the toniest address in town is drawn into a web of intrigue, robbery, and murder.

Chicky Diaz stands on his little patch of the earth, the clean quiet sidewalk in front of the Bohemia Apartments, there sure are a lot of great places to kill someone in this city.

Chicky Diaz is everyone’s favorite doorman at the Bohemia, New York City’s world-famous home of celebrities, financiers, and the cultural elite.

Chicky serves at the pleasure of residents like Emily Longworth, who, up in her penthouse, leads a life of her perfect kids in her perfect home, her perfect worries about museum boards, charity work, and so on. Emily’s husband, though . . . perfectly wealthy, but she has quietly loathed Whit Longworth since well before the revelations that he’s a private-equity war profiteer. But their marriage came with an iron-clad prenup, and Emily can’t bring herself to leave all that. Yet.

Meanwhile, in apartment 2A, there’s nothing perfect about Julian Sonnenberg’s middle-aged life. Already struggling with the indignities of turning fifty—a stale marriage, teenage kids who no longer need him, his work as an art gallerist making him feel culturally obsolete—and now his doctor tells him that he needs openheart surgery, immediately. Things are falling apart awfully fast.

In the basement staff room, the life-and-death stakes of daily life are hardly news to the primarily Black and Latino hospitality. So when the NYPD fatally shoots an unarmed Black man and the streets swell with both protestors and counterprotestors, the staff’s concerns are less about the building and more about their survival—and what justice will look like.

Enter Chicky in his epauletted suit, manning the line between the turbulent streets outside the Bohemia and the far more sanguine world within. And not that the Bohemia’s residents care much (except maybe Emily Longworth), but Chicky has his own problems, the kind that mean that for tonight’s shift, for the first time in thirty years, Chicky will be carrying a gun. Because someone, tonight, is going to die.

In what is far away his best and most ambitious book yet, Chris Pavone has delivered a piercing portrait of the way we live now that is also a finely honed thriller of ticking-clock suspense. The Doorman is a book about class and privilege in a city poised to boil over its proverbial melting pot, and the ever starker divisions testing everything the City likes to believe about itself.]]> 388 Chris Pavone 0374604797 Karen 0 to-read 3.68 The Doorman

author: Chris Pavone
name: Karen
average rating: 3.68
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Very Woodsy Murder (Golden Motel Mysteries)]]> 218155647 “Recovering TV sitcom writer Dee Stern leaves behind punchlines for peril in a delightful whodunnit set at a remote motel in rural California that mixes a perfect cocktail of gut-busting one-liners with heart-stopping suspense!” —Lee Hollis, Author of Death of a Clam Digger

New motel owner Dee Stern has checked out of the familiar comforts in the Studio City and checked in to the quaint village of Foundgold. Running a rustic getaway in the woods sure beats LA traffic—until murder ruins the peace and quiet . . .

Down-on-her-luck sitcom writer Dee Stern is flipping the script. Twice divorced and wasting her talents on an obnoxious kids’ show, the lifelong Angeleno embraces the urge to jump in her car and keep driving. It's a road trip with no destination—until she pulls into a mid-century motel filled with cobwebs and retro charm. Nestled in the shadow of a national park, it’s a time capsule of a place that, like her, could use some work. So, in the most impulsive move of her life, Dee teams up with best friend, Jeff Cornetta—who happens to be her first ex-husband—to transform the aging ranch into the Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains, a hiker’s oasis on the edge of the wilderness . . .

But Dee and Jeff soon realize there couldn’t be two people more unprepared for the hospitality business. There’s also the panic-inducing reality of prowling bears and a general store as the only shopping spot for miles. Living and working in the middle of nowhere takes some getting used to—especially when a disrespectful guest ends up murdered! Now, with the motel duo topping the suspect list, Dee must steer clear of a meddling park ranger, face her past in show biz, and determine if the killer is a local or tourist. Because as she quickly finds out, there are many things worse than a one-star review.

“Ellen Byron combines a witty and resourceful heroine with a dream, a shabby motel in a spectacular setting, a host of interesting characters, and a puzzling murder that hits a little too close to home in this delightfully quirky, clever, and laugh-out-loud mystery that delivers a hefty dose of nostalgic charm. Byron's A Very Woodsy Murder will leave readers clamoring for another visit to the Golden Motel.” —Darci Hannah, Author of Murder at the Blarney Bash]]> 304 Ellen Byron 1496745361 Karen 4
And then, I opened it. Immediately staring at me were two pages of characters names! Oh no! That usually is not a good sign. What was I in for with this book, which was supposedly to become the first in the golden motel mystery series?

A very burned-out Dee, who is escaping her life, and is in-between jobs as a sitcom writer, happens upon a motel for sale in the Gold Country on the central northern coast of California. She convinces her first ex-husband, best friend Jeff to join her, and before she knows it, she is the now-owner of a run-down motel that needs sprucing up before it can host guests to make a profit.

How will Dee and Jeff be able to manage life in the hospitality business, let alone a murder in the middle of nowhere? Oh, did I forget to mention that a murder occurs too at the motel? Or did the title of the book give that away? Sometimes the one that is murdered isn’t likable, but hey, that doesn’t mean we want them to be murdered, right?

Readers will find this a cute-sy, quirky, sunny, scenic setting, funny, cozy debut with plenty of suspects (remember that list at the beginning of the book!) that has potential to be a fun series, as long as murders don’t happen at the motel each and every book.

Readers should also enjoy the recipes at the back of the book…Cowboy Casserole and Ellen’s road trip trail mix. Be sure to read the Author’s Note.

3.5 stars
]]> 3.79 2024 A Very Woodsy Murder (Golden Motel Mysteries)

A Very Woodsy Murder (Golden Motel Mysteries)

author: Ellen Byron
name: Karen
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves: adventurous, animal-love, cozy, cute, easy-to-read, fun, quirky, recipes, scenic, silly, too-many-characters
review:
I first saw this book as a 카지노싸이트 give-away. Who wouldn’t be attracted to this cute book cover? So, when I was in my local library and saw it on the book shelf, I was naturally excited to grab it and check it out to read.

And then, I opened it. Immediately staring at me were two pages of characters names! Oh no! That usually is not a good sign. What was I in for with this book, which was supposedly to become the first in the golden motel mystery series?

A very burned-out Dee, who is escaping her life, and is in-between jobs as a sitcom writer, happens upon a motel for sale in the Gold Country on the central northern coast of California. She convinces her first ex-husband, best friend Jeff to join her, and before she knows it, she is the now-owner of a run-down motel that needs sprucing up before it can host guests to make a profit.

How will Dee and Jeff be able to manage life in the hospitality business, let alone a murder in the middle of nowhere? Oh, did I forget to mention that a murder occurs too at the motel? Or did the title of the book give that away? Sometimes the one that is murdered isn’t likable, but hey, that doesn’t mean we want them to be murdered, right?

Readers will find this a cute-sy, quirky, sunny, scenic setting, funny, cozy debut with plenty of suspects (remember that list at the beginning of the book!) that has potential to be a fun series, as long as murders don’t happen at the motel each and every book.

