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Favorite Reads of May ’24

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“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

The Kingdoms of Savannah George Dawes Green. Savannah is a beautiful city to visit—full of history, good food, and atmosphere. But, for the people who live there, there is a darker side which can go unseen unless you know where to look. When a building burns down with a homeless man inside, an unsavory developer is arrested for his murder. Declaring his innocence, he seeks to hire Morgana Musgrove, a pillar of high society, to prove his innocence. Morgana, in turn, pressures her four grown children to help her. No one believes this man can possibly be innocent, but something is definitely going on amongst Savannah’s elite. I read this with a mystery book club. Most of us have visited Savannah at some time or other and are familiar with the landmarks mentioned in the book. A good mystery with some interesting history woven in. 4 stars

Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World Andrea Pitzer. I don’t know why I enjoy reading of these arctic explorations, but I have read several and find them fascinating. It’s certainly not that I have any desire to walk in the footsteps of these men or even get on a boat and follow the paths of William Barents (as did the author). In spite of the failures of the voyages Barents was involved in, he is renowned for what he brought to the world of navigation. What the men survived (the ones who did) and how makes for entertaining and sometimes cringing reading. Reading of the many polar bear attacks and the effects of scurvy is not for the faint-hearted. They didn’t eat the bear because they didn’t care for the meat? And they didn’t think to use that fur for coats? Humans are strange creatures. One interesting discovery came when they found some barnacle geese on an island sitting on nests. For centuries, people did not understand that birds migrate. “Because these birds vanished each year from their European habitats and returned the following year but were never seen laying or nesting their eggs, it had been a matter of folk superstition common in England and Europe since the twelfth century that they grew out of driftwood, or perhaps shells grown on a ‘barnacle tree’ that fell in the water and matured.’ Barents would be credited with dissolving this myth though it would take many years for it to die completely. 4 stars

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake Amy E. Reichert. Romance and food—two of my favorite subjects. Lou is struggling to make her dream come true of building a successful French restaurant in Milwaukee. When a food critic visits the place on a bad day—a very bad day—Lou’s restaurant seems to be doomed. In spite of this and in spite of going through a bad break-up, Lou meets a charming English man and offers to give him a tour of her city. What she doesn’t know is that this man writes (incognito) as a food critic. And what he doesn’t know is that Lou is the owner of the awful Luella’s he visited one time. Will the truth come out and can their love survive it? 4 stars

Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver. Winner of the Pulitzer and the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Kingsolver takes the well-known Dickens story of David Copperfield and places it in the mountains of southern Appalachia in the 21st century. Demon (nickname for Damon) lives with his mother in a trailer owned by the Peggotts who do what they can for Demon and his mother. After hurting her back, his mother becomes addicted to pain pills. When she marries Stoner for love and security, Demon’s life goes from bad to worse. Much worse. If you’re familiar with the story of David Copperfield, you know how some of this is going to play out, but the story is worth the ride. You will root for Demon and also want to shake him at times. 4 stars

Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships Sarah Grunder Ruiz. Jo Walker  has a condo on the beach she inherited from her grandmother and works on a yacht for a company that caters to different groups of people during the summer. She has made a bucket list of things to accomplish before her 30th birthday, all made in fun and something she has been sharing on her blog. A family tragedy sucks the fun out, but her best friend and nieces want to help her finish anyway. When she does one of the things on the list (kiss a handsome stranger), someone new enters her life. Since they both declare they don’t date (for various reasons), they try to at least to be friends. A sweet, though often sad, story of love, friendship, and family. 4 stars

The Housemaid Freida McFadden. I kept putting this down during the first half of the book. A little too disturbing for me. But, once I got past the halfway point, I had to know what was going on and who was really the crazy one. A woman who has recently gotten out of prison is desperate for a job, so she accepts one as a maid for a wealthy couple and their bratty child. The wife, Nina, makes things as difficult as possible for her, but how can she leave? She knows no one will want to hire an ex-con. Besides, there’s Andrew the kind and extremely handsome husband. Can he make things at least bearable? 5 stars

Favorite Reads of April ’24

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“Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories.” Hilary Mantel in Wolf Hall

Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Later Years Ellen Vaughn. Though I’ve known that Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of Jim Elliot (a missionary killed in Ecuador in 1956), that’s pretty much all I knew about her. A shame since she was living and writing during my younger years. So, this book relates the second part of Elliot’s life. I did not read the first book, so that’s not necessary but I would like to go back and read it. Though Elliot went through many heartaches and faced discouragement and despair (including often not pleasing the “Christian crowd”), her faith remained strong and she constantly looked to the Lord for answers and direction. Unfortunately, she did not always make the best decisions and there was one that would cause her much grief. A good example of the impact Elisabeth had on others was given by Cornell Capa, a non-believing photographer who spent some time with Elisabeth and other “missionary widows.” Cornell “was exposed to an evangelical subculture he had never known existed. He developed a great curiosity about the work of these people so compelled to carry a message of faith and redemption that they were willing to die for it. Elisabeth, who had grown up in environments where depictions of life had to be airbrushed of any ‘wrong messages’ in order to be presented in a religiously attractive way, loved Cornell’s bluntness, good humor, and uncompromising eye.”

In spite of his own unbelief, Cornell saw that Elisabeth’s faith was deep. “Then there’s you—and a million others—who are not satisfied with the trimmings. You are in the core. You know that He is there because you know He is there. You know that it seems God was NOT THERE when you wanted Him, yet you say you know He was there.” 5 stars

Sovereign C.J. Sansom (Matthew Shardlake #3). The third in this historical mystery series takes place in the fall of 1541. Henry VIII has set out on a Progress to the North to force his rebellious subjects in York to submit to him, turning it into a public spectacle. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak have been sent ahead as part of the legal process of submitting petitions to the king. Shardlake has also been instructed by Archbishop Cranmer to look after a prisoner—one destined for the tower. He must make sure the prisoner stays alive to face the rack. Shardlake is unhappy with this task but has little choice. Shardlake soon finds himself investigating a murder and learning more than he wants to know about a conspiracy. Will he and Jack make it home alive? This is an excellent series in terms of historical events and people, constant suspense, and engaging characters. 5 stars. (Note: Sadly, I just learned (4/29) that Sansom has died. This is two days before the Shardlake series is to premiere on Hulu).

