December 2019 Wrap Up

Well it seems December escaped me. And a good portion of January as well. So I’m going to do a December wrap up post and then catch up on January...and as alway I’ll try to vibe better in the future...but you know, no promises.

The Testaments By Margaret Atwood (Read 11/30/19 - 12/2/19)
I loved it! I could not put it down. I know some reviewers didn’t like the change in style, but I did. I liked the holes it filled and I felt like it wrapped things up some.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Read 12/2/19 - 12/4/19)
I can't believe I hadn't read this before! I have decided also that I may not be an Austin or a Bronte Fan, but I am a Dickens fan. I really enjoyed it.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan (Read 12/4/19 - 12/8/19)
So this is the OUABC Christmas box from last year, and I found it at the grocery store and picked it up. Felt like the right season. I loved it. I loved the characters, especially Stewart, he reminded me a lot of my Fiancé. And I love the drama and story line, it was dramatic and deep and yet fluffy too.

The Lost Book of Adan Moreau by Michale Zapata (Read 11/17/19 - 12/11/19)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published February 4, 2020.
This was an Ok book for me, I was interested enough to finish. It reminded me a lot of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Which was a 3 star book to me. Which I know it mentions in the description, but it was very comparable I found.
I found the story moved a little slow at the beginning, picked up when we met Saul, but then began to drag again. It was only 272 pages but it felt at times like it was closer to 600.
There were some rambling parts, like the Dominicana’s Welsh doctor tells her a story from his childhood and going to work in the coal mines. I wasn’t sure what the point of including was. Also the lack of chapters bothered me.

 

A Royal Christmas Wish by Lizzie Shane (Read 12/11/19 - 12/15/19)
This was the OUABC Christmas Mini Box. I enjoyed this book, it was fun and magical, and perfect for the season. I felt like I was reading a hallmark movie, and I really hope they put it out as one!

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (Read 12/21/19 - 12/22/19)
This was the OUABC November selection. I sped through it obviously. The story kept me guessing and there were so many little twists! And creepy, so creepy! But sooo good too!

Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valarie (Read 12/26/19 - 12/28/19)
This was the OUABC December selection. It was ok, it was sarcastic and funny, but I didn't really like the characters and I didn't really like the story line. But the quips kept me invested.

The Best is Yet to Come” Lauren Bretanha (Read 11/22/19 to 11/27/19)

The book mostly jumps back and for the between present day Claire, and Claire 5 years ago when she she first met Bass. Sometimes we get chapters from Bass’s point of view, both present and 5 years earlier.
I really like the characters, my heart aches for their situation. Bass is so understanding I want to shake Claire, but I get the emotional walls she has built. It makes my heart hurt so deeply for them and for the baby. Claire is defiantly a classic example of self-fulfilling prophecy, she is so intent of not getting hurt or causing hurt that she wreaks it in so many unintended ways.
In understand that Claire’s self hatred and lack of confidence in her mothering skills is the heart of her character, and needed for her character growth, but at times it was all a little much. Jeez, they bring the baby home and she cries, so automatically the baby hates Claire. It is just a little over the top at times in my mind.
A really confusing part of the book, is that sometimes both parents are referred to as being dead, but sometimes it seems like it is only the Father that died. Then on page 204 it seems that her mother may have committed suicide. It was all cleared up by the end, but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was going on.
Parts of this book really hit me in the feels. I could see myself in Claire, and I could understand some of her decisions, I and also understand how a baby changes a marriage, and not all survive it.
I felt like this was very much a self fulfilling prophecy book. All of Clair’s worst nightmares come true, because of what choices and actions she takes to protect herself. I got really frustrated with how Claire refused to talk to Bass, I feel 100% that they issues with communication stemmed from her and I really wasn’t that sympathetic. I did feel bad for Bass though.
This was a harder book than I expected. It hit a lot of feels. My 1st marriage feel apart for many reasons, a few of them reflected her with trust and intimacy issues. I could really see both sides. There were some slow parts, but overall the book moved at a good pace. There were very few present choices that I could find, that took some reaching sometimes.

