The Likeness by Tana French

If you are reading this from your email box, please click to go to the blog to read the entire review.  Thank you!  ~Rawles



Now THAT is more like it!!!!!!

I was not too impressed by French's The Witch Elm.  I didn't really like In the Woods, the first Dublin Murder Squad book that I read about 5 years ago.  But there must be something about French's writing that keeps me coming back, keeps me hopeful.

Persistence pays off, readers!!!!

I found this storyline the most interesting of all of her weird plots.  She stays more focused here than she did with The Witch Elm, but still very original.  We follow a secondary character from In the Woods, Cassie, a rough and tumble Irish cop, who had a hard time of it in the first book so she moves on, but is lured back to the Murder Squad for an "uncanny" reason - her new boyfriend who does work for Murder Squad calls her in a pure panic, and tells her to get down to the scene of a murder.  Why is he so freaked out?  Well, it seems the victim is a woman who was using one of Cassie's old undercover aliases that no one should know about.  And she looks EXACTLY LIKE CASSIE.

Cue the crazy idea that Cassie jump into the life of the woman to try to suss out the killer.  Turns out she is one of 6 young people living together in a family mansion in a tiny village community that has plenty of opinions about the young, entitled singles.  Cassie returns after the dead woman's housemates are told she did survive, and inserts herself into this tight knit circle of misfits that have formed a weird sort of family.  Yeah, ok, that would never work in real life - she is too changed, I know I know.  Bear with it.  The psychology of living with these people, getting to know them, starting to love them, all while planning to betray one (or more??) of them is fascinating.  It's the best kind of voyeurism.   Can she do her job?  Can she remain objective?  Can she maintain her own relationships while undercover?  What does she really want?  And WHO was the dead woman with the mysterious past???

I could not put it down.  And I will definitely read the next one.  Big fan of perseverance over here.

Auraria by Tim Westover

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Is it just me or are others somewhat deflated to learn that a fantastically imaginative story is in fact, fact???  Just when I think truth cannot be stranger than fiction, I read the author’s note and learn that all this imagination I thought he had was not imagined at all. He based it all on a true story. Even the town name was real once upon a time.  Kind of a bummer.

So while this book is full of Southern lore and spirits who play piano and sprites who appear at the side of the lake, it was a bit much and a bit too long for me.  The main character annoyed me; if he was supposed to be tragic he certainly was.  There is some snappy dialogue here and I actually did appreciate the writing style as being a nice support for this type of story - somewhat clipped, proper (like our main man), and full of tongue in cheek eye rolls.

I found the moral of this story was several fold: leave well enough alone; sometimes “progress” only leads to regression; listen to your heart. A nice little ending but this book is definitely not for everyone. You really have to like the fantastic, the parable, and the unbelievable. Accept it like Holtzclaw does and you may even enjoy this very different ride.

(But Westover, if you went to Davidson, why does your bio say you were educated in England??  Was that in reference to your pre- college Ed? I will blame that on your editor- just confusing.  (Disclaimer: I live in NC and part of the reason I read this was that local connection.))

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

If you are reading this in your email box, please click to go to the blog to read the entire review.  Thank you! ~Rawles


Fun read!  Perfect for summer, or lighter fall reading. 
This is an author to watch - great writing, pulls you in immediately, and an interesting if not very surprising twist at the end.  Told in part in flashbacks, we unravel the complicated relationships between Miranda, her parents, and her Uncle Billy.  A Fight, an Absence, and an Inheritance all lead Miranda on yet another (final?) scavenger hunt like she and her beloved Uncle Billy used to do when she was little - before the Fight.  Now an adult, Billy's death saddles Miranda with his Bookstore, so she drops everything, including her nice new boyfriend, to go to Uncle Billy's store and save everything.  Can she?  Should she?  She is met with some hostility from the employees and her mom is not so sure she should be there.  So many conflicts as she begins to discover buried secrets about Billy's life and about why the Absence occurred.   Loved the idea that she was named for a literary character (Shakespeare's Miranda in The Tempest) - and other little literary nods throughout.  How can you not with a title like this and a book about books!!!  Well, not really about books as much as relationships, adult decisions or lack thereof, and loyalty.  Worth a look!!  Plus, that cover, y'all!!!!

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

If you are seeing this review in an email, please click to follow the link to the blog so you can read the entire review!  Thank you! ~ Rawles


This is what happens when you read a book at the beginning of a long vacation (first flight, DONE!), and then don't review it until two months later.   I am suffering a bit from CRS disease (can't remember, um, stuff), so this one will be short, but important enough to include!