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession Michael Finkel. The strange true story of an unusual art thief. Most art thieves focus on a particular object and do it for the money. Stephane Breitwieser saw an object he wanted and generally just walked off with it. Living with his girlfriend in his mother’s attic, his room was soon filled with priceless objects from museums and cathedrals all over Europe. In just eight years, Breitwieser made off with over two hundred objects. Was he a kleptomaniac? A true art lover? Or just mad? And what about his girlfriend? Did she never feel a twinge of conscience or was it all just a game? 4 stars

City Under One Roof Iris Yamashita (Cara Kennedy #1). When a severed hand and foot washes up on the beach near the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy, a detective from Anchorage, shows up to investigate, but also with her own agenda. Point Mettier is quite isolated and when a blizzard closes the tunnel that leads into the city, everyone (including Kennedy) is stuck there indefinitely. All 205 residents of the town live in the same building and it doesn’t take long for Cara to meet several of this strange and motley crew. As if that wasn’t enough, a gang from a nearby village shows up armed and ready for trouble. A great start to a new series. I look forward to reading the second which came out recently. 4 stars

The Winter Sea Susanna Kearsley (Scottish Series #1). Carrie McClelland writes historical fiction and during her research in Scotland, a story becomes alive to her in ways she can’t explain. Does she have ancestral memory? Is there such a thing? In the spring of 1708, Jacobites are making plans to bring James Stewart out of exile in France to reclaim his crown in Scotland. As characters come and go at Slains Castle, plots are formed, romance blooms, and betrayal is uncovered. Kearsley is one of my favorite writers of historical fiction. The third book is a prequel of this one, and I hope to get to it soon. 4 stars

The Prisoner of Heaven (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #3) Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Translated from the Spanish, this series began with Shadow of the Wind one of the best-selling books in Spain and for good reason. I have heard you don’t need to read these books in order. Well, of course, you don’t need to but you will certainly miss out on a lot of backstory if you start with this one. We pick up Daniel and Fermin’s story from Shadow of the Wind, and David Martin from book two is also featured. Fermin is about to be wed but he has a problem. He has been using a false identity for years. How can he legally marry without putting himself in danger? Daniel is unaware of Fermin’s dilema until a sinister-looking stranger shows up at the Sempere bookshop looking for Fermin. When Daniel tells Fermin about him, he eventually learns the whole story of Fermin’s past. It’s not a pleasant story and I found it difficult to get through some of that, but overall enjoyed learning more of Daniel and Fermin. 4 stars

Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel (Cromwell #1). Winner of the Booker Prize in 2009 and the Walter Scott Prize in 2010 (and nominated for several others), Mantel writes of England in the 1520’s. Henry VIII desperately wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn; even (maybe especially) if it means taking control of the church and making himself the head of the church in England. Thomas Cromwell is willing to do whatever the king wants and has the charm, persuasion, and amorality to do it. Mantel’s writing can take some getting used to, but worth the trouble as you get into the rhythm. I read this a few years and read it again to participate in a year-long read-along (#wolfcrawl) with all 3 books in the Cromwell Trilogy. 4 stars

Favorite Reads of March ’24

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“But it is not enough to read widely. One must also read well. One must read virtuously. The word virtue has various shades of meaning . . . but, in general, virtue can most simply be understood as excellence. Reading well is, in itself, an act of virtue, or excellence, and it is also a habit that cultivates more virtue in return.” Karen Swallow Prior in On Reading Well

The Peach Seed Anita Gail Jones. I gave The Peach Seed 5 stars because I loved the way the author pulled so many threads together. There’s family drama, history, drug abuse, relationships, and forgiveness. Filled with colorful characters, there are three storylines. One of these goes back to a man stolen from West Africa who becomes a slave in SC and is the ancestor of the widower Fletcher Dukes. The book begins when Fletcher spies the woman he loved and lost fifty years ago at his local Piggly Wiggly. The last time Fletcher saw Altovise she had spurned his marriage proposal, then she had been locked up after the two had been involved in a protest for their rights in the 60’s. Before Altovise left, Fletcher had given her a carved peach seed monkey. Carving peach seed monkeys had been something passed down through generations though no one was sure exactly when it started. But that peach seed monkey will bring family together in ways no one could have foreseen. 5 stars

The Winners (Beartown #3) Fredrik Backman. Swedish author, Backman, returns us to Beartown where two years have passed since the event that shook up the town in the first book. Maya has gone away to college; Benji has been traveling around as if in a daze; Peter is working for his wife, Kira. The death of someone in the community brings the wanderers home and everyone back together; for a time. Backman has a way of bringing his characters to life so that you share their heartaches, frustrations, misunderstandings, hate, and love. At times, this one got a little long, but I certainly didn’t want to put it down. 5 stars

Judges: Such a Great Salvation Dale Ralph Davis. A commentary on the book of Judges in the Bible. Excellent insights, very readable for both laymen and ministers. 5 stars

A House With Good Bones T. Kingfisher. Sam has come home to NC to spend some time with her mother while her job as a archeo-entomologist is temporarily on hold. Her brother has warned her that something seems off about their mom and it isn’t long before Sam sees the evidence. Instead of her mom’s colorful rooms, she has painted the walls ecru and put up a dreadful picture that had belonged to her own mother (former owner of the house).  And did I mention there is a vulture sitting on the mailbox? Sam doesn’t believe in ghosts or any other such nonsense, but something strange is definitely going on. I don’t read a lot of horror, but I have enjoyed a couple of Kingfisher’s books and besides this is more of a “cozy horror”. Creepy, but not gory. 4 stars