Readers should also enjoy the recipes at the back of the book…Cowboy Casserole and Ellen’s road trip trail mix. Be sure to read the Author’s Note.

3.5 stars

]]> The Oxford Murders 301229 Two mathematicians must join forces to stop a serial killer in this spellbinding international bestseller

It begins on a summer day in Oxford, when a young Argentine graduate student finds his landlady - an elderly woman who helped crack the Enigma Code during World War II - murdered in cold blood. Meanwhile, a renowned Oxford logician receives an anonymous note bearing a circle and the words "the first of a series." As the murders begin to pile up and more symbols are revealed, it is up to this unlikely pair to decipher the pattern before the killer strikes again.]]> 197 Guillermo Martínez 014303796X Karen 4
It is about an Argentine man who shares his story of when he was a 22-year-old university student at Oxford in 1994. Of, how he was renting the basement of a brownstone owned by a Mrs. Eagleton who currently lived with her granddaughter Beth, and, once served on the Enigma Code project in WWII.

One day, when coming home from school with his second month’s rent, the student bumps into well-renowned Oxford logician, professor of logic, Arthur Seldom who is also lingering outside the door of his landlady. When no one answers, they decide to open the unlocked door and enter, and immediately find Mrs. Eagleton dead.

Who could have killed her and why?

With careful observation of the setting, questions ensue making readers wonder if someone could be following along with Seldom’s mathematical book’s clues and symbols about serial killers? Or could her death have something to do with Mrs. Eagleton’s past work on the Enigma Code? Who is leaving the cryptic clues and why?

The mix of mathematics and murder makes for an interesting premise, especially when the author holds a PhD in mathematics. As readers follow along, the solution may be unexpected, yet logical and surprising at the same time. (No spoilers from me.)

This is an easy-to-read, page-turning, thoughtful, cozy that should be pleasing to those who enjoy puzzle type mysteries.]]> 3.29 2003 The Oxford Murders

author: Guillermo Martínez
name: Karen
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/03
date added: 2025/05/03
shelves: classic, compelling, cozy, creates-questions, easy-to-read, engaging, makes-you-think, page-turner, thoughtful
review:
This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to include on my currently reading shelf. This paperback book was originally published in 2005, (translated by Sonia Soto) but still feels refreshing to read 20 years later. Interestingly enough, this book, was also made into a movie in 2007, starring, Elijah Wood and John Hurt.

It is about an Argentine man who shares his story of when he was a 22-year-old university student at Oxford in 1994. Of, how he was renting the basement of a brownstone owned by a Mrs. Eagleton who currently lived with her granddaughter Beth, and, once served on the Enigma Code project in WWII.

One day, when coming home from school with his second month’s rent, the student bumps into well-renowned Oxford logician, professor of logic, Arthur Seldom who is also lingering outside the door of his landlady. When no one answers, they decide to open the unlocked door and enter, and immediately find Mrs. Eagleton dead.

Who could have killed her and why?

With careful observation of the setting, questions ensue making readers wonder if someone could be following along with Seldom’s mathematical book’s clues and symbols about serial killers? Or could her death have something to do with Mrs. Eagleton’s past work on the Enigma Code? Who is leaving the cryptic clues and why?

The mix of mathematics and murder makes for an interesting premise, especially when the author holds a PhD in mathematics. As readers follow along, the solution may be unexpected, yet logical and surprising at the same time. (No spoilers from me.)

This is an easy-to-read, page-turning, thoughtful, cozy that should be pleasing to those who enjoy puzzle type mysteries.
]]> <![CDATA[The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo]]> 32620332
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.]]> 389 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1501139231 Karen 5
This is a long ago read with a missing review. It has been a long time since I have read this author. So, it is always nice when I have the opportunity to re-visit a beloved book that I appreciate by her. Like this one.

Shall we talk about how quotable this book is? I love it when characters say things that resonate with readers in such a profound way.

“Never let anyone make you feel ordinary.”

Or when you hear such things like…

“You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are, until someone stands behind you and says, ‘it’s OK, you can fall down now. I’ll catch you.”

Or…

“Please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile. At least to me it does. You’re the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.”

Swoon worthy, right?

And, then of course there are those moments of reflection when we recognize that…

“People are messy, and love can be ugly. I’m inclined to always err on the side of compassion.”

We need a little bit more compassion in today’s world, don’t you think?

This book is a historical fiction read about a fictional famous Hollywood actress named Evelyn Hugo. She has decided to tell her story, through an interview with journalist, Monique Grant. And in her telling, readers are let in behind the scenes of what it is like to live life amongst the flood lights of Hollywood. Which included repressing her Cuban heritage while a part of the movie industry. Which also includes how she sexed her way to the top by marrying famous men.

And yet, hiding her one true love, which was forbidden because of the era and her fame. (Are we once again in that era because of today’s politics?) I digress. Yet, when we think of Hollywood of yesteryear, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe come to mind with their multiple marriages. As well as Rock Hudson, who hid his love for men in order to play a much loved, admired and desired leading man.

“There’s a difference between sexuality and sex. I used sex to get what I wanted. Sex is just an act. Sexuality is a sincere expression of desire and pleasure.”

As readers become involved with the story, we are also seeing newspaper clippings which allude to the level of gossip that stars were subjected to during that time. Certainly, the price paid to be a famous movie star.

As readers, we can only surmise or wonder…does this contribute to the suppression of Evelyn’s true self?

“It makes you want to cry, the simplicity of it, the smallness of it. You have worked so hard for a life so grand. And now all you want are the smallest freedoms. The daily peace of loving plainly.”

Do we as readers feel her pain as she tells her story? Is she a likable character?

Monique is entranced with Evelyn’s story. And, most likely, so are we readers. But the question that keeps coming forward is…

Why is Evelyn telling her story now?

Is telling her story an opportunity for Evelyn to finally experience her one true love without regrets? Or, is there another reason?

“No one goes around throwing caution to the wind unless the wind is blowing their way.”

And, why tell it to Monique, an up-and-coming journalist with no major credibility in the industry yet?

With its own sense of mystery and allure, readers will experience a beautifully written and compelling read that addresses difficult and contemporary topics, delicately and gracefully.

The characters are fully fleshed out. Evelyn, who appears flawed, bold, and fiercely independent is believable. Monique, presents a poignancy and intrigue, as readers eventually come to understand the two women’s connection.

And yes, there are 7 husbands. They represent Evelyn’s personal development and growth. And, through those relationships, the novel gives readers insight into the sacrifices made and the cost of living in an unforgiving world with double standards.

Most importantly, this story is about LGBTQ+ relationships that give voice to history. Told in a way that is heartfelt and compassionate.

For lovers of historical fiction, who appreciate rich characters and love stories, and quotes that will stay with you, this one is a must read.

]]> 4.39 2017 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Karen
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, educating-moments, engaging, heart-felt, intriguing, thought-provoking
review:
Catching up…

This is a long ago read with a missing review. It has been a long time since I have read this author. So, it is always nice when I have the opportunity to re-visit a beloved book that I appreciate by her. Like this one.

Shall we talk about how quotable this book is? I love it when characters say things that resonate with readers in such a profound way.

