Julie's bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 07 Apr 2025 04:43:46 -0700 60 Julie's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Hitchhikers 221711793 WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD . . .

Chevy Stevens has garnered acclaim from literary giants,
including Stephen King who called THOSE GIRLS “incredibly scary and suspenseful� and Gillian Flynn who called STILL MISSING “utterly absorbing.�

With THE HITCHHIKERS, she forges new ground with a novel that will both terrify you and break your heart.

On the remote Canadian highways in 1976, Tom and Alice set out to heal their fractured marriage.
An RV, a new beginning, and the hope of recovery after a devastating tragedy.
Then they meet two young hitchhikers,
Ocean and Blue—a seemingly innocent couple who aren’t who they seem. . . .
They are Jenny and Simon.
And they have left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.
Now Tom and Alice are trapped—prisoners in a deadly game, with nowhere to turn.
But as the tension builds and the lines blur,
the question becomes, In whose heart does evil truly lie?

A chilling, twist-laden ride to the final page—THE HITCHHIKERS is a master class in suspense and shock.]]> Chevy Stevens Julie 0 4.05 2025 The Hitchhikers
author: Chevy Stevens
name: Julie
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: fiction, own, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day]]> 74145 174 E.A. Wallis Budge 0811807673 Julie 0 to-read, wishlist, religious 4.14 -1500 The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day
author: E.A. Wallis Budge
name: Julie
average rating: 4.14
book published: -1500
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, wishlist, religious
review:

]]> High Season 217388179 Never
speak
of that
summer.

On a beautiful summer’s night twenty years ago, troubled seventeen-year-old Tamara Drayton was found floating face-down in the pool of her family’s idyllic mansion in the south of France, leaving her twin brother, golden-boy Blake, to pick up the pieces of their shattered family.

Also left behind was their sister Nina who, at six years old, became the youngest person ever to testify in a French murder trial. Because she’s the only one who saw what happened—who watched as her babysitter, Josie Jackson, pushed Tamara under the water, and held her there until she stopped breathing.

Didn’t she? Twenty years later, Nina's memories have faded, leaving her with no idea of what really transpired that night. When a new true crime documentary about her sister’s murder is announced, Nina thinks this might be her chance to finally find out.

But the truth always comes at a cost. Who will pay the price?

Set over two unforgettable summers two decades apart, High Season is a dark, tense exploration of the nature of memory, the enduring power of truth, and all the gray areas in between.]]> 384 Katie Bishop 1250283930 Julie 5 fiction, own
Twenty years later, a true crime podcaster is stirring up trouble by revisiting the case for a documentary. Josie is back in France to visit her brother. Unbeknownst to her, Nina is also in town staying at the villa where Tamara died, contemplating contributing to the documentary. Nina has been wracked by guilt about her testimony and doubts her memories of that fateful night. Her brother, Tamara’s twin, will do anything to keep his family’s dirty laundry from being aired decades after the crime initially devastated the Draytons.

This book had so much going for it: intrigue, excellent character development, rich atmosphere, and skillful writing. I enjoy books that are told through alternating narratives, and here we get different perspective both past and present. I also really like that Bishop incorporated multi-media devises like TikTok posts, past interviews, and case files. The whole mystery was revealed in such a clever and captivating way and the conclusion was super satisfying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.09 2025 High Season
author: Katie Bishop
name: Julie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Twenty years ago, Tamara Drayton was found face down in the pool of her family’s summer home on the southern coast of France. Her five-year-old sister Nina is apparently the only witness and she claims she saw her babysitter Josie fighting with Tamara in the pool. Her testimony convicts Josie, who spends the next ten years in prison for Tamara’s murder.

Twenty years later, a true crime podcaster is stirring up trouble by revisiting the case for a documentary. Josie is back in France to visit her brother. Unbeknownst to her, Nina is also in town staying at the villa where Tamara died, contemplating contributing to the documentary. Nina has been wracked by guilt about her testimony and doubts her memories of that fateful night. Her brother, Tamara’s twin, will do anything to keep his family’s dirty laundry from being aired decades after the crime initially devastated the Draytons.

This book had so much going for it: intrigue, excellent character development, rich atmosphere, and skillful writing. I enjoy books that are told through alternating narratives, and here we get different perspective both past and present. I also really like that Bishop incorporated multi-media devises like TikTok posts, past interviews, and case files. The whole mystery was revealed in such a clever and captivating way and the conclusion was super satisfying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Unseen (Will Trent, #7) 41634147
Karin Slaughter’s novels featuring detective Will Trent are utterly riveting and masterfully drawn. Her latest thriller, Unseen, pits detectives, lovers, and enemies against one another in an unforgettable standoff between righteous courage and deepest evil.

Will Trent is a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent whose latest case has him posing as Bill Black, a scary ex-con who rides a motorcycle around Macon, Georgia, and trails an air of violence wherever he goes. The cover has worked and he has caught the eye of a wiry little drug dealer who thinks he might be a useful ally. But undercover and cut off from the support of the woman he loves, Sara Linton, Will finds his demons catching up with him.

Although she has no idea where Will has gone, or why, Sara herself has come to Macon because of a cop shooting: Her stepson, Jared, has been gunned down in his own home. Sara holds Lena, Jared’s wife, responsible: Lena, a detective, has been a magnet for trouble all her life, and Jared’s shooting is not the first time someone Sara loved got caught in the crossfire. Furious, Sara finds herself involved in the same case that Will is working without even knowing it, and soon danger is swirling around both of them.

In a novel of fierce intensity, shifting allegiances, and shocking twists, two investigations collide with a conspiracy straddling both sides of the law. Karin Slaughter’s latest is both an electrifying thriller and a piercing study of human nature: what happens when good people face the unseen evils in their lives.]]> 530 Karin Slaughter Julie 0 3.33 2013 Unseen (Will Trent, #7)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: fiction, own, currently-reading
review:

]]> The Locked Ward 217388258 Was it...
Bitter, all-consuming jealousy?
Pathological sibling rivalry?
Pure insanity?

Whatever the cause—and everyone has a theory—it's the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.�

Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that's so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?

Nothing is as it seems in Sarah Pekkanen’s The Locked Ward, a shocking psychological thriller about the complex bonds of sisterhood—and what happens when they are stretched to the breaking point.

Some doors in the Locked Ward should never be opened.]]> 320 Sarah Pekkanen 1250349516 Julie 4 fiction, own
Amanda is contacted not long after reading headlines about the crime by Georgia’s attorney. It turns out the two are twins, separated at birth and adopted by different families. Georgia is desperate for Amanda’s help, though the two have never met, and Amanda was previously unaware of Georgia’s existence. As Amanda becomes involved in proving Georgia’s innocence, she steps into the unfamiliar world of wealth and privilege that Georgia was raised in.

Told alternatively between Amanda’s third person narrative and Georgia’s second person perspective, it was a good mix of sleuthing (Amanda) and paranoia (Georgia). As Amanda learns more about Georgia’s life, she realizes she doesn’t know who she can trust, especially since Georgia and Annabelle had a notoriously rocky history. I wasn’t a huge fan of the second person narrative device, but it made Georgia’s presence in the locked ward feel more threatening. Otherwise, this was a suspenseful and intriguing mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.]]> 3.90 2025 The Locked Ward
author: Sarah Pekkanen
name: Julie
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: fiction, own
review:
On the night of Annabelle’s birthday, her sister Georgia is arrested for her murder. Found bloody and dissociative over Annabelle’s body, Georgia is taken to a psyche ward for violent and high-risk mental patients.

Amanda is contacted not long after reading headlines about the crime by Georgia’s attorney. It turns out the two are twins, separated at birth and adopted by different families. Georgia is desperate for Amanda’s help, though the two have never met, and Amanda was previously unaware of Georgia’s existence. As Amanda becomes involved in proving Georgia’s innocence, she steps into the unfamiliar world of wealth and privilege that Georgia was raised in.

Told alternatively between Amanda’s third person narrative and Georgia’s second person perspective, it was a good mix of sleuthing (Amanda) and paranoia (Georgia). As Amanda learns more about Georgia’s life, she realizes she doesn’t know who she can trust, especially since Georgia and Annabelle had a notoriously rocky history. I wasn’t a huge fan of the second person narrative device, but it made Georgia’s presence in the locked ward feel more threatening. Otherwise, this was a suspenseful and intriguing mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> Our Last Wild Days 220160259 From the author of the “irresistible� (Paula Hawkin, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Where the Truth Lies, an atmospheric novel about a young woman who searches for answers after her estranged friend is found dead in the bayou of their rural Louisiana hometown.

The Labasques aren’t like other families.

Living in a shack out in the swamps, they made do by hunting down alligators and other animals. To the good people of Jacknife, Louisiana, they are troublemakers and outcasts, the kind of people you wouldn’t want in your community.

So, when Cutter Labasque is found face down in the muddy swamp, no one seems to care, not even her two brothers. The only person who questions the official verdict of suicide is Cutter’s childhood friend, Loyal May, who has just returned home to care for her mother. When she left town at eighteen years old, she betrayed Cutter. Now with a ragtag group from the local paper where she works, Loyal goes in search of answers, uncovering a web of deceit and corruption that implicates those in town. It may be too late to apologize to Cutter, but Loyal has restitution in mind.

Weaving through the swamps and bayous of rural Louisiana, Our Last Wild Days is an atmospheric, smoldering suspense about our darker impulses—and how to set things right.]]> 352 Anna Bailey 1982157194 Julie 4 fiction, own
Loyal and her fellow journalist Sasha confront Cutter’s brothers, uncover some disturbing evidence, locate a missing girl in the woods, and eventually determine Cutter’s fate. In the meantime, the swamp is lurking with predators, both animal and human, and Loyal and Sasha don’t realize how close to danger they are.

Overall, the descriptive writing was very eloquent. The book was very atmospheric, and I think Bailey did a great job depicting the humidity and wildness of the bayou. I thought the characters were well-developed, despite their flaws, which added to the richness of the narrative. There was definitely a Deliverance-esque quality to the book, so be prepared for a major creepiness factor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.20 2025 Our Last Wild Days
author: Anna Bailey
name: Julie
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: fiction, own
review:
There’s something nefarious lurking in the bayou, and it’s not just the alligators that Cutter and her brothers hunt. Cutter’s former best friend Loyal has returned to her home town to look after her ailing mother, taking a reporting job with the local paper. When she gets a scoop that a body has been found in the swamp, she encounters the local sheriff and his team only to discover that the corpse is Cutter. Before she left town after high school, Loyal and Cutter had a spectacular falling out, and now Loyal is consumed by grief and guilt and is determined to discover what happened.

Loyal and her fellow journalist Sasha confront Cutter’s brothers, uncover some disturbing evidence, locate a missing girl in the woods, and eventually determine Cutter’s fate. In the meantime, the swamp is lurking with predators, both animal and human, and Loyal and Sasha don’t realize how close to danger they are.

Overall, the descriptive writing was very eloquent. The book was very atmospheric, and I think Bailey did a great job depicting the humidity and wildness of the bayou. I thought the characters were well-developed, despite their flaws, which added to the richness of the narrative. There was definitely a Deliverance-esque quality to the book, so be prepared for a major creepiness factor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn, #8) 214152415 This riveting psychological thriller from master of twists Steve Cavanagh, author of the �unguessable and unputdownable� (Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Kill For Me, Kill for You, What if the witness was more twisted than the killer?

Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson.

A former resident of the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, Ruby now works as a maid in the type of houses she used to live in. Unassuming, she sees everyone’s dirty secrets from the inside of their beautiful, renovated brownstones. But when Ruby witnesses a murder, she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home. Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Megan Miranda, Witness 8 is a fresh knockout page-turner from an author who is “the real deal� (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author).]]> 416 Steve Cavanagh 1668049376 Julie 0 fiction, own
The titular character is Ruby, a former resident of aforementioned tony neighborhood, whose family’s fall from wealthy grace finds her nannying and cleaning for her ex-neighbors. She is a self-identified unreliable narrator, which becomes even more obvious when she hears voices and manipulates the murder investigation.

Enter Eddie Flynn, appointed defense attorney of the accused murderer, Dr. John Jackson, who also happens to employ Ruby as his child’s nanny. How did the murder weapon end up in Dr. Jackson’s closet? Hmmmm� Well, leave it to Eddie to prove John’s innocence with the help of his wily and resourceful team.

Then the mafia gets involved and professional hit men start taking shots. It’s wild how Eddie can pull strings while avoiding assassination. I didn’t think the legal proceedings were portrayed accurately, but if you can suspend disbelief about those flaws, it was entertaining. There’s a lot of slight-of-hand backstabbing and blatant opponent screwing, but that’s what makes Eddie Flynn a slick character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.16 2024 Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn, #8)
author: Steve Cavanagh
name: Julie
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: fiction, own
review:
I initially picked this book up because of its premise, without realizing that it was part of a series. No worries there, it held its own as a standalone. Sure, I may have had more history and backstory of the characters, especially the series lead, former conman turned lawyer Eddie Flynn. I was intrigued by the idea of a murder occurring in a posh New York neighborhood and how the domestic thriller would evolve in a monied community.

The titular character is Ruby, a former resident of aforementioned tony neighborhood, whose family’s fall from wealthy grace finds her nannying and cleaning for her ex-neighbors. She is a self-identified unreliable narrator, which becomes even more obvious when she hears voices and manipulates the murder investigation.

Enter Eddie Flynn, appointed defense attorney of the accused murderer, Dr. John Jackson, who also happens to employ Ruby as his child’s nanny. How did the murder weapon end up in Dr. Jackson’s closet? Hmmmm� Well, leave it to Eddie to prove John’s innocence with the help of his wily and resourceful team.

Then the mafia gets involved and professional hit men start taking shots. It’s wild how Eddie can pull strings while avoiding assassination. I didn’t think the legal proceedings were portrayed accurately, but if you can suspend disbelief about those flaws, it was entertaining. There’s a lot of slight-of-hand backstabbing and blatant opponent screwing, but that’s what makes Eddie Flynn a slick character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> The Memoirs of Cleopatra 3400622 But it is also a tale of passion that begins when the twenty-one-year-old Cleopatra, desperate to return from exile, seeks out the one man who can help her, the Roman general Julius Caesar � and does not end until, having survived the assassination of Caesar and the defeat of the second man she loves, Marc Antony, she plots her own death rather than allow herself to be paraded in triumph through the streets of Rome.
Margaret George has long been acclaimed for the richness and authenticity of her characters, setting, and action. Mary Stewart called her first novel, The Autobiography of Henry VII, “a remarkable achievement…magnificently researched and admirably written,� while The Detroit Free Press proclaimed, “it doth brim with lust, violence, cruelty, and lively conversation…Margaret George has found a new and fresh way to tell the story.� Her second novel, Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, was hailed as “an evocative portrait� (The New York Times Book Review) and “a triumph of historical fiction� (Houston Chronicle). In her glorious new novel The Memoirs of Cleopatra, Margaret George has created a story and a heroine so magnificent that they will live forever.]]> 976 Margaret George 0312190662 Julie 2 own, fiction
If George had portrayed Cleopatra as a more sympathetic or compelling character, I would have been more engaged. But her memoirs just seemed like her observations of events in which she happened to be present. There was too much about Roman politics, jewelry and wardrobe choices, and her appeals to her gods. It could easily have been half as long, but still Cleopatra’s character would not have been redeemed.
]]> 4.09 1997 The Memoirs of Cleopatra
author: Margaret George
name: Julie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1997
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: own, fiction
review:
I picked this book from my TBR shelf because it was so highly rated by readers on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ. What a huge (literally and figuratively) disappointment. I slogged through nearly 1,000 pages for 6 weeks and it was not an enjoyable experience. It felt like an assignment and that was mostly because I found Cleopatra to be a one-dimensional, wooden character. Sure, the vast historical narrative was somewhat impressive, but Cleopatra seemed like a passive observer of history rather than an active participant. That was primarily because she was always beholden to the powerful Roman men in her life. First, Julius Ceasar (more than 30 years her senior), then Marc Antony (who was married to her nemesis’s sister).

If George had portrayed Cleopatra as a more sympathetic or compelling character, I would have been more engaged. But her memoirs just seemed like her observations of events in which she happened to be present. There was too much about Roman politics, jewelry and wardrobe choices, and her appeals to her gods. It could easily have been half as long, but still Cleopatra’s character would not have been redeemed.

]]> <![CDATA[Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories]]> 2282 162 Truman Capote 067960085X Julie 3 own, fiction 3.87 1958 Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories
author: Truman Capote
name: Julie
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1958
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: own, fiction
review:

]]> Criminal (Will Trent, #6) 25241679
Will cannot fathom Amanda’s motivation until the two of them literally collide in an abandoned orphanage they have both been drawn to for different reasons. Decades before, when his father was imprisoned for murder, this was Will’s home. It appears that the case that launched Amanda’s career forty years ago has suddenly come back to life—and it involves the long-held mystery of Will’s birth and parentage.

Now these two dauntless investigators will each need to face down demons from the past if they are to prevent an even greater terror from being unleashed.]]> 576 Karin Slaughter 1101887451 Julie 5 fiction, own
Being a woman on the Atlanta police force in the 1970’s was no picnic, and there were some brutally uncomfortable situations that Amanda and Evelyn encountered, not just with perps, but their colleagues, too. I enjoyed how the narrative shifted from past to present to demonstrate how their early career shaped Amanda’s and Evelyn’s personalities. Of course, the best part is seeing how the relationship between Sara and Will evolves, especially considering the disturbing past he is confronted with. This was an excellent installment that was driven by character development.
]]> 4.43 2012 Criminal (Will Trent, #6)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Book six in the Will Trent series takes a deep dive into the pasts of the characters we’ve gotten to know in previous books. We learn how Amanda Wagner and Evelyn Mitchell first met on the police force and earned their reputations. We are also made privy to the significant role Amanda played in young Will’s life without him being aware. And we are given insight to Will’s parentage, which is extremely troubling, but it emphasizes how much adversity he overcame.

Being a woman on the Atlanta police force in the 1970’s was no picnic, and there were some brutally uncomfortable situations that Amanda and Evelyn encountered, not just with perps, but their colleagues, too. I enjoyed how the narrative shifted from past to present to demonstrate how their early career shaped Amanda’s and Evelyn’s personalities. Of course, the best part is seeing how the relationship between Sara and Will evolves, especially considering the disturbing past he is confronted with. This was an excellent installment that was driven by character development.

]]> The Lake Escape 217387729 The next riveting summer suspense by the author of THE BLOCK PARTY and ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY, Jamie Day.

They've been coming to Lake Timmeny in Vermont since they were babies. Now, Julia Crawford, David Dunne, and Erika Miller are returning for their annual summer getaway, a family tradition they've continued into adulthood. But for all its beauty, Lake Timmeny harbors a dark past. Two young women with no known connection to each other, aside from their shared vacation spot, vanished without a trace exactly thirty years apart.

Lacking evidence, the vanishings gave rise to a foreboding lore that the lakes take them, a legend that continues to this day. But it's not only the lake that's hiding something. All three friends harbor secrets and deceptions that lurk just beneath the surface.

But, when David's new girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a night of drinking and tension, the lore of the lake resurfaces. As the group searches for the missing woman, long-buried secrets emerge, and an intricate web of lies, deceit, and betrayals stemming back generations is gradually revealed, putting all of them in grave danger. Can the friends keep their heads above water, or will they, too, succumb to the lake's dark history?]]> 368 Jamie Day 1250358191 Julie 3 fiction, own
The narrative alternates between Julia’s third person and David’s nanny Izzy’s first person. I appreciated that Izzy called herself out right away for being an unreliable narrator, admitting that she has ulterior motives for accepting the nanny job. The longer she spends at the lake, the more Izzy learns about two women who mysteriously disappeared thirty years apart. Good thing she’s a true-crime podcast junkie, so her sleuthing has some “credibility.� When David’s girlfriend goes missing, the lake erupts with an investigation, not to mention a whole lot of finger-pointing and mistrust.

The characters here are flawed, the relationships tense, and though the setting is idyllic, the anxiety is palpable. As the mystery unravels, the connections between all of the threads seemed a bit flimsy. Everyone has some culpability and Izzy certainly takes advantage for a tidy conclusion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.70 2025 The Lake Escape
author: Jamie Day
name: Julie
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Every summer, lifelong friends Julia, David, Erika, and their families reconvene at their neighboring lake houses in Vermont. This year, Julia is confronted with the “addition� that David put on his home between ladies� cabins, and Julia is infuriated that David’s modern glass monstrosity is blocking her lake view. Thus, the conflict begins.

The narrative alternates between Julia’s third person and David’s nanny Izzy’s first person. I appreciated that Izzy called herself out right away for being an unreliable narrator, admitting that she has ulterior motives for accepting the nanny job. The longer she spends at the lake, the more Izzy learns about two women who mysteriously disappeared thirty years apart. Good thing she’s a true-crime podcast junkie, so her sleuthing has some “credibility.� When David’s girlfriend goes missing, the lake erupts with an investigation, not to mention a whole lot of finger-pointing and mistrust.

The characters here are flawed, the relationships tense, and though the setting is idyllic, the anxiety is palpable. As the mystery unravels, the connections between all of the threads seemed a bit flimsy. Everyone has some culpability and Izzy certainly takes advantage for a tidy conclusion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Fallen (Will Trent, #5) 41634107 ""You know what we're here for. Hand it over, and we'll let her go.""
When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she'll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they'll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn't just a cop anymore--she's a witness. She's also a suspect.
The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light--or bury it forever.
Karin Slaughter's most exhilarating novel yet is a thrilling journey through the heart and soul, where the personal and the criminal collide, and conflicted loyalties threaten to destroy reputations and ruin lives. It is the work of a master of the thriller at the top of her game, and a whirlwind of unrelenting suspense.]]> 466 Karin Slaughter Julie 4 own, fiction
This book wasn’t quite as dark as some of Slaughter’s others, but I appreciated the background into the characters and their history. The whole gang scene wasn’t quite as captivating as other crimes that Will has been involved in.

