Less than a year ago, the daughter of a luxury resort owner in Italy drowned under mysterious circumstances. Amy’s aunt Leah isn’t convinced her nieceLess than a year ago, the daughter of a luxury resort owner in Italy drowned under mysterious circumstances. Amy’s aunt Leah isn’t convinced her niece’s death was an accident. When she returns to the resort, it’s as if Amy never existed and her family doesn’t even acknowledge that anything tragic happened.
Meanwhile, back in Derby, England, Joanna is recovering from a breakup when she meets a charming bartender, Callum. He’s arrived in town carrying a shady past and a lot of secrets.
Somehow, these two plots are intertwined. As Leah makes inquiries about Amy’s last day at the resort, someone is threatening her to stop snooping. As Joannah gets to know Callum, she realizes he’s lying to her. And finally, as the narrative of Amy’s final day unspools alongside Leah’s and Joannah’s stories, we realize not all is picture perfect in paradise and there is something seriously unsettling about Amy’s family. I enjoyed the idyllic setting as well as the strong female characters. It was an intriguing mystery and I appreciated how all the loose plot threads came together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
Castillo delivers another solid book in the Kate Burkholder series. This time, Kate is asked by the leadership of an Amish community in Pennsylvania tCastillo delivers another solid book in the Kate Burkholder series. This time, Kate is asked by the leadership of an Amish community in Pennsylvania to help them exonerate a community member who has been arrested for murder. The accused was originally from Kate’s district of Painter’s Mill and her past with Jonas could complicate things. Remains had been found of a bishop who had disappeared 18 years prior, and all of the circumstantial evidence points right at Jonas. Snooping around outside her own jurisdiction does not make Kate many friends, but the more she looks into the past of the victim, the more she realizes he had his own secrets.
Like all of the books in the series, it’s an intriguing mystery and a fast-paced read. I always look forward to ordering Castillo’s newest installment. ...more
The title character is Queen Victoria’s 6th child and 4th daughter, Louise. While her father was still alive, he fostered all of his children’s artistThe title character is Queen Victoria’s 6th child and 4th daughter, Louise. While her father was still alive, he fostered all of his children’s artistic ambitions, but even long after his death, Louise had a natural talent and eagerly pursued art, particularly sculpture. But living under her mother’s suffocating grief and demanding expectations did not allow Louise to flourish. Miraculously her art teacher convinced the queen to allow Louise to enter the National Art Training School and this is Louise’s first exposure to a wider world of bohemian creativity and much looser morals. She encounters fame through artists like Whistler, friendship through her fellow students, and love through one of her professors, Edgar Boehm.
I would say indiscreet is not quite apt, because Louise did pursue her affair with Boehm with some discretion. Impertinence and insolence are some of Victoria’s favorite terms to apply to Louise. But being unmarried does not give Louise the freedom she really craves, so she must settle on a suitor as a sort of cover. Her life after marriage proves to be just as challenging as being Victoria’s spinster secretary, so Louise must adapt. I appreciated Louise’s determination, creativity, and defiance toward her equally stubborn mother. Victoria is not painted in the most flattering light here (literally and figuratively), and eventually, they have to admit they are more alike than not. It’s a well-executed piece of historical fiction that showcases Louise’s talents and Victoria’s iron will.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
When it comes to identical twins, sometimes it’s hard to discern one from the other. The major difference between Molly and Katie is their personalitiWhen it comes to identical twins, sometimes it’s hard to discern one from the other. The major difference between Molly and Katie is their personalities. While Katie is outgoing and adventurous, Molly is withdrawn and overly cautious, which is actually a nice way of saying she’s completely paranoid. When Katie leaves for New York City to pursue a graduate degree at Columbia, Molly is devastated to be left in England without her better half. One evening, while visiting Katie in New York, the girls� parents find her dead in her apartment. Molly is summoned across the pond as a murder investigation begins.