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy (Read 11/12/19 to 11/17/19)

This is my second Quarterly Book Exchange book.  It is set in Poland in the last year of World War II.  Two jewish children are sent into the Bialowieza Forest by their Father and Stepmother.  They are told to hide their identities and take the names Hansel and Gretel.  They find an old woman, Magda, in a hut on the outskirts of the village Piaski, the village calls her a witch.  This takes what you think you know about Hansel and Gretel, and weaves a magical and tragic tale about what could have been the real story behind the fairy tale.

I really enjoyed this book, it took the horrors of Nazi occupation of Poland and combined them with the fantasy of a Fairy Tale, to create surreal world, that was probably exactly how it felt to survivors.  I'm not going to lie, this had some very graphic movements, but I think that was Murphy's attempt to stay true to the graphic nature of that time period, it was an ugly brutal period in human history.  I love the writing style and the way she kept elements of the fairy tale in the story of these fugitive children.  It was beautifully written and heartbreaking at time.

The Other Son by Nick Alexander (Read 11/4/19 to 11/9/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It was originally published I UK in 2015, 12/17/19 is US release
This is a story about a dysfunctional family. It takes place in London area.
The characters are Alice her husband of 50 years Ken, they are in their late 60’s almost 70’s. Their son Tim and his wife Natalya, and their other son Matt.
This book did a bit of timeline jumping, it was broken up into parts, Part 1 was about Alice and her marriage to Ken and her view on her relationship with her children. Part 2 was from Natalya and Tim’s view on their life and their relationship with Alice and Ken. Part 3 is a bridging section between what happens to Alice after Part 2 that leads to Part 4. The first part of Part 4 is from Tim’s point of view of his life, and the final part is from Alice’s view of Tim’s life and making some revelations about her own.
There is some touchy topic, abuse, drinking, prostitution, human trafficking.
I really enjoyed this book, I know that it has lots of triggers and may not be appropriate for everyone. I found the characters to be very realistic, even if they were not all likable. As a domestic abuse survivor myself I was really able to relate to Alice, Tim and Matt and understand their motivations for the choices they made. But I realize it is a heavy topic. It was a really well written book and compelling characters to me.

#TheOtherSon #NetGalley

The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer (Read 11/1/19 to 11/3/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published April 7, 2020.

I did not finish this book, I only made it to 36%. I found the world really interesting, it was set in the early 1900’s and focuses on stage magicians in the Vaudeville circuit. But the world had 3 classes of people, the Solitaire which seem to have no magic. The Traders who can change form into animals, and the Sylvetri who have some sort of affinity with nature. There was the start of some great world building and some interesting dynamics. There are some stolen ticks that seemed to be leading to a bigger conspiracy, and I know there is a murder in the future, but I didn’t get far enough in the book to find out what happened.

The reason I didn’t finish the book is the author describes people by color, they are white Solitaire or black Solitaire, a white Trader or a black Trader. At first, I hoped that it was describing if they were good or bad, but as the book went on I was disappointed to find it really was describing their skin color and I found it offensive and therefore did not finish the book. I feel like there was no need for the descriptions based on skin color and it just made the book very un-enjoyable for me.

The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore (Read 10/29/19 to 11/1/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published January 14, 2020

This book is set in 1855, Lucy Blunt is on death row at New Hampshire State Prison for killing two women, her employer and another woman in the house, Rebecca. This book jumps timelines a lot, it bounces between Lucy on death row, Lucy being hired by the Burton’s and being employed as their maid, and Lucy’s life before the Burtons.

