3 1/2 stars
Evan Ryder is a female agent with skills akin to "Mission Impossible" level. She finds herself in a situation where a mysterious organization called Nemesis, reminiscent of the Third Reich, is strategically killing off agents, putting out misinformation and generally wreaking havoc with the US. She is sent to find said organization and bring them down. This is one of the fastest paced spy thrillers I have read in a long time. There is so much misinformation, double agent activity and mysterious ties to her past and others that you have to pay close attention. The first in a new series and a must for all those armchair special agents and readers of smart covert operation thrillers.
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I am always biased when a thriller is written about Austin after living there. I also really enjoy Jeff Abbott's writing style and interesting storylines and this one does not disappoint. Life in this well off suburb outside of Austin is wonderful - the neighborhood is safe, the schools are great, the people are smart and ambitious as is their children - perfect right? Until one day when two teens on a morning walk through the park and one finds his dead mom. Suddenly, strange behavior affects the community and secrets begin to emerge about the dead woman and her neighbors. Twisty, intense and perfect for summer. 4 stars
We all know that people, animals, insects and birds migrate somewhat easily but for trees that journey is very difficult. They need to migrate if a part of the ecosystem fails or sometimes botanists and explorers move them for their own reasons. St. George gives us a naturalist view of why some tree species have endured through every disaster/disease/drought and also a few species that need to be moved or they will die out forever. He presents the science behind the success of the placement of the trees and also the history of how these trees ended up where they are. Full of interesting people behind the preservation efforts and anecdotes about the five types of trees the book focuses on. I was fascinated to learn of the extent that some of the botanists go to track down why the tree is failing or the efforts to introduce the species to a new area. For all you tree huggers out there or anyone who was fascinated by THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES, this is the book for you. 4 stars
3 1/2 stars
Grandmother, mother and preteen daughter head off for a getaway weekend to reconnect but what starts out as a walk in the winter wonderland ends up in being held captive in an abandoned cabin. If they can keep their calm, use their wits and hope their survival instincts take hold, they just might get out of there alive. A few aspects of living with mental illness play into this story and also the once powerless women who have now used their past to deal with the future. The moral of this story is never underestimate a mother's love or her desire to protect her child. A fascinating and shocking look at how people in the U.S. who were diagnosed with leprosy, now called Hansen's Disease, were treated. Traditionally, we thought of someone who suffered from the disease as having horrible disfigurement and being cast away from society for fear of catching the disease and scaring little kids. You were a social pariah and so little was known about the progression or how the disease was passed from person to person so we locked them all up and hid them. The first "home" for lepers was opened near New Orleans in a rundown plantation in squalid conditions but over the years it grew and was modernized. The inhabitants of Carville were treated as inmates, suffering from isolation from family and spouses. Pam Fessler has done her research and has shown us the "human" side of the story as well as the scientific breakthroughs. We get to know the people who lived with it and those who tried to find a cure and fight the social stigma. For anyone that is familiar with the disease or morbidly curious as I was about so called leper colonies or is intrigued by the early social and scientific practices of controlling diseases, this book is a must. Completely readable and gut-wrenching! 5 stars
3 1/2 stars
A screwball young woman gets fired again only to find herself rehired by the firm's handsome head who offers Emily a job as a groundskeeper/personal assistant/companion to his wife and young daughter who just happen to live in an estate on the coast of France. Great pay, no living expenses and she gets to live on a beautiful remote estate - sounds a little good to be true. Emily goes anyway and lets just say that the job is less than perfect. Scary and full of unreliable narrators and a good portion of weirdness, this thriller will keep your heartbeat raised. A great summer read that will make you feel like you made the right call turning down that summer au pair position for the wealthy family going to Cote D'Azur. An interesting blend of the Native American condition in THERE, THERE and the horror of Stephen King's CUJO or PET CEMETERY. Killing a herd of elk can mean meat in the freezer for all the people on the reservation but when an ill planned hunt goes horribly wrong an entity called Elk Head Woman is let loose to exact revenge on the hunters. Ten years pass but the memory of that night is still fresh in the minds of the four young guys as they are about to pay the price for a mistake of their youth. This book is a paradox that shows the loss of pride, respect and remembrance of the old ways with the mythical spirit of the elk woman who takes out her revenge on the four because they did not respect the old ways of only hunting what you can eat and need. It is graphic and true to its horror roots yet also gives a great viewpoint of the modern day Native American trapped in the futility of living on the reservation. The language is choppy but authentic and it took me a bit of time to get used to the back story of each character which can lull you into a false sense of calm before the next horrific event. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy the violence and sheer terror of a good horror novel but also like reading between the lines for more of a story.
I am a huge fan and this book just reinforced that ten-fold. At first, the stories and people feel disjointed but as the book progresses, those loose threads magically knit together. A near suicide, an unlikely bank robber who ends up an unlikely hostage taker, a father/son police team and a group of odd balls who came to view an apartment for rent and end up as hostages. What do these people all have in common? Each chapter dissects what is happening at that moment and gives you insight into the character. In true Fredrik Backman fashion, they are all unusual yet very ordinary and have a story with a twist and they are all very anxious. Funny, heartbreaking, insightful and extremely clever - the adjectives could go on forever. Once again, Fredrik Backman has made us appreciate what it means to be human and has allowed us to laugh at ourselves just a little. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy. This book will be out in September. 5 stars
4 stars
Olympic athletes are known for their dedication, hard work and grueling training. FAST GIRLS looks at the US women's track team in the years leading up to and during the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin. These women not only had to have all the talent and dedication of what it takes to make the Olympic team but they had to fight for the right to even train ,let alone compete. They suffered through prejudice based on their gender, skin color, background as well as being slandered in the press and from the Olympic Committee themselves. On top of everything else the games in Berlin were a circus and put them in danger. Elise Hooper gives us a clear picture of the seemingly impossible hurdles these women faced. Even though they came from a variety of backgrounds there was one thing they all shared - they would do whatever it took to convince the world they could win. Any reader of historical fiction particularly those who enjoy little known stories of heroic women will find this story fascinating. 3 1/2 stars
Bea is a successful fashion blogger with thousands of social media fans. She has a supportive family, lots of friends and the career she always dreamed of. The only thing missing is love - particularly the guy she has been obsessing over since high school. When her hopes get dashed she is presented with an interesting challenge - go on a reality tv series (aka Bachelorette) and find her Prince Charming or as close as you can in front of millions of strangers getting to know 25 guys who are also strangers. To date the show has featured women who fall into a model- thin "Miss America" role and as a plus size woman she hopes to break the mold. However, the show's producers may have a few tricks up their sleeve and it takes a lot to sift through the stupid remarks and uncomfortable situations to find the real deal. The result is funny, heartfelt and at times debilitating in the cruelty of the producers, contestants and the public. For anyone who has binge watched reality shows with your tissue box handy and those of us who don't want another one size fits all princess fairy tale. |
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