The Bullet that Missed Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #3). The third book of the Thursday Murder Club finds our friends (who live together in a seniors’ home) deciding to look into a decade-old cold case when a local news reporter’s car was found having gone over a cliff. Though no body was found, murder was assumed and the culprit never found. In the middle of their investigative meddling, Elizabeth and her husband are kidnapped. The man they nickname “Viking” tells Elizabeth she must murder former KGB chief, Viktor, or he will kill her friend Joyce. With audacity and cleverness, the gang goes about trying to find out what happened to the news reporter and who is the Viking? 4 stars

Buttermilk Graffiti Edward Lee. This part travel memoir, part cookbook (well, there are recipes included if that makes it a cookbook) was the community read for Charlotte in March. So, one of my book groups (as well as several other groups at the library) read it for their book in March. Chef Edward Lee travels the country learning about different foods from different cultures. As a Korean immigrant, a New Yorker, and now a resident of Kentucky, Lee has his own mix of cultures in his cooking. In this book, he wants to learn how cultures both keep and change the cooking of their ancestors. He tries to talk to the cooks in the places he visits to learn their history and how they pass on what they know to the next generation. Some people aren’t very willing to talk to him, but as he spends time with them and eats (oh, how he eats!), most of them gradually open up and some even give him cooking lessons. An interesting look at the many different ways of cooking that have made their way to the U.S. 4 stars

Play for Me Libby Hubscher. When Sophie Doyle loses her dream job as the head athletic trainer for the Boston Red Sox and is unjustly accused of hurting the team, she needs an escape. A good friend tells her about the boarding school she had attended, which needs a trainer. Taking on a bunch of high school students instead of professional athletes is a bit of a let-down, but Sophie soon learns that working with these students has its own benefits. She’s a bit surprised to find that her three roommates are all men. Two of them, however, are friendly and welcoming, but then there’s Jonas. An ill-tempered Brit who makes it clear that Sophie should stay out of his way if they’re to get along at all. I enjoyed this enemies to lovers romance on audio. 4 stars

Project Hail Mary Andy Weir. Ryland Grace wakes up on a space ship having no idea where he is, why he’s there, or even who he is. As his memory returns in flashes and spurts, he begins to realize that he is alone and he is responsible for saving the Earth. When he sees another ship and realizes that he is not quite alone after all, he joins with this alien creature who is also on a mission to save his own world. Though a good bit of the science was over my head, I enjoyed the banter between Grace and Rocky and the relationship they developed as they worked together to save their worlds. 4 stars

The Prisoner’s Throne Holly Black (The Stolen Heir Duology #2). Though this is the second of a duology, it’s best to start with The Cruel Prince, the first of the Elfhame books, a young adult fantasy series. I’ve enjoyed this series, first on audio, then reading the last three in paper. This one begins where The Stolen Heir ended. Prince Oak has been imprisoned by Wren, an unlikely queen and the object of Oak’s affection. Oak knows his sister, the High Queen Jude, will do what it takes to retrieve him, but he loves Wren and wants to find a way to salvage both kingdoms. Deceit, trickery, and betrayal seem to rule everyone but love also plays a part. 5 stars

The Rising Tide Ann Cleeves (Vera Stanhope #10). A group of friends who met in high school have been having a reunion every five years for fifty years. Even though they’ve gone their separate ways and lead very different lives, their friendships remain and they always enjoy this weekend together. However, this year, one of their group is found hanged in his room on the first morning. They’re on an island which could only be entered and exited according to the tides. Does that mean it has to be one of them? I read this with a book club and quite a few of them didn’t like it. They didn’t seem to like the character of Vera. However, I enjoyed the mystery, Vera and the way she goes about solving the murder. Even though this is the tenth in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. 4 stars

Loved and Missed Susie Boyt. A story of a mother’s love as Ruth tries to help her daughter, Eleanor, a drug addict. When Eleanor has a baby, Ruth steps in. How can she not? Beautifully written and heartbreaking. 4 stars

Parable of the Sower Octavia Butler. Set in the future (2024), Lauren and her family live in one of the few safe neighborhoods just outside of L.A. They live behind walls because of the dangers outside. The country has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and water shortages. Lauren’s father, a preacher, does what he can to keep his family safe. He teaches them how to use a gun and warns them to never go outside their walls. But, he can’t keep them safe forever and Lauren finds herself with a few others trying to find and make their own new world. A Nebula Nominee (1994) for best novel & Locus Nominee for best science fiction novel (1995) 4 stars

Favorite Reads of February ’24

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Murder Your Employer Rupert Holmes. Chosen for a book club, this book has a strange concept that I wasn’t too sure I could get behind. However, the dark humor drew me in and though one hopes that no such place exists (The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts), this turned out to be an enjoyable read filled with puns, unsavory characters, and several opportunities for revenge. Set in the 50’s, the book begins with Cliff, an electrical engineer with a sadistic boss. After the death of two close friends and a potential disaster in the making, Cliff decides he must do away with his now former boss. Unfortunately, he is unskilled in the art of murder and bumbles the job. Fortunately, he is taken in by two policeman who take him to a school where murder and how to get away with it are taught to specially chosen students. (Students who have an ethical reason for needing to delete a member of society who is only causing harm and has no remorse for doing so). This is the first novel by the talented songwriter, Holmes, who is quite famous for the song, “Escape”. (Better known to most of us as the “Pina Colada Song”). 4 stars