The book starts out with Lucy being hired because the previous maid Mary Dawson had drowned. Lucy has lied and faked her references to get the job. We also find out that Lucy’s son died at 3 days old. The house is kept locked up tight, and keys are a frequently referenced item throughout the book, because Mrs. Burton wanders. We then find out that Lucy is telling her story to a newspaper man, possibly to try and get out of being hanged. One day Rebecca is locked out of the house and almost dies, it is never made clear how it happened, if Rebecca did it herself or if Mrs. Burton locked her out. While Rebecca is recovering Lucy is recruited to help Mrs. Burton. As the book unfolds we find out many secrets. Lucy and Mrs. Burton become close, and eventually form a romantic relationship, Rebecca is very jealous. It is never clearly stated that Rebecca and Mrs. Burton used to be lovers, but it is implied. Mrs. Burton gives Lucy many gifts such as lace, and dresses and jewelry, these are also used as evidence against her in the trial. But how does all this secrecy lead to two deaths and a woman awaiting her own hanging? Did she do it? Will her appeals be granted?

This was a good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The time line was a little jumpy, but I think that was on purpose. Lucy wasn’t thinking in a straight line, how could she tell her story in a straight line? The book got a little slow in the middle, but it really picked up in the end. It reminded me style wise, and even storyline wise of Sarah Water’s Fingersmith. The book kept me guessing right up to the end as to if Lucy really committed the murders or if she was framed.







#TheCompanion #NetGalley

In Cold Chamomile by Joy Avon (read 10/27/19 to 10/28/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published February 11, 2020.  This is the third book in the A Tea and Read Mystery Series, I have not read the first 2.  This is set around Valentines day and Callie Aspen and her Great Aunt Iphy Aspen have organized an event to raise money for Haywood Hall.  However, instead of love there is a murder.  As I have not read the previous 2 books, I was not attached to the characters, in fact I hated most of them.  I felt as people they were shallow, and selfish, and dumb, they made a lot of poor choices based on dumb reasons.  Callie spent all her time moaning about her maybe boyfriend Ace, and seems like a weak pathetic woman.  I expected as one of the lead sleuths that she would have a backbone and it was very much, "oh no! I didn't do what my boyfriend told me to do, oh is he breaking up with me?"   Iphy should also have been a spunky 70 year old sleuth who at her age didn't care about what people thought, instead her character came across as a lovestruck 16 year old who didn't know how to use logic at all.  Ace was a controlling jerk, who just wanted his girlfriend to "do as he said" and not disrespect him.  Peggy was a whinny pathetic woman, who caused a lot of dram for no reason at all, besides to get Callie further "in trouble" with Ace.  I knew it was a cozy mystery and I was hoping for something light and fun, but the characters were a little too light for me.  Joy Avon's writing was good, the story moved at a nice place, there was just the right amount of death for a cozy mystery.  But I didn't like a single character in this book. I hope that for fans of the series this was just a one-off, and that I am missing a great series because I won't pick up the others.

A Sister’s Courage by Molly Green (Read 10/23/19 to 10/27/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published November 28, 2019. Lorraine “Raine” Linfoot is the main character. Her mother, Simone is very French, her Father, Robert, who is older than Simone and English. She has two younger sisters, Suzanne (Suzy) and Veronique (Ronnie). This is described as being about the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), which is the British Version of the WASPS. However, it is more about Raine and her love life than the ATA’s history. In 1936, at the age of 14 Raine flies for the first time, and it is then that she decides she will be a pilot. We see Raine achieve that dream and also get caught between her feelings for two very special pilots in her life.

I didn’t realize until I got to the end that this was the first in what I believe will be a trilogy, the 2nd book is due out May 2020 and is about Raines sister Suzy, called A Sister’s song. This was an ok book, it was more of a romance and less of a historical novel than I expected. Actually I felt like besides setting it wasn’t really about the ATA, it was about Raine’s love triangle.

I liked the strong character Raine is, she was not afraid to advocate for herself. In the WWII era, there was a lot of discrimination against women, especially in historically male work fields. She is a very strong character that way. I think that if I had realized it was more about the love story and not the history of the ATA I may have enjoyed the book more. It was well written, and there were some very well developed characters, I just wanted more history I think.