I gave this book four stars on Goodreads.  That means it was pretty good, and it was definitely original.  I definitely connected with Sam, and really admired his mother, who stood up for him when he was bullied at school because of his red eyes.  Loved the long-lasting relationship between Sam and his bff and fellow outcast, Ernie.  And Mickey - well, Mickey is the wild card.  And stays that way!!!!

Very interesting how his physical condition defines and shapes his life and his decisions, and his relationships.  Great story about perseverance and deep friendship, and maybe a bit of redemption.  I personally liked the ending, even if it was a bit wrapped up, but what Sam realizes and how he handles who he meets at the end was sort of cathartic.  For the character and the reader.  Well done.

Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger

Hmmmmm.

So I am giving this four stars, but maybe because I feel I should.  It was my Book of the Month pick and they warned that this book would be....different.  It was.

I wasn't totally enamored of this character or of this story.  I expected more, I think.  Lots of science that was deep (I skimmed it) and not really necessary for what ended up being the main theme of the story.  Some readers have said it WAS necessary as a backdrop to the whole mystery of "where is Charlie in the universe?," but it was too much for me.  I thought maybe there'd be a ghost story here, or something mystical.  The story meandered, and the resolution was very disappointing for me, just so simple.  I agree that there was not really a plot.  It plods along as our main character, Helen, becomes re-engaged in her college roommate's life because she gets a phone call from her - after she dies.  Helen has one child, which seems out of character for this unemotional scientist (not that all scientists are unemotional, just this one), and is obviously a tool for the author as a connector to Charlie's child.  Anyway, this review is about as convoluted as the book as I am not going to try to give you an outline of the story.  I'd just say, skip this one.

The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer

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Ok, first of all, how ironic that the author's name is MORTIMER, when this book is about death???

(ed: cuz it's a pseudonym.  Duh, Rawles. Cute, Ian.)

Or, is it really?  Is it about LIFE??

John and William are brothers trying to survive the Black Plague in 1348 Exeter.  When it becomes obvious that they will not survive, a voice gives them an option:  Stay in 1348 to return home and infect their families, or live the next 6 days free of the disease, but spending one day in the future, jumping 99 years each time.  Can they find a way to save their souls in 6 days in 5 different centuries?  John is very religious and desperate to do a good deed, but they seem to only find trouble wherever/whenever they appear.

I found the main theme here to be this:  in a sweeping review of history, mankind gets closer to each other in transportation, communication and advanced medicine/law, but what happens to relationships and true living?  In almost all the centuries, Exeter is at war.  It seems never ending.  John, the narrator, is overwhelmed by changes in history and to his beloved cathedral, for which he was a sculptor in his time.  Many commentaries about society in each century, about the behaviour of people towards each other, and of course some women's lib thrown in, become the theme of this book at least to me.  And some dang good points are made by the author about societal "growth," religion and how people use it, and about good vs evil.

The vehicle for these points becomes a bit simple, but don't let that stop you.  This is not a deeply written book prose-wise; poor John really stumble with the change in language!  But the message is a thought provoking one indeed. 

What are we doing here?  Can we save ourselves through a good deed if that good deed is done only to save ourselves?  Is the road to hell paved with good intentions?  Or are there lessons on that road that can open the gates of heaven?  And what the heck are those crosses in the sky??  ;-)

Fun for history buffs, complete fantasy - but really a what if scenario, with several what if questions at stake.  I would say this book is probably not for everyone.  Quick read and nothing award winning, but fun and definitely thought provoking!

The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd

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As a South Carolina girl, I found this fascinating! Based on a true story and real people, this is a part of my state's history I did not know, and I was a History major!!  Gaahhhh!


Eliza Lucas is 16 and, in the absence of her brothers, is put in charge of her father's estate in SC in 1739 while he goes away to spend all the family's money on his military career.  Desperate to save her family's lands, and to avoid her mother's insistence on marriage, Eliza makes a deal with a female slave to teach the slaves to read if she will share her knowledge of making indigo dyes.  A big risk on many fronts, still Eliza shows amazing courage and determination in the face of huge odds - everyone is against her except just a few supporters, including perhaps a childhood friend.

Simply written, but a great story.  This young girl literally changed the course of history in a time when women were only allowed to decide what to wear.  We've come a long way, baby, in part thanks to Eliza!!   Appropriate read for teens and history buffs alike.

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

Stunning. Beautiful. My Book of the Summer (and it is only June).

