The Younger Wife - Sally Hepworth

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Stephen Aston is getting remarried, and to a woman younger than his adult daughters. But then something happens.
This is a book of secrets and dysfunctional family. And I was here for it.

The book switches perspectives at the chapter breaks. I didn't mind this. It was interesting to see each character's thoughts. While I didn't think it was incredibly suspensful, I liked the plot and pacing. And I loved to dislike several of the characters.

Content: I can't give any without giving away some of the plot. Just know that if you are a sensitive reader, this might not be the book for you.

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After the Romanovs - Helen Rappaport

After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Époque Through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a bit more cerebral (lots of footnotes) than I expected. It was definitely well-researched based on the notes and such for the last 30%. I ended up like it and learning some though.
It begins before "after the Romanovs"...at least to my understanding of Russian history. In fact, about half the book is about before Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered. I truly had no idea about Paris being a second home to Russian emigres for decades upon decades. The book focuses on the royals, the wealthy, and the artists who fled Russia at various times in the early 19th century and made a new life (or not) in France.
I feel like it could have been better organized and still needed some editing, but I read an ARC. I imagine those things will be fixed by the time the book releases.
This book was definitely readable for a scholarly work, though; and I think would be of interest to many who want to learn more about Russian history...particulary of the exiles.


Thanks to NetGalley annd the publisher for my complimentary copy; all opinions are my own.

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A Stranger's Game - Colleen Coble

A Stranger's Game by Colleen Coble
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Let me preface this by saying I love Christian fiction books. They are some of my favorites I've read through the years. I've even liked some of Colleen Coble's books. However, I have not found many to love in recent years. Especially by established authors. I feel like they are either 1) trying to push out books so quickly they lack a compelling, cohesive story line and/or a good editing process or 2) they feel like they have enough of a loyal following that they don't need to put out quality writing. Just my opinion. And this book is no exception.

I had read such great reviews on A Stranger's Game that I even moved it to the top of my TBR. From the start, I was baffled by how it's received an average of 4.14 starts on Goodreads. So I kept reading, thinking it surely had to get better. It didn't. At least not for me.

In A Stranger's Game, Torie Bergstrom is a hotel heiress who decides she needs to research her friend's death. So she goes undercover at the hotel her aunt manages and her father and she own to figure it all out.

Wait! What? Your telling me NO ONE on that island or at that hotel recognizes her through 300+ pages of this book. When she's the owner's daughter...on the board...in national newspapers. Oh, and spent summers/grew up (it was never clear which) on the island and in the hotel until she was 10. Apparently not. The only one who recognizes her is a guy who works in politics in DC.

So many plot lines. Definitely an instance of trying to do too much and none of it well. We're left floating on the war games/sub stealing plot. The Torie's mom's death plot is just like "meh...I pushed her; it was an accident."

So many loose threads. Who killed Bella? What business did the guy who "masterminded" this plan (or was it his mom's plan) have that failed that caused him to develop this elaborate plan to take out everyone in the Federal Reserve? It just...none of it made practical sense.

And, whoo. Don't get me started on Torie and Joe interfering with all the evidence all the time and the investigation. Shouldn't they be in jail too? There's no way a self-respecting police force would let that happen. And let's just talk about Joe. Really? How does he know how to do all the things in security and the military. He's a marine biologist who works 20 hours a month in security at the hotel??!?!

Why would the guy booby trap the tree house and lie in wait to abduct Torie and Hailey? How could he know they'd be there? Climb it? Not to mention the minor thing where Torie just climbed the tree the first time but uses the step boards the second.

Just so much about the entire book doesn't make sense. I could go on and on with holes and contradictions that should have been caught in editing.

I hate to say it, but I'm starting to give up on Christian fiction by well-rated authors. I've read fewer and fewer over the years and become more and more disappointed.

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The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale - Art Spiegelman

The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Art Spiegelman tells the story of his father during the Holocaust. This book does tackle tough topics. And there is nudity (not of the mice and also definitely not in a sexual way). But I would let my kids read it when they're older (6 & 8 now...so clearly not appropriate). I would like to talk about it with them as they do. And that's where the importance of parenting (not just blindly banning books) is important.
It is so critical we read and know the stories of others.

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This Wish - Nicholas Sparks

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book tackles many sensitive topics in a tender and understanding way. Was it predictable? Sure. Did I mind? No.

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Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This isn't really a true retelling, but I wasn't sure what else to label it. It's the background story of "Bertha" from Jane Eyre. And I was interested in reading it and was disappointed to not really enjoy it.
I think part of the issue was the writing style and the fact I was confused through a good part of it (although reading SparkNotes definitely helped). I felt compassion for Antionette but also for Rochester, and those things conflicted.
I'm glad I read it. I'm also glad it was short. I will be donating my copy to the library as I don't plan to reread it.

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Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Okay, first of all I just have to say that I think I've spent my whole reading life confusing the Bronte sisters and their tales. I knew the plot of Jane Eyre before reading it. But I always ascribed said plot to Wuthering Heights thinking I had read the latter (and own it) but not the former. But upon reading this book, I've found that I was wrong. And now I find myself trying to sort out if I've ever even read Wuthering Heights. I really enjoyed this story. I appreciated Jane's character and her depth of integrity. I did not like any of her male cousins and am glad the book ended happily. Jane is a very spiritual, do the right thing girl. Temptation is there to lash out, to give in to her passions, etc. But at Lowood she learned to control those emotions and to act rationally and rightly. A part of me wondered if she lost a bit of herself in doing that, but in reflection I really don't think so. She became a truer version of herself. I think that Jane Eyre can give us all a deeper spiritual message and truth: I care for myself. I will respect myself. I will keep the laws given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad as I am now. Laws and principles are not for times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?
I pray I can remember well remember her words the next time I face temptation. And to plant my foot in what I know to be true and right and good.