“Never let anyone make you feel ordinary.”

Or when you hear such things like…

“You do not know how fast you have been running, how hard you have been working, how truly exhausted you are, until someone stands behind you and says, ‘it’s OK, you can fall down now. I’ll catch you.”

Or…

“Please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile. At least to me it does. You’re the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.”

Swoon worthy, right?

And, then of course there are those moments of reflection when we recognize that…

“People are messy, and love can be ugly. I’m inclined to always err on the side of compassion.”

We need a little bit more compassion in today’s world, don’t you think?

This book is a historical fiction read about a fictional famous Hollywood actress named Evelyn Hugo. She has decided to tell her story, through an interview with journalist, Monique Grant. And in her telling, readers are let in behind the scenes of what it is like to live life amongst the flood lights of Hollywood. Which included repressing her Cuban heritage while a part of the movie industry. Which also includes how she sexed her way to the top by marrying famous men.

And yet, hiding her one true love, which was forbidden because of the era and her fame. (Are we once again in that era because of today’s politics?) I digress. Yet, when we think of Hollywood of yesteryear, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe come to mind with their multiple marriages. As well as Rock Hudson, who hid his love for men in order to play a much loved, admired and desired leading man.

“There’s a difference between sexuality and sex. I used sex to get what I wanted. Sex is just an act. Sexuality is a sincere expression of desire and pleasure.”

As readers become involved with the story, we are also seeing newspaper clippings which allude to the level of gossip that stars were subjected to during that time. Certainly, the price paid to be a famous movie star.

As readers, we can only surmise or wonder…does this contribute to the suppression of Evelyn’s true self?

“It makes you want to cry, the simplicity of it, the smallness of it. You have worked so hard for a life so grand. And now all you want are the smallest freedoms. The daily peace of loving plainly.”

Do we as readers feel her pain as she tells her story? Is she a likable character?

Monique is entranced with Evelyn’s story. And, most likely, so are we readers. But the question that keeps coming forward is…

Why is Evelyn telling her story now?

Is telling her story an opportunity for Evelyn to finally experience her one true love without regrets? Or, is there another reason?

“No one goes around throwing caution to the wind unless the wind is blowing their way.”

And, why tell it to Monique, an up-and-coming journalist with no major credibility in the industry yet?

With its own sense of mystery and allure, readers will experience a beautifully written and compelling read that addresses difficult and contemporary topics, delicately and gracefully.

The characters are fully fleshed out. Evelyn, who appears flawed, bold, and fiercely independent is believable. Monique, presents a poignancy and intrigue, as readers eventually come to understand the two women’s connection.

And yes, there are 7 husbands. They represent Evelyn’s personal development and growth. And, through those relationships, the novel gives readers insight into the sacrifices made and the cost of living in an unforgiving world with double standards.

Most importantly, this story is about LGBTQ+ relationships that give voice to history. Told in a way that is heartfelt and compassionate.

For lovers of historical fiction, who appreciate rich characters and love stories, and quotes that will stay with you, this one is a must read.

]]> A Quiet Life 60321484 A Little Hope —a Read with Jenna Bonus Pick—comes another “heartwarming, character-driven” ( Booklist ) life-affirming novel about three individuals whose lives intersect in unforeseen ways.

Set in a close-knit suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief.

Chuck Ayers used to look forward to nothing so much as his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Cat—that yearly taste of relaxation they’d become accustomed to after a lifetime of working and raising two children. Now, just months after Cat’s death, Chuck finds that he can’t let go of her belongings—her favorite towel, the sketchbooks in her desk drawer—as he struggles to pack for a trip he can’t imagine taking without her.

Ella Burke delivers morning newspapers and works at a bridal shop to fill her days while she anxiously awaits news—any piece of information—about her missing daughter. Ella adjusts to life in a new apartment and answers every call on her phone, hoping her daughter will reach out.

After the sudden death of her father, Kirsten Bonato set aside her veterinary school aspirations, finding comfort in the steady routine of working at an animal shelter. But as time passes, old dreams and new romantic interests begin to surface—and Kirsten finds herself at another crossroads.

In this beautiful and profoundly moving novel, three parallel narratives converge in poignant and unexpected ways, as each character bravely presses onward, trying to recover something they have lost. Emotionally riveting and infused with hope, “the soothing tone and warm worldview of this grown-up bedtime story will be good for what ails you” ( Kirkus Reviews ).]]> 294 Ethan Joella 1982190973 Karen 5
Chuck. Ella. Kirsten. Separately, each of them is feeling extreme grief as they lament the loss of a loved one. Their reasons for grieving are uniquely different – cancer, kidnapping, gun violence – but their emotions about this loss finds a way to connect them to each other.

But before that happens, readers can feel their worlds move slowly, introspectively and painfully as they shuffle through life without that one person who made such a difference to them. Will they be able to move on from their grief?

When all seems lost, there is always someone who comes in to their life and helps to bring closure to that past, and hope for their future. A neighbor. A dog named Cocoa. The 3 mains connecting and finding solace in each other’s company. Will it be enough?

“Your other life awaits.”

This is a heart-felt, poignant, emotionally touching story of extraordinary people who struggle with their loss. And, through time, redemptive circumstances and friendship find a way to live again.

With beautifully memorable characters, readers can’t help but want the best for their journey to Hope. Where finding strength in themselves to move forward with their life, may also lead them to become whole again.

Joella has created a story of quiet lives, coming together. Through love, compassion, connecting the past to the present, and appreciation for living life differently, readers can’t help but feel the characters deeply. And, in so doing, we as readers, long for hope, too.]]> 4.02 2022 A Quiet Life

author: Ethan Joella
name: Karen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: animal-love, beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, cat-love, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dog-love, engaging, excellent, haunting, heart-felt, inspiring, loved-it, makes-you-think, sweet, thought-provoking, thoughtful, uplifting
review:
“Maybe that is love. Maybe loving someone so deeply means accepting the fact that they occupy a specific, clear place in you. You accept that there will be a hole if you lose them – the same way a painting or photograph will leave its shadow on the wall after it’s gone, the way a tree will leave a crater where the roots and stump were.”

Chuck. Ella. Kirsten. Separately, each of them is feeling extreme grief as they lament the loss of a loved one. Their reasons for grieving are uniquely different – cancer, kidnapping, gun violence – but their emotions about this loss finds a way to connect them to each other.

But before that happens, readers can feel their worlds move slowly, introspectively and painfully as they shuffle through life without that one person who made such a difference to them. Will they be able to move on from their grief?

When all seems lost, there is always someone who comes in to their life and helps to bring closure to that past, and hope for their future. A neighbor. A dog named Cocoa. The 3 mains connecting and finding solace in each other’s company. Will it be enough?

“Your other life awaits.”

This is a heart-felt, poignant, emotionally touching story of extraordinary people who struggle with their loss. And, through time, redemptive circumstances and friendship find a way to live again.

With beautifully memorable characters, readers can’t help but want the best for their journey to Hope. Where finding strength in themselves to move forward with their life, may also lead them to become whole again.

