The American Heiress - Daisy Goodwin

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've read other Daisy Goodwin books and enjoyed them. So I wasn't surprised that I didn't enjoy this one when I learned it was her first. She's definitely improved.

Random things about the book annoyed me. For example, in my copy on the top of each right hand page where the title would normally be it said "My Last Duchess." Was that a working title? It didn't seem to make sense with the rest of the story. Who knows. Also, the main character, Cora, develops some sort of major nearsighted issues mid-book. Although nothing happens to bring it on so suddenly. Her nearsightedness just pops up and then is mentioned several more times through the remainder of the book.

I wanted to love the book, and parts of it I did find really interesting. But overall the characters were pretty flat and the ending wrapped up too quickly and cleanly for all the build up. Read her other books but perhaps skip this debut novel.

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Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Life & Work - Victoria Ortiz

Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work by Victoria Ortiz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This wasn't a book so much about her dissents. It was more a biography of her life with her life experiences (sometimes loosely) linked to some of the cases she sat for (some that she was a dissenter but others not).
The organization was wonky to me in this book and parts were redundant. That makes me lean more towards 2 stars. But I did enjoy learning more about her and her path to the Supreme Court.

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Kind of a Big Deal - Shannon Hale

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a review copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Typically, I am a Shannon Hale fan. So when I saw she had a new book, I was excited to get my hands on it. I was disappointed.

This book was wonky. Really just...odd.

Josie Pie peaked in high school. She was the "It" girl - popular, star of all the shows, etc. But when she dropped out of high school to pursue a career on Broadway, reality sets in. It is not a reality she likes. Then she learns she can escape into (literally, INTO) books. Will this bring the success and adoration she craves?

I don't know that I can say anything about this book other than it was odd. Josie jumps in and out of different genres and story lines interspersed with flashbacks of high school and Broadway as well as current day interactions with the girl she nannies and others. There's this whole thing with the Muses. It was just weird.

I love books about books. This premise appealed to me. I think the book just failed in carrying it out. It was all over the place. Josie was whiny and depressed. Lots of making out and talk of making out. It was like so much of her character revolved around that. Family dynamics that were over the top. An extra weird conclusion.

I was not a fan.



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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads 8.25.2020

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finished this a few days ago and am still trying to decide how I feel about it. It was interesting to see how Snow became who he was in the Hunger Games trilogy. However, so much of it was so dark. There were times I had to put the book down and walk away because it just left me yucky feeling.
I have waffled between 1 and 2 stars on this.

View all my reviews Christy by Catherine Marshall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first read this book in middle school, and I remember loving it. I felt the same rereading it in high school and college. This time around, I did still like it. However, it didn't have the same spark and inspiration I recall. Probably has more to do with me as the reader than the book itself.

View all my reviews Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did not anticipate enjoying this book as much as I did.
Lori Gottlieb sheds light into her therapy practice as well as her interactions with her own therapist. It was funny. It was heart warming. It was sad. It was challenging.
I read a copy from my library but plan to buy one for my shelf. It was good, even, for introspection; and I anticipate rereading it in the future.

View all my reviews Recursion by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will admit that I was super confused for the first half of this book. Then the science-y ideas all started coming together and making sense. I ended up enjoying this more than his book Black Matter.

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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I spent the first half of the book thinking perhaps I was missing things that were important to the story overall. I think that hampered my desire to read it. However, once I realized I wasn't and pieces started coming together, I liked the story. Definitely stick with it if you feel it's going slower or more convoluted than you like.
I did like the "voice" of the characters. And I definitely want to learn more about female pilots in WWII.

View all my reviews Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Meg as a character. Her interactions. Her development.
I liked learning more about the hand-lettering world. Not in my skill set, but I wish it was. So it was fun to read about, including the signs around New York.
This was an easy to read book that was engaging and with some depth.

Content: sexy stuff...I was skipping pages more than once; some language

View all my reviews The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When it comes to writing style and character development, this book was really just a 1.5 or 2 stars for me. The suspense element(s) that I couldn't predict earn it the bonus star, bumping it up to three.
It was a great book for book club discussions. And if you like thrillers or suspense, you might want to give it a try. It is getting all the buzz still and is slated to become a movie.