No One's Home by D.M. Pulley (Read 10/19/19 to 10/23/19)

This was the Spooky Once Upon a Book Club selection.
The Rawlingswood house has quite the history, but when the Spielman's buy it, it has been abandoned and treated as a teenager party house.  They buy it for a sweet deal, and throw all the money they saved into renovations, but all the changes are not enough to remove the ghosts that live there.  And then things start happening, doors left open or suddenly locked, lights left on, strange noises.  And the Spielman's were barely holding it together as a family before the move, now that ghosts are involved they drift even further apart.
This was a good book, I really liked all the intertwining stories of the house history.  It was a little slow in the start, but once we hit the middle things really picked up.   It had it's creepy moments, I admit I couldn't read it too late into the night.  But I wouldn't call it horror either, it just makes an empty house feel really empty.

Frozen Secrets by Myles Christensen (read 10/16/19 to 10/19/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published January 25, 2020.
Max is the son of an astronaut, his father’s last mission was 13 year ago on Jupiter’s moon Europa, there was an explosion an three people died. Max and his best friend Jonathan, also an astronaut’s son, are caught using a jetpack they rebuilt and make friends with a space shuttle driver Jake. Then it is decided that Max’s family will be one of families to settle in the new Europa City, but there is more to Europa City than meets the eye.
I enjoyed this book, it was a fun and action-packed adventure. I think my son would enjoy it. I can see that it is being set up for a series, and I liked the concept. The writing was good. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite book, but it was a solid story. The characters were likable and relatable. The action never seemed to stop, I like that there were no slow parts to the book, Christensen managed to move the story line along while keeping the kids moving, literally.
#FrozenSecrets #NetGalley

Housewitch by Katie Schickel (Read 10/14/19 to 10/16/19)

This is the OUABC Sweet mini box book, I did not buy the book box, I bought the spooky one instead, but I did borrow the book from the library.
This is about Allison, who seems like a normal stay at home mom, wanting to be part of the in crowd and perfect moms.  And she finds away by being invited to be a Glamour Girl.  All she has to do is exactly what the Boss Lady Astrid says to do.  But the Glamour Girls have a secret, and so does Allison.
The description of this book compared it to Practical Magic, which I can see a bit, but it was much better.  It was a light read, and lots of fun twists.  The theme of witches was perfect for October.  Sadly I had the major plot twist figured out by about 40%.  Which doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book, but it does mean it wasn't a shocking surprise ending.  It was a nice light read for Halloween.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones (Read 10/12/19 to 10/14/19)

Emily meets Adam at a bar and he is perfect, it’s a match made in heaven.  Except for one thing, Adam’s mother Pammie.  She has taken a dislike to Emily and is doing everything in her power to tear them apart, while acting the loving Mother in Adams eyes.  But remember looks can be deceiving.
This was quite the page turner.  And keeps you guessing until the very last chapter.  What is real, what is a lie. What are the true underlying motives?it was fast paced and well written. The characters were very complex and developed, but so easy to relate to.  I thought I knew what was happening, but I was wrong, I felt like I was reading a Gillian Flynn when the truth was revealed.  The clues were so well hidden in plain sight, that I missed them.  An absolute recommendation.

A Girl, A Racoon, and the Midnight Moon by Karen Romano Young (Read 10/8/19 to 10/12/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published January 7, 2020

Pearl Moran is 10 years old and starting 5th grade. She was actually born at the library! Her mom is the circulation desk librarian and dating the library manager Bruce. Bruce used to be a park ranger, and has costume of Ranger Rick the Raccoon. Pearl’s father has never been in the picture. The library is her home, and the library staff her family. But her library is not doing well, there is poor circulation and some developers want to turn it into apartments. And to top it off the statute of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (known as Vincent), get her head stolen one night. Things are not looking good for the future of the Lancaster Branch of New York City library at all.