Joella has created a story of quiet lives, coming together. Through love, compassion, connecting the past to the present, and appreciation for living life differently, readers can’t help but feel the characters deeply. And, in so doing, we as readers, long for hope, too.
]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen]]> 1270360
It's the early 1970s. The town of Ringgold, Georgia, has a population of 1,923, one traffic light, one Dairy Queen, and one Catherine Grace Cline. The daughter of Ringgold's third-generation Baptist preacher, Catherine Grace is quick-witted, more than a little stubborn, and dying to escape her small-town life.

Every Saturday afternoon, she sits at the Dairy Queen, eating Dilly Bars and plotting her getaway to Atlanta. And when, with the help of a family friend, the dream becomes a reality, she immediately packs her bags, leaving her family and the boy she loves to claim the life she's always imagined. But before things have even begun to get off the ground in Atlanta, tragedy brings Catherine Grace back home. As a series of extraordinary events alter her perspective and sweeping changes come to Ringgold itself Catherine Grace begins to wonder if her place in the world may actually be, against all odds, right where she began.

Intelligent, charming, and utterly readable, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen marks the debut of a talented new literary voice.]]> 293 Susan Gregg Gilmore 0307395014 Karen 4
I was at my local library and found this book staring at me on the shelf. It seemed like the perfect escape read. So, I checked it out and brought it home.

The minute I began reading this book, I couldn’t help but experience a warm, cozy backwoods country feeling to the author’s storytelling. I could sense her wanting readers to feel the simple life that was boring her narrator, and main protagonist, Catherine Grace Cline.

And through her voice, readers could feel a delightful coming-of-age story that follows Catherine Grace growing up in a small rural town in Georgia in the early 1970’s.

Early in the narrative, prayers from Catherine Grace were to wake up and find herself some place else. And, even though her prayers weren’t coming true, as readers we could still understand and appreciate her desires.

I remember how happy I was when I moved from the suburbs of Orange County, California, less than a mile from Disneyland to the quieter life of San Luis Obispo County. Moving here included the opportunity to buy a home, walking distance to the beach. In southern California we were surrounded by freeways and traffic, and, lots of activity, that appealed to my young sons. Especially having Knottsberry Farm, and Disneyland within a short distance.

At the time I came to San Luis Obispo County to work at the local college as a program Director and Instructor, there wasn’t even a traffic signal past the local university, the jail off of Hwy 1, or the community college I worked at, until a few miles in to Morro Bay. Things have obviously changed since then. But I do remember how once my kids were old enough to move out of the county, they did. ]]> 3.70 2008 Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

author: Susan Gregg Gilmore
name: Karen
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: captivating, charming, compelling, cozy, cute, delightful, easy-to-read, engaging, feel-good, heart-felt, page-turner, quirky, sweet, thoughtful
review:
“…Jesus talked in parables because people have a tendency to hear but not listen. They look but don’t see.”

I was at my local library and found this book staring at me on the shelf. It seemed like the perfect escape read. So, I checked it out and brought it home.

The minute I began reading this book, I couldn’t help but experience a warm, cozy backwoods country feeling to the author’s storytelling. I could sense her wanting readers to feel the simple life that was boring her narrator, and main protagonist, Catherine Grace Cline.

And through her voice, readers could feel a delightful coming-of-age story that follows Catherine Grace growing up in a small rural town in Georgia in the early 1970’s.

Early in the narrative, prayers from Catherine Grace were to wake up and find herself some place else. And, even though her prayers weren’t coming true, as readers we could still understand and appreciate her desires.

I remember how happy I was when I moved from the suburbs of Orange County, California, less than a mile from Disneyland to the quieter life of San Luis Obispo County. Moving here included the opportunity to buy a home, walking distance to the beach. In southern California we were surrounded by freeways and traffic, and, lots of activity, that appealed to my young sons. Especially having Knottsberry Farm, and Disneyland within a short distance.

At the time I came to San Luis Obispo County to work at the local college as a program Director and Instructor, there wasn’t even a traffic signal past the local university, the jail off of Hwy 1, or the community college I worked at, until a few miles in to Morro Bay. Things have obviously changed since then. But I do remember how once my kids were old enough to move out of the county, they did.
]]> Takes One To Know One 62601186 fine.

But at her weekly lunches, Corie senses that something's off. Pete Delaney, a milquetoast package designer, always shows up early, sits in the same spot (often with a different phone in hand), and keeps one eye on the Jeep he parks in the lot across the street. Corie intuitively feels that Pete is hiding something--and as someone who is accustomed to keeping her FBI past from her new neighbors, she should know. But does Pete really have a shady alternate life, or is Corie just imagining things, desperate to add some spark to her humdrum suburban existence? She decides that the only way to find out is to dust off her FBI toolkit and take a deep dive into Pete Delaney's affairs.

Always sassy, smart, and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs is at her formidable best in a novel that is both bitingly wry and ominously thrilling.]]> 368 Susan Isaacs 1611854695 Karen 4
Corie’s new job is working for a literary agency, reading books for a living. At one of her lunch groups, she finds herself disturbed by a fellow diner named Pete Delaney. What is going on with him? Her investigative skills kick in, and she can’t help but want to know more about him.

As suspense builds, so do questions. And, many other character interactions.

As a first in the series, it is clear that the author intends to make Corie a scene stealer, with intentions for more investigative plans for the future. Which may make this an interesting read for many who enjoy easy reads with funny eclectic quirky characters.

3.5 stars
]]> 4.20 2019 Takes One To Know One

author: Susan Isaacs
name: Karen
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: easy-to-read, fun, ok, quirky, silly
review:
Corie Geller is our main protagonist who started her career on the FBI Terrorism Task Force. But when she meets widower Josh Geller in her early 30’s who is a handsome federal judge with a 14-year-old daughter named Eliza, she is happy to become his new wife and a ready-made mother. Even adopting Eliza and considering having a child with Josh.

Corie’s new job is working for a literary agency, reading books for a living. At one of her lunch groups, she finds herself disturbed by a fellow diner named Pete Delaney. What is going on with him? Her investigative skills kick in, and she can’t help but want to know more about him.

As suspense builds, so do questions. And, many other character interactions.

As a first in the series, it is clear that the author intends to make Corie a scene stealer, with intentions for more investigative plans for the future. Which may make this an interesting read for many who enjoy easy reads with funny eclectic quirky characters.

3.5 stars

]]> <![CDATA[ECHOES OF FATE: From Birth To The Last Heartbeats]]> 213598771 What would you tell your children if you had just days to live? If you found yourself dying in a foreign country hundreds of miles from them and your homeland? Would you judge yourself to have lived a life worth remembering?

Embark on an extraordinary odyssey with " ECHOES OF From Birth To The Last Heartbeats " a memoir that captivates and transcends. This journey will guide you through the intricate maze of human life, each heartbeat a reminder of our fleeting mortality, each page a testament to the enduring pursuit of a meaningful legacy.

In this world, the stark reality of social injustice contrasts with the radiant warmth of family love. Experience stories of unyielding resilience rising from deep loss, and the soul's quest for acceptance. Explore a rich mosaic of values and beliefs, each shaped and reshaped through diverse cultural perspectives, often veiled in privilege.