I found this on my Kindle. I have no idea when or why I bought it.  It is not the usual kind of book that would pique my interest.  (edit - I think it was a free e-book as part of Amazon's World Book Day Celebration in March; if so I hit the jackpot!!)  But I think Simonopio now rivals Owen Meany as my favorite literary character of all time. Well, besides Jamie Fraser, but that's a given. 

This book was translated from Spanish. Usually, lyrical prose does not come through in those cases. This is different. Kudos to Simon Bruni for this spectacular translation; I cannot even imagine what the original version must be like to read. Flowing, almost dreamlike, we are introduced to the Franscico and Beatriz Cortez Morales, who live in the little village of Linares and have a farm, and a family. An extended family that includes a mute old woman, a mysterious boy with a deformity and a hive of bees, and oh so much love to share. Set in and around 1918 and beyond, we learn of the effects of the Spanish Flu, the Mexican Revolution, the effects of music and brotherhood and godparents who are really parents. 

Please please read this book. I even called my new godson-in-law today to let him know that he, an English Professor, will be wanting to teach using this book. So many layers and symbols and relationships and and and. Just, yeah, read it. Sigh. I am sad that I finished. 

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

A book about books and a heroine named Cussy Mary???  I am IN.

Based on true stories, this book was fascinating.  Cussy Mary is one of the last of the Kentucky Blues.  That's right - blue skinned people.  It is a real thing and even has a big scientific name now - methemoglobinemia. But back then, they were just colored.

Still, Cussy Mary becomes one of the women who carry books to the mountain people and they await her arrival with high anticipation.  Little children, starving children, come running when the Book Woman comes up on her horse.  It is a rough job plodding through the mountains in all sorts of weather and with mean people about, but she is proud to have it.  Her father has other ideas for her, trying to protect her future by marrying her off.  But no one good wants to marry a Blue.  And she can't keep her job if she marries.  She is the last of her kind on this mountain and she faces discrimination at every turn.  She finds a few friends, and in them, a purpose for life. 

The author does a great job of writing "as it is" - the vernacular here is lyrical and you really feel Cussy's deep sadness about her life, along with her determination to make the best of it all.  She definitely goes through trials - she is abused verbally and otherwise by people who consider her a lesser human.  But Cussy Mary is a survivor.  Plus, ya know, BOOKS.  ;-)  Great book club book and for lovers of historical and regional fiction.

The Witch Elm by Tana French

Memory.  It is a strange thing when people remember things differently.  (Happens to me all the time when I am with my high school and college friends.  Sigh.) And it is especially strange when you can't remember them at all.  This book tackles so many things that I think the author overdid it.  While I liked her assertion at the beginning that Toby was just danged lucky, even if he didn't realize it because he was basically an entitled spoiled white male who always wins, but that theme didn't even really take root.  But the Witch Elm did.  Ha.

So, briefly, Toby has a great job, great girlfriend, two fantastic drinking buddies from childhood, two cousins he still hangs out with because they are all only children, and an uncle living alone in the family mansion in the country.  A random act of violence (or was it??) changes everything and sends Toby out to the mansion to recover.  Of course, his memory is dim after the beating and when stories pop up about the past, mainly in the form of an old skull found out in the garden, he has a hard time reconciling what he thinks happened and what others hint at.  Confusing, yes.  Too long winded?  Definitely.  But I could not put it down.  What I liked is that the ending is....well, I can't say but it was NOT what I expected.  I think the editors could have pared this down greatly though as the red herrings and diversions were frustrating. 

I have not read her Dublin murder series and still would read them, but I understand how this book may have disappointed fans.  It is well written, but the plot is a bit loose. Still, I rate it four stars for a very original premise, even if the resolution is a bit far fetched.  It is fiction, people.  And bonus points for a fabulous cover.

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

A scarf, two broken hearts, and friends that help you through the mire of grief and back to the hope of love and life - that is what A Fall of Marigolds is all about.  What an interesting story!  This one does follow two parallel stories, one in 1911 and one in 2011, bound together by one bright floral scarf that touches two lives briefly but deeply.

1911 - Clara has witnessed the horrible Shirtwaist Factory Fire, and watched as her new crush Edward jumps from the ninth floor to his death.  She retreats to Ellis Island to continue nursing at the hospitals there and to get away from Manhattan and her memories.  She meets one immigrant who has contracted scarlet fever and must stay - and notices he is wearing a woman's marigold scarf.....