Content: violence

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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably 3.5

This story in the vein of a Russian folktale really held my interest. Taking place in the cold Russian wilderness, young Vasilisa thrives despite her mother dying at her birth. Her older siblings dote on her, and she loves the woods and creatures surrounding and in her home. Things start to unravel when her father remarries and devolves further when another stranger comes to their village. Fairytale character like Frost and guardians are rampant throughout.

I enjoyed this book and will read the next one. I will say, for me, it was helpful to not know what the translation for some of the Russian creature names were as I tend to get a bit squeamish with some paranormal things. But since I didn't know until after, no harm.

As with much Russian literature, the many derivations of the name for the same person takes some getting used to.



View all my reviews King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Esme and Hunter have been friends pretty much since in utero. They have grown up alongside each other and share so much of their lives. So Hunter is thrown when Esme turns up engaged to a man no one has met yet.

This is the second book of this series I've read during this time of COVID19 quarantine. And they are perfect. Light. Clean. Fun. Engaging.

View all my reviews A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is probably one of the best retellings of Beauty and the Beast I've read. It is new and fresh.

Harper is magically transported from her home in DC to some other world and into the enchanted castle of Prince Rhen. Rhen is everything you would suppose a prince to be - arrogant, in charge, bossy - but harbors a secret. Harper is no damsel in distress though. She can take care of herself and doesn't mind going toe-to-toe with a prince when the situation calls for it. Add in a royal guard and an evil enchantress. Toss in some witty dialogue and some depth and character growth.

It's a great book. I can't wait to read the second in the series.

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The First Actress - CW Gortner

The First Actress by C.W. Gortner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First off, thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

Sarah Bernhardt is considered the world's first modern actress. This is the story of her tumultuous rise to fame.

I had never heard of Sarah Bernhardt before coming across this book on NetGalley. However, I have read other books by Gortner and enjoyed both the story and the historical knowledge. This book was no different.

Gortner writes in such a way that I really got a feel for who Sarah was and her complexities. She endured a lot, both in her childhood and her career aspirations. There were several characters/people I really didn't like at all as a result of his story telling. And I imagine they were that way in real life as well.

Anyone who likes historical fiction, even if they aren't necessarily theater fans, would probably like this book.

Heads-Up: There are some open door scenes.

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Pay Attention, Carter Jones - Gary D. Schmidt

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Jones home is a bit crazy most days. That is, until The Butler shows up to take charge. But he has more lessons to teach than anyone expects.
I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining to read yet still tackled some pretty big issues. Definitely a great addition to any upper elementary or middle school bookshelf.
I, however, still have no understanding of cricket despite the information given at the start of each chapter. :)

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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. More than I anticipated. Probably because I felt the time travel was more fantasy than hard core sci-fi.
My book club all really enjoyed it, and it lent itself to a lot of discussion and pondering.

View all my reviews The Conservative Heart: How To Build A Fairer, Happier, And More Prosperous America by Arthur C. Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I would consider myself more conservative than liberal in most cases until it comes to social justice issues. This author was recommended to me by a family member who mentioned he was the keynote speaker at this year's National Prayer Breakfast. This book was the only one by him that my library had, so I read it. I agree with much of what he says. I don't know that I agree with his stance on the Tea Party being the salvation of the Republican party - I could be wrong with my interpretation of his writing, but that's what I walked away with on his Tea Party mentions. However, I think there are good takeaways for both political parties on how to more effectively communicate and way to truly help the poor in our communities.

View all my reviews All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung


I waffle about the fairness of rating memoirs. I've found I don't love them as they tend to leave so many questions unanswered, they are generally not linear, and focus solely on what the author wants to share and not on what the reader may want answered. This one is no exception.
However, it did raise many questions and points to ponder regarding interracial adoption and let to some interesting discussion when my book club met.

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Beezus & Ramona - Beverly Cleary

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book aloud with my kids (6 and 4yo). They loved it. My 6-year-old son - who can be somewhat ambivalent to read alouds unless they're pictures books - loved it. We typically do chapter books at lunch and picture books at bed. He consistently brought me this book to read at night too.
We learned a lot of good vocabulary. I don't remember Ramona being such a brat (with little discipline) when I read the books as a child myself, but it provided a lot of good discussion.

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The Summer Wives - Beatriz Williams

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this novel of complex relationships, the story moves between three different decades on a tiny island off Long Island where the wealthy go to summer.