The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell. Rupert’s 30th birthday party is a black-tie dinner at the Kentish Town McDonald’s because Rupert is, well, Rupert. The party flows with champagne and cocaine rather than burgers and fries. His girlfriend, Clemmie, never shows up, but Rupert isn’t overly worried. He plans to break up with her anyway. While out jogging, Detective Caius Beauchamp sees a stiletto heel under a bush. Not surprisingly, the heel is still on a foot. Beauchamp’s investigation takes him into the world of the rich and privileged. It’s only coincidence that his last name is the same as the main suspect, Rupert. They pronounce their last name differently and live in vastly different worlds. An entertaining mystery with quite a few characters to love and to hate. This is to be the first in a series. I look forward to the next one. 4 stars

Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist  Karen Swallow Prior. The biography of a woman who has been mostly forgotten, though in her day (18th century) she used her writing to change the opinions and ideas of Britain’s upper classes, especially concerning slavery and education. More was one of five sisters and their father was unusual in that he believed women should be educated and not live in ignorance. Prior does an excellent job in showing how More grew and became involved in society. She spent some of her early days writing plays and socializing in high society. As her faith grew, she became more interested in helping others and using her writing to shape and conform ideas. She became friends with many influential people, including Wilbur Wilberforce and David Garrick. Along with her sisters, she began the first Sunday Schools which were designed to teach poor children to read and write–something many of the upper class found unnecessary and even dangerous. More lived just long enough to see slavery outlawed in England. A fascinating woman who lived a very interesting and complex life. 4 stars

A Shadow in Moscow Katherine Reay. The story of two spies—both women—one MI6’s best Soviet spy and the other a spy for the CIA in Moscow. Ingrid lives in Vienna in 1954 when she loses both of her parents. She meets a Soviet embassy worker and agrees to marry him and follow him to Moscow. Life in the Soviet is not what she expected and she begins to suspect that her husband works for the KGB. After her daughter is born, she decides she has to do something for her daughter’s future and reaches out to the country of her mother’s birth—Britain. She begins passing on intelligence to MI6 and leading a life of lies and secrets. In Washington D.C., 1980, Anya finishes her degree at Georgetown University and prepares to head home to Moscow. She has fallen in love in the U.S. and learned to respect the people there, but believes she must return to her home and leave the young man and his ideals behind. But, it’s not long before she begins to feel the oppression of keeping secrets and not being able to speak her mind. A tragedy makes her decide to reach out to the CIA and offer to pass on Soviet military plans from where she works. Though not based specifically on any two real spies, Reay did her research and used the stories of several spies and real events to bring this story to life. A gripping and heart-breaking story of two brave women who gave their lives for freedom. 4 stars

Norwegian Wood Haruki Murakami. I’ve been meaning to read Murakami for some time and have heard it is best to start with this one. Most of the book takes place in 1969 with the serious college student, Toru, who wrestles with growing up and relationships. He is somewhat in love with a friend from high school, Naoko, but while Toru is learning to adjust to the world, Naoko is not. As Naoko retreats from the world, Toru makes other friends though he still struggles with how to sort through his various relationships. As the title suggests, music plays an important part of Toru’s life. Apparently, this book is different than Murakami’s other books in that it is realistic. No magical realism, talking cats, little people, etc. The book was extremely popular in Japan and Murakami’s fame was launched; much to his dismay. He was so unhappy with his popularity that he and his wife moved to Europe, then to the U.S. for a number of years. I look forward to reading more of Murakami’s work. 4 stars

A Winter in New York Josie Silver; audio hybrid (meaning I partly listened to this on audio). Iris has recently lost her mom and needs to escape a bad relationship, so she leaves England and goes to New York to start over. She knows NY was special for her mom, a place she had lived in when younger, so Iris looks for the landmarks that will remind her of her mom. She finds work in a noodle shop, which hardly test her culinary skills, but it’s a job and she makes a friend and landlord in the owner, Bobby. When Bobby takes her to a street fair in Little Italy, the door of a gelato shop catches her eye. She knows she’s seen that door in a photo of her mom’s. She returns the next day and meets Gio and learns that the shop is in trouble because his uncle, the keeper of their secret gelato recipe, is in a coma. Iris thinks she has the recipe, but how can she tell Gio that her mom had the family’s secret recipe? And why did she have it? As Iris falls in love with both Gio and his family, keeping her many secrets becomes difficult. Will making a full confession put her new relationships in jeopardy? 4 stars

The Twist of a Knife Anthony Horowitz (Hawthorne & Horowitz #4). In this fourth installment of the series, Horowitz tells Hawthorne he is not interested in writing any more books. He has a new play about to open, and all his concentration is on that. On opening night, a well-known (though not well-loved) critic shows up at the cast party and before the night is over, writes a scathing review of the play. When she is found dead the next morning, Anthony is arrested for her murder. Who can he call on but Hawthorne? As with the other books in the series, Horowitz (via Hawthorne) leads us through a slew of suspects who all have motives, yet there are twists and surprises at the end. 5 stars

Dark Matter Blake Crouch. Jason went to a bar to meet a friend and on his way, he is kidnapped. When he wakes up, he is in a different life. He tries to escape, but where can he go? This isn’t his Chicago and the woman he knows as his wife is living quite a different life than the one he remembers. To make matters worse, according to those who are trying to control him, this is all his doing. He is the scientist who discovered how to put yourself in different worlds. But getting back to what he remembers is all that matters. This is a book that makes your head spin. Good action and entertaining plot. 4 stars

A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell #4) Deanna Raybourn. Stoker’s brother, Tiberius bribes Veronica with the promise of an unusual butterfly if she will go with him to Lord Malcolm Romily’s house party. Though Stoker is not invited, he shows up anyway. It doesn’t take long to learn that this is not just a jolly house party. Lord Malcolm’s bride disappeared on their wedding day three years ago, and Lord Malcolm wants everyone’s help in discovering what happened to her. Did she leave on her own? Or did she meet with a fatal ‘accident’? Interesting characters (who all seem to have a motive to want Rosamund dead) and a spooky atmosphere, along with the ever heating up of Veronica and Stoker’s relationship made this a fun, entertaining read. 4 stars

Favorite Reads of January ’24

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“Reading must be a daily spiritual practice for the Christian”–and not only the reading of the Scripture. Unlike our often shallower engagement with screens, reading asks something of us. It cultivates our imagination and increases our vision of the world.” Jessica Hooten Wilson in Reading for the Love of God (quoted in Christianity Today).