Molly takes it upon herself to do some sleuthing of her own and what she finds out about her sister’s life is troubling. There’s the bestie who was a little too obsessed with Katie, the boyfriend who may not have been faithful, the flirtatious professor, and the rich playboy who sponsored her “scholarship.� As Molly learns how the people closest to Katie wronged her in one way or another, she decides to avenge her twin and it gets a little crazy. Molly goes into a really dark spiral of retribution and there were some pretty good plot twists throughout. Despite some of the (somewhat improbable) lunacy, it was an entertaining read that psyched me out more than once.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
Well, I finally get what the hype is about. This book has been recommended to me for years, and now I understand why so many people loved it. I found Well, I finally get what the hype is about. This book has been recommended to me for years, and now I understand why so many people loved it. I found it to be reminiscent of Pat Conroy (of whom I’m a huge fan) with its southern locale and emotional angst.
Kya was brought up in the marshes of coastal North Carolina, but eventually, everyone she loves abandons her. First her mother walks away from their family, then her siblings drift away, and eventually even her abusive father fails to return to their shack. She learns to live an elusive existence in the wild, and the locals refer to her as Marsh Girl. Not even the truant officer can get her to attend school, and Kya’s one day of attendance traumatized her. Eventually, one of her brother’s friends manages to get close to her, and after he teaches her to read, Kya and Tate become inseparable. Alas, Kya has grown too used to solitude and abandonment, and as the years go by, she experiences one heartbreak after another.
When a local young man dies under mysterious circumstances, Marsh Girl seems a likely suspect. I loved the twists and turns the plot took regarding the murder investigation. The mystery, along with the wonderful character development, the atmospheric setting, and lovely writing made for a phenomenal novel. I’m sorry I didn’t read it sooner! ...more
I am obsessed with all things Romanov, so of course I bought a copy of the newest fictionalized portrayal. Told from the third person perspective of tI am obsessed with all things Romanov, so of course I bought a copy of the newest fictionalized portrayal. Told from the third person perspective of the oldest daughter Olga, the narrative alternates between the pre-war years and post-abdication period. As sheltered as she and her sisters were, Olga was not immune to crushes and romantic dalliances. When war broke out and she assumed nursing duties in an officer’s hospital, she was confronted with the realities of battle. She also became aware of unrest brewing in Russia including rumors about Rasputin, dissatisfaction with her parents� rule, and speculation about her brother’s health.
I liked how Olga was depicted here, especially how she confronted her father about doing more to rescue her family. But as realistic as she was about her mother’s constitution, Rasputin’s influence, and Alexi’s condition, her narrative lacked passion. Sure, there was infatuation towards a couple of fellows, but I felt her attitude towards her family could have been conveyed with more emotion. I would have liked her relationships with her sisters to be more fleshed out, considering how much they were cloistered away together. Her story was presented very matter-of-factly and her observations could have been more sentimental. Otherwise, it was a solid depiction of the Romanov family and its place in history. ...more
The backstory of the altarpiece was the most intriguing aspect of the story here because of its history as “the world’s most violated work of art.� Of course, I had read about it in Monuments Men and found myself Googling images of the art. I liked the tie-ins with Joan of Arc and the Cathars in the region of the Languedoc and how they were both persecuted by the Catholic Church. There were some shady nuns and some even shadier archbishops and cardinals. However, I was left wanting more, particularly in Nick’s character development. But it sounds like Berry is going to give us just that in future books, so we could be in for an interesting, if formulaic, new series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
Of the tens of thousands of Nazis involved in WWII atrocities, relatively few of them were brought to justice. Some of the most prominent were publiclOf the tens of thousands of Nazis involved in WWII atrocities, relatively few of them were brought to justice. Some of the most prominent were publicly prosecuted during the Nuremburg trials. Many of them, including Hitler, took the easy way out by committing suicide. There were other ways of escaping Allies and this book addresses the various routes and organizations the Nazis took advantage of to elude capture. The Red Cross and the Catholic Church were complicit. Perpetrators ended up in the Middle East, South America, even Ireland. I was most intrigued about the various German scientists and industrialists who were “poached� by the victors regardless of their war-time affiliation and possible crimes.