The narrative and the characters were all fascinating. Due to some of the subject matter, parts where hard to read. However, the connections between everyone on the island - the wealthy and the working class together as well as among the groups themselves - kept me coming back for more. If you like historical fiction, multiple narratives, and complicated relationships, this is probably a book for you.

Notes of Caution: a lot of drunkenness, rape, abuse, open door scenes

I won the ebook version via a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks!

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Of Literature and Lattes - Katherine Reay

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In this book, we return to the fictional Chicago, Illinois suburb of Winsome. Alyssa has returned there as a last resort. The Silicone Valley company she worked for is being investigated by the FBI, and no other companies there will hire her. So, she returns to her childhood home and all the relationship issues included in it. At the same time, Jeremy has relocated to Winsome to open the coffee shop of his dreams and be closer to his daughter. All is not roses there either.

I was looking forward to returning to Winsome. This isn't necessarily a sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop (which I really enjoyed), but it was helpful to have read that one to have more context for Alyssa.

I really wanted to love this book, and I just didn't. I didn't enjoy any of the characters, and there seemed to be a lot of repetition in informational details about some of them. Additionally, there were random characters that were just thrown in occasionally with very specific details about them. I'm assuming to set up for a third book in Winsome, but it just irked me a bit to have tidbits dropped and no follow through.

Also, the whole plot and relationships and drama seemed to happen really quickly. I did like some of the interactions between Alyssa and her mom, but then other interactions seemed to come from left field.

I felt overall there was a lot of telling and not so much showing when it came to everything in this book.

Not my favorite of hers. I loved some of here other books much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.


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What I've Read Recently

Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I hadn't read any Mary Higgins Clark before. When she passed recently, I borrowed a few of here books from a friend and just got around to reading one.
Wow. There were a lot of characters to keep track of. I liked the story and how it came together though. I can see how Clark is considered a master of her craft.

View all my reviews Heroes for My Son by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this quick read and will be buying it for my kids' bookshelves. There are several people this book inspired me to look into further.

View all my reviews Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cute, fun book. I enjoyed all but one of the characters. Thankfully, he and his swearing didn’t show up too much.
The climax was...awkward and not my favorite. But the resolution after redeemed it some.
And bonus fun: The book is set in Omaha with recognizable landmarks and features.

View all my reviews My Mrs. Brown by William Norwich
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a slow book for me. I started it three times before I succeeded in reading it all the way through. There's not really anything I can pinpoint disliking about it. I just didn't enjoy the reading. Part of me wonders if there was some deeper message in it that I just missed.

View all my reviews Who Was J.R.R. Tolkien? by Pam Pollack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought it was a good biography. I learned some from it myself.

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The Woman in the Window - AJ Finn

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably more 2.5 stars for me. I'm not a huge fan of unreliable narrators (I think I'm just over it as I liked the first few I read) and saw several of the twists before they were revealed. That being said, several in my book club really enjoyed it.

Anna suffers from agoraphobia and spends her days watching old movies, watching her neighbors, drinking, and helping where she can on an agoraphobia chat room. One evening she glimpses a scene she shouldn't have through her camera lens and it all starts unraveling.

If you read this book, I recommend devoting at least a good hour to get into it. I was so confused from probably the first 60+ pages because I was reading in small chunks. Once I sat down and read for an extended time, it began to come together for me.

The old movie references meant nothing to me as I hadn't seen or heard of most of them. However, if you are a classic movie buff, I can see that having an appeal.

There were a few twists that I didn't see coming until right before they were revealed. However, others I saw pages and pages away. If unreliable narrators are your thing, you might like it more than I did.

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Fountains of Silence - Ruta Sepetys

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book - as did everyone in my book club. I still think Salt to the Sea is my favorite of hers, but this one is a close second.

Sepetys definitely deserves her title of "Seeker of Lost Stories." She explores history through narrative of topics we definitely should have all heard about in school lessons. This book covers the dictatorship of Franco after the Spanish Civil War (My history instruction was so bad that while I had heard of Franco I didn't know they had a civil war.). It shows the economic disparities, gender inequalities and baby selling (?!?) that all happened under Franco's regime. All cushioned in a fascinating story of American boy meets Spanish girl and learns from her. I especially enjoyed the true oral history transcripts and news articles sprinkled throughout.

5 stars. I'm fairly stingy with those. So...read it!