This narrative challenges you to confront the weight of personal responsibility, the mysterious interplay of fate, and the unconquerable strength of the human spirit. It's a call to to empathize, to seek justice, and to engage in relentless self-examination.

" Echoes of Fate " is not just a collection of words; it's a reflection of life itself. It's a guide and a beacon in the darkness. This book is not just a read; it's a transformative journey. Embrace its wisdom and let it reshape your worldview.

“This memoir is a compelling, thought-provoking read that will leave you pondering long after the last page has been turned.” – Dr. Howard Rankin
]]> 197 Assim Salih Karen 5
How can we not appreciate the importance of this above quote. Wouldn’t we rather choose a life that allows us to live in each moment we are here? Where we are inspired to do better? Be better?

This author, through his story, which begins in 2016 with a devastating diagnosis, shares the experiences and challenges of his life. By challenging perceptions. This storytelling opens readers to a vessel of understanding of how we view living, which makes his story compelling and moving.

“While crafting this memoir, I’ve come to understand its importance goes much deeper than just recording life’s events. It’s a formidable instrument for personal freedom and a means for societal conversation.”

The author’s desire was to create “a lasting impact on our heart and mind, inspiring reflection long after the final page is turned.”

Isn’t that what we, as readers truly want? Inspiration? Especially when faced with the possibility of death, before we are ready? Are we ever ready?

So, what happens when a doctor says to you, “you are going to die?”

Well, I imagine it isn’t the best words to receive from one’s doctor. And, I can certainly relate when faced with the prognosis of cancer, and what direction I would choose for my own healing therapy and treatment. (Gratefully, I am currently in remission.) But in that moment of being given a direction for one’s life that is sooner than one is willing to face, it is understandable if the author might choose to feel the heaviness of those words.

But instead, he looks at the bearer of the news, a rather unhealthy specimen and chooses to respond by calmly stating…

“We’re all going to die one day, aren’t we?”

And, yes, this is true, if we were to answer that question ourselves. But how do we choose to live in the meantime?

It is what the author does with this personal information, that makes this memoir unique, and yes, maybe a bit inspiring, too.

The author is faced with debilitating, supposedly incurable heart disease, and a probable early death sentence. What will he do with these “life altering circumstances?”

As we go back a few days, the author provides insights into his life, career, friends and family. Including his earlier experiences with open-heart surgery and how it impacted his life and understanding of what this meant overall for him.

As a Humanitarian trained in emergency situations, it gave the author the ability to go anywhere in the world.

“In today’s complex world, humanitarian action offers the hope of a future, embodying compassion, resilience, and a commitment to alleviating the suffering of the vulnerable.”

When his wife is relocated to Poland because of a job, he was given the experience of being a stay-at-home dad, while also working out ways to heal with more advanced medical personnel on his case.

Could a heart transplant be the cure?

The author also shares his experiences of his world travels which made him feel less than welcome in some circumstances by his host countries. The following passage affected me, because I doubt the same support would be presented in the United States under this current administration. (April, 2025)

“I have felt unwanted, unwelcome, like a man without a country for over a decade. The only other time I truly felt embraced was during my first visit to the US…The warm reception began at JFK airport when an immigration officer with a broad smile, stamped my passport and said, ‘welcome to the United States, brother.’ That sense of welcome has never ceased.”

Readers will have the opportunity to follow the author’s health journey. The ups and downs. Including his thoughtful memories of people who made a difference in his life.

What list of life priorities will make the top of the list?

As the author continues to share his journey, readers are mesmerized by the author’s resilience in the face of pending death. And, the painstaking process of preparation – for himself and those who love him. His powerful, thoughtful prose emanates positivity. As if we are being embraced with a warm hug as he shares his life history and innermost thoughts with readers.

Knowing that I have engaged in conversation with the author, to read his book, in 2025, I know intuitively the story he is sharing about his pending death in 2016 did not play out the way it was expected.

So, I can’t help but wonder, what miracle entered Assim’s life, to bring him to speak to me?

The story continues with the author’s journey, the outcome and more reflections on his past. This page-turning memoir, took only hours for me to complete. I was so enthralled by the author’s magnanimous life. This book is thoughtful, heart-felt, and yes, inspiring. I recommend it highly.

Be sure to read the author’s Afterword.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.]]> 5.00 ECHOES OF FATE: From Birth To The Last Heartbeats

ECHOES OF FATE: From Birth To The Last Heartbeats

author: Assim Salih
name: Karen
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: author-publisher-initiated, beautiful, captivating, compelling, easy-to-read, educating-moments, engaging, excellent, heart-felt, inspiring, life-changing, loved-it, makes-you-think, memorable, page-turner, spectacular, thought-provoking, thoughtful, transformative, uplifting
review:
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

How can we not appreciate the importance of this above quote. Wouldn’t we rather choose a life that allows us to live in each moment we are here? Where we are inspired to do better? Be better?

This author, through his story, which begins in 2016 with a devastating diagnosis, shares the experiences and challenges of his life. By challenging perceptions. This storytelling opens readers to a vessel of understanding of how we view living, which makes his story compelling and moving.

“While crafting this memoir, I’ve come to understand its importance goes much deeper than just recording life’s events. It’s a formidable instrument for personal freedom and a means for societal conversation.”

The author’s desire was to create “a lasting impact on our heart and mind, inspiring reflection long after the final page is turned.”

Isn’t that what we, as readers truly want? Inspiration? Especially when faced with the possibility of death, before we are ready? Are we ever ready?

So, what happens when a doctor says to you, “you are going to die?”

Well, I imagine it isn’t the best words to receive from one’s doctor. And, I can certainly relate when faced with the prognosis of cancer, and what direction I would choose for my own healing therapy and treatment. (Gratefully, I am currently in remission.) But in that moment of being given a direction for one’s life that is sooner than one is willing to face, it is understandable if the author might choose to feel the heaviness of those words.

But instead, he looks at the bearer of the news, a rather unhealthy specimen and chooses to respond by calmly stating…

“We’re all going to die one day, aren’t we?”

And, yes, this is true, if we were to answer that question ourselves. But how do we choose to live in the meantime?

It is what the author does with this personal information, that makes this memoir unique, and yes, maybe a bit inspiring, too.

The author is faced with debilitating, supposedly incurable heart disease, and a probable early death sentence. What will he do with these “life altering circumstances?”

As we go back a few days, the author provides insights into his life, career, friends and family. Including his earlier experiences with open-heart surgery and how it impacted his life and understanding of what this meant overall for him.

As a Humanitarian trained in emergency situations, it gave the author the ability to go anywhere in the world.

“In today’s complex world, humanitarian action offers the hope of a future, embodying compassion, resilience, and a commitment to alleviating the suffering of the vulnerable.”

When his wife is relocated to Poland because of a job, he was given the experience of being a stay-at-home dad, while also working out ways to heal with more advanced medical personnel on his case.

Could a heart transplant be the cure?