Despite the topic and how comprehensive the book was, it was easily accessible. The sections were well-portioned, addressing different individuals� outcomes within a certain subject (like Nazi doctors). Overall, it was an interesting look at how Germany was transformed after the war, how the country was de-Nazified, and how so many were or were not held accountable for their crimes. ...more
This was an utterly captivating book that explored the life of “North Pond Hermit� Christopher Knight. For over 25 years, Knight lived a completely soThis was an utterly captivating book that explored the life of “North Pond Hermit� Christopher Knight. For over 25 years, Knight lived a completely solitary life in the woods of Maine. He established a campsite that was so secluded, nobody every stumbled upon it in almost 3 decades. But Knight wasn’t a self-sufficient outdoorsman and did not survive off the land. His survival depended on breaking into local cabins to steal survival necessities and food. These burglaries did not go unnoticed, and over the course of the years, his presence became a legendary phantom of sorts. And yet no one could identify or apprehend him until 2013, 27 years after he first went off the grid.
Part biography, part true crime, Finkel gained unique insight into Knight’s life after his arrest. They certainly never became friends � Knight would not allow that. But he did open up to Finkel more than anyone else and Finkel did a great job conveying how Knight survived and what his motives were. There were attempts to “diagnose� or at least label Knight’s isolationist tendencies, but no definitive conclusion was ever made. It’s just highly unusual for a human being to thrive without any form of socialization for so long. Knight’s was a remarkable life, and Finkel’s portrayal of him was excellent. He didn’t attempt to justify or sympathize, he just plainly recounted what Knight told him and how events played out after his capture. It’s a strangely intriguing story that deserved to be told with the candidness that both the author and subject provided. ...more
Jon Dunn is even more obsessed with hummingbirds than I am and I’m super jealous of how many species he managed to observe during his travels. He jourJon Dunn is even more obsessed with hummingbirds than I am and I’m super jealous of how many species he managed to observe during his travels. He journeyed the entire range of hummingbirds throughout the Americas, from their northernmost summering grounds in Alaska, to the southerly islands of Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America. Dunn explores not only the socioeconomic impact of birding and ecotourism on the hummingbirds� habitats, but other aspects of their cultural influence such as mythology, fashion, and art.
Of course, the usual suspects are responsible for the species decline: habitat loss, climate change, hunting. But in my opinion, nothing was worse than the wonton collecting of specimens during the peak of natural historical exploration in the 19th century. As John Fowles so eloquently stated, “All natural history collectors in the end collect the same thing: the death of the living.�
I found myself googling the various species that Dunn encountered and was in awe of the splendid color and variety of these tiny little flying jewels. This book is all-encompassing narrative of a quirky, evolutionary novelty and even if you’re not a bird nerd, there’s something here for everyone including history, geography, and even pop culture. Delightful! ...more
My first encounter with Scottoline did not disappoint. When the Bennett family is carjacked, a seemingly random act of violence turns tragic. They areMy first encounter with Scottoline did not disappoint. When the Bennett family is carjacked, a seemingly random act of violence turns tragic. They are suddenly whisked into witness protection by the FBI in the midst of grief. That’s when patriarch Jason starts to realize maybe they were deliberately targeted. When he makes a stunning connection between one of the perpetrators and his own wife, he takes matters into his own hands. Mild-mannered court reporter lacrosse dad turns into a renegade investigator and it takes him into the seedy underworld of organized crime. But the deeper he digs, the more people end up dead and the more complex the conspiracy seems.
