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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 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 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?