The best part was seeing Will and Sara finally hook up, so I am totally anticipating seeing their relationship evolve. This series is so much fun!
]]> 4.30 2011 Fallen (Will Trent, #5)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: own, fiction
review:
When Faith discovers a bloodbath at her mother Evelyn’s house and her daughter locked in a shed, she’s on high alert. A corpse, a hostage situation, and Evelyn missing leads to more fatalities and a race to find Faith’s mother. Of course, this ties in with Will’s previous investigation into Evelyn’s corruption which forced her into early retirement and resulted in the arrest of six of her detectives. Will and Amanda have to infiltrate the Atlanta drug trade to figure out who would want to kidnap Evelyn and what they were looking for when they ransacked her house.

This book wasn’t quite as dark as some of Slaughter’s others, but I appreciated the background into the characters and their history. The whole gang scene wasn’t quite as captivating as other crimes that Will has been involved in.

The best part was seeing Will and Sara finally hook up, so I am totally anticipating seeing their relationship evolve. This series is so much fun!

]]> Rich Man, Poor Man 4462253
It tells the story of two brothers and sister - the children of an embittered, impoverished German baker - growing up in a small town near New York City as World War II is drawing to a close.

They are:
Rudolph Jordache: the self-doubting, ambitious romantic boy who can fulfil his parents' dreams; who can work his way through college and land a good job; who can, through manoeuvring and clever dealing, make a fortune by the time he is 30.

Tom Jordache: who hates his tyrannical father; who is thrown out of his home and tries to batter his way through life, authority and women.

Gretchen Jordache: who is seduced by the town's leading citizen; who is beautiful and intelligent; who can attract a producer's eye but who has no real acting talent; who is at odds with the smart New York life until she finds the right husband.

These three are seen over a period of twenty-four years in scene after scene which build up into a revelation of modern American life: the mobility, the quick encounters, the big deals, the myth making. The backgrounds range from Manhattan in the effervescent post-war years to Hollywood bathed in uncertain sunshine, and the deceptive peace of the Mediterranean coast. The balance between failure and success is Shaw's theme, and he develops it in surprising ways. His novel is at once a triumphant study of character and an epic of USA - from coast to coast, from mid-forties to mid-sixties. This is his finest and most exciting book for years.

Taken from inside front cover flap of dust jacket.]]> 635 Irwin Shaw 0297002325 Julie 4 own, fiction
Spanning decades, we witness the three of them have successes and misadventures. There were some slow plot points, but every episode was crucial toward character development, especially regarding the last few chapters. They were all flawed in their own ways, but their shortcomings were authentic. I enjoyed the meandering quality of the narrative and savored my experience with the Jordaches.
]]> 3.85 1969 Rich Man, Poor Man
author: Irwin Shaw
name: Julie
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1969
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: own, fiction
review:
4.5 stars. I’m giving this a rare (to me) half star promotion. I love well-written family sagas and I thought the dynamic between the Jordache siblings was captivating. There’s the oldest, Gretchen, who is the first to break away from her family under the influence of an older man. Second child Rudolph is the pride and joy of his parents, while his younger brother Thomas is a brawling delinquent. Two brothers couldn’t be more different.

Spanning decades, we witness the three of them have successes and misadventures. There were some slow plot points, but every episode was crucial toward character development, especially regarding the last few chapters. They were all flawed in their own ways, but their shortcomings were authentic. I enjoyed the meandering quality of the narrative and savored my experience with the Jordaches.

]]> <![CDATA[In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child]]> 103488315 In Light of All Darkness embeds readers inĚýone of the most famous true-crime stories of our generation—the kidnapping of Polly Klaas—a case as pivotal in the history of the FBI as the Unabomber or Oklahoma City bombing.Ěý

On October 1, 1993, a 12-year-old girl was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom in Petaluma, California, during a sleepover with two friends, while her mother slept soundly in the room next door. This rarest of all kidnappings—a stranger abduction from the home—triggered one of the largest manhunts in FBI history. Ěý

Many Americans remember Polly's face, which appeared on the national news every night, on the cover of People magazine, and on more than 8 million flyers distributed as far as China. The emotional gravity of Polly’s story touched every agent, police officer, and forensic technician who worked on her case. Many of these investigators have never shared their stories—until now.

Kim Cross has written the first comprehensive account of what happened on that fateful night in October, as well as how the case forever transformed the Bureau’s approach to solving crimes. With unprecedented access to case files, crime scene photos, a videotaped murder confession, andĚýinside sources,ĚýIn Light of All DarknessĚýfollows the investigators who pieced together the evidence that led to the arrest and conviction of the kidnapper—and made the victim a household name and a girl who will never be forgotten.]]> 464 Kim Cross 1538725061 Julie 0 to-read, non-fiction, own 4.27 2023 In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America's Child
author: Kim Cross
name: Julie
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read, non-fiction, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus]]> 39020 In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.

Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The astonishing Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a specialized breeding process that it has been called man’s first feat of genetic engineering. Indeed, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand. Challenging and surprising, this a transformative new look at a rich and fascinating world we only thought we knew.

]]> 563 Charles C. Mann 1400032059 Julie 0 to-read, non-fiction, own 4.04 2005 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
author: Charles C. Mann
name: Julie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read, non-fiction, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Broken (Will Trent) by Slaughter, Karin (2011) Mass Market Paperback]]> 133537332 0 Karin Slaughter Julie 4 fiction, own
As the body count rises, Will’s investigation falters because of blatant Grant County police corruption. I thought the motives and the overall conclusion were a little too tidy and not as Slaughter-esque as what I’ve come to expect. I did enjoy how Will met Sara’s family and that their familiarity is becoming more comfortable. But what I loved best was how Will got to mess with Lena’s mind as he tried to trip her up into revealing her shoddy detective work. As conniving and shifty as Lena can be, it was delightful watching her squirm under Will’s scrutiny.
]]> 4.50 2010 Broken (Will Trent) by Slaughter, Karin (2011) Mass Market Paperback
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Worlds collide when Will Trent comes to Grant County to investigate the suicide of a young man in police custody. And Sara Linton just happens to be home for the holidays, seething with vengeance against Lena Adams. It’s not just the suicide of Tommy that raises Sara’s hackles, but the treatment of the suspect by his arresting officer, Lena. Sara is convinced that Tommy is incapable of the murder Lena arrested him for, that Lena coerced Tommy’s confession, and that Lena is ultimately responsible for Tommy’s death.

As the body count rises, Will’s investigation falters because of blatant Grant County police corruption. I thought the motives and the overall conclusion were a little too tidy and not as Slaughter-esque as what I’ve come to expect. I did enjoy how Will met Sara’s family and that their familiarity is becoming more comfortable. But what I loved best was how Will got to mess with Lena’s mind as he tried to trip her up into revealing her shoddy detective work. As conniving and shifty as Lena can be, it was delightful watching her squirm under Will’s scrutiny.

]]> I Was Anastasia 33998348 333 Ariel Lawhon 0385541694 Julie 4 own, romanov, signed-copy
The only reason I’m not gushing about this book more than I am is because I didn’t feel like the imperial family was accurately represented. I didn’t get a feel for anyone’s personalities besides Anastasia’s and even when I did get glimpses of them, they were contradictory to what I’d read about them as individuals, especially Nicholas and Alexandra. The suffocating circumstance of their imprisonment was well portrayed, but I wish the members of the family were given more distinctiveness. Otherwise, it was an intriguing read that gave me better insight into Anna Anderson’s motives and schemes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.72 2018 I Was Anastasia
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Julie
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/04/23
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: own, romanov, signed-copy
review:
I have been obsessed with the Romanov saga for years, so I jumped at the opportunity to read a historical fiction account of the Anna Anderson fiasco. Be prepared � it is not a linear narrative. The story alternates between Anna’s backward (from more recent events through her past) third person account and Anastasia’s first person perspective during her family’s captivity. Of course, history has proven that Anna was not who she claimed to be and that Anastasia was massacred along with her family. But I liked the way Lawson hinted that she might take some liberties with the outcome. I appreciated how she presented her conclusion and how she presented Anna’s ambiguous and suspicious claims.

The only reason I’m not gushing about this book more than I am is because I didn’t feel like the imperial family was accurately represented. I didn’t get a feel for anyone’s personalities besides Anastasia’s and even when I did get glimpses of them, they were contradictory to what I’d read about them as individuals, especially Nicholas and Alexandra. The suffocating circumstance of their imprisonment was well portrayed, but I wish the members of the family were given more distinctiveness. Otherwise, it was an intriguing read that gave me better insight into Anna Anderson’s motives and schemes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Don't Let Him In 220160814 Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in the path of an oncoming train, leaving his twenty-something daughter Ash and wife Nina devastated. Shortly after Paddy’s funeral, the two women receive a surprise in the mail: a note and package from Nick Ratcliffe, an old friend of Paddy’s, and a nondescript lighter that once belonged to him decades ago. This unexpected gift draws Nick and Nina closer together—much to Ash’s dismay.

Martha is a small-town florist with dreams of expansion. She lives with her second husband Al, her baby, and two sons from her prior marriage. But they never seem to have any money, and with his constant traveling for work, she feels like a single parent—especially when an emergency makes her realize something needs to change.

But Nick and Al may not be who they say they are, leading these three women on a shocking collision course, wishing they had heeded a warning: Don’t let him in.]]> 368 Lisa Jewell 1668033879 Julie 5 fiction, own
Martha is a middle-aged florist with a successful business, a sweet family, and a dream husband. The only downside is that Alister’s job takes him away from home for large stretches at a time and he is completely incommunicado while he’s away.

What do Nina and Martha have in common? Nick. Alister. A man with dozens of aliases and countless scorned women in his wake.

Jewell’s delivery was perfect. You know right away the guy is shady, but as she delves more into Nick/Alister’s past, you get a better sense for how utterly devastating his conniving is on his targets. Ash has her own demons, but that works here because not only is she an unreliable narrator, she’s vulnerable. I can’t remember the last time I devoured a book this quickly. It’s a testament to Jewell being the QUEEN of the domestic thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.]]> 4.00 2025 Don't Let Him In
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Julie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: fiction, own
review:
When a man from her recently-deceased husband’s past contacts Nina to commiserate over Paddy’s death, she guardedly opens up her life to this man who calls himself Nick. Nick is suave, he’s polished, he once worked with Paddy and uses that connection to worm his way into Nina’s life. It’s Nina’s daughter Ash who starts to find holes in Nick’s background and finds his façade a little too refined.

Martha is a middle-aged florist with a successful business, a sweet family, and a dream husband. The only downside is that Alister’s job takes him away from home for large stretches at a time and he is completely incommunicado while he’s away.

What do Nina and Martha have in common? Nick. Alister. A man with dozens of aliases and countless scorned women in his wake.

Jewell’s delivery was perfect. You know right away the guy is shady, but as she delves more into Nick/Alister’s past, you get a better sense for how utterly devastating his conniving is on his targets. Ash has her own demons, but that works here because not only is she an unreliable narrator, she’s vulnerable. I can’t remember the last time I devoured a book this quickly. It’s a testament to Jewell being the QUEEN of the domestic thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> Undone 26236847 Undone, three unforgettable characters from Karin Slaughter’s New York Times bestselling novels Faithless and Fractured collide for the first time, entering an electrifying race against the clock—and a duel with unspeakable human evil.

In the backwoods of suburban Atlanta, where Sara’s patient was found, local police have set up their investigation. But Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective Will Trent doesn’t wait for the go-ahead from his boss—he plunges through police lines, through the brooding woods, and single-handedly exposes a hidden house of horror buried beneath the earth. Then he finds another victim.�

Wresting the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner, Faith Mitchell—a woman keeping explosive secrets of her own—are called into a related investigation. Another woman—a smart, upscale, independent young mother—has been snatched. For the two cops out on the hunt, for the doctor trying to bring her patient back to life, the truth hits like a hammer: the killer’s torture chamber has been found, but the killer is still at work.

In her latest suspense masterpiece, Karin Slaughter weaves together the moving, powerful human stories of characters as real as they are complex and unforgettable. At the same time she has crafted a work of dazzling storytelling and spine-tingling mystery—as three people, each with their own wounds and their own secrets, are all that stands between a madman and his next crime.]]> 544 Karin Slaughter 1101887478 Julie 0 fiction, own
The victim is taken to the hospital where Sara Linton works at the ER. The merging of the two series is going to be fun and I’m a bit giddy about the sparks that are already flying between Sara and Will. Meanwhile, Faith is dealing with her own personal crisis, and Angie, Will’s wife, is still playing him like a violin. It’s ever so much fun to see these characters overcoming adversity. I’m excited to jump right into the next book!
]]> 4.35 2009 Undone
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: fiction, own
review:
When a woman runs naked into the middle of the road and is struck by elderly motorists, it’s up to Will and Faith to find where she was kept and what was done to her. Slaughter does not lack imagination when she devises ways to torture her victims. And yet I’m always a little shocked by some of the depravity in the details.

The victim is taken to the hospital where Sara Linton works at the ER. The merging of the two series is going to be fun and I’m a bit giddy about the sparks that are already flying between Sara and Will. Meanwhile, Faith is dealing with her own personal crisis, and Angie, Will’s wife, is still playing him like a violin. It’s ever so much fun to see these characters overcoming adversity. I’m excited to jump right into the next book!

]]> <![CDATA[Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich]]> 31125557
The Nazi regime preached an ideology of physical, mental, and moral purity. But as Norman Ohler reveals in this gripping new history, the Third Reich was saturated with drugs. On the eve of World War II, Germany was a pharmaceutical powerhouse, and companies such as Merck and Bayer produced cocaine, opiates, and, most of all, methamphetamines, to be consumed by everyone from factory workers to housewives. Meth proved particularly attractive to some German army leaders, who not only dosed themselves but also incorporated the drug into their battle plans � it was rationed out in pill form to millions of troops. The elevated energy and feelings of invincibility associated with the high even help to account for the breakneck invasion that sealed the fall of France in 1940, as well as other German military victories.

Drugs seeped all the way up to the Nazi high command � and to Hitler himself. Over the course of the war, Hitler became increasingly dependent on injections of a cocktail of drugs � ultimately including Eukodal, a cousin of heroin � administered by his personal doctor. He ended his life as an addict in the throes of withdrawal. While drugs alone can never explain the Nazis� toxic racial theories or the events of World War II, Ohler’s investigation makes an overwhelming case that drugs played an important and shockingly overlooked role in the Third Reich.

Thoroughly researched and rivetingly readable, Blitzed throws light on a history that, until now, has remained in the shadows.]]> 292 Norman Ohler 1328663795 Julie 0 3.95 2015 Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich
author: Norman Ohler
name: Julie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: to-read, non-fiction, wishlist
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store]]> 65678550
Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, which served the neighborhood's quirky collection of blacks and European immigrants, helped by her husband, Moshe, a Romanian-born theater owner who integrated the town's first dance hall. When the state came looking for a deaf black child, claiming that the boy needed to be institutionalized, Chicken Hill's residents—roused by Chona's kindess and the courage of a local black worker named Nate Timblin—banded together to keep the boy safe.

As the novel unfolds, it becomes clear how much the people of Chicken Hill have to struggle to survive at the margins of white Christian America and how damaging bigotry, hypocrisy, and deceit can be to a community. When the truth is revealed about the skeleton, the boy, and the part the town’s establishment played in both, McBride shows that it is love and community—heaven and earth—that ultimately sustain us.]]> 385 James McBride 0593422945 Julie 5 fiction, own
Alas, every town has its scumbags and here it’s the local doctor who mucks everything up. McBride deftly weaves his stories so that even the most heinous villains get their comeuppance. I loved the storytelling, the character development, and the endearing nature of the community. I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up had it not been gifted to me, but I am certainly glad someone thought to!
]]> 3.84 2023 The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
author: James McBride
name: Julie
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/07
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Chicken Hill is a mixed-race neighborhood of Pottstown, PA, and Chona Ludlow, owner of the titular store, is its most beloved resident. Every chapter introduces a new neighbor, and there are certainly some characters on Chicken Hill. There are Jews and blacks, immigrants and Mayflower descendants, and they all have some sort of connection to Chona and her husband Moshe. When the Ludlows are asked to help keep the state from sending a local deaf boy to an asylum, Chona fiercely protects her new charge, Dodo.

Alas, every town has its scumbags and here it’s the local doctor who mucks everything up. McBride deftly weaves his stories so that even the most heinous villains get their comeuppance. I loved the storytelling, the character development, and the endearing nature of the community. I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up had it not been gifted to me, but I am certainly glad someone thought to!

]]> Fractured (Will Trent, #2) 210327591
When another teenage girl goes missing, Trent knows that this case, which started in the best of homes, is about to cut quick and deep through the ruins of perfect lives broken wide-open: where human demons emerge with a vengeance.]]> 429 Karin Slaughter 1101887435 Julie 4 fiction, own
Faith and Will are teamed up to investigate a horrific crime that left two teenagers dead and another missing. This was a lot more procedural than the first book, and they have quite the crime scene to process and analyze. I felt like we saw more of how the GBI operates when the Atlanta PD bungles things initially. Fractured didn’t have the intensity of Triptych, although Slaughter does make her readers very aware of how crucial time is in a missing persons case. Still, I’m looking forward to how Will and Faith work together going forward.
]]> 4.12 2008 Fractured (Will Trent, #2)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Book two in the Will Trent series stood out for a couple of reasons. One, we meet Faith Mitchell who is to become Will’s partner. Her perspective toward him is unique as she’s initially hostile towards him but comes to respect him. Two, we get a glimpse of Will’s vulnerabilities when he encounters a suspect who is also a survivor of state foster care and is functionally illiterate.

Faith and Will are teamed up to investigate a horrific crime that left two teenagers dead and another missing. This was a lot more procedural than the first book, and they have quite the crime scene to process and analyze. I felt like we saw more of how the GBI operates when the Atlanta PD bungles things initially. Fractured didn’t have the intensity of Triptych, although Slaughter does make her readers very aware of how crucial time is in a missing persons case. Still, I’m looking forward to how Will and Faith work together going forward.

]]> Triptych (Will Trent, #1) 203552905
In this gritty, gripping firecracker of a novel, the author of the bestselling Grant County, Georgia, series breaks thrilling new ground, weaving together the threads of a complex, multilayered story with the skill of a master craftsman. Packed with body-bending switchbacks, searing psychological suspense and human emotions, Triptych ratchets up the tension one revelation at a time as it races to a shattering and unforgettable climax.]]> 458 Karin Slaughter 0804180288 Julie 5 fiction, own
Recently paroled, John Shelley is trying to adjust to life on the outside. Unfortunately, his past has come back to haunt him and he has to figure out how to stay out of prison.

The way the two storylines come together is quite clever. I liked how the plot pivoted from the murder to John’s background, then back again. Then there’s the involvement of Will’s longtime lady, Angie, and how she complicates things. The final confrontation with the villain was brutal and nail-biting and ever so insane in a way that only Slaughter can pull off.
]]> 4.18 2006 Triptych (Will Trent, #1)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/19
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Having recently finished the Grant County series, I can already tell Will Trent’s saga is going to be much more intense. I am already enamored with Will and I can’t wait to see how his character develops. When he realizes the brutal murder of a prostitute has similarities with other recent attacks in different jurisdictions, he teams up with detective Michael Ormewood to investigate.

Recently paroled, John Shelley is trying to adjust to life on the outside. Unfortunately, his past has come back to haunt him and he has to figure out how to stay out of prison.

The way the two storylines come together is quite clever. I liked how the plot pivoted from the murder to John’s background, then back again. Then there’s the involvement of Will’s longtime lady, Angie, and how she complicates things. The final confrontation with the villain was brutal and nail-biting and ever so insane in a way that only Slaughter can pull off.

]]> Watch Your Back 210366703 Amid the depths of a bleak Boston winter, a recently married couple find their lives and their relationship unraveling after a series of deadly accidents, in this brilliantly twisting domestic thriller perfect for fans of Stacy Willingham, Greer Hendricks, and Megan Miranda.

Accidents happen, no matter how careful or well-intentioned you are. Psychiatrist Eve Thayer frequently reassures her patients of that fact. There are even times when accidents have good consequences—like when Eve met her now-husband, Nathan, at his collision shop after another car ran her off the road. Ěý

After a whirlwind courtship, Nathan and Eve have settled into domestic life. They have a lovely home on a quiet street, a beautiful baby girl, and even the perfect babysitter to care for her. And yet, something isn’t quite right. Ěý

The stress in Eva’s life is mounting, both professionally and personally. Though the clinic where she works has been remodeled since its notorious days as an institution for the criminally insane, she feels increasingly uneasy there. And in her own neighborhood, a break-in at a nearby empty house hasn't helped, either. Ěý Ěý

Detective Rita Myers hasn’t yet figured out whether Eve is a target or a suspect, but every disturbing discovery in this usually peaceful neighborhood seems to revolve around her. Only as a deadly ice storm crashes through does it become clear just how far from perfect Eve and Nathan’s lives really are. And as the cracks in the surface come to light, so do the sinister secrets that lie beneath . . . Ěý±Ő±Ő> 311 Terri Parlato 1496738624 Julie 3 fiction, own
So let’s talk about the Liddells, Nathan, Eve, and their daughter Rosewyn. Though they haven’t been married long, they are already in the matrimonial doldrums. In my opinion, it’s because Eve is closed-off, cold, entitled, and she is always exhausted. She can’t function with both a job and a family, and she’s resentful of Nathan because she’s overwhelmed by her domestic situation. Nathan is a nice guy who has to deal with a wife who prioritizes her career as a psychiatrist over her family. Yeah, Eve is not the most pleasant character.

The most intriguing aspect of the story was Detective Rita’s investigation into the strange things happening to Nathan and Eve. However, the dialogue was wooden and clunky, which became even more glaring towards the end when the villain monologued for two chapters. If Eve had been a more three-dimensional emotional character, I would have enjoyed this more. It had potential, but it wasn’t a gripping, nail-biting mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.74 2024 Watch Your Back
author: Terri Parlato
name: Julie
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/13
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: fiction, own
review:
I was excited about the promise of a domestic thriller, but was a bit let down because the book description was misleading. The Liddells don’t experience “deadly accidents.� Rather, someone is obviously trying to scare the crap out of them.