I thought Scottoline did a great job conveying the family’s desolation after the carjacking and their anguish was palpable. I could relate to Jason’s attempt to stay strong for his surviving family, wanting to hold things together for them like a living band aid. I did not expect the plot to go in the direction it did, which was a pleasant surprise. Though it wasn’t necessarily a fast-paced thriller, it was an altogether intriguing crime drama involving fallible but likeable characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
I didn’t realize how very little I knew about these fascinating creatures. Octopuses are wily and amazing, seahorses are cute and quirky, and jellyfisI didn’t realize how very little I knew about these fascinating creatures. Octopuses are wily and amazing, seahorses are cute and quirky, and jellyfish are varied and delicate. Each of the three sections gives an overview of the anatomy and functionality of the animal, followed by dozens of gorgeous, glorious photos of the various species. I was especially impressed by the intelligence of the octopi and the diaphanous fluidity of the jellyfish. I love these big Nat Geo books as both reference and art.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book Tours. ...more
I love speculative alternate history and this particular novel is definitely intriguing. It imagines that Jack Ruby was delayed on the fateful day he I love speculative alternate history and this particular novel is definitely intriguing. It imagines that Jack Ruby was delayed on the fateful day he shot Lee Harvey Oswald and therefore, Oswald survived to be tried. It’s primarily from the prosecutions perspective and I enjoyed the procedural aspects of how they gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses. As a judge, Alsup writes with great knowledge and authority. He explains in his forward that much of the testimony was actually taken directly from the Warren Commission with some necessary embellishments.
It took me a while to keep straight the various parties involved, but as I became more familiar with the characters, I could appreciate their personalities and ambitions. I especially liked the federal prosecutor Abe Summer and his scrappy assistant, Elaine. Reporter Bebe gave a unique perspective from the press (and as a woman in a man’s dog-eat-dog profession). Oswald is as unlikeable as you would imagine. His defense attorney is tasked with the impossible, but manages to give the jury a remarkable story by having Oswald testify (razzle dazzle). The ambiguous conclusion wasn’t entirely satisfying, but it worked here. I went into this book not knowing all that much about the JFK assassination and now I feel pretty well-versed. Alsup did a great job with this reimagination of history.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
Anna Essinger was an assimilated Jewish, American-educated, German teacher with a heart of gold. She founded a progressive liberal arts school in the Anna Essinger was an assimilated Jewish, American-educated, German teacher with a heart of gold. She founded a progressive liberal arts school in the aftermath of WWI, but as the Nazi party came to power, she quickly realized Germany was no longer safe. Through various contacts, she was able to relocate her school to an old manor in Kent, England. Bunce Court School would become a haven for refugee children in the years to come as war broke out on the continent.
Also known as Tante Anna to her staff and students, it was her foresight, logistical and organizational acumen, and resourcefulness that would save the lives of hundreds of children in Nazi occupied territories. Her primarily Jewish students left their parents in uncertain circumstances, and many of them would become orphans without knowing that until the war ended. Tante Anna was able to create a safe environment for these children despite a shoestring budget and being enemy aliens in a foreign country. At one point, they were kicked out of Bunce Court because it was on the southeast coast, so they had to start a new school from scratch in the middle of the war.
An interesting aspect to the narrative was how Cadbury paralleled the lives of the Bunce Court Students with children who actually survived the Nazi occupation. Kids who lived through ghettos and concentration camps or hid in plain sight were severely traumatized, but through some divine providence ended up at Bunce Court after VE Day. Through Tante Anna’s patience and tender ministering, they were able to overcome debilitating emotional damage and thrived at the school. So many people owe their lives to Tante Anna and hers is an inspirational story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
I am so conflicted about this book considering I devoted 2.5 weeks of my life to it. The writing was beautiful, lyrical, eloquent, just as I expected.I am so conflicted about this book considering I devoted 2.5 weeks of my life to it. The writing was beautiful, lyrical, eloquent, just as I expected. But overall, it may have been too ambitious in what it was trying to achieve. Basically, it was three books in one, each story set in one house near Washington Park in New York City and everyone was named Charles or David or Edward. And each character struggled with their identity in some way. I guess I should break it down first�
Book 1: alternate history, late 19th century, post-Civil War. The US as we know it is actually several nations and New York is part of the very progressive Free States where same-sex marriage is legal. David comes from a wealthy family who established this federation and he’s being encouraged to marry. While he has a much older widower suitor Charles, he is captivated by music teacher and possible swindler, Edward. It was not a fast-paced story, but it had a meandering cadence that was oddly captivating. I was left wondering if the ambiguous conclusion would be addressed in the following books.