2011 - Taryn works in a fabric store and is a single mother to her 10 year old daughter Kendal.  You guessed it, her husband died on 9-11.  She, too, has had contact with the scarf, and as the 10 year anniversary of the towers falling and killing her husband just as she was going to tell him they were finally pregnant approaches, the scarf shows up in a startling way.....

I liked the way the author weaves these two stories together.  We spend much more time with Clara and learn fascinating details about life in those times and at Ellis Island.  I like that we aren't ripped from Clara's time every other chapter - we stay with her and feel her pain, her confusion, her panic and trauma at what she witnessed.  Maybe a bit too much - my only complaint here is that Clara, while independent enough to leave her small town and go to nursing school and make her way in New York City - is so traumatized that she becomes secluded and "faint" at the thought of setting foot back in Manhattan.  But - the story goes in many directions as she tried to help the immigrant who owns the scarf to come to terms with his wife's death on the boat, and who she really was.  Meanwhile, Taryn is in her own sort of "in-between place" (loved that whole idea about a life), never having told her daughter exactly what her experience was on September 11.

Both women hold back, both women feel guilt and loss, yet both women find a way to finally move on in their own ways.  A bit wrapped up at the end, but as someone who remembers 9-11 with sorrow and pain, I had never read anything that described what the people on the streets experienced that day.  That passage was tough to read but also good to learn.  The author interviewed many people about their personal experiences that day, and I felt that the whole event was handled well.  It was shocking and incomprehensible. But it happened.  And it changed a lot of lives in ways others will never understand. 

My book club read this and for once we all agreed that this was a good book and we liked it.  Definitely leans to chick lit, but the historical aspects were a great addition.

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf

As a thriller, this is a good quick read.  I listened to this one on Audible and it was less than 9 hours (pretty short compared to my Outlanders, just saying).  Threw a few curveballs and was very interesting in that the main character is deaf and has a service dog (Stitch to the...SQUIRREL.... rescue!!) that almost steals the show.  But when Amelia comes across a dead body, and knows who it is, she can't help but get involved in the investigation, even when her high school friend and possible crush Detective Jake tells her to stay safe and butt out.  Her estranged husband and stepdaughter play a large role in the story too, as Amelia comes to terms with her alcoholism and separation from her family after the accident that left her deaf.  A few bad, nosy decisions later, and of course Amelia is in danger.  A slightly predictable who-done-it with a twist, this makes for a great beach read!  Hello Summer 2019!!!

The Mercy Seller by Brenda Rickman Vantrease

This is a sequel to The Illuminator - helps to read that one first but I think this one could stand alone as well.

If you like Ken Follett and the whole Pillars of the Earth series, or just historical fiction in general, you will LOVE these books.  Beautifully written, very descriptive of the times (1400's England and Prague), a love story for the ages - several in fact, and the illegal selling of English translations of The Bible.  GASP!  The powers that be in the church do not like the idea of the common man being able to interpret The Word, so harsh punishment and agonizing death are the penalty for such actions.  Still, Anna, whose bookseller grandfather whisks her from England in order to safely continue to copy the English books, carries on this dangerous family tradition.  When she is forced to return to England as a young adult, she meets Brother Gabriel, who is having a crisis of faith but has been sent to weed out these criminals.

Ok, so pretty predictable, but oh so fascinating.  And it is definitely not a traditional man meets girl story - there is so much detail here and plotting and disguising and FAITH.  How ironic would it be if the girl is more faithful than the priest?  What IS faith?  How far would you go for it?    Helpers and distractors abound, and a helpful hand from Anna's past becomes key to her future and her definition of self. 

Great historical fiction and very well done!!!!  There is a third book set during Henry VIII's reign - putting that one on my list!!! (The Heretic's Wife)

The Last Anniversary by Lianne Moriarty

I listened to this one on Audible.  I always then wonder how I would have reacted to this story had I read it on paper.  I don't use Audible much, but had purchased this book a while back and really like this author.

At first, I was not sure I would get through it.  The pace was SO SLOW.  The main character was SO ANNOYING.  And there was a lot of flashbacking that seemed to go on and on and on.  AND, it wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through that I understood the title.  Annoying.

Other than that, this was FANTASTIC!!!  So many fabulous characters, and the narrator gave great voices to each, usually very distinctively.  Like all of Moriarty's books, this is set in Australia, so this American loved the accents.  Also like Moriarty's other stories, this one has a central mystery, a family (or two) with varied characters, and a WHOLLOP of an ending I did not see coming.  I solved the mystery pretty quickly - both of them actually - but a third lesser mystery came back and smacked me up right at the end, which of course I loved.  Loved loved loved this ending.  Not so much because it was all tied up in a big bow - but just because it was REAL.  It was creative where all the people end up.  Not what I expected.  C'est la vie, much??