So let’s talk about the Liddells, Nathan, Eve, and their daughter Rosewyn. Though they haven’t been married long, they are already in the matrimonial doldrums. In my opinion, it’s because Eve is closed-off, cold, entitled, and she is always exhausted. She can’t function with both a job and a family, and she’s resentful of Nathan because she’s overwhelmed by her domestic situation. Nathan is a nice guy who has to deal with a wife who prioritizes her career as a psychiatrist over her family. Yeah, Eve is not the most pleasant character.

The most intriguing aspect of the story was Detective Rita’s investigation into the strange things happening to Nathan and Eve. However, the dialogue was wooden and clunky, which became even more glaring towards the end when the villain monologued for two chapters. If Eve had been a more three-dimensional emotional character, I would have enjoyed this more. It had potential, but it wasn’t a gripping, nail-biting mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Heavy Are the Stones 214075462 Facing the truth can be deadlier than facing the killer.

Ten days to keep a lie.
Ten plagues if you deny.
Ten ways to watch them die.

Five years ago, when Detective Jena Campbell put the Leviticus Killer behind bars, she locked her darkest secret away with him. Something never meant to surface. Something better left to rot with the madman who had destroyed so many lives.

When a strange man calling himself Azrael appears on social media with threats to unleash ten plagues, ten deaths, in ten days, unless Leviticus is released, Jena is forced to reopen that door and face her past.

Unable to share what she knows, she turns to the only man who can help her find Azrael before he kills again, the man she condemned. Jena quickly learns the only thing more terrifying than facing him, is facing herself.]]> 313 J.D. Barker Julie 3 fiction, own
I liked the religious zealotry aspect of the plot, but not the technological twist of using virtual reality to kill people. I also enjoyed the multi-media storytelling. Non only do we have Jena’s first person narrative and Jack’s third person account, but they are interspersed with police reports, investigation notes, lawyer’s observations, newspaper articles, and other devices that lent depth to the story. Overall, I thought it was a bit over-the-top as far as the scope of the crimes, the supervillainy, and the incompetence of Jena and her team.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.]]> 3.95 Heavy Are the Stones
author: J.D. Barker
name: Julie
average rating: 3.95
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: fiction, own
review:
When Detective Jena Campbell uncovered evidence that convicted the Leviticus killer 5 years ago, she was a local hero. Now a man calling himself Azrael has kidnapped the governor’s son Jack and is systematically killing jurors from the Leviticus trial until the governor pardons him and sets him free. Both killers are inspired by the bible, Leviticus seeking justice through stoning sexual predators, and Azrael unleashing plagues on his victims. Jena and her fellow police officers are in over their heads.

I liked the religious zealotry aspect of the plot, but not the technological twist of using virtual reality to kill people. I also enjoyed the multi-media storytelling. Non only do we have Jena’s first person narrative and Jack’s third person account, but they are interspersed with police reports, investigation notes, lawyer’s observations, newspaper articles, and other devices that lent depth to the story. Overall, I thought it was a bit over-the-top as far as the scope of the crimes, the supervillainy, and the incompetence of Jena and her team.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> <![CDATA[The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany]]> 13650252 No other powerful empire ever bequeathed such mountains of evidence about its birth and destruction as the Third Reich. When the bitter war was over, and before the Nazis could destroy their files, the Allied demand for unconditional surrender produced an almost hour-by-hour record of the nightmare empire built by Adolph Hitler. This record included the testimony of Nazi leaders and of concentration camp inmates, the diaries of officials, transcripts of secret conferences, army orders, private letters—all the vast paperwork behind Hitler's drive to conquer the world.

The famed foreign correspondent and historian William L. Shirer, who had watched and reported on the Nazis since 1925, spent five and a half years sifting through this massive documentation. The result is a monumental study that has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of one of the most frightening chapters in the history of mankind.

This worldwide bestseller has been acclaimed as the definitive book on Nazi Germany; it is a classic work.

The accounts of how the United States got involved and how Hitler used Mussolini and Japan are astonishing, and the coverage of the war-from Germany's early successes to her eventual defeat-is must reading

]]> 1245 William L. Shirer Julie 0 4.37 1960 The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany
author: William L. Shirer
name: Julie
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: own, non-fiction, currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books]]> 791098 A Gentle Madness astounded and delighted readers with stories about the lengths of passion, expense, and more that collectors will go in pursuit of the book. Written before the emergence of the Internet but newly updated for the twenty-first century reader, A Gentle Madness captures that last moment in time when collectors frequented dusty bookshops, street stalls, and high-stakes auctions, conducting themselves with the subterfuge befitting a true bibliomaniac. A Gentle Madness is vividly anecdotal and thoroughly researched. Nicholas A. Basbanes brings an investigative reporter’s heart and instincts to the task of chronicling collectors past and present in pursuit of bibliomania. Now a classic of collecting, A Gentle Madness is a book lover’s delight.]]> 638 Nicholas A. Basbanes 0805061762 Julie 4 own, non-fiction, book
I skimmed a couple of sections� I didn’t need to know details of how every book at the University of Texas was acquired. Otherwise, there were some very relatable sentiments, like: “’When you buy books, you buy some to read, some to own, and some for reference. You want to hold them.� Knowing your library, your acquisitions is a very personal thing.� Amen.
]]> 4.03 1995 A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books
author: Nicholas A. Basbanes
name: Julie
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: own, non-fiction, book
review:
This is a bibliophile’s guide to living vicariously through collectors who have more wealth than most of us can imagine. They curate collections that are so valuable, it’s almost unfathomable to your average reader. I loved the concept of leaving a legacy for the next generation and was inspired by collectors who bequeathed their books to institutions for preservation.

I skimmed a couple of sections� I didn’t need to know details of how every book at the University of Texas was acquired. Otherwise, there were some very relatable sentiments, like: “’When you buy books, you buy some to read, some to own, and some for reference. You want to hold them.� Knowing your library, your acquisitions is a very personal thing.� Amen.

]]> The Color Purple 213865042
Librarian Note: There is an alternate cover edition of this book here.]]> 296 Alice Walker 0671727796 Julie 5 own, pulitzer, fiction
As a child, the only source of love for Celie is her little sister Nettie. Eventually, she’s forced to marry the man who was courting Nettie. When Nettie disappears from Celie’s life, she assumes her sister is dead. In the meantime, Celie’s husband moves his mistress Shug in with them and not knowing any better, Celie assumes it is just another heavy cross to bear. But Shug turns out to be Celie’s greatest love and ally.

Decades later Celie learns Nettie has been writing her letters for years and that her husband has been withholding them. What unfolds is a family saga that is decades in the making. I loved the epistolary format and I was uplifted to see Celie’s situation improve and that she got the happy ending she deserved. Bravo!
]]> 4.32 1982 The Color Purple
author: Alice Walker
name: Julie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1982
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: own, pulitzer, fiction
review:
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book since initially, I thought it would be a downer book. When you’re hit in the face from the get-go with rape, incest, and wife beating, I didn’t think it would be a particularly enjoyable book.

As a child, the only source of love for Celie is her little sister Nettie. Eventually, she’s forced to marry the man who was courting Nettie. When Nettie disappears from Celie’s life, she assumes her sister is dead. In the meantime, Celie’s husband moves his mistress Shug in with them and not knowing any better, Celie assumes it is just another heavy cross to bear. But Shug turns out to be Celie’s greatest love and ally.

Decades later Celie learns Nettie has been writing her letters for years and that her husband has been withholding them. What unfolds is a family saga that is decades in the making. I loved the epistolary format and I was uplifted to see Celie’s situation improve and that she got the happy ending she deserved. Bravo!

]]> <![CDATA[After That Night (Will Trent #11)]]> 63134795 After that night, nothing was ever the same again

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton's life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.

Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who's been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper's assault is uncannily linked to Sara's.

And it seems the past isn't going to stay buried forever.]]> 432 Karin Slaughter 0063320533 Julie 0 fiction, to-read, own 4.18 2023 After That Night (Will Trent #11)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: fiction, to-read, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Silent Wife (Will Trent, #10)]]> 54619520 “If you’re into mystery thrillers, then you’re into Karin Slaughter.� —THESKIMM

He watches. He waits. He takes. Who will be next . . .

THE SILENT WIFE

Investigating the killing of a prisoner during a riot inside a state penitentiary, GBI investigator Will Trent is confronted with disturbing information. One of the inmates claims that he is innocent of a brutal attack for which he has always been the prime suspect. The man insists that he was framed by a corrupt law enforcement team led by Jeffrey Tolliver and that the real culprit is still out there—a serial killer who has systematically been preying on women across the state for years. If Will reopens the investigation and implicates the dead police officer with a hero’s reputation of wrongdoing, the opportunistic convict is willing to provide the information GBI needs about the riot murder.

Only days ago, another young woman was viciously murdered in a state park in northern Georgia. Is it a fluke, or could there be a serial killer on the loose?

As Will Trent digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the cold case in order to find the answer. Yet nearly a decade has passed—time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear, and lies to become truth. But Will can’t crack either mystery without the help of the one person he doesn’t want involved: his girlfriend and Jeffrey Tolliver’s widow, medical examiner Sara Linton.

When the past and present begin to collide, Will realizes that everything he values is at stake . . .]]> 496 Karin Slaughter 0062858939 Julie 0 to-read, fiction, own 4.15 2020 The Silent Wife (Will Trent, #10)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: to-read, fiction, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Widow (Will Trent, #9)]]> 58208522 New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter brings back Will Trent and Sara Linton in this superb and timely thriller full of devious twists, disturbing secrets, and shocking surprises you won’t see coming

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhood’s has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.]]> 615 Karin Slaughter Julie 0 to-read, own, fiction 4.17 2019 The Last Widow (Will Trent, #9)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: to-read, own, fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beyond Reach (Grant County #6)]]> 2834143
For Lena has fled to the place where she grew up hard, careening back through the shadows of her past. And now only Jeffrey and Sara can free Lena from the web of lies that has trapped her --- as this powerful novel races toward its shattering climax and a final, unforgettable twist.]]> 608 Karin Slaughter 0440242932 Julie 4 fiction, own
I knew Jeffrey’s fate going into this book, but dang� The last few chapters were as brutal and gory as anything I’ve come to expect from Slaughter. I thought the determination to tie the white supremacy drug cartel to Lena’s ex was a bit tedious. Otherwise, I am looking forward to Sara reemerging in the Will Trent series.
]]> 4.10 2007 Beyond Reach (Grant County #6)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Whelp, Lena’s in trouble again, and Sara and Jeffrey return to her hometown to figure out why she was at the scene of a horrific murder. Though they are outside of Jeffrey’s jurisdiction, he gets involved investigating a meth ring that spans the eastern part of the United States. He should have known better than to cross such violent and ruthless criminals, and it certainly comes back to haunt him, or more specifically, Sara.

I knew Jeffrey’s fate going into this book, but dang� The last few chapters were as brutal and gory as anything I’ve come to expect from Slaughter. I thought the determination to tie the white supremacy drug cartel to Lena’s ex was a bit tedious. Otherwise, I am looking forward to Sara reemerging in the Will Trent series.

]]> Let's Call Her Barbie 211671383 She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.

When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.

In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.

As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.

In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions� each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.]]> 432 Renée Rosen 0593335686 Julie 0 to-read 4.04 2025 Let's Call Her Barbie
author: Renée Rosen
name: Julie
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Faithless (Grant County, #5) 27163103
Lena Adams is one of them. A Grant County detective for years, she has her own reasons for being drawn to this case and a fierce drive to see justice done. For these three people, who have each seen the darkest side of human nature, the body of the murdered girl is but the first in a series of shocking and sordid revelations.

Now, as Jeffrey and Sara narrow the field of suspects, they must confront their own doubts and indiscretions, while Lena Adams sees herself reflected in the frightened eyes of a battered woman who may be the key figure in the case. As Faithless builds to a stunning and unforgettable climax, Karin Slaughter masterfully brings together strands of interlocking lives, family secrets, and hidden passions with one astounding truth: the identity of a killer who is more evil and dangerous than anyone could have guessed.]]> 496 Karin Slaughter 0804179999 Julie 5 fiction, own 4.22 2005 Faithless (Grant County, #5)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: fiction, own
review:
When Jeffrey and Sara find a young woman’s body buried in the woods, they have to determine why she was buried alive and killed in such a gruesome fashion. Their investigation leads them to a group of religious fundamentalists who are obviously hiding something sinister. Between the quasi-cult, the intense standoff, and the satisfying comeuppance in the conclusion, this was another suspenseful and shocking installment in the Grant County series�
]]> Memorial Days 212806569 A heartrending and beautiful memoir of sudden loss and a journey toĚýpeace, from the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author ofâ€�Horse

Many cultural and religious traditions expect those who are grieving to step away from the world. In contemporary life, we are more often met with red tape and to-do lists. This is exactly what happened to Geraldine Brooks when her partner of more than three decades, Tony Horwitz � just sixty years old and, to her knowledge, vigorous and healthy � collapsed and died on a Washington, D. C. sidewalk.

After spending their early years together in conflict zones as foreign correspondents, Geraldine and Tony settled down to raise two boys on Martha’s Vineyard. The life they built was one of meaningful work, good humor, and tenderness, as they spent their days writing and their evenings cooking family dinners or watching the sun set with friends at Lambert’s Cove. But all of this came to an abrupt end when, on Memorial Day 2019, Geraldine received the phone call we all dread. The demands were immediate and many. Without space to grieve, the sudden loss became a yawning gulf.

Three years later, she booked a flight to a remote island off the coast of Australia with the intention of finally giving herself the time to mourn. In a shack on a pristine, rugged coast she often went days without seeing another person. There, she pondered the varied waysĚýthose ofĚýother cultures grieve, such as the people of Australia's First Nations, the Balinese, and the Iranian Shiites, and what rituals of her own might help to rebuild a life around the void of Tony's death.

A spare and profoundly moving memoir that joins the classics of the genre, Memorial Days is a portrait of a larger-than-life man and a timeless love between soulsĚýthat exquisitely captures the joy, agony, and mystery of life.]]> 224 Geraldine Brooks 059365398X Julie 0 to-read 4.36 2025 Memorial Days
author: Geraldine Brooks
name: Julie
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Night We Lost Him 207299448
Though the authorities rule Liam's death accidental, Nora and her estranged brother, Sam, believe otherwise. As they form an uneasy alliance to unpack the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

With Laura Dave’s “signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense� (PEOPLE) and “trademark emotional heft� (The New York Post), The Night We Lost Him is a “propulsive� (Oprah Daily) must-read, with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.]]> 298 Laura Dave 1668002930 Julie 0 first-reads, fiction, own
With three failed marriages in his past, 3 adult children grieving him, and a resort empire bequeathed to his heirs, Liam was an enigma to those who should have known him best. He compartmentalized so many aspects of this life and as much as he loved his family and his business, he also kept the most important aspect of his life separate from everyone. I enjoyed the backstory of Liam’s “secret.� I did not particularly like how Nora’s story was told. Her narrative felt disjointed and I didn’t really feel a connection with her. In the end, it was less of a mystery and more of a family drama that played out without much cohesion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via a Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ giveaway.
]]> 3.56 2024 The Night We Lost Him
author: Laura Dave
name: Julie
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: first-reads, fiction, own
review:
Hotel magnate Liam Noone is found dead at the bottom of a cliff on his California property. Liam’s son Sam reaches out to his estranged half-sister Nora about his suspicions about their father’s death. Investigators deemed it an accident, but Sam is sure there was something more sinister at play. The more he and Nora involve themselves in their own investigation, the more they are convinced Liam was pushed.

With three failed marriages in his past, 3 adult children grieving him, and a resort empire bequeathed to his heirs, Liam was an enigma to those who should have known him best. He compartmentalized so many aspects of this life and as much as he loved his family and his business, he also kept the most important aspect of his life separate from everyone. I enjoyed the backstory of Liam’s “secret.� I did not particularly like how Nora’s story was told. Her narrative felt disjointed and I didn’t really feel a connection with her. In the end, it was less of a mystery and more of a family drama that played out without much cohesion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via a Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ giveaway.

]]> Indelible 23735075
Two armed men enter the police station in tiny Heartsdale, Georgia, and open fire. When the shooting stops, an officer is dead, Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver is seriously wounded, and the survivors—including a class of grade-school children and medical examiner Sara Linton—are held hostage. In a tense standoff that could erupt at any moment into more bloodletting—with her ex-husband on the threshold of death—Sara must search for answers and an escape in the memories of a time at the start of their relationship when another brutal, shocking crime shattered their small-town world. Because the sins of the past have caught up with Sara and Jeffrey ... with a vengeance.]]> 512 Karin Slaughter 0062385429 Julie 4 fiction, own
The chapters alternate between the situation at the police station and the past, when Sara and Jeffrey were first dating. Just a few months into their relationship, Jeffrey took Sara to his hometown, and when he returns, his best friend is arrested for murder. Violence seems to follow the couple wherever they are, and this time, Jeffery’s personal involvement clouds his judgment and makes Sara question his trustworthiness and dependability. Both plots were stressful and suspenseful and I liked that I got Sara and Jeffrey’s backstory.
]]> 4.18 2004 Indelible
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Unlike other books in the Grant County series that take place over several days during an investigation, Indelible takes place in a single, harrowing day. The police station is violently attacked by two gunmen and the survivors are taken hostage, including Jeffrey and Sarah. It is eventually revealed why the perpetrators are looking for Jeffrey in the first place, and his past comes back to haunt him.

The chapters alternate between the situation at the police station and the past, when Sara and Jeffrey were first dating. Just a few months into their relationship, Jeffrey took Sara to his hometown, and when he returns, his best friend is arrested for murder. Violence seems to follow the couple wherever they are, and this time, Jeffery’s personal involvement clouds his judgment and makes Sara question his trustworthiness and dependability. Both plots were stressful and suspenseful and I liked that I got Sara and Jeffrey’s backstory.

]]> <![CDATA[A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County #3)]]> 23735073
A small town is being transformed into a killing ground. And the key to a sadistic murderer's motive and identity may be held in the unsteady hands of a campus security guard—a former police detective driven from the force by the hellish memories that will never leave her. Lena Adams survived the unthinkable and has paid a devastating price. Now the survival of future victims may depend upon her ... when she can barely protect herself.]]> 528 Karin Slaughter 0062385410 Julie 4 fiction, own 4.10 2003 A Faint Cold Fear (Grant County #3)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: fiction, own
review:
An alternate title for this book could be “Lena’s Angst,� because she is certainly in full self-destruct mode here. Add to that a string of apparent suicides at the local college and a near fatal attack on Sara’s sister Tessa, and it’s a blood-bath in Grant County. It was another exciting installment in the series, but between Lena’s bad behavior, the friction between Sara and Jeffrey, and Tessa’s tragedy, there were some unsavory elements to process. But the last page offered a perfectly satisfying conclusion which was totally redeeming.
]]> What Dreams May Come 1762364
But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

Can love bring together what Heaven and Hell have torn asunder?

-from the Paperback edition]]> 278 Richard Matheson 0812570944 Julie 3 own, fiction 3.74 1978 What Dreams May Come
author: Richard Matheson
name: Julie
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1978
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: own, fiction
review:
As much as I liked the concept of this book, it was a bit too depressing to enjoy as an immersive experience. After his death, Chris must navigate the afterlife, but he’s desperate not to leave his wife behind. Because they’re soulmates, the connection between Chris and Ann is difficult to sever. When Ann commits suicide, Chris must descend into her own personal hell to try and rescue her. That whole aspect was tedious and despondent. I appreciated the idea of heaven that Matheson created, but there were too many abstractions that made it feel philosophic rather than hopeful.
]]> Father's Day 25817490 The Illusion of Separateness

At the age of six, a little girl named Harvey learns that her parents have died in a car accident. As she struggles to understand, a kindly social worker named Wanda introduces her to her only living relative: her uncle Jason, a disabled felon with a violent past and a criminal record. Despite his limitations—and his resistance—Wanda follows a hunch and cajoles Jason into becoming her legal guardian, convinced that each may be the other’s last chance.

Moving between past and present, Father’s Day weaves together the story of Harvey’s childhood and her life as a young woman in Paris, as she awaits her uncle’s arrival for a Father’s Day visit. To mark the occasion, Harvey has planned a series of gifts for Jason—all leading to a revelation she believes will only deepen their bond.

With extraordinary empathy and emotional impact, the award-winning writer Simon Van Booy has crafted a simple yet luminous novel of loss and transcendence, second chances and forgiveness: a breakthrough work from one of our most gifted chroniclers of the human heart.]]> 304 Simon Van Booy 0062408941 Julie 2 fiction, own, vine
Long story short: I was not impressed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.]]> 3.86 2016 Father's Day
author: Simon Van Booy
name: Julie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2015/11/15
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: fiction, own, vine
review:
I have really REALLY enjoyed Van Booy’s prior books, but I found it incredibly difficult to stay engaged with this story. When Harvey’s parents are killed, a warmhearted social worker enlists Harvey’s father’s estranged ex-con brother, Jason, to raise her. Well, there is no one as utterly clueless as Jason when it comes to raising a child, and his ineptitude makes him seem like a bad caricature. Why any social worker would champion his cause is beyond me. He doesn’t seem to know that a kid can’t be raised on junk food alone, that they need a doctor or a dentist every once in a while, or that girls grow up and get their monthlies. Sure, Jason softens as the years go by and becomes more sympathetic as his bond with Harvey grows. The narrative is so disjointed, it was hard to keep track of the different phases in their lives. I thought the writing was pedestrian and the dialogue clunky. And the vehicle for Harvey’s revelation to Jason at the conclusion was not profound, nor was the big emotional finale.