Book2: There is no mention of the Free States or whether book 1 is even a factor. During the 1990’s David lives with his sugar daddy Charles in the aforementioned house. We learn he is descended from Hawaiian royalty. The latter half of the book is a letter from David’s father to his son about his life. This was my least favorite part of the novel, especially regarding the patriarch’s relationship with his iteration of Edward.
Book 3: dystopia, pandemic, climate change! Charles is an epidemiologist who lives with his husband Nathaniel and his son David. The story alternates between Charles� letters to his compatriot Peter in England and the first-person perspective of his granddaughter Charlie. We are gradually told how the country came to be in this chaotic state and Charles� role in the regime. I thought Charles� reaction to David announcing his girlfriend was pregnant especially profound: “…why would he want to bring a baby into [this world]? Who would want a child to grow up in this time, this place? It takes a special kind of cruelty to make a baby now, knowing that the world it’ll inhabit and inherit will be dirty and diseased and unjust and difficult. So why would you? What kind of respect for life is that?� Amen. I actually enjoyed the latter half of this book the most, when Nathaniel and David were out of the picture and the lack of conflict made the situation a bit easier. I adored Charlie and almost felt as much protective devotion to her as Charles did.
So� there are themes to be dissected and statements about LGBT rights to be made, but I’m not going to do that here. Basically, I found that the characters struggled with being beholden to a legacy they didn’t necessarily earn. Honestly, it may as well have been three separate books, and I could have done with only reading the third. But even that was a struggle because of all the pandemic commentary. Ugh, I get it, we are all living through it. It wasn’t really an enjoyable reading experience, and I was relieved to be done, but I have to admire the grand scale and the exceptional prose. ...more
When Rainey moves from New York to Washington state to live with her partner, Grant, she inherits a whole new group of friends. Many of them have knowWhen Rainey moves from New York to Washington state to live with her partner, Grant, she inherits a whole new group of friends. Many of them have known Grant since high school and they adopt Rainey into their circle, but some are less friendly than others. When her gal pals propose a girl’s weekend in Vegas, Rainey adamantly refuses. But Grant encourages her to open herself up to the experience and she reluctantly goes along.
Not long after they arrive, Rainey gets a sense that her friends Braithe and Tess are deliberately shutting her out. So she takes it upon herself to go visit a nearby town which just happens to be where her old cult was located. That’s right, Rainey spent several years of her adolescence in a cult, and she blames its leader for killing her mom. The narrative alters between Now and Then, where we get Rainey’s background about how she and her mom ended up in the cult and what happened over the course of the next few years. None of her friends, and not even Grant know about her past, but against her own better judgement, she stirs up things she had (literally and figuratively) kept buried for the last two decades.
When Rainey returns to her Vegas hotel the next day, all of her friends have returned home except for Braithe. That’s when the strange text messages from Braithe’s phone start and it quickly becomes obvious someone has apprehended Rainey’s friend to lure her in. Someone from Rainey’s past wants something from her, so she plays along with the creepy psycho. It gets kind of weird.
It was the pettiness of Rainey’s friends that bugged me a bit, especially when someone commits the ultimate back-stabbing. There were a handful of little inconsistencies in the story that I found irritating and distracting. Sometimes it felt like Rainey was a helpless victim, and other times she played the role of the empowered bad-a$$. I appreciate that she finally confronted and resolved the trauma from her past, but it took a strange turn to get there.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
Eight characters (one of which is actually a couple) are introduced it the first part of the book. Initially, they presented as short stories, but as Eight characters (one of which is actually a couple) are introduced it the first part of the book. Initially, they presented as short stories, but as the second part of the narrative unfolded, I realized that their individual stories were part of a larger, connected saga. The connective force throughout is trees, which, it turns out, have their own connections (see the theme here?). Trees, people, life, the earth itself are destined to succeed or fail together, but that’s primarily in humanity’s hands.