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Billy Joel - Fred Schruers

Billy Joel by Fred Schruers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So there was some about this book that I didn't love.
--Name and company dropping without context
--The author seems to assume you already know a lot about Billy Joel, the music industry and its players, etc. I don't. I mean, I can sing along with a lot of his songs but didn't know his life. Hence wanting to read this book.
--A lot of contradictions. That could be because much of the information was taken from interviews and people's perspectives and memories can be different.
--I didn't get the *many* Godfather movie references. That's probably just me though.

By the middle of the book it, a lot of those things were improved or I was now familiar with them. I did end up enjoying the book and am looking even more forward to seeing him in concert this summer.

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The Fifth Avenue Story Society - Rachel Hauck

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this book by Christian author Rachel Hauck, five seemingly unconnected individuals each receive an invitation to a story society no one has ever heard of in a library few visit. As they meet and ponder why they are there and the purpose of the society, their lives begin to intertwine (or reconnect, in some cases).

Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy for my review. All opinions are my own.

Let me start the "official" portion of my review by saying this was one of the roughest advanced review copies I've read to date as far as editing and formatting issues. I tried to not let it affect my reading pleasure and therefore my review, hoping that a lot of it gets cleaned up in the final version. However, truth be told, some of the discrepancies and such did impact my reading. There were a couple of different points I was confused or lost because of inconsistencies or things coming out of left field.

That being said, I did like the story overall. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. I appreciated the tie in to Hauck's previous book (although if you haven't read The Writing Desk, you can still read this one). The characters had real issues and hangups and real life and tragedy to work through, which they did.

I did feel like the Christian element was a bit heavy handed and hard-hitting when coming all at the end. That could be personal preference, though, liking that to be sprinkled throughout.

A good read full of likeable characters and relationship building/growth achieving plots.

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March - Geraldine Brooks

March by Geraldine Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book isn't a true retelling of but more of a spin-off from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It focuses on Mr. March and his war experience during the narrative the original Little Women (not the added Good Wives portion) covers.

I'm not going to lie. This book took me about halfway through for me to really get invested in the characters and the story. It is not a quick moving book by any stretch. But I am so glad I stuck with it.

I had never really considered Mr. March's absence and what his story would contain any of the times I've read Little Women. Brooks did a wonderful job, I think, of creating a realistic story line for him. It was interesting to read from his perspective, and from Marmee's in the second part (although the initial shift in perspective was jarring, it did make sense).

Geraldine Brooks give a good sense of the intricacies of war and the personalities involved. I can see why this book won a Pulitzer prize. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has read Little Women.

*Pulitzer winner

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Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first read of Oliver Twist. I've never seen the movie or play either. The only thing I really knew going in was the line that I'd heard somewhere about "More gruel, please."

Oliver is an orphan boy who has more than his share of troubles in his young life. The book is also Dickens's take on poverty and wealth, morality and decay in Victorian England.

I liked it. I was probably more interested in the commentary on treatment of the poor, nature vs. nurture, etc., than in Oliver's story itself. It has caused me quite a bit of contemplation.

A pretty quick read and well worth it.

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The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book was all kinds of messed up.

When Libby Jones turns 25, she receives notice of her inheritance from her dead parents: an empty mansion in an upscale part of London. It's all downhill and nuts from there. I particularly didn't like Lucy's point of view. I don't find that it added much to the overall story. So much in this book was disturbing and convoluted yet not much of it was really surprising or suspenseful. Thankfully it was at least a quick read.

There was one quote I liked, and it even applies here:
"They weren't bad books," Phin countered patiently. "They were books that you didn't enjoy. It's not the same thing at all. The only bad books are books that are so badly written that no on will publish them. Any book that has been published is going to be a 'good book' for someone."

This book definitely qualifies as one I didn't enjoy.

Content Warnings: Language, abuse in many forms

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Never Have I Ever - Joshilyn Jackson

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm waffling between 2 and 3 stars on this one.

Amy is happy with her life as wife, "stepmonster," and mom and doesn't think anything can shatter her peaceful existence...until Roux shows up in her neighborhood and on her doorstep. Roux brings with her information about Amy's past and objectives all her own.

I feel like Amy's character has depth and nuance but all the rest were pretty static. There were definitely some twists I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate in a book.

Content Warnings: language, violence, sexual content (of a disturbing nature)

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