Long story short: I was not impressed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.
]]> The Botticelli Secret 8387738 552 Marina Fiorato Julie 4 own, vine, fiction
My skepticism lies in the author's liberty in garnering so much political meaning from Primavera. In the author's note, Fiorato maintains that she devised the plot from several "scholarly interpretations." I found it a stretch that Botticelli had any insight to such significant political mechanizations of the time.

Overall, it was an effective piece of historical fiction, reflecting the climate of 15th century Italy. Luciana's personal evolution was intriguing and the development of her affection towards Guido lent the novel a sweet romanticism. While the plot lagged and the quest seemed tiresome at times, there were plenty of elements that made this a moderately entertaining novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine Program.
]]> 3.95 2010 The Botticelli Secret
author: Marina Fiorato
name: Julie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2010/02/12
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: own, vine, fiction
review:
I was not entirely sure what to think of this book until I reached its conclusion. Generally, I was captivated, but on occasion, I found myself disinterested. I liked the bawdy voice of prostitute Luciana and her unapologetic attitude. When she steals a copy of Botticelli's Primavera, she becomes a fugitive and is inexorably tied to pious Brother Guido. They flee for their lives and try to determine what message the painting conceals that would instigate murder. Traveling through Italy and encountering historical figures such as Lorenzo de Medici and Pope Sixtus, they eventually uncover a plot that encompasses the whole peninsula.

My skepticism lies in the author's liberty in garnering so much political meaning from Primavera. In the author's note, Fiorato maintains that she devised the plot from several "scholarly interpretations." I found it a stretch that Botticelli had any insight to such significant political mechanizations of the time.

Overall, it was an effective piece of historical fiction, reflecting the climate of 15th century Italy. Luciana's personal evolution was intriguing and the development of her affection towards Guido lent the novel a sweet romanticism. While the plot lagged and the quest seemed tiresome at times, there were plenty of elements that made this a moderately entertaining novel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine Program.

]]> Father's Day 40383024 The Illusion of Separateness.

At the age of six, a little girl named Harvey learns that her parents have died in a car accident. As she struggles to understand, a kindly social worker named Wanda introduces her to her only living her uncle Jason, a disabled felon with a violent past and a criminal record. Despite his limitations—and his resistance—Wanda follows a hunch and cajoles Jason into becoming her legal guardian, convinced that each may be the other’s last chance.

Moving between past and present, Father’s Day weaves together the story of Harvey’s childhood and her life as a young woman in Paris, as she awaits her uncle’s arrival for a Father’s Day visit. To mark the occasion, Harvey has planned a series of gifts for Jason—all leading to a revelation she believes will only deepen their bond.

With extraordinary empathy and emotional impact, the award-winning writer Simon Van Booy has crafted a simple yet luminous novel of loss and transcendence, second chances and a breakthrough work from one of our most gifted chroniclers of the human heart.]]> 291 Simon Van Booy 0062408968 Julie 2
Long story short: I was not impressed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.]]> 3.95 2016 Father's Day
author: Simon Van Booy
name: Julie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
review:
I have really REALLY enjoyed Van Booy’s prior books, but I found it incredibly difficult to stay engaged with this story. When Harvey’s parents are killed, a warmhearted social worker enlists Harvey’s father’s estranged ex-con brother, Jason, to raise her. Well, there is no one as utterly clueless as Jason when it comes to raising a child, and his ineptitude makes him seem like a bad caricature. Why any social worker would champion his cause is beyond me. He doesn’t seem to know that a kid can’t be raised on junk food alone, that they need a doctor or a dentist every once in a while, or that girls grow up and get their monthlies. Sure, Jason softens as the years go by and becomes more sympathetic as his bond with Harvey grows. The narrative is so disjointed, it was hard to keep track of the different phases in their lives. I thought the writing was pedestrian and the dialogue clunky. And the vehicle for Harvey’s revelation to Jason at the conclusion was not profound, nor was the big emotional finale.

Long story short: I was not impressed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.
]]> Kisscut (Grant County #2) 23215473
Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, Detective Lena Adams, recovering from a staggering personal loss, finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can uncover the dark truth, someone will die again.

Mercilessly suspenseful, utterly moving, this is a searing thriller from one of the world's most talented suspense writers.]]> 512 Karin Slaughter 0062385399 Julie 0 own, fiction 4.14 2002 Kisscut (Grant County #2)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: own, fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blindsighted (Grant County, #1)]]> 23215472
Sara's ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation—a trail of terror that grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he's got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, for the county's sole female detective, Lena Adams—the first victim's sister—want to serve her own justice.

But it is Sara who holds the key to finding the killer. A secret from her past could unmask the brilliantly malevolent psychopath .. or mean her death.]]> 440 Karin Slaughter 0062385380 Julie 5 fiction, own 4.15 2001 Blindsighted (Grant County, #1)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/16
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: fiction, own
review:
I have read several of Slaughter’s standalone books, but at a recent author event, fellow fans convinced me that I had to read her backlist. I am so glad I started at the beginning with the Grant County series! It was as twisted and creepy as I’ve come to expect, and I’m excited to read about Sarah Linton for another 5 books and beyond when she joins forces with Will Trent. I won’t get into the plot too much here, but be prepared for unfathomable violence and violation. Because Slaughter. Yep, these are the kinds of books you just have to set down and be like What The Eff Karin?!?!
]]> The Bane Witch 211004908 Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn's next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch - she's a hunter. Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things - plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become� concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story. But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger - it’s a birthright. Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters - Bane Witches � women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men. Piers sets out to earn her place in her family’s gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle’s cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she’s been leaving in her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing - it’s time to feed. In Ava Morgyn’s dark, thrilling novel, The Bane Witch, a very little poison can do a world of good.]]> 384 Ava Morgyn 1250835453 Julie 3 fiction, own
There are a lot of elements at play here: her relationship with her husband, her crush on the hunky sheriff, men she inadvertently killed before she realized her powers, a local serial killer, and the authority of her venery (her family coven). As much as I loved Myrtle, she was often contradictory in her loyalty and her evasiveness. There are not supposed to be any secrets between a bane witch and her venery, but Myrtle seems to pick and choose which of Piers� secrets she keeps from their clan. I thought the setting was atmospheric, but I wasn’t sold on Piers and her character development. As much as the resolution worked, I wanted more from her overall�

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.10 2025 The Bane Witch
author: Ava Morgyn
name: Julie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/10
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves: fiction, own
review:
As much as I fantasized about being a witch as a kid, I’ve realized that witch books are not my jam. I liked the concept: bane witches can consume vast amounts of toxic substances and concentrate the ingested poison on a mark. These bane witches target men who commit violence against women. Piers doesn’t realize she’s a bane witch until she fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband. When she seeks out her great aunt Myrtle in the remote woods of the northeast, she learns about her family heritage and her magical gifts.

There are a lot of elements at play here: her relationship with her husband, her crush on the hunky sheriff, men she inadvertently killed before she realized her powers, a local serial killer, and the authority of her venery (her family coven). As much as I loved Myrtle, she was often contradictory in her loyalty and her evasiveness. There are not supposed to be any secrets between a bane witch and her venery, but Myrtle seems to pick and choose which of Piers� secrets she keeps from their clan. I thought the setting was atmospheric, but I wasn’t sold on Piers and her character development. As much as the resolution worked, I wanted more from her overall�

I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> <![CDATA[All We Ever Wanted Was Everything]]> 2134009 A smart, comic page-turner about a Silicon Valley family in free fall over the course of one eventful summer.

When Paul Miller’s pharmaceutical company goes public, making his family IPO millionaires, his wife, Janice, is sure this is the windfall she’s been waiting years for � until she learns, via messengered letter, that her husband is divorcing her (for her tennis partner!) and cutting her out of the new fortune.

Meanwhile, four hundred miles south in Los Angeles, the Millers� older daughter, Margaret, has been dumped by her newly famous actor boyfriend and left in the lurch by an investor who promised to revive her fledgling post-feminist magazine, Snatch. Sliding toward bankruptcy and dogged by creditors, she flees for home where her younger sister Lizzie, 14, is struggling with problems of her own. Formerly chubby, Lizzie has been enjoying her newfound popularity until some bathroom graffiti alerts her to the fact that she’s become the school slut.

The three Miller women retreat behind the walls of their Georgian colonial to wage battle with divorce lawyers, debt collectors, drug-dealing pool boys, mean girls, country club ladies, evangelical neighbors, their own demons, and each other, and in the process they become achingly sympathetic characters we can’t help but root for, even as the world they live in epitomizes everything wrong with the American Dream. Exhilarating, addictive, and superbly accomplished, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything crackles with energy and intelligence and marks the debut of a knowing and very funny novelist, wise beyond her years.]]> 401 Janelle Brown 0385524013 Julie 4 own, fiction
Janice seeks solace in illicit substances. Margaret has been dumped by her movie star boyfriend and is dodging creditors after her creative enterprise fails. Lizzie is only 14, but she’s already discovered that boys will pay attention to her if she gives them access to her person, and the other girls at school are shaming her for it. The results of their various debacles are hilarious if somewhat predictable. When the Miller ladies are finally clued into each other’s problems, their reactions are a riot. The Millers are a flawed family hiding behind a façade of money and marble. Their situation is funny and sad and definitely entertaining.
]]> 3.26 2008 All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
author: Janelle Brown
name: Julie
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/04
date added: 2024/09/05
shelves: own, fiction
review:
The women of the Miller family are a hot mess. When patriarch Paul leaves them for another woman and tries to screw them out of a fortune, Janice and her daughters Margaret and Lizzie have to navigate their Silicon Valley life without their husband/father. Talk about first world problems!

Janice seeks solace in illicit substances. Margaret has been dumped by her movie star boyfriend and is dodging creditors after her creative enterprise fails. Lizzie is only 14, but she’s already discovered that boys will pay attention to her if she gives them access to her person, and the other girls at school are shaming her for it. The results of their various debacles are hilarious if somewhat predictable. When the Miller ladies are finally clued into each other’s problems, their reactions are a riot. The Millers are a flawed family hiding behind a façade of money and marble. Their situation is funny and sad and definitely entertaining.

]]> Lamentation (Shardlake, #6) 25746673 "A triumph both as detective fiction and as a novel ... superior to Hilary Mantel."--The Independent

Summer, 1546. King Henry VIII is slowly, painfully dying. His Protestant and Catholic councilors are engaged in a power struggle; whoever wins will control the government. The Catholic party focuses its attack on Henry's sixth wife--and Matthew Shardlake's old mentor--Queen Catherine Parr.

The Queen has authored a confessional book, Lamentation of a Sinner, so radically Protestant that if it came to the King's attention it could bring both her and her sympathizers crashing down. Although the secret book was kept hidden inside a locked chest in the Queen's private chamber, it has inexplicably vanished. Shardlake's investigations take him on a trail that begins among the backstreet printshops of London, but leads him and his trusty assistant Jack Barak into the dark and labyrinthine world of court politics, a world Shardlake swore never to enter again.

]]> 672 C.J. Sansom 0316254975 Julie 4 fiction, tudor, own
As much as Matthew wants to avoid politics, precarious court rivalries, and powerful men who would threaten him, he can’t say no to Catherine. He is swept up in a conspiracy of Anabaptists, scheming courtiers, and murderers. There are spies everywhere and every action he takes seems to put him and his compatriots in grave danger. I’ve enjoyed all of Sansom’s Tudor-era mysteries, and I liked how this one segued from one Tudor ruler to another with the possibility of a new career for Matthew in the next book.
]]> 4.37 2014 Lamentation (Shardlake, #6)
author: C.J. Sansom
name: Julie
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/30
date added: 2024/09/02
shelves: fiction, tudor, own
review:
England is divided between traditional religion and reformation, and Henry VIII’s inconsistent theology is dangerous. Heretics like Anne Askew are being burned at the stake, and no one is safe, not even his queen, Catherine Parr. She enlists our old friend Matthew Shardlake to find a book she had written that was stolen from her room. If it falls into Henry’s hands, it could mean a death sentence for another of his wives.

As much as Matthew wants to avoid politics, precarious court rivalries, and powerful men who would threaten him, he can’t say no to Catherine. He is swept up in a conspiracy of Anabaptists, scheming courtiers, and murderers. There are spies everywhere and every action he takes seems to put him and his compatriots in grave danger. I’ve enjoyed all of Sansom’s Tudor-era mysteries, and I liked how this one segued from one Tudor ruler to another with the possibility of a new career for Matthew in the next book.

]]> <![CDATA[The Good Daughter (Good Daughter, #1)]]> 33230889
InstantĚýNew York TimesĚýBestseller

theSkimm Book Club Pick!

The stunning new novel from the international #1 bestselling authorĚý—Ěýa searing, spellbinding blend of cold-case thriller and psychological suspense.

Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind�

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father � Pikeville's notorious defense attorney � devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.

Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself â€� the ideal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again â€� and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized â€� Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it's a caseĚýthat unleashesĚýthe terrible memories she's spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won't stay buried foreverâ€�

Packed with twists and turns, brimming with emotion and heart,ĚýThe Good DaughterĚýis fiction at its most thrilling.]]> 519 Karin Slaughter 0062430262 Julie 5
Fast forward to the present and Charlie is on the scene of another murder. As a result, her father is attacked, and Charlie must make amends with her estranged sister to rectify the situation. When Sam returns home, she and Charlie must face their past while dealing with the repercussions of the present crime.

I loved everything about this book: the intelligence of the characters, the suspense, and how the two timelines came together. Sure, Charlie makes some impulsive decisions, but it is obvious she still suffers emotional turmoil lingering from her past trauma. Sam has her own demons, but her stoicism is admirable. I was wholly engrossed by this graphic, emotional, totally effed up book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.]]> 4.10 2017 The Good Daughter (Good Daughter, #1)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2017/07/08
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: fiction, own, vine, signed-copy
review:
Because Pretty Girls was outstanding, my expectations were high going into this book, and I was not disappointed. Sisters Charlie and Sam survived a horrific crime nearly 30 years ago, leaving their mother dead, and their family shattered. Their public defender father, often a target of violence, was the intended victim, but the women of his family were the ones to suffer.

Fast forward to the present and Charlie is on the scene of another murder. As a result, her father is attacked, and Charlie must make amends with her estranged sister to rectify the situation. When Sam returns home, she and Charlie must face their past while dealing with the repercussions of the present crime.

I loved everything about this book: the intelligence of the characters, the suspense, and how the two timelines came together. Sure, Charlie makes some impulsive decisions, but it is obvious she still suffers emotional turmoil lingering from her past trauma. Sam has her own demons, but her stoicism is admirable. I was wholly engrossed by this graphic, emotional, totally effed up book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.
]]> <![CDATA[The Kept Woman (Will Trent, #8)]]> 28374062 Husbands and wives. Mothers and daughters. The past and the future.

Secrets bind them. And secrets can destroy them.

The author of Pretty Girls returns with an electrifying, emotionally complex thriller that plunges its fascinating protagonist into the darkest depths of a mystery that just might destroy him.

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop.

Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn't belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found.

Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away.

But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues.

Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, peopled with conflicted, fallible characters who leap from the page, The Kept Woman is a seamless blend of twisty police procedural and ingenious psychological thriller -- a searing, unforgettable novel of love, loss, and redemption.Ěý

Ěý±Ő±Ő> 480 Karin Slaughter 0062430211 Julie 4
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.09 2016 The Kept Woman (Will Trent, #8)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/10/16
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: bea, fiction, own, signed-copy
review:
If I had to review this book using just one word, that word would be INTENSE. It wasn’t quite as messed up as Pretty Girls, but it came close. A former cop is found dead at the construction site of an accused rapist’s nightclub, and Detective Will Trent knows he has a mess on his hands. But there is more to the crime scene that meets the eye. When Will’s wife Angie’s gun is found at the location, all heck breaks loose. Not only does it implicate a more convoluted crime, it compromises Will’s relationship with his medical examiner girlfriend Sara. Angie is one disturbed lady and she will stop at nothing to save her own skin. She royally screws with Will and her ruthlessness makes her a character I loved to hate. Throw in blackmail, pimps, crooked cops, drugs, and all manners of corruption, and you’ve got a high-octane novel full of suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Pretty Girls 25574782
Now another girl has disappeared, with chilling echoes of the past. And it seems that she might not be the only one.

Claire is convinced Julia's disappearance is linked.

But when she begins to learn the truth about her sister, she is confronted with a shocking discovery, and nothing will ever be the same...]]> 432 Karin Slaughter 0062430874 Julie 5
This is one of the most intense, disturbing books I have ever read. It is violent and depraved, but is so expertly crafted that I couldn’t tear myself away. The pacing was superb, the characters were flawed but authentic, and the enormity of the whole situation was brilliantly conveyed. I will say with confidence that this is one of the best thrillers I have ever read and one of my favorite books of 2015.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book Tours.
]]> 4.00 2015 Pretty Girls
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/09/21
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: tlc, fiction, own, signed-copy
review:
Claire’s sister was abducted 24 years ago and the crime was never solved. A few years later, her father committed suicide. Fast forward to present day and Claire’s husband, Paul, is brutally murdered and dies in her arms. The day of Paul’s funeral, their house is broken into. Then all hell breaks loose. What Claire discovers about Paul after that is more sickening than anything imaginable, and every revelation she makes is worse than the last. When Claire teams up with her other surviving sister, Lydia, they must confront their shared past amidst the horrors that Paul has left behind.

This is one of the most intense, disturbing books I have ever read. It is violent and depraved, but is so expertly crafted that I couldn’t tear myself away. The pacing was superb, the characters were flawed but authentic, and the enormity of the whole situation was brilliantly conveyed. I will say with confidence that this is one of the best thrillers I have ever read and one of my favorite books of 2015.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book Tours.

]]> Pieces of Her 36502041 The #1 internationally bestselling author returns with a new novel in the vein ofĚýher New York Times bestsellers Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter—a story even more electrifying, provocative, and suspenseful than anything she’s written before.

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?

Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of BelleĚýIsle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when aĚýtrip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . .]]> 468 Karin Slaughter 0062430270 Julie 5
The story alternates between Andy’s present inquiries and the past narration of a group of 1980’s idealist radicals. Are they really righteous activists seeking to better the world or just entranced by their Jim Jonse-ian, Manson-esque leader? I appreciated the complexities of the characters: Jane’s vulnerability, Andrew’s addictive personality, Nick’s manipulativeness, or Andy’s reticence. They all make choices that have dramatic and devastating consequences. This novel was a blood-soaked thrill-ride from start to finish and I savored every page of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program.]]> 3.82 2018 Pieces of Her
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/07/23
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: fiction, own, vine, signed-copy
review:
This intensely suspenseful novel delivered exactly what I’ve come to love from Slaughter. When Andy and her mother come under fire in a mass shooting in a local mall, Laura demonstrates either a skill for self-preservation or a talent for violence. Laura then warns Andy to get as far away from her as possible, leaving Andy to question how Laura could turn from suburban, stalwart mom into a character from a Kill Bill movie. The more she investigates, the more disturbed Andy becomes by what she learns about Laura’s past.

The story alternates between Andy’s present inquiries and the past narration of a group of 1980’s idealist radicals. Are they really righteous activists seeking to better the world or just entranced by their Jim Jonse-ian, Manson-esque leader? I appreciated the complexities of the characters: Jane’s vulnerability, Andrew’s addictive personality, Nick’s manipulativeness, or Andy’s reticence. They all make choices that have dramatic and devastating consequences. This novel was a blood-soaked thrill-ride from start to finish and I savored every page of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program.
]]> <![CDATA[Girl, Forgotten (Andrea Oliver, #2)]]> 59445976
Who killed Emily Vaughn?

Prom Night. Longbill Beach, 1982. Emily Vaughn dresses carefully for what's supposed to be the highlight of any high school career. But Emily has a secret. And by the end of the night, because of that secret, she will be dead.

Nearly forty years later, Andrea Oliver, newly qualified as a US Marshal, receives her first assignment: to go to Longbill Beach to protect a judge receiving death threats. But Andrea's real focus isn't the judge � it's Emily Vaughn. Ever since she first heard Emily's name a year ago, she's been haunted by her brutal death. Nobody was ever convicted � her friends closed ranks, her family shut themselves off in their grief, the town moved on � so the killer is still out there. But now Andrea has a chance to find out what really happened…]]> 400 Karin Slaughter 0062858114 Julie 4 fiction, own, signed-copy
I liked the dynamic between Andrea and her new partner Bible. If the series continues, that will be an entertaining aspect. The way Slaughter introduced us to a teenage version of Andrea’s dad was clever and presented an interesting background to his manipulativeness. This wasn’t as dark or depraved as some of Slaughter’s other books, but it was still entertaining. It offered good character development for Andrea, which will give her more of a backbone and personality in any future Andrea Oliver books. If you love Slaughter, you’ll like this.
]]> 3.99 2022 Girl, Forgotten (Andrea Oliver, #2)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/11
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: fiction, own, signed-copy
review:
Andrea Oliver and her volatile mother Laura are back. After everything that Andrea learned about her mom in Pieces of Her, Andrea decides to join the US Marshals. Interestingly, she is tasked with pinning a decades-old murder on her Manson-esque father to guarantee he remains incarcerated indefinitely. This assignment takes her to a small town in Delaware, where she gets a new partner and the cover of guarding a judge who has been receiving death threats. The judge’s daughter Emily is the title character and she was brutally murdered as a teenager in 1982. If that wasn’t tragic enough, Emily was pregnant when she was attached and was kept alive long enough for her daughter to come to term. Could Emily’s daughter be Andrea’s half-sister? That’s what Andrea intends to find out.

I liked the dynamic between Andrea and her new partner Bible. If the series continues, that will be an entertaining aspect. The way Slaughter introduced us to a teenage version of Andrea’s dad was clever and presented an interesting background to his manipulativeness. This wasn’t as dark or depraved as some of Slaughter’s other books, but it was still entertaining. It offered good character development for Andrea, which will give her more of a backbone and personality in any future Andrea Oliver books. If you love Slaughter, you’ll like this.

]]> <![CDATA[This Is Why We Lied (Will Trent, #12)]]> 199793571 The next thrilling suspense featuring Will Trent and Sara Linton from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and After That Night!