While I think we all know Sophie is our main character here, I really liked the portrayal of Grace in this story.  I also loved how frustrating Veronica was - she had some really great and acerbic lines.  I rolled my eyes several times at her!  I also laughed out loud a few times too.  Aunt Connie seemed quite the matriarch - everyone on Scribbly Gum Island was afraid of her I think - and her sister Aunt Rose was the quiet little mouse.  Margie's struggle was real and her story a bit vague, until it wasn't.  HAHA!  And Laura was just absent until the climatic and necessary place that might well have redeemed her as a mother.  Maybe.

So are you getting that this is like an Amazon Island?  All women?  It is not, but they are the focus, they are the drive, they are the heart.  The husbands and sons and former boyfriends and potential boyfriends are sidelines at best.  Necessary, but not central.  Huh.

There are many storylines going on at once here that all come to a head around the same time.  Sophie inherits a house on the island from her ex-boyfriend's great aunt and moves out to this small island dominated by this one family.  She is still single and almost 40 and is desperate to marry and have a baby.  She is pretty and cheerful cultured and the light of the party.  While most of the family welcomes her, Veronica is upset that she got Aunt Connie's house and she is not even family - she dumped poor Thomas!  She is always angry about something, and mostly about the family mystery - whatever happened to Veronica's great-grandparents, who disappeared leaving a baby (her grandmother) behind?  Her grandmother Enigma - so named by Connie and Rose, who found the poor babe in the house they rented to her parents Alice and Jack Munro, due to the mystery of her parents - loves being known as the Munro baby (I might be spelling all these names wrong - another thing that I don't like about audio books, but oh well, I got 30+ hours of an Australian accent so......).  Enigma's other granddaughter Grace has just had a baby and is not sure what to do with it.   Add in those pesky husbands and ex-boyfriends and the sexy gardener and you've got yourself a soap opera stew!!!

Fun read, great to listen to.  It definitely picks up maybe about halfway through and then I was walking around my house in circles with my headphones on all Sunday afternoon because I couldn't take them out. 

Just doesn't sound the same as I couldn't put it down, but that is what I mean.  I could not WAIT to see (hear?) what was going to happen and what DID happen to Jack and Alice and WILL Sophie ever for the love of God land a man and have a baby and will Veronica just shut UP!  Safe to say I will read anything by Moriarty - she is GOOD.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

"To be allowed, no, invited, into the private lives of strangers, and to share their joys and fears, was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist."

"To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision."

Need I say more??

What a beautiful, heartbreaking story of growing up.  Of growing up hard, poor, black, female.  I can't believe I have never read Maya Angelou.  Thank you to my niece for giving me the entire set of Angelou's memoir.  This was just book one and takes us through the first 16 years of Angelou's life.  And what experiences she has - joyous, traumatizing, shocking and eye-opening. I did love learning why she is called Maya, and what her given name is.   I can't wait to see what happens next.  And what sentences I will mark and quote in the remaining volumes!!!!

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

I have always listed Pillars of the Earth as one of my all time favorite novels. (The STARZ TV adaptation is pretty good too!!)  I remember not being quite so bowled over by the second book, World Without End.  Still, I was excited to read this third installment about Kingsbridge and the descendants of Tom the Builder.

It did not disappoint.

A long, sweeping novel that covers several decades at the end of the 1500's, this story follows Ned Willard into the first ever secret service for Queen Elizabeth I.  He spies, he collects information, he thwarts, he travels, he loves, he loses.  The scope is naturally much wider here as the world becomes larger and more accessible than in previous centuries, so the focus is less on the politics and people of Kingsbridge and more about the times - intrigue, family betrayal, the continued treatment of women as property (not by our forward thinking Ned, of course!!).

Told from varying points of view, we learn what both sides of this religiously divided time are scheming - and there is a lot of scheming!  By Ned, by his enemies, by the several strong female characters who bravely fight for their beliefs in the face of execution if caught.  The Protestants versus the Catholics; tolerance versus power; family versus family; Queen versus Queen.  Everyone is convinced that their side is the side of God, in the right, this is the ONLY way, the other people are evil.....

Sounds familiar right?  Some things never change.