I really liked this book. There was nothing in the book that I said, OH I wouldn’t want my kid reading this, there were a few discussions about reproduction in the animal kingdom, and a few cuss words like piss, and damn and hell, but it was mild in mind. This was a great story about perseverance and social issues. It was about friendship and change, and how small actions can lead to great things. Peal and Francine and Oleg and all the library workers, really brought the library back to life. Pearl found her place in her world, and friends. And she didn’t sacrifice important things, like the raccoons, to achieve it. She showed integrity and commitment and inclusion. I don’t know that kids will get all the concepts, but the seeds of them could be planted with this book. Once I figure out how to get it to be readable on my kindle (netgalley sent a pdf, not a kindle file), or when it comes out, whichever happens first, I will absolutely have my son read it.



#AgirlAraccoonAndTheMidnightMoon #NetGalley

Farah Rocks Fifth Grade (Read 10/7/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published January 1, 2020

The main character is Farah Hajjar which is Arabic for Rocks. She is in 5th Grade. Her brother Samir is in kindergarten and has some disabilities, he was a preemie baby and that seems to have affected his speech. Allie Liu is Farah’s best friend and is Chinese.
Farah and Allie are applying to attend Magnet Academy, a special public school with a focus on math and science. Both the girls have been in advanced “gifted” classes since 2nd grade. There is a new girl on the bus Dana Denver, she is a transfer student from Texas, and she is really tall. The first time we meet her she is mean to Samir. Dana trips over Samir's feet getting on the bus, then he pulls her hair, I think because it is red and he meant to just stroke it. But this upsets Dana and the feud begins.
I really liked the way this book handled bullying. That it can be a quiet and subtle thing, not overt. I truly felt like it was written from a 9/10/11 year old’s perspective. My son is 10, and in fifth grade, and Farah’s decisions fall right in line with his decision-making patterns. I also liked that the characters had variety, Farah being Arabic, her best friend Chinese. It didn’t make race an issue but it acknowledged that sometimes if we look different than everyone else that we can get made fun of, or have problems related to that. It wasn’t “The Theme” of the book, but it was there as an undertone. I also think the idea that adults don’t take kids seriously or understand when they say something is wrong, is true. Kids get brushed aside, because it’s no big deal, but I liked how this book addressed that and said yes but keep trying, someone will eventually listen if you just give them a chance.

I had my 10-year old son read the book too. As a disclaimer, I bribed him with unlimited tablet time today if he read the book. It took him about an hour to read. I have never seen him read a book so fast.
Son’s Comments: The words sound weird to me when I pronounce them because they speak a different language. It was pretty good there were a lot of simile’s which I liked. The part where she purposely got bad grades was weird, when she wanted to protect her brother from Dana. Dana is going through a divorce. The story itself had a pretty good layout. I didn’t understand Arabic words. He thought Farah was pretty nice to protect Samir. It really stuck with him that Farah kept saying she was Samir’s hero.
He liked that Farah was in fifth grade because he is in fifth grade, and he liked that she stood up for her little brother. He said he would recommend it, it is a good book.



#FarahRocksFifthGrade #NetGalley

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (read 9/29/19 to 10/6/19)

This is my selection for the Quarterly Book Exchange Facebook group I have joined.  There are 4 of us in a group, and we each select a book, then highlight mark, ask questions, make comments, etc. in it and then mail to another person in the group.  Eventually we read and comment on 4 books via mail, and our original book returns to us.  I think it will add a fun new element to the book reading experience.

This is the story of two women Eve and Charlie.  The book covers both WWI and WWII.  Charlie is looking for her cousin Rose after WWII ends.  And her hunt brings her to Eve's door, Eve was a spy in WWI, and is now a very damaged woman in a lot of ways.  The hunt for Rose takes them from London and into France.  As the story unfolds we learn more about Eve's past and how it effects Charlie's future.