The author also shares his experiences of his world travels which made him feel less than welcome in some circumstances by his host countries. The following passage affected me, because I doubt the same support would be presented in the United States under this current administration. (April, 2025)

“I have felt unwanted, unwelcome, like a man without a country for over a decade. The only other time I truly felt embraced was during my first visit to the US…The warm reception began at JFK airport when an immigration officer with a broad smile, stamped my passport and said, ‘welcome to the United States, brother.’ That sense of welcome has never ceased.”

Readers will have the opportunity to follow the author’s health journey. The ups and downs. Including his thoughtful memories of people who made a difference in his life.

What list of life priorities will make the top of the list?

As the author continues to share his journey, readers are mesmerized by the author’s resilience in the face of pending death. And, the painstaking process of preparation – for himself and those who love him. His powerful, thoughtful prose emanates positivity. As if we are being embraced with a warm hug as he shares his life history and innermost thoughts with readers.

Knowing that I have engaged in conversation with the author, to read his book, in 2025, I know intuitively the story he is sharing about his pending death in 2016 did not play out the way it was expected.

So, I can’t help but wonder, what miracle entered Assim’s life, to bring him to speak to me?

The story continues with the author’s journey, the outcome and more reflections on his past. This page-turning memoir, took only hours for me to complete. I was so enthralled by the author’s magnanimous life. This book is thoughtful, heart-felt, and yes, inspiring. I recommend it highly.

Be sure to read the author’s Afterword.

I want to thank the author for this complimentary book for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
]]> Counting Miracles 205126997
“Sparks is superb at what he does. The setting is postcard perfect. The characters are immensely likable. . . . This is a tidy miracle you can count on.”—The Washington Post

Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone: happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down. But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where to find him.

Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. To Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks.

Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog, Arlo, for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers.

As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle . . . but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.]]> 368 Nicholas Sparks 0593449592 Karen 4
Recently, I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to subscribe to the Hallmark streaming channel. With the bombardment of disturbing daily headline news, I just wanted a syrupy sweet escape into their ‘pretty’ rom-com movies and mysteries.

In some ways, Nicholas Sparks writing takes me to that place, too. I read a lot of his stories, and watched many of his made-for-tv and premiere release movies in the theater before coming to 카지노싸이트. So, when this book was donated to my Little Free Library Shed, I thought it was time to indulge in Sparks again.

Our three main protagonists are Tanner, Kaitlyn and Jasper. And, I should mention Arlo. Jasper’s dog. In many ways, the dog in a story will capture our hearts, and certainly Arlo does. How will these 3 lives intersect and how it will impact each of them?

Tanner has been a loner for the majority of his life, having been raised by his grandparents when his mother died in childbirth. He is an avid traveller and former military with no place to call home. He comes to Asheboro, North Carolina because on his grandmother’s deathbed she finally revealed who is birth father was. This is his opportunity to discover his past before heading off to a job in Cameroon, in Central Africa where he once worked.

Kaitlyn is a divorced doctor and mother of a precocious teenager named Casey and young son, Mitch. Casey happened to plow into Tanner’s car, which leads Tanner to Kaitlyn. What sparks manifest between them? Could Kaitlyn be the answer to Tanner’s restlessness? And, could Tanner be the answer to Kaitlyn opening her life to living?

Jasper is a scarred-face loner who lives next to the woods with Arlo, an elderly Labrador, “part mystery mutt” who has appreciated Kaitlyn’s attention to his health, and Mitch’s visits. What happened in Jasper’s past?

And then there is the rumors of a white deer in the woods. How will this affect Jasper? And, the others?

This is a sweet, easy-to-read, page-turning story about family, faith, love and second chances. And, with Arlo, the joy of having a devoted dog. ]]> 4.04 2024 Counting Miracles

author: Nicholas Sparks
name: Karen
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: animal-love, been-here-before, creates-questions, dog-love, easy-to-read, feel-good, heart-felt, inspiring, page-turner, predictable, scenic, sweet, uplifting
review:
“Find where you belong and make that place your own.”

Recently, I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to subscribe to the Hallmark streaming channel. With the bombardment of disturbing daily headline news, I just wanted a syrupy sweet escape into their ‘pretty’ rom-com movies and mysteries.

In some ways, Nicholas Sparks writing takes me to that place, too. I read a lot of his stories, and watched many of his made-for-tv and premiere release movies in the theater before coming to 카지노싸이트. So, when this book was donated to my Little Free Library Shed, I thought it was time to indulge in Sparks again.

Our three main protagonists are Tanner, Kaitlyn and Jasper. And, I should mention Arlo. Jasper’s dog. In many ways, the dog in a story will capture our hearts, and certainly Arlo does. How will these 3 lives intersect and how it will impact each of them?

Tanner has been a loner for the majority of his life, having been raised by his grandparents when his mother died in childbirth. He is an avid traveller and former military with no place to call home. He comes to Asheboro, North Carolina because on his grandmother’s deathbed she finally revealed who is birth father was. This is his opportunity to discover his past before heading off to a job in Cameroon, in Central Africa where he once worked.

Kaitlyn is a divorced doctor and mother of a precocious teenager named Casey and young son, Mitch. Casey happened to plow into Tanner’s car, which leads Tanner to Kaitlyn. What sparks manifest between them? Could Kaitlyn be the answer to Tanner’s restlessness? And, could Tanner be the answer to Kaitlyn opening her life to living?

Jasper is a scarred-face loner who lives next to the woods with Arlo, an elderly Labrador, “part mystery mutt” who has appreciated Kaitlyn’s attention to his health, and Mitch’s visits. What happened in Jasper’s past?

And then there is the rumors of a white deer in the woods. How will this affect Jasper? And, the others?

This is a sweet, easy-to-read, page-turning story about family, faith, love and second chances. And, with Arlo, the joy of having a devoted dog.
]]> The Rom-Commers 217388042 She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?]]> 352 Katherine Center 1250382823 Karen 0 to-read 4.16 2024 The Rom-Commers

author: Katherine Center
name: Karen
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Strangers in Time 217182446 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Calamity of Souls comes David Baldacci’s newest novel, set in London in 1944, about a bereaved book shop owner and two teenagers scarred by the second world war, and the healing and hope they find in one another.

Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, ducking school but barred from actual work, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life.

Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable London. One of millions of people to have been evacuated to the countryside via “Operation Pied Piper,” Molly has been away from her parents—from her home—for nearly five years. Her return, however, is not the homecoming she’d hoped for as she’s confronted by a devastating reality: both her parents are gone.

Without guardians and stability, Charlie and Molly find an unexpected ally and protector in Ignatius Oliver, and solace at his book shop, The Book Keep, where A book a day keeps the bombs away. Mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ignatius forms a kinship with both children, and in each other—over the course of the greatest armed conflict the world had ever seen—they rediscover the spirit of family each has lost.

But Charlie’s escapades in the city have not gone unnoticed, and someone’s been following Molly since she returned to London. And Ignatius is still reeling from a secret Imogen long kept from him while she was alive—something so shocking it resulted in her death, and his life being turned upside down.

As bombs continue to bear down on the city, Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius learn that while the perils of war rage on, their coming together and trusting one another may be the only way for them to survive.]]> 435 David Baldacci 1538742055 Karen 4
There is no doubt that war creates havoc and chaos on countries, communities, and more specifically on the people caught in the middle of one. It is painful and heart-wrenching when countries make war their focused decision in dealing with conflict. That is why, sometimes it is difficult to understand why these decisions to start and/or continue a war still occur, especially after the destruction created by WWII.