Everyone here is a liar, but only one of us is a killer�

A secluded cabin retreat

For GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton, McAlpine Lodge seems like the ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night.

A murderer in their midst

Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying�.Lying about their past. Lying to their family. Lying to themselves.

Who killed Mercy McAlpine?

It soon becomes clear that normal rules don’t apply at McAlpine Lodge, and Will and Sara are going to have to watch their step at every turn. Trapped on the resort, they must untangle a decades-old web of secrets to discover what happened to Mercy. And with the killer poised to strike again, the trip of a lifetime becomes a race against the clock…]]> 464 Karin Slaughter 0063336723 Julie 0 4.19 2024 This Is Why We Lied (Will Trent, #12)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Julie
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/26
shelves: to-read, fiction, own, signed-copy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs]]> 210594681 The definitive story behind the self-destruction of the autocratic Romanov dynasty, by the world’s foremost expert

When Tsar Nicholas II fell from power in 1917, Imperial Russia faced a series of overlapping crises, from war to social unrest. Though Nicholas’s life is often described as tragic, it was not fate that doomed the Romanovs—it was poor leadership and a blinkered faith in autocracy.ĚýĚýĚý Ěý

Based on a trove of new archival discoveries, The Last Tsar narrates how Nicholas’s resistance to reform doomed the monarchy. Encompassing the captivating personalities of the era—the bumbling Nicholas, his spiteful wife Alexandra, the family’s faith healer Rasputin—it untangles the dramatic struggle by Russia’s aristocratic, military, and legislative elite to reform the monarchy. By rejecting compromise, Nicholas undermined his supporters at crucial moments. His blunders cleared the way for all-out civil war and the eventual rise of the Soviet Union.Ěý

Definitive and engrossing, The Last Tsar uncovers how Nicholas II stumbled into revolution, taking his family, the Romanov dynasty, and the whole Russian Empire down with him.]]> 560 Tsuyoshi Hasegawa 1541606167 Julie 4 non-fiction, own, romanov
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.66 2024 The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs
author: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
name: Julie
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/14
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves: non-fiction, own, romanov
review:
Of all the Romanov books I’ve read over the years, this is the most unflattering portrayal of the Imperial couple that I’ve ever encountered. The “intransigence� of Nicky and Alix is the topic of the first half of the book, while the second half addresses the many factors and individuals that led to the abdication of the last emperor of Russia. There are myriad characters to keep track of but it focuses on the individuals who had the most influence on setting the abdication in motion. Yes, Nicholas� leadership was ineffectual, but I appreciated how Hasegawa emphasized that the end of the Romanov dynasty was political rather than revolutionary. It’s a solid and informative dissection of the various contributing “dominoes� that toppled in the last days of Romanov rule.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Death of an Ordinary Man 178123 I Lucifer established Glen Duncan as a writer “up there in the literary stratosphere with Martin Amis or T. C. Boyle� (Washington Post). Now with Death of an Ordinary Man, Duncan continues his penetrating and innovative exploration of the supernatural with a novel that is far and away his most powerful and accomplished yet.

Nathan Clark’s gravestone offers a short and hopeful summary: At rest. But Nathan is not at rest, and knows he won’t be until he finds out why he died. How has he come to hover over his own funeral, a spectral spectator to the grief of his family and friends? Privy now to their innermost thoughts and feelings� confessions that are raw, brutal, and unexpected� Nathan spends the day of his wake getting to know the living as he has never known them before: His father struggles with a legacy of family tragedy; his wife and best friend with the baggage of a doomed affair; his older
]]> 304 Glen Duncan 0802170048 Julie 4 fiction, own 3.36 Death of an Ordinary Man
author: Glen Duncan
name: Julie
average rating: 3.36
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/21
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: fiction, own
review:
The entire book takes place on the day of Nathan’s funeral, and we witness events from his perspective as a disembodied entity. Nathan spends the day visiting with his wife and kids without them being aware of his presence. His spirit or soul or whatever is never defined, but as the day progresses, he becomes more adept at navigating his shapeless form, reading the thoughts of his family and friends, and interpreting signals from meaningful objects. Initially, Nathan is confused, but as the novel progresses, we understand more about his complex family dynamic, what happened to his youngest daughter, and how he died. It’s not an easy read, and the introspective ethereal narrative devise meanders through Nathan’s memories and his family’s grief. “What swelled and rang was the dimensionless distance between himself and the living.� And that pretty much defines the reading experience�
]]> <![CDATA[Around the World in Eighty Days]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Julie 5 own, fiction 3.95 1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
author: Jules Verne
name: Julie
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: own, fiction
review:

]]> Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen Julie 0 to-read, own, fiction 3.86 1814 Mansfield Park
author: Jane Austen
name: Julie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read, own, fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From Tudor to Stuart: The Regime Change from Elizabeth I to James I]]> 197812289

From Tudor to The Regime Change from Elizabeth I to James I tells the story of the dramatic accession and first decade of the reign of James I and the transition from the Elizabethan to the Jacobean era, using a huge range of sources, from state papers and letters to drama, masques, poetry, and a host of material objects.

The Virgin Queen was a hard act to follow for a Scottish newcomer who faced a host of problems in his first years as not only the ghost of his predecessor and her legacy but also unrest in Ireland, serious questions about his legitimacy on the English throne, and even plots to remove him (most famously the Gunpowder Plot of 1605). Contrary to traditional assumptions, James's accession was by no means a smooth one.

The really important question about James's reign, of course, is the extent of change that occurred in national political life and royal policies. Sue Doran also examines how far the establishment of a new Stuart dynasty resulted in fresh personnel at the centre of power, and the alterations in monarchical institutions and shifts in political culture and governmental policies that occurred. Here the book offers a fresh look at James and his wife Anna, suggesting a new interpretation of their characters and qualities.

But the Jacobean era was not just about James and his wife, and Regime Change includes a host of historical figures, many of whom will be familiar to whether Walter Raleigh, Robert Cecil, or the Scots who filled James's inner court. The inside story of the Jacobean court also brings to life the wider politics and national events of the early seventeenth century, including the Gunpowder Plot, the establishment of Jamestown in Virginia, the Plantations in Ulster, the growing royal struggle with parliament, and the doomed attempt to bring about union with Scotland.]]> 656 Susan Doran 0198754647 Julie 3 non-fiction, own
I now have a better understanding of why James promoted the Union of Scotland and England into Great Britain. I also learned more about the Gunpowder Plot and how detrimental it would have been had it succeeded. There were some interesting topics, but overall, this read like a textbook and was not engaging.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.00 From Tudor to Stuart: The Regime Change from Elizabeth I to James I
author: Susan Doran
name: Julie
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: non-fiction, own
review:
The transition of power from Elizabeth I to James I doesn’t make for the most exciting topic, though the book was certainly scholarly and informative. It addresses everything from how the government functioned, to court etiquette, entertainment, religion, policy, and people during James� first decade of reigning England. Because he didn’t demand radical changes to how the government functioned and adapted to England’s existing parliamentary structure, he didn’t cause much upheaval.

I now have a better understanding of why James promoted the Union of Scotland and England into Great Britain. I also learned more about the Gunpowder Plot and how detrimental it would have been had it succeeded. There were some interesting topics, but overall, this read like a textbook and was not engaging.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> <![CDATA[At Home: A Short History of Private Life]]> 9471932 At HomeĚýone of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.]]> 512 Bill Bryson 0385533594 Julie 0 4.12 2010 At Home: A Short History of Private Life
author: Bill Bryson
name: Julie
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: to-read, non-fiction, wishlist
review:

]]> ł§łóĹŤ˛µłÜ˛Ô 6543610 1152 James Clavell 0812431235 Julie 3 own, fiction
John Blackthorne, an English navigator of a Dutch ship ends up in Japan with his crew. The novel follows Blackthorne’s exposure to the foreign culture. It took me a quarter of the book to really figure out who everyone was and their roles in the Japanese samurai hierarchy. By then I was vested in the characters, especially Mariko, the beautiful and graceful interpreter between Blackthorne and her liege lord.

The book was at times arduous, but it also had its redeeming qualities. I enjoyed when Blackthorne and his Japanese companions learned things from one another, like when he taught them how to dive. I appreciated how Blackthorne adapted to Japan and embraced their customs. But darn it, I wish I knew his ultimate destiny!
]]> 4.32 1975 ł§łóĹŤ˛µłÜ˛Ô
author: James Clavell
name: Julie
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1975
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/28
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: own, fiction
review:
1200+ pages and six weeks later, I was super disappointed in the ambiguous ending of Shogun. I was expecting a grand battle and a decisive victory for our protagonists. Not so much. The conclusion was more of a vague inference as to how things could have turned out.

John Blackthorne, an English navigator of a Dutch ship ends up in Japan with his crew. The novel follows Blackthorne’s exposure to the foreign culture. It took me a quarter of the book to really figure out who everyone was and their roles in the Japanese samurai hierarchy. By then I was vested in the characters, especially Mariko, the beautiful and graceful interpreter between Blackthorne and her liege lord.

The book was at times arduous, but it also had its redeeming qualities. I enjoyed when Blackthorne and his Japanese companions learned things from one another, like when he taught them how to dive. I appreciated how Blackthorne adapted to Japan and embraced their customs. But darn it, I wish I knew his ultimate destiny!

]]> <![CDATA[The Burning (Kate Burkholder, #16)]]> 195790608 Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder that reveals a little-known chapter of early Amish history in this new installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo.

Newlywed Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is awakened by an urgent midnight call summoning her to a suspicious fire in the woods. When she arrives at the scene, she discovers a charred body. According to the coroner, the deceased, an Amish man named Milan Swanz, was chained to a stake and burned alive. It is an appalling and eerily symbolic crime against an upstanding husband and father.

Kate knows all too well that the Amish prefer to handle their problems without interference from the outside world, and no one will speak about the murdered man. From what she’s able to piece together, Swanz led a deeply troubled life and had recently been excommunicated. But if that’s the case, why are the Amish so reluctant to talk about him? Are they protecting the memory of one of their own? Or are they afraid of something they dare not share?

When her own brother is implicated in the case, Kate finds herself not only at odds with the Amish, the world of which she was once a part, but also the English community and her counterparts in law enforcement. The investigation takes a violent turn when Kate’s life is threatened by a mysterious stranger.

To uncover the truth about the death of Milan Swanz, Kate must dive deep into the Anabaptist culture, peering into all the dark corners of its history, only to uncover a secret legacy that shatters everything she thought she knew about the Amish themselves―and her own roots.]]> 320 Linda Castillo 1250781116 Julie 5 fiction, own
I enjoyed the history of Anabaptists in Europe prior to their exodus to America. The motives of the killer(s) were chilling, but she digs, Kate realizes that the victim probably deserved it. But did he deserve to die in such a horrible way? That was a good little “mmm hmm� twist.
]]> 4.14 2024 The Burning (Kate Burkholder, #16)
author: Linda Castillo
name: Julie
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/20
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: fiction, own
review:
The latest installment in the Kate Burkholder series starts with a very sinister tone. The murder that is the subject of the book is one of the most disturbing Kate and her team have ever encountered, and its ritualistic undertones lead her down a dark path that goes centuries back into Anabaptist martyrdom history. When her brother becomes a suspect in the murder, it hits too close to home and Kate has to step back from the investigation. Regardless, someone wants to see her stopped at all costs because her determination is a threat. This might be the book where Kate gets the most beaten and battered.

I enjoyed the history of Anabaptists in Europe prior to their exodus to America. The motives of the killer(s) were chilling, but she digs, Kate realizes that the victim probably deserved it. But did he deserve to die in such a horrible way? That was a good little “mmm hmm� twist.

]]> <![CDATA[A Death in Cornwall (Gabriel Allon, #24)]]> 199981527
The victim is Charlotte Blake, a celebrated professor of art history from Oxford who spends her weekends in the same seaside village where Gabriel once lived under an assumed identity. Her murder appears to be the work of a diabolical serial killer who has been terrorizing the Cornish countryside. But there are a number of telltale inconsistencies, including a missing mobile phone. And then there is the mysterious three-letter cypher she left behind on a notepad in her study.

Gabriel soon discovers that Professor Blake was searching for a looted Picasso worth more than a $100 million, and he takes up the chase for the painting as only he can—with six Impressionist canvases forged by his own hand and an unlikely team of operatives that includes a world-famous violinist, a beautiful master thief, and a lethal contract killer turned British spy. The result is a stylish and wildly entertaining mystery that moves at lightning speed from the cliffs of Cornwall to the enchanted island of Corsica and, finally, to a breathtaking climax on the very doorstep of 10 Downing Street.]]> 480 Daniel Silva 0063384248 Julie 4 fiction, own
This goes far beyond a few crooked art dealers. The corruption of unprovenanced art is an international issue, and here it pertains to the British government. When the Prime Minster is forced to resign after receiving contributions from a Russian oligarch, I got a little lost. I get it, it’s my unfamiliarity with the structure of British government that made me lose interest. But it was still a fun conspiracy to untangle with some familiar characters. I kind of missed Gabriel’s Israeli team, but he’s retired now, so this is a good segue into how his career in art shapes these thrillers.
]]> 4.35 A Death in Cornwall (Gabriel Allon, #24)
author: Daniel Silva
name: Julie
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/15
date added: 2024/07/20
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Gabriel Allon’s old friend Timonthy Peel is all grown up and investigating the murder of a professor in Cornwall. Was she the victim of a local serial killer the press dubbed The Chopper? When Timothy asks Gabriel to weigh in, they discover she may have proven that a particular Picasso painting was stolen from a Holocaust victim.

This goes far beyond a few crooked art dealers. The corruption of unprovenanced art is an international issue, and here it pertains to the British government. When the Prime Minster is forced to resign after receiving contributions from a Russian oligarch, I got a little lost. I get it, it’s my unfamiliarity with the structure of British government that made me lose interest. But it was still a fun conspiracy to untangle with some familiar characters. I kind of missed Gabriel’s Israeli team, but he’s retired now, so this is a good segue into how his career in art shapes these thrillers.

]]> Same As It Ever Was 199344873
She’s unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenaged daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor’s edge.

Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life, —exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. Delving even deeper into the nature of relationships—how they grow, change, and sometimes end—Lombardo proves herself a true and definitive cartographer of the human heart and asserts herself among the finest novelists of her generation.]]> 498 Claire Lombardo 0385549555 Julie 5 fiction, own
Julia is far from perfect and she struggles to maintain a façade of calm and normalcy when sometimes all she wants to do is mentally collapse. Her mom Anita is insufferable and it’s no wonder Julia is so fragile. Mark is the exact opposite, a composed and steady influence, despite Julia’s missteps in their marriage. I adored Helen and was sorry when Julia jeopardized their friendship. Yes, Julia is a basket-case, but she is so believably insecure and pessimistic and vulnerable. This was a great follow up to Lombardo’s debut.
]]> 3.82 2024 Same As It Ever Was
author: Claire Lombardo
name: Julie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/27
date added: 2024/06/28
shelves: fiction, own
review:
I found there was a lot to relate to in this book because, like Julia, I have an English degree, I’m married to an engineer, I live in a nice Chicago suburb, and I had a strained relationship with a parent. The narrative shifts between Julia’s current situation and her past. Current: a steady marriage to Mark, son Ben who is a graduate student, a high school senior Alma, and a really comfortable life. Past: a troubled upbringing with her mother Anita, her early years as a wife and mother, and her friendship with matronly Helen, who takes Julia under her wing when she most needs it.

Julia is far from perfect and she struggles to maintain a façade of calm and normalcy when sometimes all she wants to do is mentally collapse. Her mom Anita is insufferable and it’s no wonder Julia is so fragile. Mark is the exact opposite, a composed and steady influence, despite Julia’s missteps in their marriage. I adored Helen and was sorry when Julia jeopardized their friendship. Yes, Julia is a basket-case, but she is so believably insecure and pessimistic and vulnerable. This was a great follow up to Lombardo’s debut.

]]> The Downstairs Girl 33224061 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781524740955.

From the founding member of We Need Diverse Books comes a powerful novel about identity, betrayal, and the meaning of family.

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light. With prose that is witty, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South.]]> 374 Stacey Lee Julie 3 fiction, own
I felt that there was too much going on and that the author tried to tackle too many subjects. There was the mystery of Jo’s parentage, hat making, horse racing, journalism, domestic service, segregation, blackmail, and many other elements that muddled the plot. I get that Jo’s identity was a major theme, but she also tried to fill more roles than was realistic for one woman. I liked the concept, but it was weighed down by too much ambition.
]]> 3.92 2019 The Downstairs Girl
author: Stacey Lee
name: Julie
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/17
date added: 2024/06/18
shelves: fiction, own
review:
This book had a lot going for it: a strong female minority main character, a great historical setting, and a declaration against social injustice. Jo Kuan is one of only a few Chinese in post-Reconstruction era Atlanta. When she loses her job as a milliner, she goes back to domestic work with the family that employs her adoptive father as a horse groom. She eventually lands a side hustle as an advice columnist for a local paper whose print shop she happens to live under.

I felt that there was too much going on and that the author tried to tackle too many subjects. There was the mystery of Jo’s parentage, hat making, horse racing, journalism, domestic service, segregation, blackmail, and many other elements that muddled the plot. I get that Jo’s identity was a major theme, but she also tried to fill more roles than was realistic for one woman. I liked the concept, but it was weighed down by too much ambition.

]]> A Prayer for the Dying 321623 A Prayer for the Dying is the story of a small Wisconsin town gripped by a mysterious, deadly epidemic, and one man desperate to save it. Torn between his loyalty to his family, his faith in God, and his terror of this vicious disease, Jacob Hansen struggles to preserve his sanity amid the chaos and violence around him.]]> 208 Stewart O'Nan 0312255012 Julie 4 fiction, own
Did I enjoy this book? Not particularly. Was I intrigued by how it played out? Yeah, it was strange, unique, and haunting. One of the particular characteristics of the narrative was that it was told in second person, which took some getting used to. Once I was acclimated to the voice and the cadence of the story, I could better appreciate Jacob’s experience. But it was STRESSFUL, and I’m glad it wasn’t a long novel, because I couldn’t take much more of it. The shock-value was McEwan-esque and when I realized that as well-intentioned as Jacob was, he had his own demons and they were certainly wicked. Wow.
]]> 4.01 1999 A Prayer for the Dying
author: Stewart O'Nan
name: Julie
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/11
date added: 2024/06/13
shelves: fiction, own
review:
In the small town of Friendship, Wisconsin, Jacob serves as the community constable, undertaker, and deacon. Taking place not long after the Civil War, Friendship is plagued by an outbreak of diphtheria and surrounding wildfires burn unchecked and loom ever closer. The results of these events are catastrophic and Jacon witnesses every horror you can imagine.

Did I enjoy this book? Not particularly. Was I intrigued by how it played out? Yeah, it was strange, unique, and haunting. One of the particular characteristics of the narrative was that it was told in second person, which took some getting used to. Once I was acclimated to the voice and the cadence of the story, I could better appreciate Jacob’s experience. But it was STRESSFUL, and I’m glad it wasn’t a long novel, because I couldn’t take much more of it. The shock-value was McEwan-esque and when I realized that as well-intentioned as Jacob was, he had his own demons and they were certainly wicked. Wow.

]]> Ghost Mother 81248984 Ghost Mother is a mesmerizing psychological ghost story that blurs the thin line between reality and delusion. Lilly Bly desperately wants to have a baby. She is struggling with infertility and bad spending habits when her husband, Jack, gets a new job that moves them from Chicago to a small town in Wisconsin. Impractical Lilly falls in love with a decrepit mansion well out of their price range—she is convinced that she will finally get pregnant and have a baby in this house—and Jack reluctantly agrees to buy the wreck. But when Lilly learns that her dream house was the site of a gruesome triple homicide/suicide in the 1950s, she begins to experience strange occurrences that soon lead her to believe the house is haunted. Are her ghostly encounters real, or is this a cascading mental breakdown? As Lilly learns more about the deaths and her visions become increasingly vivid, her relationship with Jack deteriorates, leading to a dramatic and irreversible climax.Perfect for fans of classic, gothic horror fiction, like Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, as well as contemporary suspense and horror fiction by everyone from Stephen King to Ruth Ware. Ěý±Ő±Ő> 336 Kelly Dwyer Julie 3 fiction, own
I liked the overall story but the big problem here was Lilly herself. A former actress, she’s a narcissist who flaunts her looks when it suits her. She’s self-serving and drives Jack into debt because of her heedless spending and desperate need to live in a house that is beyond their means. Her selfishness was at times infuriating. I appreciated the history of the house and the people who died there, but Lilly was too much of a hot mess to be endearing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.86 2024 Ghost Mother
author: Kelly Dwyer
name: Julie
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/08
date added: 2024/06/09
shelves: fiction, own
review:
I don’t typically gravitate towards ghost stories, but this had enough intriguing elements to interest me. Lilly and her husband Jack are relocating from Chicago to a small Wisconsin town and Lilly is immediately drawn to a historic, if decrepit, mansion that was once owned by a prominent family who ran a travelling circus company. Lilly, desperate to become a mother, is convinced that owning this house will enable her to conceive. But not long after they move in, they learn that it was the scene of a gruesome murder-suicide. While Jack travels for business, Lilly becomes obsessed with the history of the house and its doomed occupants, eventually becoming convinced its haunted. The strange noises and apparitions she experience convince her that she has to actively help the restless spirits somehow.

I liked the overall story but the big problem here was Lilly herself. A former actress, she’s a narcissist who flaunts her looks when it suits her. She’s self-serving and drives Jack into debt because of her heedless spending and desperate need to live in a house that is beyond their means. Her selfishness was at times infuriating. I appreciated the history of the house and the people who died there, but Lilly was too much of a hot mess to be endearing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> All the Little Liars 205222850 You think you know.
Think again.


California, 2003
A thirteen-year-old girl disappears from a party at Carlsbad's Turtle Lake. Discovered on the trunk of a nearby cottonwood tree is the word, 'LIAR' graffitied in blood.