Follett writes simply and does have some questionable phrasing for the times here.  But it cannot detract from the way he weaves real historical figures into his stories and brings this long ago age to light and to life.  Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read, and Follett is a master.  I especially loved the Epilogue here - true fans will appreciate the nod to Pillars here - and there is the scent of yet a fourth opportunity to follow the lives and loves of the people of Kingsbridge into the next century and a new world.....stay tuned!!

Email Format Change

Hello Fellow Readers!

I am still new to how this whole blog thing really works so if you got the latest review emailed to your inbox, you'll have noticed that it only contains part of the review.  To read the rest of the review, simply click on the book's title and you'll be taken directly to my blog to read the rest!  This helps increase the traffic to the blog itself which helps me keep track of how many people are actually reading my reviews.

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Rawles

Educated by Tara Westover

So, I am not really sure how to review this one.

My brain was in so many places when I finished a week ago that I had to take a break.  Whew!

And this is a good thing, at least for me.  If you don't already know, this is another memoir of resilience, defying the odds, and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.  A la Glass Castles, Hillbilly Elegy, even the novel The Great Alone.  I am sure there are others.  Trapped by her parents (really, her dad's) paranoia about the government, Tara and her 6 siblings do not attend school regularly (Tara not at all - she's the youngest), are forced to work in the family junkyard business, always face serious injury, only believe in home remedies (doctors collude with the government!) and never are given the chance to make up their own minds about things in the world because they are never taught, they are only TOLD.  But then one brother self studies himself into college, and convinces Tara she can - and should - do the same.  Now they both have PhDs (as does another brother).  Impressive?  Impossible?  Both??


My first impression of this book was made in the very first paragraph - so descriptive!!  What imagery!!  "...a gentle hill slopes upward and stitches itself to the mountain base."  WHAT?  This woman never went to high school?  She only graduated from BYU, Cambridge and Harvard.  And was a Gates Scholar.

Oh.  Education has nothing to do with intelligence.  Only with knowledge.

This is a great choice for a book club.  I have two book clubs that are reading it this month.  In the first group of various ages and genders we had some people who didn't really believe this was a fully true story.  It is hard to believe.  So many injuries in the junkyard and in other accidents that one friend felt like it was "violence voyeurism." (stolen from Debbie!!)  And like Hillbilly Elegy, there is a lack of emotion here that I find very interesting in memoirs.  Like the author has to distance herself from the truth in order to tell it straight, without the blurring of emotion.  Abuse abounds in many forms.  But that is MY definition of abuse.  Those perpetrating the abuse don't see it as abuse at all.  There is a lot of denial.  Tara herself in a recent interview still seems to defend her now estranged father from his decisions and actions, saying he didn't mean for the kids to get injured in the junkyard, it just is what it is.  (God's will?)  I also agreed with my friend Debbie again when she said she wanted more of the things Tara had to learn when she "entered society."  Much is made of the fact that she had never heard the word Holocaust before college and had to ask what that meant.  She did have access to a computer and later a tv in her house, but that level of not knowing is mind blowing to those of us that are mainstreamed.  But should it be??  Remember, we are all only knowledgeable about the things we have been told - by our parents, by our teachers, the media, our church, the history books.  How much do we all take at face value?  Tara did her own research, and learned, and questioned, and grew.  There is no shame in not knowing, only in not trying to learn.

She is clear at the beginning that this is not a story of their religion (they are Mormon) but rather belief.  Interesting clarification.  But it is a story of paranoia, family, responsibility to self, intended and unintended abuse and questioning authority.  Her path is not "normal" by any definition.  But her story is well worth reading.  Tara is an excellent writer and I will be curious to see if she writes another book and what sort it will be.  Her choice of study was focused on the history of historians - where does knowledge come from and who are these people who have traditionally told us what to believe.  Interesting indeed.

I can't really say more in a review without totally spoiling the book - I have probably already revealed too much, but I promise there is SO MUCH MORE (hello Shawn) - but I have an entire other review written for my other book club which meets tonight - more like discussion points really.  So much to talk about!!  Whether or not YOU believe, is left to you.  But read, you should.  Then, be like Tara.  Decide for yourself.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

The one good thing about having a bad cold is you don't feel like doing anything but reading. Sniff.

This was a great book to hunker down with.  I have enjoyed all the Moriarty books I have read, and in this one her humor really shines through.  Frances Welty, who I would call the main character, is hilarious and imperfect and oh so relatable.  On a whim, Frances signs up for a Health Retreat to relax, get her head straight, mend a broken (and embarrassed) heart, maybe lose a few pounds, detox.  What she gets, and who she meets, makes for one of the most creative tales I have read in a long time!

