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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