What you know . . .
Three teenagers went to the lake that night but only two came back. Later, they confess to murdering their friend.

. . . is only part of the story
But did they really kill her? And if not, why say they did?

Told across two timelines and tapping into a horrific crime, All the Little Liars is a novel about toxic friendship, the ripple effects of murder and how we love.]]> 320 Victoria Selman 1454956909 Julie 4 own, fiction
Selman delivers some great plot twists here. The firs half of the book is misleading because midway through, BAM, I realized who the victim and perpetrators were. That’s when I also realized that the story up to that point was deliberately vague. Successful misdirection achieved.

Izzy’s involvement with an older man who groomed her and her friends was a bit Manson-esque. While he contributed to the girls� mental breakdowns, he wasn’t responsible for the murder, but the creepiness factor was still there. There were several other twists and turns that made this an entertaining and engaging mystery and I enjoyed Kat’s perspective even if it was clouded by her perception of her sister.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.67 2023 All the Little Liars
author: Victoria Selman
name: Julie
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/03
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: own, fiction
review:
Twenty years ago, a 13 year-old girl was found murdered after a party at Turtle Lake. Finn “Kat� Jackman is still coping with the trauma of it despite the distance of decades and thousands of miles. Having relocated to England to escape the memory of her sister Izzy, she and her dad still have so many unanswered questions about what really happened that night.

Selman delivers some great plot twists here. The firs half of the book is misleading because midway through, BAM, I realized who the victim and perpetrators were. That’s when I also realized that the story up to that point was deliberately vague. Successful misdirection achieved.

Izzy’s involvement with an older man who groomed her and her friends was a bit Manson-esque. While he contributed to the girls� mental breakdowns, he wasn’t responsible for the murder, but the creepiness factor was still there. There were several other twists and turns that made this an entertaining and engaging mystery and I enjoyed Kat’s perspective even if it was clouded by her perception of her sister.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> The Midnight News 196845458
It is 1940 and twenty-year-old Charlotte Richmond watches from her attic window as enemy planes fly over London. Still grieving her beloved brother, who never returned from France, she is trying to keep herself out of holding down a typist job at the Ministry of Information, sharing gin and confidences with her best friend, Elena, and dodging her overbearing father.

On her way to work she often sees the boy who feeds the birds—a source of unexpected joy amid the rubble of the Blitz. But every day brings new scenes of devastation, and after yet another heartbreaking loss Charlotte has an uncanny sense of foreboding. Someone is stalking the darkness, targeting her friends. And now he’s following her.

As grief and suspicion consume her, Charlotte’s nerves become increasingly frayed. She no longer knows whom to trust. She can’t even trust herself . . .

Utterly riveting and hypnotic, The Midnight News is a love story, a war story,and an unforgettable journey into the fragile mind and fierce heart of an extraordinary young woman.]]> 336 Jo Baker 0593468260 Julie 3 own, fiction
Because Charlotte’s mental health is in question, she’s an unreliable narrator. Are her friends� deaths connected to the figure lurking in the shadows or is her paranoia unfounded? Like I previously mentioned, the conclusion delivers satisfying answers to these questions, but getting there was convoluted. The best part was her new friendship with the boy in the park who feeds the birds. Tom’s purity and innocence was refreshing against Charlotte’s angst and suspicion.

Good potential, great conclusion, mediocre delivery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.58 2023 The Midnight News
author: Jo Baker
name: Julie
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/30
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves: own, fiction
review:
I wanted to like this book much more than I did, especially since the conclusion tidied thing up so nicely. It was too slow in delivering its punchline, and there were too many different components that were confusing. Charlotte is living in London when the Blitz starts and she is understandably distressed by the Nazi bombing. When her friends start dying, she becomes even more alarmed. She then becomes convinced she’s being followed by a nefarious shadow man. And her father is an overbearing government official who she’s struggling to gain independence from by getting a job and her own apartment. Then we learn that he previously had her committed to an asylum, because apparently promiscuity and insanity are bedfellows.

Because Charlotte’s mental health is in question, she’s an unreliable narrator. Are her friends� deaths connected to the figure lurking in the shadows or is her paranoia unfounded? Like I previously mentioned, the conclusion delivers satisfying answers to these questions, but getting there was convoluted. The best part was her new friendship with the boy in the park who feeds the birds. Tom’s purity and innocence was refreshing against Charlotte’s angst and suspicion.

Good potential, great conclusion, mediocre delivery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> <![CDATA[Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)]]> 85302 here.

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization--- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on the earth... the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.]]> 569 Dan Brown 0671027360 Julie 4 own, multiple-read, fiction 3.75 2000 Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)
author: Dan Brown
name: Julie
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves: own, multiple-read, fiction
review:

]]> The Quiet Tenant 205546187
Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate New York town where he lives. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for death: Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life.

When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend� who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.

Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life—and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut thriller by a major talent.]]> 384 Clémence Michallon 0593467868 Julie 4 own, fiction
Rachel adapts to her new situation with the motive of finally escaping. But a new woman enters Adrian’s life and his behavior suddenly changes, thwarting Rachel’s plans. Is Emily a new love interest or potential victim? The dynamic here is really intense and its no wonder Rachel is resigned to her captivity. Five years of isolation and violation have really traumatized her, but she develops a new found strength once she’s out of her shed. This was an entertaining and sinister thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.81 2023 The Quiet Tenant
author: Clémence Michallon
name: Julie
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/23
date added: 2024/05/24
shelves: own, fiction
review:
For five years, “Rachel� has been held captive in a windowless shed on the property of her abductor, Adrian. After the death of his wife, Adrian is forced to move from the isolated property and uncharacteristically, he decides to take Rachel along. Because Adrian is a serial killer and so far, Rachel is the only woman he has kept alive. Oh yeah, and in addition to being a widow, he’s also a dad. His daughter Cecelia thinks that Rachel is renting a room from them in their new house because Adrian is doing a favor for a friend of a friend. He tells others that Rachel is a cousin in town for a visit. And Adrian is an upstanding citizen, a super helpful, nice guy, so why would anyone have reason to doubt him?

Rachel adapts to her new situation with the motive of finally escaping. But a new woman enters Adrian’s life and his behavior suddenly changes, thwarting Rachel’s plans. Is Emily a new love interest or potential victim? The dynamic here is really intense and its no wonder Rachel is resigned to her captivity. Five years of isolation and violation have really traumatized her, but she develops a new found strength once she’s out of her shed. This was an entertaining and sinister thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> The Six Wives of Henry VIII 10104 643 Alison Weir 0802136834 Julie 5 own, non-fiction, tudor 4.11 1992 The Six Wives of Henry VIII
author: Alison Weir
name: Julie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1992
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/22
date added: 2024/05/23
shelves: own, non-fiction, tudor
review:
Although I am already fluent in Tudor history, I wanted to revisit the wives� chronicles in anticipation of seeing the Broadway musical Six. This chunker was already in my personal library, so I dove in. It did not disappoint. I wanted a comprehensive history of Henry VIII’s wives, and that’s exactly what I got.
]]> The Commoner 2364971
Told in the voice of Haruko, meticulously researched and superbly imagined, The Commoner is the mesmerizing, moving, and surprising story of a brutally rarified and controlled existence at once hidden and exposed, and of a complex relationship between two isolated women who, despite being visible to all, are truly understood only by each other. With the unerring skill of a master storyteller, John Burnham Schwartz has written his finest novel yet.]]> 353 John Burnham Schwartz 0385515715 Julie 4 fiction, own
Marrying into the imperial family comes at a terrible cost despite a love match. The oldest hereditary monarchy in history is steeped in tradition and any deviation from the strict court conventions is unacceptable. Haruko’s husband is kind, but her mother-in-law and her ladies in waiting are cruel bullies and their harsh treatment instigates her complete mental and emotional breakdown. Despite achieving her most basic obligation in providing a son, Haruko does not seem to fulfil her role as crown princess according to the imperial rules. In a country that is rapidly modernizing, the dynasty refuses to do so, and it is an isolating experience for Haruko.

A generation later, when her son falls in love with another commoner, history repeats itself. By this time, Haruko is Empress and she has learned to cope with the loneliness and formality. Hers is not a happy story, but it is stoic and lyrical. It was a compelling character study and a glimpse into a culture that holds itself to impossibly high standards.
]]> 3.49 2007 The Commoner
author: John Burnham Schwartz
name: Julie
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/19
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Our title character has a front row seat to history and it is both a curse and a blessing. As the daughter of a saki company owner, Haruko is relatively privileged. Her family survived the firebombing of Tokyo during WWII, and though they lost their home, they easily recovered. They vacation in a resort town, which is where she first encounters the Crown Prince and heir to the Japanese imperial throne at a tennis match. Soon they find their encounters become more frequent, and their fondness for one another grows to the point that the Crown Prince decides to break with tradition by asking for Haruko’s hand in marriage.

Marrying into the imperial family comes at a terrible cost despite a love match. The oldest hereditary monarchy in history is steeped in tradition and any deviation from the strict court conventions is unacceptable. Haruko’s husband is kind, but her mother-in-law and her ladies in waiting are cruel bullies and their harsh treatment instigates her complete mental and emotional breakdown. Despite achieving her most basic obligation in providing a son, Haruko does not seem to fulfil her role as crown princess according to the imperial rules. In a country that is rapidly modernizing, the dynasty refuses to do so, and it is an isolating experience for Haruko.

A generation later, when her son falls in love with another commoner, history repeats itself. By this time, Haruko is Empress and she has learned to cope with the loneliness and formality. Hers is not a happy story, but it is stoic and lyrical. It was a compelling character study and a glimpse into a culture that holds itself to impossibly high standards.

]]> The Goddess of Warsaw 197448682 The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling story of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret. When the famous actress Lena Browning is threatened by someone from her war-time past, she must put her skills into play to protect herself, her illustrious career, and those she loves, then and now.
Before she was a “Living Legend�, Lena Browning was Bina Blonski, a wealthy Polish Jew whose life and prominent family were destroyed by the Nazis and imprisoned with the rest of Warsaw's Jews in a ghastly ghetto. Determined to fight back, the beautiful, blonde Aryan-looking Bina becomes a spy and an assassin, gaining information and stealing weapons outside the Warsaw ghetto to protect her family and fellow Jews. While Bina accomplishes amazing feats of bravery, she sacrifices much in the process � including a forbidden love.
More than a decade after escaping the horrors of the war, Lena Browning rises to fame in Hollywood. Yet she cannot help but hunger for revenge against the Nazis who escaped justice after the war. Fierce and fearless, Lena uses her star power to right the past’s wrongs . . . and perhaps even finds the happy ending she never had.
A gripping page-turner of one of history’s most heroic uprisings and a glamourous actress whose personal war never ends, The Goddess of Warsaw is filled with secrets, lies, twists and turns, and a burning pursuit of justice no matter the cost.
“Jaw-dropping moments worthy of a Tarantino film . . . Unrelentingly immersive and suspenseful, The Goddess of Warsaw spins a haunting tale of the cost of survival, sacrifice, and the long-denied secrets of the past.�
—NATALIE JENNER, bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society]]> 368 Lisa Barr 0063296608 Julie 3 fiction, own
I really enjoyed the role Bina played in the Warsaw ghetto uprising as a member of the resistance. She was ruthless and unscrupulous, which are great qualities for someone actively defying Nazis. But they are not great personality traits when she betrays the people closest to her. Overall, she is not a likeable character because she’s too selfish.

The post-war Lena narrative was clever, but I thought the whole femme fatale schtick was over the top. She tries to make up for her betrayals during the war with vigilante justice, and that was just too unbelievable and melodramatic. The ghetto history was good, the aftermath, not so much�

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 4.33 2024 The Goddess of Warsaw
author: Lisa Barr
name: Julie
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/14
date added: 2024/05/15
shelves: fiction, own
review:
Lena Browning is an aging film star whose protégé Sienna wants to do a biopic of her life. But what Sienna doesn’t know is that Lena’s life before fame was more extraordinary than she could imagine. Before Lena became Lena, she was Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw ghetto, primarily because of her Aryan appearance.

I really enjoyed the role Bina played in the Warsaw ghetto uprising as a member of the resistance. She was ruthless and unscrupulous, which are great qualities for someone actively defying Nazis. But they are not great personality traits when she betrays the people closest to her. Overall, she is not a likeable character because she’s too selfish.

The post-war Lena narrative was clever, but I thought the whole femme fatale schtick was over the top. She tries to make up for her betrayals during the war with vigilante justice, and that was just too unbelievable and melodramatic. The ghetto history was good, the aftermath, not so much�

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> One for Sorrow 749827 NOW THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE JAMIE MARKS IS DEAD

Part thriller, part ghost tale, part love story, One for Sorrow is a novel as timeless as The Catcher in the Rye and as hauntingly lyrical as The Lovely Bones. Christopher Barzak’s stunning debut tells of a teenage boy’s coming-of-age that begins with a shocking murder and ends with a reason to hope.

Adam McCormick had just turned fifteen when the body was found in the woods. It is the beginning of an autumn that will change his life forever. Jamie Marks was a boy a lot like Adam, a boy no one paid much attention to—a boy almost no one would truly miss. And for the first time, Adam feels he has a purpose. Now, more than ever, Jamie needs a friend.

But the longer Adam holds on to Jamie’s ghost, the longer he keeps his friend tethered to a world where he no longer belongs . . . and the weaker Adam’s own ties to the living become. Now, to find his way back, Adam must learn for himself what it truly means to be alive.]]> 308 Christopher Barzak 0553384368 Julie 3 own, fiction
But underneath all the romance and paranormal weirdness, this is really about Adam’s deeply unhappy home life, his overall dissatisfaction with life, and the trauma of his friend’s death. As he wanders aimlessly through the Ohio countryside (he even appropriately references The Catcher in the Rye), he confronts his inner turmoil. It was at times poignant, but Adam never seems tethered to this world and is happy to leave it. Really, I think despite the haunting, the superstitions, and the brushes with death, this is a book about mental health. It was the overall lack of any solid resolution that kind of irked me, but Adam does put forth some effort in the end. It was a strange, haunting little book�
]]> 3.76 2007 One for Sorrow
author: Christopher Barzak
name: Julie
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/05
date added: 2024/05/05
shelves: own, fiction
review:
This book is hard to define. It had a hint of magical realism, it was part ghost story, and it was a coming-of-age novel. When a classmate of Adam’s is found murdered, this seems to unhinge something in Adam. Though he and Jamie were just casual acquaintances, Jamie’s death deeply affects Adam, so much so that Adam starts interacting with Jamie’s “ghost.� Eventually he hooks up with the girl who found Jamie’s body, as they both feel connected by Jamie.

But underneath all the romance and paranormal weirdness, this is really about Adam’s deeply unhappy home life, his overall dissatisfaction with life, and the trauma of his friend’s death. As he wanders aimlessly through the Ohio countryside (he even appropriately references The Catcher in the Rye), he confronts his inner turmoil. It was at times poignant, but Adam never seems tethered to this world and is happy to leave it. Really, I think despite the haunting, the superstitions, and the brushes with death, this is a book about mental health. It was the overall lack of any solid resolution that kind of irked me, but Adam does put forth some effort in the end. It was a strange, haunting little book�

]]> Beyond Summerland 198385464 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lecoat has crafted a spellbinding story about secrets and lies in a small community recovering from war, and the two young women at the center of a volatile mystery.

The German occupation is over. The Channel Islands, the only captured territory within the British Isles, are finally liberated. But the people of Jersey are left as scarred as the landscape. No longer a “summerland� holiday paradise, the island now boils with tension as locals seek revenge on anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy during the war.

Nineteen-year-old Jean Parris, still adjusting to this fractious peace, is shocked to learn that Hazel, a teacher who lives over her dad’s shop, may be responsible for her father’s wartime arrest and subsequent death in custody. Hazel denies all accusations but has reasons to conceal what really happened.

As rumors of Hazel’s guilt swell to a fury, Jean discovers new clues that suggest there were other, more sinister factors at play. When Hazel learns of Jean’s own ruinous secret, the women form an unexpected bond that sets them apart from the rest of Jean’s family and the frenzied demands for retribution. But in the end, Jean’s need to know the truth about her father may consume everything she once believed about her home, her family and herself.]]> 304 Jenny Lecoat 1525831542 Julie 4 fiction, own
The way those complexities are revealed was expertly done and I enjoyed witnessing Hazel and Jean deal with these new truths. They both have their own flaws and make mistakes, but in the end, they learn and grow from their tragic experiences. It was a solid work of historical fiction and Lecoat did a great job portraying the anxiety of an occupied people, even after their oppression was over.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.59 2024 Beyond Summerland
author: Jenny Lecoat
name: Julie
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/28
date added: 2024/04/29
shelves: fiction, own
review:
When the Channel Islands are liberated after five years of Nazi occupation, residents are giddy with anticipation of a return to normalcy. Two young women soon learn that their island of Jersey will never be the same again � nor will their lives. Jean’s father was arrested and deported for having an illegal radio and Hazel is suspected of reporting him to the Germans. But there is more to the story than just a simple betrayal, and the more Hazel and Jean learn about each other, the more they realize how complex their situations are.

The way those complexities are revealed was expertly done and I enjoyed witnessing Hazel and Jean deal with these new truths. They both have their own flaws and make mistakes, but in the end, they learn and grow from their tragic experiences. It was a solid work of historical fiction and Lecoat did a great job portraying the anxiety of an occupied people, even after their oppression was over.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> The Bungalow 11720964 A sweeping World War II saga of thwarted love, murder, and a long-lost painting.

In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

A timeless story of enduring passion from the author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.]]> 290 Sarah Jio 0452297672 Julie 3 fiction, own
Kitty gets herself into trouble while Anne finds herself falling for the dashing Westry. They rendezvous in an abandoned bungalow where they discover a mysterious painting. Fast forward 70 years and Anne is contacted by someone in Bora Bora who is trying to solve a murder that occurred while she was stationed there. Having been an eye witness to this horrific crime, Anne travels back to the island to help provide justice to the victim.

I found the conclusion to be a little too tidy. Evidence from the murder is still viable, all of the main characters survived to be nonagenarians, and people separated after decades are miraculously reunited. Yes, all of the loose ends were conveniently tied up (including the painting) and everyone got their happy ending, but it all seemed pretty far-fetched�
]]> 3.96 2011 The Bungalow
author: Sarah Jio
name: Julie
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/16
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: fiction, own
review:
While I enjoyed the premise of this book, the overall execution wasn’t totally engaging. Anne and her best friend Kitty embark on the noble adventure of nursing wounded soldiers in the Pacific theater. On the island of Bora Bora, there is no shortage of attention for pretty young women in a sea of soldiers. Despite having left a fiancé behind, Anne and Kitty get swept away by their new circumstances, as if the island has cast a spell on them.

Kitty gets herself into trouble while Anne finds herself falling for the dashing Westry. They rendezvous in an abandoned bungalow where they discover a mysterious painting. Fast forward 70 years and Anne is contacted by someone in Bora Bora who is trying to solve a murder that occurred while she was stationed there. Having been an eye witness to this horrific crime, Anne travels back to the island to help provide justice to the victim.

I found the conclusion to be a little too tidy. Evidence from the murder is still viable, all of the main characters survived to be nonagenarians, and people separated after decades are miraculously reunited. Yes, all of the loose ends were conveniently tied up (including the painting) and everyone got their happy ending, but it all seemed pretty far-fetched�

]]> <![CDATA[Engineering Wonders of the World: The Stories Behind the Greatest Engineering Feats in History]]> 12659414 371 Rene Poirier 1566193222 Julie 3 non-fiction, own 3.17 1993 Engineering Wonders of the World: The Stories Behind the Greatest Engineering Feats in History
author: Rene Poirier
name: Julie
average rating: 3.17
book published: 1993
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/13
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves: non-fiction, own
review:
I like books that include fascinating historical tidbits which is why I picked this up. I enjoyed some chapters more than others, and found that some were entirely skippable. So I didn’t read this book in its entirety and called it quits in the midst of the Panama Canal. In that particular chapter, there was too much conflict amongst the participating nations and the budgeting aspect of the project was utterly dry. Still, I feel like I learned a few interesting things about some of the great engineering feats of history, despite the book being somewhat outdated�
]]> Now You See Him 1282881 272 Eli Gottlieb 0061284645 Julie 4 own, fiction
Having grown up with Rob and his family, Nick is deeply affected by the loss of his friend, so much so that his marriage is deteriorating as a result. As Nick navigates his grief, he makes several personal revelations. Also, he makes some pretty stupid decisions. As much as I liked the book, Nick was too self-absorbed to be likeable. He had a few redeeming qualities, but the negatives outweighed the positives. And don’t get me started on his wife Lucy and how she delt with conflict by freezing him out. Just because she couldn’t handle the pedestal that Nick put Rob on did not necessitate her Ice Queen persona despite her husband coping with the death of his oldest friend. It could have been a more introspective novel, but there was too much external conflict. I will admit I liked the dramatic plot twists toward the end, so overall, it was a decent book.
]]> 3.04 2008 Now You See Him
author: Eli Gottlieb
name: Julie
average rating: 3.04
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/13
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves: own, fiction
review:
Much like The Great Gatsby, NYSH is narrated by a Nick who is troubled by a tragedy that ended his friend’s life. His Jay is Rob, a writer who had one highly successful book. But Rob’s more recent notoriety is because he murdered his former girlfriend then killed himself.

Having grown up with Rob and his family, Nick is deeply affected by the loss of his friend, so much so that his marriage is deteriorating as a result. As Nick navigates his grief, he makes several personal revelations. Also, he makes some pretty stupid decisions. As much as I liked the book, Nick was too self-absorbed to be likeable. He had a few redeeming qualities, but the negatives outweighed the positives. And don’t get me started on his wife Lucy and how she delt with conflict by freezing him out. Just because she couldn’t handle the pedestal that Nick put Rob on did not necessitate her Ice Queen persona despite her husband coping with the death of his oldest friend. It could have been a more introspective novel, but there was too much external conflict. I will admit I liked the dramatic plot twists toward the end, so overall, it was a decent book.