There are nine guests for this session at Tranquillum House.  Some come from Melbourne, some Sydney, some other places down under.  There is one couple, one family, a few divorcees, and a lawyer.  The Director and staff members are determined to bring out a "new you" they tell everyone cheerfully and enigmatically.  Red flags begin to wave almost immediately.  Will they work together?  Will they indeed go through a metamorphosis?  They will certainly be changed!

I loved the pace here - different chapters give the reader insight into each of the guests, as well as the staff and director.  And I loved how the author handled the end of the book. (No Peeking!  See previous review for The Silent Patient.)  There are so many plotlines and character traits and backstories here that it must have taken a flow chart to keep them straight, but somehow it all works when put together.  Kudos to Moriarty for keeping it straight, for a wonky twist, and for giving us a book that was totally hard to predict!  Definitely an author to count on for a wild ride and a good story.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

This is a debut author to watch!!!

What a story!!  Well told - a murder mystery that unravels slowly.  Alicia is accused of killing her husband - no one knows why she would do it, or why she stopped talking altogether after the fact.  Greek tragedy much?  A Psychotherapist decides he is the one to unlock this mystery of why she is not talking, and gets a job at the facility where she lives.  The investigation he goes on is intriguing, intruding, and totally fascinating.  Many questions are answered, and many questions are raised, but I will say I loved the ending - not so much a shock as just really really well presented.  (Don't read it first!  ARRGGHHHH there should be immediate removal of books from people who do that.  Why read at all if you know the ending???  I literally am that reader that puts her hand over the right hand side of the page to keep myself from reading ahead.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't and when I forget to cover it up I hate it! It is like opening Christmas presents on December 20th!!!  HAHA!)

Very Good read.  This was my first Book of the Month club choice (got it as a gift) - impressed!!!!

The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskens

Maybe I liked this book, a lot.

Maybe you should read it too.

Joe Talbert is back, in a follow up to The Life we Bury (you should definitely read that one!!).  A few years have passed and Joe is in trouble at work for not giving up his source, when a news report of an alleged murder catches his eye.  The victim?  Joe Talbert.

And so Joe is distracted from his work worries (and his girlfriend's stress about studying for the Bar Exam) by this question - is this Joe Talbert his father?? The father who abused his mom and left them?  The man he has never even met?  He can't ask his mom - they are NOT on speaking terms, after what she did to his autistic brother Jeremy, who is now in Joe's custody (his truth always begins with the word "maybe" which I loved about Jeremy, and about Eskens presentation of Jeremy).  So, he goes on a road trip, meets some, um, interesting characters, and digs into what may be his past, with major ramifications on his own future.

Easy reading - Eskens has a way of making his readers super comfortable and almost a part of the landscape of his stories.  Joe is a normal, good guy - well he tries to be - but he is only human so of course he messes up.  But that good part does shine through, especially in the end, when, to paraphrase the words of MLKjr, It is never the wrong time to do the right thing.  Will the right thing be good for Joe?  Maybe not, but what and who he finds on this journey will make all the pain and decisions and guesswork worth it in the end.  A story of defining parenthood, of forgiveness, of trying to do that right thing, of listening to the words you don't want to hear, of looking into the past to help you navigate the future.  Can't wait to hear what my book club thought of this one. 

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Gruesome. Thrilling. Revealing. Frustrating. Twisting. Profane.  Best of all - MAJOR CLIFFHANGER!!

And dare I say....magical??? ;-)

Cormoran Strike and his loyal assistant/partner Robin Ellacott are back again in the third novel from this pseudonym for JK Rowling, still riding high from the success of their two previously successful cases - and cognizant of the Police Force's annoyance at being bested by a one-legged detective.  When a serial killer is on the loose and Robin is sent a body part, Cormoran's radar goes up and there are four possible suspects - all with connections to Cormoran's somewhat convoluted past.  As they follow up clues, danger persists, attacks occur, and past history is revealed (trigger alert here for assault victims).  Robin proves an invaluable help to Cormoran, and her on again, off again relationship with fiance Matthew is still a rub, for both of them (and me too - not sure about pretty boy Matthew....).  The language here might be coarse, but this is the underbelly of London we are talking about, and Galbraith certainly knows how to write in local vernacular, gov.  I loved the dialogue!!  I would like to know the background on Shanker's nickname for Strike though - Strike - match - burner maybe????