Yes, it’s a little preachy, but it’s also entirely truthful and a little scary and sad. I would have typically enjoyed the interconnectedness of the plotlines and how trees were a common denominator. There were two reasons this wasn’t the most engaging book I’ve ever read. First and foremost, as well-developed as the characters were, I didn’t feel much of a connection with any one in particular. Second, I wasn’t in the right mental state for all of its intricacies. My head was not up to the challenge because of other external distractions. I tried, I really did. Had I read it some other point in my life, I would have enjoyed it more. I did make it through 500 pages of what was an ambitious and somewhat arduous book. It was gifted to me by someone whose opinion/taste I value/respect, so I stuck it out. It just deserved more attention than I was able to give it. ...more
As she’s approaching the end of her thirties, lawyer Nicole is in a slump professionally. But then an opportunity presents itself that could be a netwAs she’s approaching the end of her thirties, lawyer Nicole is in a slump professionally. But then an opportunity presents itself that could be a networking boon to boost her career. A group called Panthera Leo provide a support network to empower strong women, and Nicole immediately sees results. After bonding with her new Pride of 5 women during a retreat, she lands a fabulous new apartment and gets a lucrative case assigned to her. Her confidence in Panthera Leo soars as she uses these connections to her benefit.
But then� Something dramatic happens and Nicole is tested beyond anything she could have anticipated. And that‘s when she realizes there is something far more sinister going on within Panthera Leo. She and her husband Dan team up to turn the tables on the group in a legal maneuver involving hostile corporate takeovers, accusations of rape, and blatant blackmail. It was entertaining to see who ended up screwing who over in the end, but so much of it took place in various boardrooms, it felt too corporate. Every time someone got stabbed in the back, I couldn’t be sure if it was a genuine betrayal or staged for the greater good of the overall scheme. Despite her naivete with Panthera Leo, I liked Nicole, I appreciated her intelligence (and how she defended her and Dan’s decision not to have children), and I respected how cleverly she was able to use her skills as a litigator to get herself out of PL’s clutches.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. ...more
Mary is the second wife of a much older widow, Thomas Deerfield, and theirs is not a happy marriage. In colonial Boston, divorce is quite scandalous, Mary is the second wife of a much older widow, Thomas Deerfield, and theirs is not a happy marriage. In colonial Boston, divorce is quite scandalous, but after a series of beatings that have escalated in violence, Mary seeks to dissolve her marriage to Thomas on grounds of cruelty. The first half of the book details her quest for independence which plays out in the public forum of the magistrates� town house, a Puritan divorce court, with a Salem twist.
The second half of the book sees Mary in much more danger than just Thomas� malice. The threat of the gallows is constant, as a woman who speaks her mind as brazenly as Mary is viewed as a threat. It’s not a fast-paced book, but it does convey great atmosphere, especially detailing how mundane and laborious 17th century life was. Mary was a very well-developed character and I appreciated her intelligence. Thomas was one of the most loathsome villains and the peripheral characters were realistically flawed. It was a captivating look at superstition and suspicion during a time when these things were taken very seriously. ...more
January 8, 2023 After the Romanovs � Helen Rappaport ****
This book outlines the diaspora of Russians who fled their homeland after the Revolution. PriJanuary 8, 2023 After the Romanovs � Helen Rappaport ****
This book outlines the diaspora of Russians who fled their homeland after the Revolution. Prior to the Soviet takeover, many Russians, whether elite or exiled, indulged in Paris. Artists, anarchists, and aristocrats enjoyed the city, not realizing it would soon be transformed by war. During the outbreak of the Great War, many returned to the Motherland, but were then forced once again to disembark to save themselves from Soviet firing squads.
It's a sad reality that so my Russians suffered in exile, “…dealing with wounds of separation and cultural disinheritance that stubbornly refused to heal.� It’s not a happy book, but it’s integral chapter in the lives of many notable Russians. ...more
Loading...
