Happy book birthday to FUNNY STORY by Emily Henry
There is something uplifting about reading a romcom by Emily Henry. The characters are flawed, but not too much, caught up in a humorous situation but one that is not without pain, suffering and a huge attraction to the one person you shouldn't be attracted to. In this tale of interesting relationships we find Daphne (a wonderful children's librarian!) who is dumped almost at the alter and becomes roomies with the guy who got dumped and is now shacking up with Daphne's ex fiancé. Daphne and Miles seem to be opposites except for the obvious until an idea that starts out as a "get even" move creates more of a spark than they anticipated. Classic Emily Henry wit, charm and romantic entanglements that mark her books as a must read on a beach or wherever. 5 happy go lucky stars
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Three foster girls with very different personalities band together to survive their psychopath foster mom. When they get a call saying that bones have been discovered and they are bringing all the fosters in for questioning the three head back into their horrible past. Listened to the fantastic Aussie accent audiobook as this book kept me entertained and puzzled. We all want the bad guy, aka foster mom, to be the culprit but was she? The three soul sisters are all dealing with trauma of their past and in perfect denial now. This might be tough for victims of abuse. 4 stars Once again we find ourselves with detectives from both sides of the lake - Ffion from Wales and her potential love interest Leo from England. A reality show stirs up the quiet little village but when a contestant goes missing it ramps up even more. The contestants are involved in more than they bargained for making them all suspects and journalists and social media podcasters aren't helping keep any of it quiet. This police drama with much tension (of the relationship kind) and office politics is one that would do really well on the small screen. The characters are gruff but likable , the serene setting is just remote enough and the fast pace with just a trickle of clues all work really well. There is even an anxiety driven dog! For British mystery lovers of books and tv series alike. 4 stars Historical fiction that dives into a little known true story of a small town disaster in 1928 and the grief it caused then and ripples in the generations that followed. Twins Daisy and Rose just wanted to have some fun but no one knew that one Flowers girl along with most of the young people in town would not come home that night or be left severely injured due to a massive explosion of the dance hall. 50 years later a new Daisy is deposited on her grandmother's doorstep while mom goes off with the latest boyfriend. Daisy hopes she will only be there a short time with her grandmother the town mortician but a timely newspaper internship and the discovery of the tragedy no one will talk about changes everything. The dual timeline offers these universal truths - young people always seek to rebel a bit, time doesn't heal every old wound and every family has its share of secrets. Coming of age in the Roaring Twenties and 70's in small town America that will have readers of LAST DANCE ON THE STARLIGHT PIER and SHOOT THE MOON dancing in their seat. 4 stars
A celebration of food, art and the Parisian way of life in 1980 as well as a hunt for a father, a female painter and a path forward for a lost American expat. Stella travels to Paris to honor her mother's last wish. She had led a difficult life so far with her not at all "warm and fuzzy" mother and has no clue who her father is. She finds herself experiencing everything life has to offer from beautiful vintage designer dresses to food to art. With no income she finds a temporary home at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore and discovers a community ready to offer support and help her with her quest. Perfect armchair travel - all the sights, smells and tastes that only Ruth Reichl can convey plus a colorful cast of characters you can't help but fall for. Readers of MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING and francophiles will eat this up. 4 1/2 stars Historical fiction of a famous Scopes Trial and the impact on a small town balanced with the independence of one of its residents. A publicity stunt for the town of Dayton Tennessee sets off a powder keg trial matching up Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryon arguing over the legality and right to teach evolution vs. religious creation in schools. This deeply religious town and its inhabitants including Annabel Craig was thrown into the maelstrom and threatened to sever family, friends and marriages. Annabel's husband, an attorney and science believer, was deeply committed to defending the rights of the school teacher charged with breaking the law and teaching evolution.
Annabel used her photography skills to help the journalists but was split between two camps. She saw the good and bad of both sides, the havoc that the "monkey trial" created in her hometown and the effects on her husband. For the first time in her life she had the power to make up her own mind evolving from a meek woman who accepted everything to one who questioned. For readers of historical fiction with a birdseye view of an event blended with a fictional character that feels very real. 4 stars The fifth book in a series that pairs an ex-police detective and a mystery writer to solve a variety of cases. Reminiscent of Sherlock and Holmes with an injection of humor this pair rarely see eye-to-eye and that tension is what works for them. This story is slanted more to Inspector Hawthorne than writer Horowitz which worked better to throw yourself into the murder mystery for me. A gated community sees a grumpy resident silenced and the whole community seems to be a suspect. This series is a fun respite from the standard dark murder mysteries. 4 stars A fantasy richly infused with all the vicious history and power struggles of Spain and the Inquisition. Luzia is a scullery maid able to perform small miracles that help her survive and go largely unnoticed. When a nobleman does notice them he sets about grooming Luzia and her magic to help elevate his own status placing her doubly in danger by performing forbidden magic and her Jewish background. Walking this tightrope between nobility and an overcrowded jail cell ending in torture, Luzia epitomizes the gap between the haves and have nots and not knowing who to trust. Leigh Bardugo paints a lush portrait of how the Spanish throne used the Inquisition to rid the country of those they deemed unworthy in Luzia's story. It is both romantic and cruel, historically accurate with the edges blurred by fantasy and the unexplained. This will appeal to both fantasy and historical fiction fans and both young adult and adult readers. 4 stars
Dr. Ophelia Bray wakes from cold sleep and is introduced to her new crew mates only to find out that none of them want her or any other psychologist on their mission. She is there because the crew has suffered the loss of one of their own but she needs to break through to them to be of help. They have landed on an abandoned planet with no lifeforms and will leave as soon as they get samples but horrific storms are making it difficult. Then strange things begin to affect Ophelia and the crew. Is something out there in the snow? How long can Ophelia keep her own past secret? Solid space horror amplified by being on a sketchy abandoned planet, huge storms messing with their communication and exit strategy and a group of people you don't know or trust. 3 1/2 stars If you have travelled anywhere in the South Pacific or parts of Alaska you have seen or heard mention of Captain James Cook. To some islanders and the British he was almost godlike, a consummate seaman and true adventurer whose travels brought back new territories and much needed maps home to Great Britain. To others however, he was a bit of a madman (especially on this last voyage) unpredictable, pompous and violent. To many of the native islanders he overstayed his welcome, stripped them of natural resources and left in violence. Hampton Sides offers us an unbiased look at Cook's last voyage back to the South Pacific and then north to locate and map a clear passage through Alaska. Sides has a gift for laying out not only the conditions and customs of the seafarers but also their interactions, customs and the response of the islanders. Comprehensive, immensely entertaining and a "True North" pick for any sea explorer by boat or armchair. This would make a wonderful gift for anyone planning a trip to Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, Hawaii or even Alaska. 4 1/2 stars
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