To find Baldacci in the middle of a WWII story, is not a common one for this author to tackle. As readers, we are typically introduced and immersed in his character series, like: Travis Devine – ex-special ops, or Amos Decker – the memory man, or Will Robie – former assassin, or King & Maxwell – private investigators who were former Secret Service agents, or Aloysius Archer – a private investigator, or Atlee Pine – FBI agent, or the Camel Club – seekers of justice; and, the like. These series feature well-fleshed out characters readers are motivated to follow. That is until Baldacci chooses to end their series, generally on a good note. Although, sometimes sad for us readers.

But I appreciate how Baldacci reinvents himself, through his characters and stories, like this one.

In some ways, this book might even be considered a YA novel, since the main two characters, Charlie and Molly are teens during WWII London.

Wandering through the war’s devastation, they find solace, friendship and security with bookshop owner Ignatius Oliver. But it doesn’t mean that it will be an easy journey for these three survivors.

There is so much to this story. Not because it is 433 pages, but because it is a genuinely absorbing and expertly researched historical fiction novel. We can feel the character’s emotions of being in and surviving a war, their loss and loneliness created by the wars impact, and the jolt that comes from separation of families. As well as, the meaning of creating a new one.

Baldacci’s characterizations of our 3 main appealing protagonists are beautifully created, well-developed and multi-layered. Even if I was hoping to see Charlie and Molly advance to adulthood, this did not appear to be the author’s intention for readers to experience. Still, I could appreciate what he was willing to share of them.

Baldacci is definitely, a master storyteller. And, within this narrative, he explores the power of friendship, grace and love while overcoming the harshness, horrors and cruelty of war. Baldacci’s supporting cast of characters emphasize superbly, the hatred and evil they may have become because of the war.

Surprisingly for me, I found myself wanting more from this story, even as I winced at the size of the book, each time I picked it up to read. Still, did it need to be that many pages? The ending could have been better, but the story still captivated with its intense, haunting, heart-felt, and engaging readability.

4.5 stars]]> 4.02 2025 Strangers in Time

author: David Baldacci
name: Karen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: book-discussion-perfect, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, dark, engaging, gritty, haunting, heart-felt, page-turner, realistic, scenic, tragic, uncomfortable, uplifting, wanted-less, wanted-more, why-so-many-pages
review:
"We all need someone at certain times in our lives. It makes the inevitable pain lessened and the periods of happiness exalted.”

There is no doubt that war creates havoc and chaos on countries, communities, and more specifically on the people caught in the middle of one. It is painful and heart-wrenching when countries make war their focused decision in dealing with conflict. That is why, sometimes it is difficult to understand why these decisions to start and/or continue a war still occur, especially after the destruction created by WWII.

To find Baldacci in the middle of a WWII story, is not a common one for this author to tackle. As readers, we are typically introduced and immersed in his character series, like: Travis Devine – ex-special ops, or Amos Decker – the memory man, or Will Robie – former assassin, or King & Maxwell – private investigators who were former Secret Service agents, or Aloysius Archer – a private investigator, or Atlee Pine – FBI agent, or the Camel Club – seekers of justice; and, the like. These series feature well-fleshed out characters readers are motivated to follow. That is until Baldacci chooses to end their series, generally on a good note. Although, sometimes sad for us readers.

But I appreciate how Baldacci reinvents himself, through his characters and stories, like this one.

In some ways, this book might even be considered a YA novel, since the main two characters, Charlie and Molly are teens during WWII London.

Wandering through the war’s devastation, they find solace, friendship and security with bookshop owner Ignatius Oliver. But it doesn’t mean that it will be an easy journey for these three survivors.

There is so much to this story. Not because it is 433 pages, but because it is a genuinely absorbing and expertly researched historical fiction novel. We can feel the character’s emotions of being in and surviving a war, their loss and loneliness created by the wars impact, and the jolt that comes from separation of families. As well as, the meaning of creating a new one.

Baldacci’s characterizations of our 3 main appealing protagonists are beautifully created, well-developed and multi-layered. Even if I was hoping to see Charlie and Molly advance to adulthood, this did not appear to be the author’s intention for readers to experience. Still, I could appreciate what he was willing to share of them.

Baldacci is definitely, a master storyteller. And, within this narrative, he explores the power of friendship, grace and love while overcoming the harshness, horrors and cruelty of war. Baldacci’s supporting cast of characters emphasize superbly, the hatred and evil they may have become because of the war.

Surprisingly for me, I found myself wanting more from this story, even as I winced at the size of the book, each time I picked it up to read. Still, did it need to be that many pages? The ending could have been better, but the story still captivated with its intense, haunting, heart-felt, and engaging readability.

4.5 stars
]]> The Echo of Old Books 62060282
Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance.

With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.]]> 443 Barbara Davis 1662511604 Karen 5
“I have always imagined that closing a book is like pausing a film midframe, the characters frozen in their halted worlds, breath held, waiting for the reader to return and bring it all back to life – like a prince’s kiss in a fairy tale.” – Ashlyn Greer

I wanted to start my review with this quote from one of the main protagonist characters in this book, Ashlyn, because I have just finished this book, and this is how I feel.

I honestly believe I have just read my absolute favorite book of 2024!

And, I don’t say that lightly.

I have read lots of books, and this one has captivated me from the first page to the last. And, as I have come to the very last page, I am filled with many emotions.

Enchanted. Engaged. Centered. Present. Moved. Inspired. Fulfilled. Grateful. Touched.

This book started with a private message from 카지노싸이트 friend Lynda, who thought she read my review and felt she needed to thank me. You now must read her review here: /review/show... She said she was so grateful for my review of this book. I said, I hadn’t read it yet, I was still on the waiting list for the book. But grateful that she enjoyed it so much.

And, then it finally arrived from my local library. It was now my turn to have a reaction to this book.

There is something to be said about a character like Ashlyn, that is so attached to books, that she has a special gift in which she can “read the echoes that attached themselves” to pages within books. In other words, she could feel the people who were apart of the books they touched. The emotions they experienced.

And, when two books come in to her possession, they will not only change her life, they will change the lives of the individuals who wrote them.

What mystery lies within those pages she reads?

How will this mystery help heal Ashlyn and her life?

This is a book within a book. When Ashlyn receives a couple of books, she is curious to discover that these books have no author names or publisher. Who do they belong to, and how can she find the writers? The mystery only deepens.

“Books are feelings,” he replied simply. “They exist to make us feel. To connect us to what’s inside, sometimes to things we don’t even know are there. It only makes sense that some of what we feel when we’re reading would . . . rub off.”

And, so these two books that Ashlyn discovers leads her to Ethan who is the one that was cleaning out his father’s books. Little did each of them know that these stories would unravel a family history of Ethan’s he had little memory of that would possibly open doors for both of them.

What happened to Ethan and Ashlyn that closed doors for them? How will the mystery of the books that they are reading now together open doors for them?