Florence Adler Swims Forever Rachel Beanland. It’s 1934 and Esther and Joseph Adler have rented out their house to vacationers and are staying in their apartment over the bakery where they started their lives together. Their daughter, Florence, is home from college and training to swim the English Channel. Their other daughter, Fannie, is pregnant and on bedrest because she lost her last baby. Joseph is trying to help an old friend emigrate from Nazi Germany and has already brought over her daughter adding to their overcrowded household. Their granddaughter, Gussie, (a delightful character) is also staying with them while their mother is in the hospital. Her father only visits her sporadically. Though this book is full of sadness, I enjoyed reading about this family and what they did to handle their grief and protect their children. The author’s note at the end is not to be missed. 5 stars

Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann. The true story of how the Osage nation began to mysteriously die (i.e. murdered) in an obvious attempt to take over their rights to the oil in their land. Also the story of the beginnings of the FBI under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover. The research done by Grann is fascinating even as he tells a horrific story. It’s amazing what greed will do to people and the lengths some will go for money. More of it. All of it.  5 stars

A Death in Tokyo Keigo Higashino (Detective Kaga #3). A policeman sees a man staggering and assumes he is drunk. As it turns out, he is not drunk but has been stabbed and collapses on a famous bridge of Tokyo. A young man is found near the scene of the crime, but when he runs from the police, he is hit by a truck. The police seem to think (and hope) the case is closed, but Detective Kaga is unconvinced that this young man is guilty. When a work connection is established, I have read several mysteries by Higashino and have found them all to be well-written with characters whose motives may be suspect and with relationships that may not be all that they seem. This is actually the ninth in this series, but the third to be translated into English. 4 stars

Ovid (Marcus Corvinus #1) David Wishart. The first in a mystery series that takes place in Rome when Tiberius was emperor. Marcus Corvinus is approached by a young woman who was the stepdaughter of the poet, Ovid. She reminds Corvinus that his grandfather was the poet’s patron. Ovid has died in exile and Perilla wants to bring his ashes home. Unfortunately, not only has this not been allowed, to even speak of what had Ovid exiled can put a person in danger. Entranced by the lovely Perilla, Corvinus is determined to find out the truth behind Ovid’s exile and to bring his ashes home. Even when he is continually warned to mind his own business; especially when he is warned, even by his own father. Corvinus is amusing and tenacious, and just a fun character to follow. His attraction to Perilla leads to complications, but nothing he can’t handle. This series started in 1995 and is going strong some 20 books later. I look forward to reading more. 4 stars

Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2) Martha Wells. I listened to the audio for the first Murderbot and had a hard time following it. Reading it in print was a better format for me. And, yes, you should read the first in whatever format suits you. In this episode, Murderbot (his own name for himself; he is officially a robotic security unit) is both trying to escape and to find out if he really did what he has been accused of. He sneaks on a transport vessel to return to the mining facility where his problems began. ART (the transport vessel) is onto him, but turns out to be more of a help than a hindrance. Murderbot would rather watch the soaps and other television entertainment he has downloaded than deal with humans, but he needs to find out the truth. Though this is the second of seven, don’t let the length of the series deter you. For one thing, it is completed. For another, they are all (except the fifth one) short enough to be considered novellas, so it is like reading a long scifi book, one section at a time. 4 stars

Normal People Sally Rooney. A love story, sort of. A coming of age story, definitely. Connell is a popular soccer player in high school, in spite of living with only a single mother who works as a cleaner. One of the people she cleans for is Marianne’s mother. Marianne is smart and has money but is not popular at high school as she is considered a bit odd. Connell and Marianne are attracted to each other but keep it a secret. When they end up at the same college, their statuses are reversed, but they still have difficulty deciding on what kind of relationship they should have. I like Rooney’s writing; the way you see and hear the characters’ thoughts, confusions, desires. 4 stars

The Kingdom of Copper S. A. Chakraborty (The Darvabad Trilogy #2) 609 pp. Second in a series in which you do need to read the first and you will want to read the third. In the first book, The City of Brass, Nahri accidentally summoned Dara, a djinn. He takes her from her home in Cairo and brings her to Daevabad where she is taken in by the royal court and learns about her ancestors. After a battle ends the first book, Nahri has now been forced to marry a prince because the king has plans for her and her gifts. Nahri wants to rebuild a hospital and be able to use her healing gifts in a bigger way. The other prince (whom Nahri thought was her friend), Ali, has been exiled though many think he is dead. He is not the only one not dead as many think, and they all have plans for Daevabad. Full of myths, magic, political intrigue, and family drama, I enjoyed this almost as much as the first and look forward to the third. 4 stars

Favorite Reads from November ’23

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“Books help to form us. If you cut me open, will you find volume after volume, page after page, the contents of every one I have ever read, somehow transmuted and transformed into me? Alice in Wonderland. The Magic Faraway Tree. The Hound of the Baskervilles. The Book of Job. Bleak House. Wuthering Heights. The Complete Poems of W.H. Auden. The Tale of Mr. Tod. Howards End. What a strange person I must be. But if the books I have read have helped to form me, then probably nobody else who ever lived has read exactly the same books, all the same books and only the same books, as me. So just as my genes and the soul within me make me uniquely me, so I am the unique sum of the books I have read. I am my literary DNA.” Susan Hill in Howards End is on the Landing