This was a great book, I gave it 5 stars.  I wasn't sure I was going to like the timeline skipping, but I really did, it allowed both women's stories to unfold simultaneously.  The characters were really well written, I liked Charlie, but by the end of the book I love her.  We got to see her grow into such an amazing woman.  And Eve, oh where to start on Eve.  She was my favorite character, I love her attitude from the start.  I also really liked that this book is based on true event and true people, a little creative license was taken for story sake, but for the most part it was based on a real person, Louise de Bettignies, was really knows as the Queen of Spies in WWI.  And Quinn used a memoir by her 2nd in command to help write this book, even going so far as to use actual quotes by Louise.  Additionally there is an event near the end of the book, that was a real horrific act by the Germans, that I had no idea happened.  I love a book that entertains me with great story and characters but also teaches me about history.

Beyond the Horizon by Ella Carey (Read 10/2/19 to 10/4/19)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley.  It will be published October 15, 2019.
This is a fictional account of the real-life stories of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) in WWII.  Many of the events are real, but the characters are all fictional.  The story if from the point of view of Eva Forrest, née Scott.  She is testifying at the 1977 congressional hearings on giving the WASPs military recognition.  The book opens with Nina and her husband Jack and son Alex at a market. Her son has met women organizing for the WASPs to testify in front of congress, and it triggers a flashback for Eva.  She was in a horrible crash, that killed her co-pilot Helena.  It is after this that she defies her husband and decides to testify, unless the records are militarized she cannot access them to find out what happened the day of the crash, and she fears she is to blame for her friend’s death.  The remaining chapters start out with a question from congress and Eva’s response, then it moves into a flashback to 1943/1944.  We follow Eva from her choice to join the WASPs with her best friend Nina up until the fateful accident.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was full of very strong women characters overcoming discrimination.  I felt that at times the timeline jumps were jarring. Sometimes Carey forgets to give lead ins that 3 months have passed, or that someone has entered the room.  This happened more at the beginning then the middle and end, but it caused me pause.

I also felt like a good portion of the book was spent on Eva and Nina getting into the WASP program, and training in Sweetwater.  The parts once they were assigned to Camp David and aftermath of the crash seemed really short, but maybe it was because the storyline had really picked up by then.  I admit I spent the last part of the book crying, from the moment  the hearing ended until the end of the book.  It was so heart wrenching in a good way.  Needless to say this was a book "Couldn't Put Down" as I finished it in two days.

#BeyondTheHorizon #NetGalley

Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners by Therese Oneill (read 9/25/19 to 9/29/19)

This was a library hold that came in unexpectedly.
From Goodreads description "Ladies, welcome to the 19th century, where there's arsenic in your face cream, a pot of cold pee sits under your bed, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (Why? Shush, dear. A lady doesn't question.)  UNMENTIONABLE is your hilarious, illustrated, scandalously honest (yet never crass) guide to the secrets of Victorian womanhood, giving you detailed advice on:
~ What to wear
~ Where to relieve yourself
~ How to conceal your loathsome addiction to menstruating
~ What to expect on your wedding night
~ How to be the perfect Victorian wife
~ Why masturbating will kill you
~ And more"

I like the tone of the writing, it is informative and a bit snarky.  It provides and insight, I mostly already knew,  life was hard in the 19th century.  But is also provides some tidbits I didn't know.  Pantaloons were crotchless!
I know that for the most part women had little say over their own lives, but even one of the worst mysoginistc writers of the time, felt they should have some say.   “Of all the rights to which a woman is entitled, that of the custody of her own body is the most indubitable.”  Ladies' Guide in Health and Disease: Girlhood, Maidenhood, Wifehood, Motherhood By John Harvey Kellogg, published 1884
Maybe some of our politicians etc should listen to that wisdom.
I learned that the Comstock law of 1873 changed what could and could not be mailed. No advertisement for products relating human sexuality or contraceptions. It didn’t make contraceptions themselves illegals but the ability to obtain them was. It started the idea that contraceptions were in equal footing with abortions, an idea we are still having debates over 146 years later.
On cooking in the 19th century “Unless you are excruciatingly careful and sometimes even if you are, look forward to intestinal worms, lead poisoning, and four-day-old unrefrigerated pork with a side of botulism.”  Well no one said good food easily obtained.

Overall it was a fun book, I enjoyed the facts, nothing was really mind-blowing news though.