January 2022
Reread (partially by audiobook) and liked it even more. Bumped it from 3 to 4 stars.

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Dear Santa - Debbie Macomber

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've long wanted to read a Debbie Macomber book. This might not have been a great choice for my first. Or perhaps I'm just not the right reader for her books.

In Dear Santa, Lindy returns home for the holidays after a rough year on both a personal and a career front. After reviewing letters she wrote to Santa as a child, she decides to write another letter to Santa this year. Will this this new letter be answered in the same ways her childhood letters were?

I think that I just wasn't in the mood for the sacchrine sweetness of this book. So I think my rating and review are probably more a refleciton of me at the time and not necessarily the book. However, the book itself had issues with inconsistencies and a lot of redundant information (sometimes even the exact phrasing). The pacing of the story overall was off - weird time jumps and other parts that dragged. Hopefully some of these things were taken care of in a final edit (I was reading an advanced review copy).

I wanted to like Lindy, and maybe I did. She just wasn't as fully developed as I would have liked. None of the characters were, but I at least hoped to have a more complete main character. The romance part was okay. Quick but understandable.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

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Always, in December - Emily Stone

Always, in December by Emily Stone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh, I so wanted to love this book.

Josie is not a fan of December. However, a chance run-in with a stranger (Max), makes the first holiday season of the book a little more bearable. Could there be more?

I know this was marketed as a Christmas book. I don't think it was very Christmassy aside from the first part is set in December as well as the last part.

I *loved* the first part of this book. I liked the characters, their interactions, the deeper aspects of the story. Unfortunately, the book doesn't continue in this same vein, or even the same tone. Part 2 shifts to Max's perspective. It is much less engaging and more sweary. The book went downhill from there for me, including the ending. There were moments of sparkle but not enough to sustain the rest of the plot, dialogue, and character devolvement for me. I think my hopes were just too high after part 1.

Content: language, closed door romance

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them

Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them by Siân Evans
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was promoted as being an "engaging and anticdotal" history of woment who traveled or worked on the Ocean Liners so popular during the early 1900s.
There were certainly spots of that, and they were wonderful. I enjoyed reading the vignettes of both the wealthy and the working class. But this was not the majority of the book. So much of the book was history and tangent and nothing to do with ships, travel, or woment at work or play. That was disappointing.
Also, there were many redundancies in the text as well as some organizational issues.

I appreciate the review copy from NetGalley and the publisher. Clearly, my review is my own thoughts. I just wish the book would have more stories and life aboard the liners and less of all the other stuff.

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Book of Lost Friends - Lisa Wingate

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lisa Wingate has a gift for finding things in US history that aren't well-known (even though they should be) and couching those events in a compelling story. In the case of The Book of Lost Friends, Wingate shares the true story of advertisements placed by former slaves in a Methodist newspaper in the hopes of reconnecting with lost or sold, stolen or run away family members. The narrative moves between post-Civil War times and 1987. I found the stories both disturbing and fascinating. All of the families torn apart, lives forever changed by greed and the awfulness of owning others. And then the more modern story that ties us all together.

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The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House - Kate Andersen Brower

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Upstairs at the White House by JB West earlier this year. This was a nice companion read to carry work in the White House into the 21st century. Definitely a different perspective in the writing, a bit more gossipy (which I don't mind), and interesting.

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Finally You - Debbie Macomber

Finally You by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So this is a two novella collection. The first one was decent. I enjoyed it. However, the second one...I wouldn't even give one star to. Nothing in it made sense. There were so many poor word choices. In no reality does it take three days to drive from Seattle to anywhere in Montana...especially when you're driving from morning to at least mid-afternoon. Every single character was a self-centered brat. The two main characters didn't have anything like a true relationship - just attraction fueled passion. Their interactions and "relationship" was both destructive and toxic right to the end. Hated it.

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A Woman of Intelligence - Karin Tanabe

A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Katharina Edgeworth went from a single life in the 1950s working at the UN to the life of a NYC housewife and mother. She's struggling until a new opportunity enters her life.

This book was definitely not un-put-downable. I put it down a lot to read other things, explaining why it took my so long to read the ARC I received (thanks, NetGalley & the publisher...all thoughts on this book are my own.).

There were just a lot of things that didn't make sense. Katharina seemed incredibly unstable and so a huge risk for the work she was being asked to take on. And then the focus of the book wasn't even that work (which could have been interesting) but more manufactured drama. The timeline was jumpy, which was just more evidence the book could use a good edit. Also, the character relationships on all levels were awkward. Especially an attempted romantic interest that was supremely awkward and never very clear.

Really, giving this book two stars that it was okay is probably stretching it a bit.

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Jane Austen Society - Natalie Jenner

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did NOT enjoy this book for the first third of it. It kept hopping from character to character giving seemingly random information about their pasts and current lives. 30% into reading. No society formed. And I'm ready to shelve as abandoned.
But I'm glad I stuck with it. The book is probably more 3.5 stars for me. Things like regular mentions of how mean Mr. Knight is and how nosy/gossipy the nurse was annoyed me. But the characters, once they coalesced, became really enjoyable. There was some good introspection and growth.

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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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