A Southern gothic novel with a cast of characters that are at turns amusing and extremely dark–from a precocious girl playing detective to a snake-handler (warning: you will go to sleep dreaming of snakes of all kinds) to others crazy on meth and PTSD  The story takes place in Mississippi in the late 60’s or early 70’s. A nine-year old is killed while out playing in his yard. His younger sisters are also there but too young to know what happened. Twelve years later, the youngest sister, Harriet (who was only a baby at the time) decides she is going to solve the murder. Her mother spends most of her time in bed, but Harriet has the maid who also serves as a nanny, her grandmother and her great-aunts who all live nearby. Harriet also has her faithful friend, Hely, who is willing to go the crazy extra mile to help exact revenge. 4 stars

It’s the summer of 1976 in London and the middle of a heat-wave. Gretta is preparing breakfast when her newly retired husband goes out for a paper. Unfortunately, he doesn’t return. Now, Gretta’s three adult children come together (one of them needing to return from the U.S.), and their relationships—rocky at best—are tested as secrets and hurts are revealed. O’Farrell is one of my favorite writers and is skilled at writing family drama. 4 stars

My third Katherine Center book for this year; she is quickly becoming a favorite author when looking for a fun, comfort book. Romance that is not silly and deals with tough situations. Cassie is one of the few female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, and she excels in dealing with emergencies. Her mother (who left her and her father when she was sixteen), calls and asked her to come to Boston to help her deal with some medical issues. The last thing Cassie wants to do is be with her mother—for any reason—but she’s left with little choice. Though she gets a new job at a firehouse in Boston, the men there are not exactly thrilled with a “lady” firefighter. Except for one handsome rookie. 4 stars

Historical fantasy, this story takes place in 1912 where magic has been dwindling away for years. Biddy has grown up on Hy-Brasil, an island unknown to most of the world. Though she has no magic herself, she was raised by the mage Rowan who promises her that one day she will be able to see the world. For now, she is safer on the island. But, one night, Rowan does not return from one of his many nightly quests and Biddy knows she has to do something. When she enters Rowan’s dream, she learns that Rowan has powerful enemies and her isolated home may not be safe any longer. 4 stars

Margo seems like a normal middle-aged librarian, both friendly and helpful. But Margo is not her real name. She is actually a former nurse who is in hiding because of the numerous premature deaths that happened to patients in her care. When Patricia joins the staff, she mostly keeps to herself, nursing her grievance over her failed attempts to become an author. When she finds Margo in the bathroom one day with a patron who is dying, she begins to do a little research on her colleague. 3 stars

Arthur, an 85 year old widow, goes to the cemetery every day to visit his wife. Maddy, a teenage girl whose mother died when she was a baby and whose father seems clueless with what to do with her, also visits the cemetery on a regular basis (mostly just to avoid school and other people). One day she overhears Arthur talking and decides to meet him and introduces herself. The two become friends, and soon Arthur invites her to his home for lunch and to meet his cat. When Maddy gets into some trouble, Arthur is there to help along with his neighbor, Lucille, another lonely soul. I haven’t read Elizabeth Berg in several years, though I’ve always enjoyed her, so it was nice to come back. 4 stars

After pastry chef, Olivia Rawlings, prepares a flaming dessert for a Boston dinner club and ends up setting the whole building on fire, she decides to leave town and regroup.  Her best friend, Hannah, lives in Guthrie, Vermont, so she goes there and gets a job at the Sugar Maple Inn. Even though it is not easy to win over the rather grouchy owner, Margaret, Olivia settles in and begins making her amazing desserts. She soon becomes friends with Margaret’s best friend and her family, including her son, Martin. Martin has only come home because his father is dying. Music brings them all together though. Olivia wants to fit in and stay here, but does she really belong? And will Martin stay? Or go back to Seattle? 4 stars

Now is the time to finish some reading challenges, prepare for new challenges, and, hopefully, do some Christmas reading. Along with other books, I’m reading Charles Spurgeon’s Joy to the World Advent: Daily Readings for Advent. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas & enjoy some reading!

Favorite Reads for August ’23

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I’ve read several times lately that the blog is dead. I do listen to more podcasts than I read blogs, but there have been several blogs I enjoyed following and the writers have quit for different reasons. Most of the blogs I follow are about reading; book reviews especially. I suspect that one reason there are not as many of these can be pointed to the rise of the YouTube channels where people review, recommend, and highlight books. Personally, I don’t have the patience to watch these, though I have tried several. I can listen to podcasts while driving or doing dishes, etc. As I much prefer to read the reviews and thoughts of others concerning what they’re reading, I’m going to post my own thoughts monthly rather than just once or twice a year. No spoilers here. My reviews are brief and do not include major plot details or synopses. So, without further ado, my reviews for August.

I completed fourteen books in August, but I will only share reviews of my top six. For a more complete picture, you can always check out my goodreads profile.

