Ruby is not a saint. She has taken a life or two or more but she did not kill her husband Jason. She is a psychiatrist born and raised in a city she loves-Miami, with a sister she loves and a rescue cat named Mr. Cat who she loves. She wants to help people but doesn't exactly trust them and now will need to rely on them to get herself out of the pickle she is in. This is that kind of book where the character is either a misunderstood saint or a very lucky devil and you are never sure which one you are dealing with. A bit Killing Eve meets Gone Girl and a devilishly delightful debut. 4 stars
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Evie comes from humble roots near Galveston Texas. She dreams of becoming a nurse but her no good mom and others aren't making life easy for her. Evie's dad was a dancer so when Evie takes a job working as a nurse on the dance marathon circuit it seems like life is starting to look up. It is there that she falls hard for the talented and very handsome Zave. In what seems like a Cinderella story Evie and Zave are set up to pretend to be engaged and showcase the new dance show. As the clock strikes midnight however Evie's dreams might go up in smoke as secrets are uncovered and hearts are broken. The Great Depression, the brutal world of marathon dancing centered in the illustrious cities of Chicago and Galveston combined with the colorful characters shared in the vibrant voice of Sarah Bird make this historical fiction with a heart of gold. 4 1/2 Texas stars
Michael Darling is a train engineer now. A far cry from the kid who, along with his sister and brothers, hung out with Peter Pan in Neverland. When word comes through the secret organization that Michael used to work for that Peter has disappeared and Neverland is in danger, he reluctantly joins up with another knight and heads back to Neverland. Magic, ghosts, sprites, wraiths, mermaids, pirates and a humungous crocodile with a ticking tummy- all the magic of Neverland with a grown up twist. Fly back to Neverland where anything can happen as long as you have a child's adventurous spirit and a bit of pixie dust. For fans of retellings of our favorite classics as well as those of us who never want to grow up in our reading choices. 3 1/2 stars
1973 Montgomery Alabama where Civil is a young idealistic nurse working at a women's health clinic that serves the poor community mainly black women. She is excited to be helping those most in need although when she is given her first case which is to administer birth control shots to two little girls alarm bells begin to ring. Civil takes the family under her wing and works hard to make their lives easier well above her role at the clinic. When a tragic event takes place under her watch Civil takes on those in power all the way to Washington. Dual timelines share the events at the clinic and later as Civil goes back years later to revisit her past.This riveting story is based on true events and is yet another example of the abuse of poor people at the hands of those in authority offering help and delivering deception. A heartfelt tale that will resonate with readers interested in the Civil Rights movement as well as those who enjoy the strong women and men behind the scenes who risked everything for justice. 4 1/2 stars
Emma comes home after dropping out of med school to care for her dying dad and her brother's fall into Opiod addiction and rehab. Her best friend is missing and she is unable to heal any of them since her childhood gift of healing has disappeared. Emma is a mess. There are very funny snippets of dialogue from the inhabitants at the local cemetery and real life photographs and descriptions of the town hero naturalist couple. Heartwarming, clever and delivered in a unique way this is about the desire in all of us to heal those we love and the frustration that comes with knowing we can't. A cross between Saunder's LINCOLN IN THE BARDO and a Fannie Flagg small town saga, this had me checking off all the columns. 4 stars
Au pairs in a suburb outside of Paris try to find themselves while dealing with living on the fringe of Paris, the fringe of being accepted by the French and their young charges. The girls do have one friend who runs the school where the au pairs come to escape their host families. When one of the young charges dies and an au pair is suspected the secret lives of a couple of these families will come out in the open. The audio for this book was the perfect choice for being immersed in the language and customs where these au pairs feel so alienated. 4 stars
A modern day vampire story in London. Lydia has just had to admit her mother to an Assisted Living place due to her progressing dementia. Lydia is a good daughter and packs her mom's fridge full of her special juice (otherwise known as pig's blood) and goes off to rent a windowless studio where she will pretend to make art. During the day she has an internship at a well known gallery. Her life is all over the place and she is thirsting for more than blood as she tries to have relationships with the people in her building and at the gallery but these prove just as challenging as what type of art she wants to create and having a normal life. Some of what she does is disturbing and it is meant to unsettle the reader no matter what your blood type. 4 stars
C0ming of age story of a teen from the English countryside who gets a fantastic opportunity to travel to Morocco and hang out with rock stars, fashion icons and unbelievably wealthy people. Claire, now transformed into CeCe becomes the darling of the charismatic Talitha and Paul Getty. Their sprawling compound in Marrakech is everything CeCe dreamed of. A steady stream of visitors like Beatles, Stones, Yves St. Laurent and more hang out there for endless buffets of drugs, sex and alcohol. It brings out a kaleidoscope of feelings for her hosts - Talitha and Paul. A tragic accident and a near miss for CeCe serves as a wake up call that it is time to go home to real life. Beautifully told in a manic pace just like you are right there in the middle of it all. Fall down the rabbit hole with CeCe in groovy 60's mellow Marrakech. Fans of Daisy Jones and the Six as well as those who appreciate the 60's music and lifestyle will find much to love.
4 rocking stars Elizabeth Zott is a free thinking, no nonsense, fiercely independent female chemist. She is likely to relate everything in life to science and usually combustion follows in her wake. She is the perfect role model for every little girl with big dreams but we are not talking about present day instead, she is dealing with small minds in the early 1960's.
When she finds herself unemployed, with a baby and no husband Elizabeth takes on a challenge - a cooking show on tv. Not only will she win over a huge audience captivated by her logic and skill at providing healthy meals but also how she empowers them to live out their full potential. This is Mrs. Maisel wit combined with Julia Child's no nonsense cooking encouraging women to do more than copy the recipes but instead write their own recipes for life. Elizabeth's daughter Mad, her highly intelligent and hard working dog Six Thirty, and best friend Harriet round out this ensemble of smart, fun and inspiring cast of characters. 4 1/2 stars A series of connected stories of family and a strange occurrence where people experience violin music combined with darkness under a large maple tree. We begin with a second son who leaves England to find himself in Canada to the future where time travelers go back to investigate the occurrence. Emily St. Mandel has a masterful way of connecting the dots drawing us into the characters and the strange event without losing their humanity. What is the meaning of all this and who is responsible for it? This author helps us feel better about the fact that we may be the last to know the answers. Fans of her other books and speculative fiction will find much to ponder. 4 1/2 stars
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