This is a long book but worth the read in the end.  I thought I knew who the killer was - about three times.  Ha!!!!  I don't think you necessarily have to read the first two books - but why wouldn't you when they are so fun to read?  Cormoran's interesting upbringing, current situation, relationship with the police, and his ability even as a scruffy amputee with a bad attitude, to continually date the most beautiful (if dull) women, do actually make him endearing.  I do agree with another reviewer that once you notice it, it becomes annoying that Cormoran always orders fish and chips and the ladies only order salad (although, Robin broke down and ordered a chippie in this book!!!!).    I do like a curmudgeonly main male character - he's gruff, he's tough, and he's a softie at the same time.

Now, off to the library (sorry, Sally, I am on restriction from buying this month!!) for Book 4  - Lethal White.  Gotta find out what happens after that cliffhanger  -yes, I do!!!!!!!!!

Come Rain or Come Shine by Jan Karon

There is nothing like a trip back to Mitford to put your head and your heart back in a happy place!!!!

I have loved this series for 20 years. In this installment, our Dooley is getting hitched. I love how Karon gives us little snippets from several different viewpoints - we hear from Father Tim and Dooley and Lace and a myriad of other wonderful, eclectic, and wonderfully simple people who are preparing for an outdoor wedding at the Farm. Father Tim Kavanagh is still central to our story, but this is Dooley and Lace's day - and the (years) two weeks leading up to it are fraught with all kinds of small town traumas, family secrets, gifts and blessings - oh the blessings. There is even a reference to Barnabas!!! Sniff!!!! And omgash, Harley and his dentures - and burying a bottle of bourbon (to keep the rain away, a-course!). Plus, I double dawg dare ya not to fall in LUV with Jack Tyler. I just love this stuff!!!

I wonder how many more of these stories she will write - then, I hope to be blessed with more. Start at the beginning of the series if you want to know lots of references here - it is worth the trip back to Mitford just to know what OMC stands for - yum. Heckfire, maybe I will read it all again too.  Classic Southern Literature - and boy howdy, does she do vernacular well!!!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Possibly, a perfect novel.

I had heard all the buzz about this book, so my mom, also a voracious reader herself, gave it to me for Christmas.

Took me two days to read it.  Sorry, family.  I just couldn't stop.

Fantastic read.  Kya is raised in near isolation in the marsh and is perfectly capable of taking care of herself.  She is schooled by nature, by Mother Earth, and avoids contact with the "townies" as much as possible.  They all think she is stupid, dirty, and white trash anyway.  All except for one boy, who accepts her for who she is, and gives her a chance.

But then, murder.  And accusation, and trial.  This is not the heart of the story though.  Loneliness, acceptance, abandonment, prejudice, survival, trust and oh, the feathers.  The author is herself a wildlife scientist and her insight into animal behavior and the pulses of life in the marsh become as much a main character as Kya herself.  So well woven into the story, you might learn something without even realizing it (right, Sheriff?).

I loved the painting of Kya and the boy....the exchange of gifts on the stump....the cat in the courtroom.....Jumpin's warning...Jumpin' himself...feeding the gulls....painting like her mama.....alligator shoes....the unexpected way she revealed the expected ending.....and one unexpected but anticipated homecoming.  Part sad, heartbreaking, and inspiring, this was beautifully done - a great book club choice!

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

I really enjoy Brooks' books; I have read all but the Pulitzer Prize winner - hmmmmm!

This one did not disappoint.  Set in Rural England during 1665-1666, the story is loosely based on a real village and how it reacted during the Black Plague and its infectious devastation.  The language here is appropriate for the times, so may trip up a modern reader, but you get into the cadence pretty easily.  Anna Frith is a maid to the local minister and helps out at events held at the "big house" up the hill sometimes too.  Both positions give her access to very different types of lives and reactions when neighbors start dying horrible deaths.  Could Anna herself have thwarted the spread of the plague?  After all, her lodger was the first to die - a tailor with lots of bolts of cloth.....

Really interesting how Brooks weaves in the superstitions and caste definitions of the times, how people begin to react to the stress of watching all your neighbors die and how unlikely friendships will blossom out of necessity - but also manages to give her heroine such an interesting (if not really believable) ending.  I would recommend all of Brooks' books (The People of the Book was my favorite, but also loved Caleb's Crossing and The Secret Chord), and The Year of Wonders is now among them.  Be sure to read all the info at the end about what really happened - and then say of prayer of thanks for antibiotics!!!!  Could be a good book club book - definitely great for lovers of historical fiction!