]]> The Book of Joe 13432049 338 Jonathan Tropper Julie 5 own, fiction
Joe reconnects with his best friend, tries to make amends with his brother, and tries to reconcile with his high school sweetheart. He gets the crap kicked out of him, engages in some illegal activity, and wallows in self-pity. But mostly he reminisces about his senior year of high school (1986-1987) and how the events affected him (and shaped his novel).

I loved the memory of his girlfriend’s journaling when she said she does it because, “Things happen� Small things and large things, and they just keep changing you, little by little, until there’s no trace of who you used to be. If I get lost, this journal will be a record of who I was, a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back.� I think that is a good representation of the overall book and Joe’s recollections. I absolutely loved the Irving-esque balance of humor and tragedy. Bravo.
]]> 3.82 2003 The Book of Joe
author: Jonathan Tropper
name: Julie
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/08
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves: own, fiction
review:
This book engrossed me from page one and I adored Joe and his story. Joe left his hometown of Bush Falls after high school and a few years later wrote a scathing autobiographical novel about it. When his dad suffers a stroke, he unexpectedly returns and has to face the indignation of Bush Fall’s residences. Joe is flawed, he’s misguided, he’s selfish, but his return makes him realize that he has A LOT of room for self-improvement.

Joe reconnects with his best friend, tries to make amends with his brother, and tries to reconcile with his high school sweetheart. He gets the crap kicked out of him, engages in some illegal activity, and wallows in self-pity. But mostly he reminisces about his senior year of high school (1986-1987) and how the events affected him (and shaped his novel).

I loved the memory of his girlfriend’s journaling when she said she does it because, “Things happen� Small things and large things, and they just keep changing you, little by little, until there’s no trace of who you used to be. If I get lost, this journal will be a record of who I was, a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back.� I think that is a good representation of the overall book and Joe’s recollections. I absolutely loved the Irving-esque balance of humor and tragedy. Bravo.

]]> One Big Happy Family 195790534 The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.]]> 360 Jamie Day 1250283205 Julie 3 fiction, own
This is one of those books that defies rationality, where everyone acts insane and makes ridiculously stupid decisions. All of the characters are on their worst behavior � backstabbing, making accusations, murdering people. Part 2 was a 3rd person retelling of the Bishop sisters� history and the secrets they share, and that was the most entertaining part of the book.

Despite the absurdity of the overall plot, the unlikeableness of most of the characters, and corniness of some of the writing and dialogue, there were some aspects of the story that were intriguing and endearing. So, meh.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.45 2024 One Big Happy Family
author: Jamie Day
name: Julie
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/05
date added: 2024/04/06
shelves: fiction, own
review:
The Bishop sisters descend on their recently deceased father’s Maine hotel for the reading of his will. The oldest, Vicky, is bossy and abrasive, middle sister Faith is a former model, and the youngest, Iris, is a recovering addict and ex con. A majority of the book is told from the perspective of live-in chambermaid Charley. When the will is read and the terms of their inheritance are laid bare, all heck breaks loose. Not long after, bodies start piling up and a hurricane slams into the coast of Maine.

This is one of those books that defies rationality, where everyone acts insane and makes ridiculously stupid decisions. All of the characters are on their worst behavior � backstabbing, making accusations, murdering people. Part 2 was a 3rd person retelling of the Bishop sisters� history and the secrets they share, and that was the most entertaining part of the book.

Despite the absurdity of the overall plot, the unlikeableness of most of the characters, and corniness of some of the writing and dialogue, there were some aspects of the story that were intriguing and endearing. So, meh.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> This is Where I Leave You 6224935 A riotously funny, emotionally raw New York Times bestselling novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind—whether we like it or not.

The death of Judd Foxman’s father marks the first time that the entire Foxman clan has congregated in years. There is, however, one conspicuous absence: Judd's wife, Jen, whose affair with his radio- shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. Simultaneously mourning the demise of his father and his marriage, Judd joins his dysfunctional family as they reluctantly sit shiva and spend seven days and nights under the same roof. The week quickly spins out of control as longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed and old passions are reawakened. Then Jen delivers the clincher: she's pregnant...

“Often sidesplitting, mostly heartbreaking...[Tropper is] a more sincere, insightful version of Nick Hornby, that other master of male psyche.”—USA Today

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING JASON BATEMAN, TINA FEY, JANE FONDA, AND ADAM DRIVER]]> 339 Jonathan Tropper 052595127X Julie 5 fiction, own 3.87 2003 This is Where I Leave You
author: Jonathan Tropper
name: Julie
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2016/11/30
date added: 2024/04/05
shelves: fiction, own
review:
This is one of those books that sat unread on my shelf for a while, but now I’m wondering why I hadn’t read it sooner. For a plot that’s based on tragedy, I found the whole premise pretty funny. Judd’s wife left him for his boss and his father died, so he’s a despondent character. When he goes home to sit shiva, he must endure a family that had its own set of baggage. Judd’s situation is so pathetic, it’s comical, and his family is so dysfunctional, it’s hilarious. At some point, everyone gets the crap kicked out of them and there’s no shortage of impropriety and general loathing. The book is unapologetic in its harsh, critical observations and I thought it was clever and highly entertaining.
]]> If Something Happens to Me 195790670
With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me�

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told from several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The story cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.]]> 324 Alex Finlay 1250863791 Julie 5 own, first-reads, fiction
The only witness to Ali’s abduction was her boyfriend Ryan, and it has haunted him for the past 5 years, so much so that he had to change his name to escape notoriety. When Ali’s car is discovered with two dead men inside, he has to confront the possibility that she might still be alive. I don’t want to give too much away because the second half of the book delivers shocks and surprises, one after another, and it was ever so fun. How it shifts from Kansas to Philadelphia, to Italy, England and France was clever, and overall it was an exciting thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.69 2024 If Something Happens to Me
author: Alex Finlay
name: Julie
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/29
date added: 2024/03/30
shelves: own, first-reads, fiction
review:
This is one of the plot twistiest books I have ever read and I devoured a majority of it in one sitting. A teenage girl is abducted in Kansas. A Philadelphia mafia boss is having issues with his troubled son. What do those seemingly unrelated plots have in common? The way Finlay ties together the different narrative threads is expertly done.

The only witness to Ali’s abduction was her boyfriend Ryan, and it has haunted him for the past 5 years, so much so that he had to change his name to escape notoriety. When Ali’s car is discovered with two dead men inside, he has to confront the possibility that she might still be alive. I don’t want to give too much away because the second half of the book delivers shocks and surprises, one after another, and it was ever so fun. How it shifts from Kansas to Philadelphia, to Italy, England and France was clever, and overall it was an exciting thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> The Vacancy in Room 10 150444427
Desperate for answers to the millions of questions his untimely death has raised, Anna checks in to The Sycamores, the run-down motel turned apartment Henry rented as an art studio. As she absorbs every bit of gossip the eclectic mix of residents are willing to share about her husband and each other, she begins to piece together a picture of a very different man than the one she married, and the life he led behind her back. The more she learns, and the less sense things seem to make, she finds herself wondering: Did she ever really know Henry at all?

But Henry’s secrets aren’t the only ones; as Anna’s search for clues expands, Cass, the mysterious, jaded motel manager, seems more and more determined to keep Anna in the dark. And when threatening letters start appearing at her door, Anna has to decide what’s more important—the truth, or her own safety.]]> 298 Seraphina Nova Glass 1525809806 Julie 3 own, fiction
Our other main character is Anna, whose husband recently committed suicide. He rented an apartment at The Sycamores to use as an art studio, so Anna moves in to his space to discover what drove him to end his life. Between Anna’s and Cass’s alternate narratives, it was exasperating that neither of them were capable of making rational decisions. There were a couple of outrageous scenes that I found entertaining like Cass’s confrontations with her ex and with a wife-beating resident. Other scenes were like a bad horror movie, and I was practically shouting for Anna NOT to go into the suspicious guy’s unlocked apartment when he could return home at any moment. I liked Cass and her spunkiness more than Anna and her desperation, but I wish both of them had more common sense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.69 2024 The Vacancy in Room 10
author: Seraphina Nova Glass
name: Julie
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/26
date added: 2024/03/27
shelves: own, fiction
review:
In order to appreciate this book, you have to suspend any belief that the world functions normally. Because in this book, the world exists in a bubble that is The Sycamores, a former motel turned apartment complex. The residents of The Sycamores are either shady or trashy. Cass, the complex manager and handy ma’am knows what goes on behind every apartment door.

Our other main character is Anna, whose husband recently committed suicide. He rented an apartment at The Sycamores to use as an art studio, so Anna moves in to his space to discover what drove him to end his life. Between Anna’s and Cass’s alternate narratives, it was exasperating that neither of them were capable of making rational decisions. There were a couple of outrageous scenes that I found entertaining like Cass’s confrontations with her ex and with a wife-beating resident. Other scenes were like a bad horror movie, and I was practically shouting for Anna NOT to go into the suspicious guy’s unlocked apartment when he could return home at any moment. I liked Cass and her spunkiness more than Anna and her desperation, but I wish both of them had more common sense.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Code Name Hélène 50089336 Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname THE WHITE MOUSE from the Gestapo. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her ±áÉł˘Ă±··ˇ. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.

But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she--and the people she loves--become.]]> 451 Ariel Lawhon 0385544685 Julie 4 own, fiction, signed-copy
What I liked most about Nancy’s story was her courtship with her eventual husband Henri. I loved how he fell hard for her and abandoned his Casanova bachelor ways to be with her, and their partnership was lovely.

I don’t mind when narratives alternate between time periods (here it’s Nancy pre- and post-boots-on-the-ground-in-France) or perspectives (Nancy first person and Henri third person). I understand why it was done here to emphasize the evolution of her involvement in the resistance. But because there were a lot of characters and a good deal of subterfuge and code names, it felt a little clunky. Otherwise, it was a extraordinary story about a fiercely determined woman who made an enormous contribution to the Allied effort.
]]> 4.39 2020 Code Name Hélène
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Julie
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/22
date added: 2024/03/23
shelves: own, fiction, signed-copy
review:
Our title character is actually an Australian woman named Nancy Grace Augusta Wake. The novel presents her remarkable role in the French resistance, from her first involvement during Nazi occupation making clandestine deliveries, to her leadership in the French countryside. She was airdropped into France to organize resistance fighters and supplies, and Nancy was quite the spitfire.

What I liked most about Nancy’s story was her courtship with her eventual husband Henri. I loved how he fell hard for her and abandoned his Casanova bachelor ways to be with her, and their partnership was lovely.

I don’t mind when narratives alternate between time periods (here it’s Nancy pre- and post-boots-on-the-ground-in-France) or perspectives (Nancy first person and Henri third person). I understand why it was done here to emphasize the evolution of her involvement in the resistance. But because there were a lot of characters and a good deal of subterfuge and code names, it felt a little clunky. Otherwise, it was a extraordinary story about a fiercely determined woman who made an enormous contribution to the Allied effort.

]]> <![CDATA[A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy]]> 25937671 Ěý
For the last sixteen years, Sue Klebold, Dylan’s mother, has lived with the indescribable grief and shame of that day. How could her child, the promising young man she had loved and raised, be responsible for such horror? And how, as his mother, had she not known something was wrong? Were there subtle signs she had missed? What, if anything, could she have done differently?
Ěý
These are questions that Klebold has grappled with every day since the Columbine tragedy. InĚýA Mother’s Reckoning, she chronicles with unflinching honesty her journey as a mother trying to come to terms with the incomprehensible. In the hope that the insights and understanding she has gained may help other families recognize when a child is in distress, she tells her story in full, drawing upon her personal journals, the videos and writings that Dylan left behind, and on countless interviews with mental health experts.
Ěý
Filled with hard-won wisdom and compassion,ĚýA Mother’s ReckoningĚýis a powerful and haunting book that sheds light on one of the most pressing issues of our time. And with fresh wounds from the recent Newtown and Charleston shootings, never has the need for understanding been more urgent.
Ěý
All author profits from the book will be donated to research and to charitable organizations focusing on mental health issues.

]]> 336 Sue Klebold 1101902760 Julie 4 memoir, own
She focuses a great deal on recognizing the signs of mental instability and depression and beats herself up over not seeing those manifestations in her son, Dylan. It tended to be a bit preachy when dealing with the redundant topic of brain health/illness, but she did effectively drive her point home. I could especially relate to her experience enduring grief-driven anxiety. This book in no way absolves anyone or deflects blame, but it does offer insight into tragedy on a very personal level.
]]> 4.11 2016 A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy
author: Sue Klebold
name: Julie
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/16
date added: 2024/03/16
shelves: memoir, own
review:
As the mother of one of the Columbine shooters, writing this book was an extremely brave thing for Klebold to do. I am sure being able to tell her side of the story was cathartic for her, as was sharing with the world her experience as the mother of a homicidal/suicidal teenager. I don’t want to elaborate too much on her particular point of view, because I don’t think it’s something that can be articulated unless you take the time to read her perspective. It is terrifying what she and her family endured.

She focuses a great deal on recognizing the signs of mental instability and depression and beats herself up over not seeing those manifestations in her son, Dylan. It tended to be a bit preachy when dealing with the redundant topic of brain health/illness, but she did effectively drive her point home. I could especially relate to her experience enduring grief-driven anxiety. This book in no way absolves anyone or deflects blame, but it does offer insight into tragedy on a very personal level.

]]> <![CDATA[One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich]]> 17125 The only English translation authorized by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

First published in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in 1962, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich stands as a classic of contemporary literature. The story of labor-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin's forced work camps, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of the most extraordinary literary documents to have emerged from the Soviet Union and confirms Solzhenitsyn's stature as "a literary genius whose talent matches that of Dosotevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy"--Harrison Salisbury

This unexpurgated 1991 translation by H. T. Willetts is the only authorized edition available, and fully captures the power and beauty of the original Russian.]]> 182 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Julie 0 to-read, wishlist, fiction 3.98 1962 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
author: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
name: Julie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1962
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves: to-read, wishlist, fiction
review:

]]> Some Kind of Truth 205315289
Horrified by the contents inside the package, Steve is determined to find out what happened to Rebecca and why someone dragged him into uncovering this mystery. But as Steve sifts through the clues and weaves his way around those trying to prevent him from exposing the truth, he continues to struggle with personal issues stemming from his time as a war correspondent in Afghanistan, where he was filmed being tortured and nearly executed by the Taliban, making what happened to Rebecca all the more personal.]]> 336 Westley Smith 1959798308 Julie 3 tour, own, fiction
With the reluctant blessing of his editor, he heads to the town where Rebecca was last seen. Teaming up with another local reporter, they begin interviewing anyone connected to the case and scouring the area for clues, despite the case being cold for decades. This is where I got a little annoyed. As Steve and Amy make important discoveries regarding Rebecca’s disappearance, they tamper with evidence and contaminate crime scenes. There were so many times I wanted to shout at them to call the police and let them handle the situation. But they continue to sleuth, breaking the law and putting themselves in grave danger.

I thought the twist at the end was well done, because who doesn’t appreciate some vigilante justice!? But there were a few things that annoyed me. Sure, I understand Steve had his own trauma to deal with, but the constant dialogue between his brain and his desperate need for booze and nicotine was overdone. There were a few sections of the book that could have used a thesaurus, or at least better editing. Otherwise, it was a decent mystery, and I didn’t find it too graphic despite the author’s warnings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.
]]> 4.35 Some Kind of Truth
author: Westley Smith
name: Julie
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/12
date added: 2024/03/13
shelves: tour, own, fiction
review:
Crime journalist Steve James finds a package on his doorstep containing an old driver’s license and a flash drive. When he views the contents of the flash drive, he is shocked to witness the brutal rape and torture of a young woman who appears to match the photograph on the ID. Upon further investigation, he discovers the victim has been missing for nearly 25 years from a small town a few hours away. That leaves several unanswered questions� What happened to young Rebecca? Who left Steve the package? Does this have anything to do with the recent expose he wrote that incriminated a local mob boss? And why does the on-camera torture seem to connect with what the Taliban did to him?

With the reluctant blessing of his editor, he heads to the town where Rebecca was last seen. Teaming up with another local reporter, they begin interviewing anyone connected to the case and scouring the area for clues, despite the case being cold for decades. This is where I got a little annoyed. As Steve and Amy make important discoveries regarding Rebecca’s disappearance, they tamper with evidence and contaminate crime scenes. There were so many times I wanted to shout at them to call the police and let them handle the situation. But they continue to sleuth, breaking the law and putting themselves in grave danger.

I thought the twist at the end was well done, because who doesn’t appreciate some vigilante justice!? But there were a few things that annoyed me. Sure, I understand Steve had his own trauma to deal with, but the constant dialogue between his brain and his desperate need for booze and nicotine was overdone. There were a few sections of the book that could have used a thesaurus, or at least better editing. Otherwise, it was a decent mystery, and I didn’t find it too graphic despite the author’s warnings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

]]> <![CDATA[The Airmen and the Headhunters: A True Story of Lost Soldiers, Heroic Tribesmen and the Unlikeliest Rescue of World War II]]> 1094635
A cinematic survival story that features a bamboo airstrip built on a rice paddy, a mad British major, and a blowpipe-wielding army that helped destroy one of the last Japanese strongholds, The Airmen and the Headhunters is a gripping, you-are-there journey into the remote world and forgotten heroism of the Dayaks.]]> 304 Judith M. Heimann 0151014345 Julie 4 own, non-fiction
The Americans certainly wouldn’t have survived without the assistance of the “headhunters.� They would have starved or been executed by their enemies. During the months they spent in the jungle with their native hosts, they learned to navigate the harsh terrain and developed friendships with the locals. And the ambitious rescue mission in the final chapters demonstrated how the natives worked with the allies to rescue the Americans, which is a testament of goodwill and cooperation.
]]> 3.90 2007 The Airmen and the Headhunters: A True Story of Lost Soldiers, Heroic Tribesmen and the Unlikeliest Rescue of World War II
author: Judith M. Heimann
name: Julie
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/08
date added: 2024/03/09
shelves: own, non-fiction
review:
When a plane full of American airmen crashes in Borneo during WWII, they have to do whatever they can to survive. Not only is the jungle merciless, but the Japanese become aware of their presence and will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. Luckily, the natives and an enterprising District Officer realize that it would be foolish not to assist Allied Forces, who are successfully pushing back against the Japanese in the Pacific. The D.O. puts the word out among the scattered villages that they should shelter and protect the Americans, and eventually they wage a guerilla war against the Japanese hunting the airmen.

The Americans certainly wouldn’t have survived without the assistance of the “headhunters.� They would have starved or been executed by their enemies. During the months they spent in the jungle with their native hosts, they learned to navigate the harsh terrain and developed friendships with the locals. And the ambitious rescue mission in the final chapters demonstrated how the natives worked with the allies to rescue the Americans, which is a testament of goodwill and cooperation.

]]> The Lady and the Unicorn 2874
Paris, 1490. A shrewd French nobleman commissions six lavish tapestries celebrating his rising status at Court. He hires the charismatic, arrogant, sublimely talented Nicolas des Innocents to design them. Nicolas creates havoc among the women in the house—mother and daughter, servant, and lady-in-waiting—before taking his designs north to the Brussels workshop where the tapestries are to be woven. There, master weaver Georges de la Chapelle risks everything he has to finish the tapestries—his finest, most intricate work—on time for his exacting French client. The results change all their lives—lives that have been captured in the tapestries, for those who know where to look.

In The Lady and the Unicorn, Tracy Chevalier weaves fact and fiction into a beautiful, timeless, and intriguing literary tapestry—an extraordinary story exquisitely told.]]> 0 Tracy Chevalier 0965903532 Julie 4 own, fiction 3.40 2003 The Lady and the Unicorn
author: Tracy Chevalier
name: Julie
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/05
date added: 2024/03/06
shelves: own, fiction
review:
I love a novel told from multiple perspectives, and one that incorporates history and art is especially fun. We witness the creation of the titular famed French tapestries through the eyes of the initial painter, the aristocrat’s daughter, her mother, the weaver, his daughter and wife, and the cartoonist. Each character makes their own contribution to the commission, whether its concept design, inspiration, or literal blood, sweat, and tears. The atmosphere of 15th century Paris and Brussels was really vibrant and I thought Chevalier did a great job portraying the ambiance of the weaver’s workshop. There were some unsavory characters, but really, the tapestries themselves were characters in their own right. Those ladies and her unicorns came alive as the artists and looms crafted them.
]]> The Frozen River 112975658 A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.]]> 432 Ariel Lawhon 0385546874 Julie 5 own, fiction, signed-copy
There are so many threads that are expertly woven together. There’s the rape victim’s traumatic ravaging, the murder itself, Martha’s past, colonial judiciary proceedings, and the various births that Martha administers to. I have to say the conclusion was extremely satisfying, especially how the main villain gets his comeuppance. The frigid Maine winter was palpable (partly because I was reading it during a particularly cold, snowy winter week in Chicago). I enjoyed getting to know Martha’s husband and children and I felt like I was walking side by side with her through the village. Excellent.
]]> 4.38 2023 The Frozen River
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Julie
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/19
date added: 2024/03/03
shelves: own, fiction, signed-copy
review:
This book had so much going for it: history, intrigue, intensity, and strong characters. But really, it’s Martha Ballard’s story. She’s a bada$$ midwife in 18th century Maine and we witness her life one perilous winter. We get to know her family, her neighbors, and the dynamic of her village. When a body is discovered just as the river is freezing, Martha suspects murder. What is especially vexing is that the victim was recently accused of rape, and a dead man can’t be tried for his crimes.

There are so many threads that are expertly woven together. There’s the rape victim’s traumatic ravaging, the murder itself, Martha’s past, colonial judiciary proceedings, and the various births that Martha administers to. I have to say the conclusion was extremely satisfying, especially how the main villain gets his comeuppance. The frigid Maine winter was palpable (partly because I was reading it during a particularly cold, snowy winter week in Chicago). I enjoyed getting to know Martha’s husband and children and I felt like I was walking side by side with her through the village. Excellent.