Bloomsbury Girls by Natlie Jenner. Historical fiction taking place in London in 1950. Bloomsbury Books has been in business for a hundred years and not much has changed in that time. It is run and guided by men, but changes are coming with several key women leading the charge. When the manager becomes ill, they get their chance to prove their worth and work hard to do so. Some well-known literary figures of their time (including Daphne Du Maurier and Ellen Doubleday) appear and help the women in different ways to prove that women have a place in the publishing and writing industries. I listened to the audio narrated by Juliet Stevenson who did a fabulous job. 4 stars

I really loved this book and looked forward to watching the adaptation on Netflix. I couldn’t get past the first thirty minutes. Curious if anyone who hasn’t read the book would like it. Helen, a kindergarten teacher, age 32, has been divorced for a year and she wants to do something different. Something to change her life. So, she signs up for a wilderness course even though she has not even gone camping before. When her younger brother’s best friend practically hijacks her for a ride, she is less than pleased to learn he is going on the same course. Even though she wants them to act like they don’t know each other, the attraction is undeniably there and to Helen’s further disgruntlement, Jake is everyone’s favorite and he manages to save her life more than once. 5 stars

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxas. I’ve read a couple of books about Luther. Probably my first was in college for a world history class. I wish I could remember the discussions we had and my professor’s comments but far too long ago. Luther was a complex and controversial man, but no one can deny his place in the church and in the world. Metaxas covers Luther’s life and comments on what has become legend and how much truth there may be in some of the stories. Hearing some sermons about Jesus and his dealings with the Pharisees at the same time I was reading about Luther and his conflicts with the Pope and Catholic church made me see quite a few similarities. Though I don’t agree with everything Luther said (and he said and wrote a lot!), his story is fascinating and we all owe a great debt to him.

Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout. Following the Pulitzer prize winning, Olive Kitteridge, we meet Olive again in later life. Though Olive has mellowed somewhat, she is still her prickly, yet honest self, as we meet different people who cross her life in a small town in Maine. This is a novel which reads as a group of short stories that revolve around one woman. Though some people find Olive unbearable, there are others who admit they always kind of liked her. Me, too. 4 stars

Her Lost Words by Stephanie Marie Thornton. Historical fiction. A tale of two women, a mother and daughter. Wollstonecraft escapes from a abusive home and becomes a champion of women’s rights in the late 1700’s. Her “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” was published by a man who supported and encouraged her as a woman writer when many others wouldn’t. Refusing to marry because she believed marriage was just another form of bondage, she became involved with a man, bore his child, and was soon deserted. Her daughter, Mary Shelley, never knows her mother but longs to emulate her and follow her in her footsteps. She falls in love with the married Percy Shelley and follows him in spite of being shunned by family and society. Though she doesn’t believe she has the writing talent her mother had, she is challenged to write a story and begins to write what we know today as “Frankenstein”. I enjoyed reading about both of these two women as I knew very little about either. Thornton brings to life, not only the two women, but the times they lived in. 4 stars

A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (Sam Wyndham #2). India, 1920. British Captain Wyndham and his sergeant Banerjee (better known as Surrender-Not) are in a car with a Maharajah’s son when the prince is assassinated before their eyes. Even though they quickly track down the killer, Wyndham is not satisfied that the murder has been solved. He manages to convince his superiors to let him go the kingdom of Sambalpore to further investigate. Was it the work of a religious fanatic? Or what about the prince’s playboy brother who is now next in line to the throne? Even the wives of the Maharajah are not above suspicion. I enjoyed this second book as much as the first and look forward to continuing the series. 4 stars

Bird Photos for July ’23

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Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I have heard this bird several times at different parks, but didn’t have much hope in seeing it. They stay high in the trees, so I was delighted when this one had his lunch in a tree low enough where I could watch him. These cuckoos come to the Carolinas in April for breeding and stay through October. They spend their winters in South America.

Eastern Kingbird. These birds are part of the group known as the flycatchers. They can be seen around different bodies of water, and they also come to the Carolinas in April and leave in October; making their winter home in South America.

Mourning Doves. These doves don’t migrate. I have them in my yard all year round. I recently ran across an article titled “How to Attract Mourning Doves to Your Yard”. I felt no need to read it.

White-eyed Vireo. This vireo is fairly common in the Carolinas and you will usually hear them even if you never see them. I had walked past a heavy thicket, ready to go home when I heard this one singing. Fortunately, he decided to make an appearance and I was able to get several shots. The white-eyed vireos winter along the Southern coast of the U.S. as well as the coasts of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker. This woodpecker lives here year round. They don’t come to my feeders as often as the downy woodpeckers, but they do show up and often bring their young to show them where the snack bar is located.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, male fledgling. A male fledgling is the best (probably the only way for me) way I can know for sure that the hummingbirds have had their babies; if not in my yard, then close by. These young males are just starting to flex their red throats, but by next year will look the one below.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, adult male. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only hummingbird that comes to breed in the eastern part of the U.S. The males are the first to arrive in April. They leave in October to cross the Gulf of Mexico to spend their winters in Mexico.

House Finch–parent and fledgling. The House Finch, though they only came to the Carolinas in the 1960’s, are quite common and can strip a cylinder of sunflower seeds in record time. I had noticed they seemed noisier than usual lately, and when I saw these two, I understood. I’ve been hearing the fledglings (for the most part). They’re in the trees and the feeders and chirp their heads off until a parent finally feeds them.

Bird Photos of June ’23

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All photos were taken in the state of North Carolina in June 2023.

Orchard Oriole

Prothonotary Warbler

Juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk

Juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk

Indigo Bunting

Summer Tanager (male)

Summer Tanager (female)

Pair of Mallards (Doing their balancing act)

Papa Red-bellied Woodpecker feeding Juvenile

Common Yellow-Throat Warbler

Pair of Belted Kingfishers

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Northern Cardinal (juvenile)

American Goldfinch (male)

“All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.” Cecil Frances Alexander

Favorite Reads of 2023 (so far)

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If anyone out there is paying attention, I did a post on my favorite books of 2022 for the first half of that year, but I never did a follow-up. I’m sure I read some good books the second half of the year, but somehow, I just couldn’t come up with them. Since I rated 4 books 5 stars in May, I thought I should write down my thoughts about them now. As come December, I surely won’t remember.

In January, my top book was The Mermaid of Black Conch. This is my second book by Monique Roffey, a British/Trinidadian writer. Though totally different from The White Woman on the Green Bicycle, I loved it just as much. The Mermaid starts in 1976 where David is fishing off the island of Black Conch. He meets a mermaid, Aycayia, and is enthralled. He pays her several visits, but one day she is captured by some American tourists who have come to fish. David knows he must rescue her, but how do you hide and keep a mermaid?