“She still couldn’t say how far she was willing to leap, but she had forced herself to look down and at least judge the distance of the fall. It was a start.”

“We develop a particular fondness for our favorite books, the way they feel and smell and sound, the memories they invoke, until they begin to exist for us as living, breathing things.”

Ashlyn graces each chapter with a quote that leads readers to wonder what we will learn through the “current” year 1984, as she and Ethan read through the books about the mysterious Belle and Hemi of the past. One book was written by Belle. And one book was written by Hemi. But who are they? What happened to them? And, are they still alive?

“Without a reader, a book was a blank slate, an object with no breath or pulse of its own. But once a book became part of someone’s world, it came to life, with a past and a present—and, if properly cared for, a future.”

Could the power of forgiveness be the gift that helped find a happily ever after ending here?

“But if something tragic happened in a book, you could just close it and choose a new one, unlike real life, where events often played out without the protagonist’s consent.”

My emotions were all over the place as I kept turning pages. But then I would find myself asleep holding the book still. Oh gosh, I needed sleep. Okay, sleep it was. I would have to wait for the ending.

And then I woke up. It was pitch black out. I knew I had a few pages to go. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know. I was so invested in these characters. I loved Ashlyn and Ethan, and Belle and Hemi. I wanted to know what would happen.

“Like humans, books experienced their share of heartache—and like humans, they remembered.”

How does one describe that feeling when you close a book that you have loved everything about it? There are so many quotes in this book that have been so worthy, that I feel like my review is simply a series of the author’s quotes.

At the same time, I have found myself in a book about books. About a life lived, or missed, or regrets, or needing forgiveness, or finding second chances, or being strong under the worst of circumstances.

And, thus reading this book felt like something more. Not just a love story about people. But my own love story about how I fell in love with a book, if that makes sense.

So, the author’s quote…

“There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been well loved” feels perfect here.

Because, that is exactly how I feel about this reading experience.

I have come to appreciate that life is something we can’t take for granted. And, when Ashlyn shares that “people’s lives were defined not by the scars they acquired but by what lay on the other side of those scars, by what’s done with the life they have left,” I knew she was speaking a truth we could understand.

And, sometimes books do that to us. And, this one did that to me. Yes, this one to date is most undoubtedly, my favorite book for 2024! Maybe, even yours?]]> 4.08 2023 The Echo of Old Books

author: Barbara Davis
name: Karen
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: beautiful, book-discussion-perfect, brilliant, captivating, compelling, complex, conversational, creates-questions, easy-to-read, enchanting, engaging, excellent, favorites, feel-good, heart-felt, intriguing, loved-it, page-turner, spectacular, uplifting
review:
My Favorite Fiction Book - and all-time Favorite Book that I read in 2024

“I have always imagined that closing a book is like pausing a film midframe, the characters frozen in their halted worlds, breath held, waiting for the reader to return and bring it all back to life – like a prince’s kiss in a fairy tale.” – Ashlyn Greer

I wanted to start my review with this quote from one of the main protagonist characters in this book, Ashlyn, because I have just finished this book, and this is how I feel.

I honestly believe I have just read my absolute favorite book of 2024!

And, I don’t say that lightly.

I have read lots of books, and this one has captivated me from the first page to the last. And, as I have come to the very last page, I am filled with many emotions.

Enchanted. Engaged. Centered. Present. Moved. Inspired. Fulfilled. Grateful. Touched.

This book started with a private message from 카지노싸이트 friend Lynda, who thought she read my review and felt she needed to thank me. You now must read her review here: /review/show... She said she was so grateful for my review of this book. I said, I hadn’t read it yet, I was still on the waiting list for the book. But grateful that she enjoyed it so much.

And, then it finally arrived from my local library. It was now my turn to have a reaction to this book.

There is something to be said about a character like Ashlyn, that is so attached to books, that she has a special gift in which she can “read the echoes that attached themselves” to pages within books. In other words, she could feel the people who were apart of the books they touched. The emotions they experienced.

And, when two books come in to her possession, they will not only change her life, they will change the lives of the individuals who wrote them.

What mystery lies within those pages she reads?

How will this mystery help heal Ashlyn and her life?

This is a book within a book. When Ashlyn receives a couple of books, she is curious to discover that these books have no author names or publisher. Who do they belong to, and how can she find the writers? The mystery only deepens.

“Books are feelings,” he replied simply. “They exist to make us feel. To connect us to what’s inside, sometimes to things we don’t even know are there. It only makes sense that some of what we feel when we’re reading would . . . rub off.”

And, so these two books that Ashlyn discovers leads her to Ethan who is the one that was cleaning out his father’s books. Little did each of them know that these stories would unravel a family history of Ethan’s he had little memory of that would possibly open doors for both of them.

What happened to Ethan and Ashlyn that closed doors for them? How will the mystery of the books that they are reading now together open doors for them?

“She still couldn’t say how far she was willing to leap, but she had forced herself to look down and at least judge the distance of the fall. It was a start.”

“We develop a particular fondness for our favorite books, the way they feel and smell and sound, the memories they invoke, until they begin to exist for us as living, breathing things.”

Ashlyn graces each chapter with a quote that leads readers to wonder what we will learn through the “current” year 1984, as she and Ethan read through the books about the mysterious Belle and Hemi of the past. One book was written by Belle. And one book was written by Hemi. But who are they? What happened to them? And, are they still alive?

“Without a reader, a book was a blank slate, an object with no breath or pulse of its own. But once a book became part of someone’s world, it came to life, with a past and a present—and, if properly cared for, a future.”

Could the power of forgiveness be the gift that helped find a happily ever after ending here?

“But if something tragic happened in a book, you could just close it and choose a new one, unlike real life, where events often played out without the protagonist’s consent.”

My emotions were all over the place as I kept turning pages. But then I would find myself asleep holding the book still. Oh gosh, I needed sleep. Okay, sleep it was. I would have to wait for the ending.

And then I woke up. It was pitch black out. I knew I had a few pages to go. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know. I was so invested in these characters. I loved Ashlyn and Ethan, and Belle and Hemi. I wanted to know what would happen.

“Like humans, books experienced their share of heartache—and like humans, they remembered.”

How does one describe that feeling when you close a book that you have loved everything about it? There are so many quotes in this book that have been so worthy, that I feel like my review is simply a series of the author’s quotes.

At the same time, I have found myself in a book about books. About a life lived, or missed, or regrets, or needing forgiveness, or finding second chances, or being strong under the worst of circumstances.

And, thus reading this book felt like something more. Not just a love story about people. But my own love story about how I fell in love with a book, if that makes sense.

So, the author’s quote…

“There is nothing quite so alive as a book that has been well loved” feels perfect here.

Because, that is exactly how I feel about this reading experience.

I have come to appreciate that life is something we can’t take for granted. And, when Ashlyn shares that “people’s lives were defined not by the scars they acquired but by what lay on the other side of those scars, by what’s done with the life they have left,” I knew she was speaking a truth we could understand.

And, sometimes books do that to us. And, this one did that to me. Yes, this one to date is most undoubtedly, my favorite book for 2024! Maybe, even yours?
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