]]> Her Last Affair 12389188 From the bestselling author of Help for the Haunted and Strange but True, a new novel of character-driven psychological suspense that intertwines three people hoping to rediscover love and reconnect with their past, to deadly effect.

Every marriage has its secrets....

Skyla lives alone in the shadow of the defunct drive-in movie theater that she and her husband ran for nearly fifty years. Ever since Hollis's death in a freak accident the year before, Skyla spends her nights ruminating about the regrets and deceptions in her long marriage. That is, until she rents a cottage on the property to a charming British man, Teddy Cornwell....

A thousand miles away, Linelle is about to turn fifty. Bored by her spouse and fired from her job when a questionable photo from her youth surfaces on social media, her only source of joy is an on-line affair with her very first love, a man she's not seen in nearly thirty years, Teddy Cornwell...

While in New York City, Jeremy, a failed and bitter writer, accepts an assignment to review a new restaurant in Providence. Years ago, Providence was the site of his first great love and first great heartbreak--and maybe, just maybe, he'll look her up when he's back in town...

Part page-turning thriller, part homage to film noir, and dazzling in its insight into the often desperate desires of the human heart, Her Last Affair is a tense and atmospheric novel of love lost and found again.]]> 325 John Searles 0060779659 Julie 5 fiction, own
Skyla is a septuagenarian who owns two side-by-side cottages next to an old drive-in movie theater owned by her late husband’s family. Teddy is her new tenant, who rents the little house next to hers and she is desperate for a companion and an extra set of eyes since her diagnosis of macular degeneration. Then we meet Linelle, Teddy’s former flame and costumed coworker from Disney World. Next, we are introduced to Jeremy, another of Teddy’s youthful acquaintances. And finally, enter Maryanne, Jeremy’s old bestie/crush. When Jeremy is assigned to review a restaurant in Providence while dog-sitting his ex-girlfriend’s show poodle, he looks up Maryanne who lives in town. How all of these plots come together is wildly clever, deviously wicked, and viciously funny. Searles can certainly write a captivating, jaw-dropping book with twist and turns!
]]> 3.25 2022 Her Last Affair
author: John Searles
name: Julie
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/26
date added: 2024/02/27
shelves: fiction, own
review:
This is the second book I’ve read by Searles in as many weeks and I can say I now count him as a favorite author. What I thought I was getting into was a quirky mystery about a blind old widow and her new tenant. What I got was a twisted tale of broken hearts, betrayal, and a boondoggle (pun intended) to Providence, Rhode Island. So�

Skyla is a septuagenarian who owns two side-by-side cottages next to an old drive-in movie theater owned by her late husband’s family. Teddy is her new tenant, who rents the little house next to hers and she is desperate for a companion and an extra set of eyes since her diagnosis of macular degeneration. Then we meet Linelle, Teddy’s former flame and costumed coworker from Disney World. Next, we are introduced to Jeremy, another of Teddy’s youthful acquaintances. And finally, enter Maryanne, Jeremy’s old bestie/crush. When Jeremy is assigned to review a restaurant in Providence while dog-sitting his ex-girlfriend’s show poodle, he looks up Maryanne who lives in town. How all of these plots come together is wildly clever, deviously wicked, and viciously funny. Searles can certainly write a captivating, jaw-dropping book with twist and turns!

]]> House of Glass 195790531
A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?]]> 341 Sarah Pekkanen 125028399X Julie 4 own, fiction
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> 3.84 2024 House of Glass
author: Sarah Pekkanen
name: Julie
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/24
date added: 2024/02/24
shelves: own, fiction
review:
There is definitely something sinister lurking in the titular Barclay home and it’s Stella’s job to figure out who is responsible. Nine-year-old Rose’s parents are divorcing, and as a best interest attorney, Stella has to determine which parent should have custody of her. There’s a major caveat: Rose has traumatic mutism after witnessing her nanny’s death after plummeting from a third floor window of their house. The more time Stella spends with the Barclay’s in their home, the more confused she becomes about Tina’s demise. Was it truly an accident, or was she pushed by a troubled little girl, her cheating father, her high-strung mother, or her well-meaning grandma. Meanwhile, Stella also has her own disturbing past to contend with and that only seems to heighten her suspicion of Rose. It doesn’t help that she catches Rose hoarding sharp objects, reading biographies of serial killers, and her overall hostile, guarded composure. Overall, this was a well-paced mystery that did a great job emphasizing how people project their own trauma onto others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

]]> Strange but True 228481 320 John Searles 0688175716 Julie 5 wishlist, fiction
I loved how the story was told anecdotally, with shifting perspectives, present and past narratives, and all the while a sinister undercurrent is lurking. I thought it was great how I was led to feel one way towards a character, then something profound happens to swing my opinion. Is Philip really a sympathetic loser? Has Missy become completely unhinged? Is Charlene really a raving harpy? And I know you’re probably wondering what’s up with the landlords? Whelp, you’ll just have to read this insanely addicting novel for yourself.
]]> 3.67 2004 Strange but True
author: John Searles
name: Julie
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/19
date added: 2024/02/19
shelves: wishlist, fiction
review:
This book has been collecting dust on my TBR shelf for years and I’m thrilled I picked it up because it was mind blowing. There is so much to unpack here, so let’s start with Philip. He has moved back into his childhood home with his mom Charlene after he fell from his fourth floor NYC fire escape. His younger brother Ronnie, died in a car accident 5 years ago and their mom had never gotten over it. Charlene is filled with vitriol and consumed by hate. Then Ronnie’s high school sweetheart Missy drops by claiming she’s pregnant with Ronnie’s baby. But the craziness really starts when we meet Missy’s landlords. How everything comes together is so brilliantly executed, I can’t even�

I loved how the story was told anecdotally, with shifting perspectives, present and past narratives, and all the while a sinister undercurrent is lurking. I thought it was great how I was led to feel one way towards a character, then something profound happens to swing my opinion. Is Philip really a sympathetic loser? Has Missy become completely unhinged? Is Charlene really a raving harpy? And I know you’re probably wondering what’s up with the landlords? Whelp, you’ll just have to read this insanely addicting novel for yourself.

]]> <![CDATA[SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance]]> 6402364
Four years in the making, SuperFreakonomics asks not only the tough questions, but the unexpected ones: What's more dangerous, driving drunk or walking drunk? Why is chemotherapy prescribed so often if it's so ineffective? Can a sex change boost your salary?

SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything with such questions as:

How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa?
Why are doctors so bad at washing their hands?
How much good do car seats do?
What's the best way to catch a terrorist?
Did TV cause a rise in crime?
What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?
Are people hard-wired for altruism or selfishness?
Can eating kangaroo save the planet?
Which adds more value: a pimp or a Realtor?

Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else, whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is � good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.

Freakonomics has been imitated many times over � but only now, with SuperFreakonomics, has it met its match.]]> 270 Steven D. Levitt 0060889578 Julie 5 wishlist, non-fiction, own 4.00 2009 SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes And Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
author: Steven D. Levitt
name: Julie
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/02/19
shelves: wishlist, non-fiction, own
review:

]]> 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 Julie 4 own, fiction
40 miles from battles raging on the front lines, Kit, Ann, and their fellow volunteer Cards distribute food and supplies to the destitute French citizens who are attempting to rebuild their lives and homes in the French countryside. Kit’s specialty is bringing books and stories to villages who can’t afford such luxuries. It’s hard not to adore someone who loves books as much as Kit. The villagers and Cards she forms friendships with are a testament to bravery and devotion.

Alternating chapters take us to back to the NYPL, but in 1987, where microfilm photographer Wendy has discovered archives detailing CARD’s activities. She gets sucked into their story and is determined to make it known to the world what these women achieved. She starts writing a novel about Kit (appreciative nod to its meta-ness) and the more she discovers in her research, the more she longs to tell their story.

I enjoyed how the two plots came together decades apart. I am glad JSC included historical notes about the historical figures at the end, including pictures, as it brought them to life and made me appreciate their accomplishments even more. The two most endearing qualities of this book were the atmosphere of war-ravaged France and the literary enthusiasm that infused the pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.]]> 3.91 2024 Miss Morgan's Book Brigade
author: Janet Skeslien Charles
name: Julie
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/27
date added: 2024/02/17
shelves: own, fiction
review:
This book is the inspiring story of some incredibly courageous women who helped French villagers during The Great War recover from German occupation and destruction. The countryside was devastated and our title character, Ann Morgan, daughter and heiress of the illustrious J.P., used her clout to come to France’s aid. Though she is a character in this novel, our protagonist is Jessie “Kit� Carson, a former New York Public Library employee who brings her services to Ms. Morgan’s charitable organization, known by its acronym CARD.

40 miles from battles raging on the front lines, Kit, Ann, and their fellow volunteer Cards distribute food and supplies to the destitute French citizens who are attempting to rebuild their lives and homes in the French countryside. Kit’s specialty is bringing books and stories to villages who can’t afford such luxuries. It’s hard not to adore someone who loves books as much as Kit. The villagers and Cards she forms friendships with are a testament to bravery and devotion.

Alternating chapters take us to back to the NYPL, but in 1987, where microfilm photographer Wendy has discovered archives detailing CARD’s activities. She gets sucked into their story and is determined to make it known to the world what these women achieved. She starts writing a novel about Kit (appreciative nod to its meta-ness) and the more she discovers in her research, the more she longs to tell their story.

I enjoyed how the two plots came together decades apart. I am glad JSC included historical notes about the historical figures at the end, including pictures, as it brought them to life and made me appreciate their accomplishments even more. The two most endearing qualities of this book were the atmosphere of war-ravaged France and the literary enthusiasm that infused the pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.
]]> The Turtle House 158649877
Both women are at a turning point: Mineko, long widowed, moved in with her son and daughter-in-law after a suspicious fire destroyed the Cope family ranch house, while Lia, an architect with a promising career in Austin, has unexpectedly returned under circumstances she refuses to explain. Though Lia never felt especially close to her grandmother, the two grow close sharing late-night conversations. Mineko tells stories of her early life in Japan, of the war that changed everything, and of her two great a man named Akio Sato and an abandoned Japanese country estate they called the Turtle House, where their relationship took root.

As Mineko reveals more of her early life—tales of innocent swimming lessons that blossom into something more, a friendship nurtured across oceans, totems saved and hidden, the heartbreak of love lost too soon—Lia comes to understand the depth of her grandmother’s pain and sacrifice and sees her Texas family in a new light. She also recognizes that it’s she who needs to come clean—about the budding career she abandoned and the mysterious man who keeps calling. When Mineko’s adult children decide, against her wishes, to move her into an assisted living community, she and Lia devise a plan to bring a beloved lost place to life, one that they hope will offer the safety and sense of belonging they both need, no matter the cost. A story of intergenerational friendship, family, coming of age, identity, and love, The Turtle House illuminates the hidden lives we lead, the secrets we hold close, and what it truly means to find home again when it feels lost forever.]]> 304 Amanda Churchill 0063290510 Julie 4 own, first-reads, fiction
As a precocious youngster in Japan, Minnie defied conventions of femininity much to her mother’s chagrin. Left to her own devices, she discovered an abandoned manor where she could swim with the turtles and frolic without criticism. Minnie was a teenager when war broke out and in the midst in love. As her story progresses and Japan is defeated, we learn how Minnie ended up in Texas a decade later.

The book alternates between Lia’s first person narrative in 1999 and Minnie’s third person history. I loved Minnie’s gumption and straightforwardness. I could sympathize with Lia’s vulnerability. And I appreciated how the two women supported each other considering the hardships they endured. The historical aspects of Minnie’s life ultimately determined the family dynamic and therefore shaped who Lia would become. The way their stories came together was well done.
]]> 3.98 2024 The Turtle House
author: Amanda Churchill
name: Julie
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/02/16
shelves: own, first-reads, fiction
review:
Lia and her grandmother Minnie both find themselves living in Lia’s parents� (Minnie’s son’s) house due to misfortune. Lia left her job abruptly and may have derailed her career as an architect, while Minnie accidentally burned her house down. Thus, the two women are sharing a bedroom and they develop a bond when Minnie decides to dictate her life story to her granddaughter.

As a precocious youngster in Japan, Minnie defied conventions of femininity much to her mother’s chagrin. Left to her own devices, she discovered an abandoned manor where she could swim with the turtles and frolic without criticism. Minnie was a teenager when war broke out and in the midst in love. As her story progresses and Japan is defeated, we learn how Minnie ended up in Texas a decade later.

The book alternates between Lia’s first person narrative in 1999 and Minnie’s third person history. I loved Minnie’s gumption and straightforwardness. I could sympathize with Lia’s vulnerability. And I appreciated how the two women supported each other considering the hardships they endured. The historical aspects of Minnie’s life ultimately determined the family dynamic and therefore shaped who Lia would become. The way their stories came together was well done.

]]> <![CDATA[Beyond the Call: The True Story of One World War II Pilot's Covert Mission to Rescue POWs on the Eastern Front]]> 22571564 Near the end of World War II, thousands of Allied and civilian ex-prisoners of war were abandoned to wander the war-torn Eastern Front. With no food, shelter, or supplies, the POWs were at great risk of perishing.ĚýAs the Red Army advanced across Poland, the Nazi prison camps were liberated. In defiance of humanity, the freed camp inmates were discarded without aid. The Soviets viewed POWs as cowards, and regarded all refugees as potential spies or partisans. Thus many including civilians, were rounded up again and put in detention camps.
Ěý
The United States repeatedly offered to help, but were refused. With relations between the Allies strained and the crisis growing, an eleventh-hour plan was conceived for an undercover rescue mission. In total secrecy, the OSS chose an obscure American air force detachment stationed at a Ukrainian airfield. The man they picked to undertake it was veteran 8th Air Force bomber pilot Captain Robert Trimble.
Ěý
With little covert training, Trimble took the mission. He would survive by wit, courage, and determination. This is the compelling true story of an American hero, who risked everything to bring his fellow soldiers and abandoned civilians home to safety and freedom.
INCLUDES PHOTOS]]> 352 Lee Trimble 042527604X Julie 5 non-fiction, own
I was well aware that the Russian army was badly behaved, raping and pillaging their way west. But I had no idea how frustratingly defiant they were to their own allies. They flagrantly violated the terms of the Yalta Conference agreement that they would provide food and accommodations to Allied POWs. Instead, they left them to their own defenses, wandering the countryside of Poland, starving and destitute. It became Robert’s job to covertly rescue these men, but he ends up saving numerous others, too.

It's no wonder Robert was so disillusioned after his experiences in Poland. He witnessed Soviet atrocities first hand and his frustration and helplessness are understandable. The potential that Russia could be an enemy instead of an unreliable ally was serious and taken into consideration often. Therefore, the U.S.’s capitulation to the Soviets was incredibly shameful to Robert.

This starkly illustrated what was going on behind the Iron Curtain as Russia was Soviet-izing its conquered territories, even before the war was over. I’m appalled at how bad things were and what they got away with (and what we let them get away with).

Lee Trimble tells his father’s story with great compassion and pride, and I enjoyed how Robert was honored here.
]]> 4.25 2015 Beyond the Call: The True Story of One World War II Pilot's Covert Mission to Rescue POWs on the Eastern Front
author: Lee Trimble
name: Julie
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/10
date added: 2024/02/11
shelves: non-fiction, own
review:
After piloting the requisite number of bombing runs over Europe (and surviving them), Captain Robert Trimble is given two options: take leave and probably be called back into action after a few weeks, or avoid additional combat by repairing and rescuing downed American planes in Soviet territory. Knowing his chances of survival were slim with the first option, he accepts the latter mission. What he does not know is that the directive is a cover. The Americans have the Soviet’s permission to salvage their plane wreckage, but what Robert is really doing is rescuing American POWs.

I was well aware that the Russian army was badly behaved, raping and pillaging their way west. But I had no idea how frustratingly defiant they were to their own allies. They flagrantly violated the terms of the Yalta Conference agreement that they would provide food and accommodations to Allied POWs. Instead, they left them to their own defenses, wandering the countryside of Poland, starving and destitute. It became Robert’s job to covertly rescue these men, but he ends up saving numerous others, too.

It's no wonder Robert was so disillusioned after his experiences in Poland. He witnessed Soviet atrocities first hand and his frustration and helplessness are understandable. The potential that Russia could be an enemy instead of an unreliable ally was serious and taken into consideration often. Therefore, the U.S.’s capitulation to the Soviets was incredibly shameful to Robert.

This starkly illustrated what was going on behind the Iron Curtain as Russia was Soviet-izing its conquered territories, even before the war was over. I’m appalled at how bad things were and what they got away with (and what we let them get away with).

Lee Trimble tells his father’s story with great compassion and pride, and I enjoyed how Robert was honored here.

]]> Songs for the Missing 3247408 An enthralling portrait of one family in the aftermath of a daughter's disappearance.

It was the summer of her Chevette, of J.P. and letting her hair grow. It was also the summer when, without warning, popular high school student Kim Larsen disappeared from her small midwestern town. Her loving parents, her introverted sister, her friends and boyfriend must now do everything they can to find her. As desperate search parties give way to pleading television appearances, and private investigations yield to personal revelations, we see one town's intimate struggle to maintain hope and, finally, to live with the unknown.

Stewart O’Nan's new novel begins with the suspense and pacing of a thriller and soon deepens into an affecting family drama of loss. On the heels of his critically acclaimed and nationally bestselling Last Night at the Lobster, Songs for the Missing is an honest, heartfelt account of one family’s attempt to find their child. With a soulful empathy for these ordinary heroes, O’Nan draws us into the world of this small American town and allows us to feel a part of this family.]]> 287 Stewart O'Nan 067002032X Julie 4 fiction, own
O’Nan has an excellent grasp on how to convey the effects of loss. We witness how Kim’s friends and family cope with her absence and the uncertainty of her fate. Her mom, dad, sister, best friend, and boyfriend all deal with the fallout of her disappearance in different ways. Some people need to keep busy, others want to feel useful, while some retreat into solitude. The book does a great job of realistically portraying the need to find closure, though I thought there were some aspects of the plot that should have been less vague. Otherwise, it was a skillful depiction of grief and the best O’Nan book I’ve yet read.]]> 3.41 2008 Songs for the Missing
author: Stewart O'Nan
name: Julie
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/08
date added: 2024/02/11
shelves: fiction, own
review:
It’s the idyllic summer after high school graduation with the anticipation of leaving for college, and Kim is savoring it. When Kim doesn’t show up for her work shift, all her family can do is notify the police and HOPE.

O’Nan has an excellent grasp on how to convey the effects of loss. We witness how Kim’s friends and family cope with her absence and the uncertainty of her fate. Her mom, dad, sister, best friend, and boyfriend all deal with the fallout of her disappearance in different ways. Some people need to keep busy, others want to feel useful, while some retreat into solitude. The book does a great job of realistically portraying the need to find closure, though I thought there were some aspects of the plot that should have been less vague. Otherwise, it was a skillful depiction of grief and the best O’Nan book I’ve yet read.
]]> Table for Two 195474144 From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Rules of Civility, a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories set in New York and Los Angeles. The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles. The New York stories, most of which are set around the turn of the millennium, take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego, to the fateful consequences of brief encounters, and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages. In Towles’s novel, Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September, 1938, with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood� describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age. Throughout the stories, two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next. Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction.]]> 451 Amor Towles 0593296370 Julie 0 to-read, fiction, wishlist 4.15 2024 Table for Two
author: Amor Towles
name: Julie
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/08
shelves: to-read, fiction, wishlist
review:

]]> I'll Be Gone in the Dark 35271190
A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.

"You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark."

For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area.

Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called "the Golden State Killer." McNamara pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was.

At the time of the crimes, the Golden State Killer was between the ages of eighteen and thirty, Caucasian, and athletic—capable of vaulting tall fences. He always wore a mask. After choosing a victim—he favored suburban couples—he often entered their home when no one was there, studying family pictures, mastering the layout. He attacked while they slept, using a flashlight to awaken and blind them. Though they could not recognize him, his victims recalled his voice: a guttural whisper through clenched teeth, abrupt and threatening.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark—the masterpiece McNamara was writing at the time of her sudden death—offers an atmospheric snapshot of a moment in American history and a chilling account of a criminal mastermind and the wreckage he left behind. It is also a portrait of a woman’s obsession and her unflagging pursuit of the truth. Framed by an introduction by Gillian Flynn and an afterword by her husband, Patton Oswalt, the book was completed by McNamara's lead researcher and a close colleague. Utterly original and compelling, it is destined to become a true crime classic—and may at last unmask the Golden State Killer.]]> 328 Michelle McNamara Julie 4 non-fiction, own
I found it interesting how McNamara’s obsession evolved based on technology. Everything from DNA testing to online true crime chat rooms and forums were not available when the crimes were committed and the investigation was active. Decades later, these would be key elements linking GSK’s various crimes and leading to his arrest. Though the latter is not included in the book, McNamara’s obsession is a bit contagious, and I found it impossible not to go down that on-line rabbit hole to discover what happened after her book was published.
]]> 4.10 2018 I'll Be Gone in the Dark
author: Michelle McNamara
name: Julie
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/28
date added: 2024/01/29
shelves: non-fiction, own
review:
McNamara’s book is part memoir and part true crime mystery. It’s a shame she didn’t live long enough to see the man she dubbed the Golden State Killer finally come to justice. But what she did contribute to the cold case investigation was invaluable. Thanks to her sleuthing, crimes that were previously thought unrelated were connected to the same perpetrator.

I found it interesting how McNamara’s obsession evolved based on technology. Everything from DNA testing to online true crime chat rooms and forums were not available when the crimes were committed and the investigation was active. Decades later, these would be key elements linking GSK’s various crimes and leading to his arrest. Though the latter is not included in the book, McNamara’s obsession is a bit contagious, and I found it impossible not to go down that on-line rabbit hole to discover what happened after her book was published.

]]>