In February: Woman Watching: Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and the Songbirds of Pimisi Bay by Merilyn Simonds.I don’t often have a nonfiction book for my favorite, but I quite enjoyed this biography of a woman who became known for what she did for birding, but led a very interesting life all around. A Swedish aristocrat, she gave up much of her life of privilege as she was not one to sit around and enjoy an idle life. After surviving the Russian Revolution (though losing her husband), she went to Canada and joined the Canadian Red Cross and visited her patients by dogsled. She became a nurse to the famous Dionne Quintuplets, but when she could take no more of the media circus, she made her home in the wilderness, living alone in a cabin. Though she had no formal training, she began studying the birds that lived there, writing to scientists and eventually writing her own stories and articles as she did extensive research. Ornithologists from all over the world came to visit and learn from her. The author, Simonds, moved into the woods not far from where Lawrence was living in her later years. A birder, herself, Simonds was able to spent time with Lawrence which adds much to the biography of this fascinating woman.

In March, The Hidden Palace.

First of all, I loved, loved this book! Second of all, if you haven’t read The Golem and the Jinni, stop reading this review and go read it first. I kind of wish I had reread it before starting this second, but I anticipate a reread of both sometime in the future when I need some comfort reads. These are the type of books I think can be even better the second time around. Told through the viewpoints of several characters, this takes place in New York City in the early 20th century, just as the Great War is beginning, and continues the stories of the Golem (Chava) and the Jinni (Ahmad). Not needing sleep and never aging brings on difficulties that they both have to face and deal with it. Then there’s Anna and her son, Toby, (also characters from the previous book). Toby has a continuing nightmare and is starting to be suspicious about both his mother’s and her friend, Chava’s, past. What are they not telling him? Sophia who had a relationship with Ahmad in the first book is suffering the consequences of that relationship and her parents have sent her across the ocean to keep from needing to dealing with her. New characters include a female jinni who wants to meet the “iron-bound jinni” and will do what it takes to cross the ocean to find him; and Kreindel, the young daughter of a rabbi who wants to make a golem for her own protection. All great characters and I enjoyed seeing their stories intersect.

In April, no five stars or stand-outs, but May made up for it.

In May:

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. This is one long, crazy adventure story and I loved it every bit of it. It covers ten days in June, 1954 and begins when 18 year old Emmett is driven home from a work farm where he has served time, but has been released early because of his father’s death. The bank has foreclosed on his father’s farm, so Emmett just wants to sign some papers for the bank, pick up his eight-year old brother, Billy, and head off to California to start a new life. Unfortunately, when the warden drives away, two of Emmett’s friends from the work farm appear and they have other ideas of what they all need to do to give themselves a better future.

The Golden Spoon by Jess Maxwell. This is a fun mystery especially if you’re into baking shows. Six amateur bakers are competing for the Golden Spoon at Grafton Manor, home of their host, Betsy Martin. Grafton Manor is her family home and the successful baking show has enabled her to keep up the manor and its grounds. The six contestants each have their own reasons for being there and not all of them are there just to win. Then, on the first day of the competition, an act of sabotage amps up an already tense situation. 

Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino. (Listed by both titles on Goodreads). A Japanese mystery translated by Alexander O. Smith. I have read a couple of other mysteries by Higashino and enjoyed them all, but this was the longest and most complex. I had to make a list of the characters to keep everyone straight. Partly because of the Japanese names (unfamiliar to me), but mostly because many characters were introduced and different timelines were going on. A man is found murdered in Osaka in 1973. Detective Sasagaki works the case, but it takes him over twenty years to put together the pieces of what really happened that day. As I said, many characters are introduced, but it’s not until the end that you begin to see how they relate and come together.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. In the 18th century, two half sisters are born into different villages in Ghana. One will marry an Englishman involved in the slave trade. The other will be captured and enslaved. Homegoing follows the different paths of these women and their descendants. Very well-written piece of historical fiction that covers everything from the Gold Coast to plantations of the U.S. South to Jazz Age Harlem.

And in June:

The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton by Eleanor Ray. Every now and then, I look through my Goodreads TBR and randomly pick out a book. There are, of course, many I know I want to read, but there are others that I have no idea how they got there or what they’re even about. If it sparks my interest, I check the library. If the library doesn’t have it, I’ll take it off my list; or maybe I’ll just go ahead and buy it. (Okay, sometimes, I do that. My continuing contribution to the publishing world). This was a book I remembered nothing about but it was available on Libby, so I checked it out. This debut was a nice surprise as I went in knowing nothing about it. Some list it as “chick lit” but it has a little more depth than that. Amy once wanted to be an artist, but now, rather than making art, she collects it–everything from ashtrays to vases to cigarette lighters. Her house and even her yard is becoming a danger area. Though trying to be understanding, her neighbors are becoming concerned. Yes, Amy went through a terrible loss, but shouldn’t she be over it by now?

Small Admissions By Amy Poeppel. I read Musical Chairs by Poeppel some time ago and decided to go back and read her first book. In this one, grad student Kate is dumped by her boyfriend just when she landed in France to join him for what, she thought, would be their new life together. Her sister and friends from college are there for her, but Kate wallows for months, not even wanting to leave her couch. Thanks to her sister’s help, she gets a job interview at a prestigious day school in New York. Though her interview is one for the ages (and not in a good way), she gets the job and is soon wrapped up in the world of parents and students competing wildly for a place at this middle school. Filled with outrageous characters and snarky humor, I greatly enjoyed (and even laughed out loud on occasion) this book and look forward to reading more by Poeppel.

The first half of my reading year is going great and I’m looking forward to more great reads. How about you? Read any good books lately?