Antonia (Toni) has a boatload of talent and a desire to make it big as a rock star without the help of her famous parents. Her big break is right around the corner in a temp gig filling in for a band member on hiatus in a hot new band and a chance to partner in a recording studio. It comes with a cost - her ex boyfriend works with the band and she needs to raise a bunch of money to buy into the studio. This is a romcom with a distinct rock soul and lots of paparazzi. There is much to delight lovers of DAISY JONES AND THE SIX as well as romance readers looking for an edgy story. It will also hit the right notes with the young adult audience. 4 stars
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An engaging story of a woman who is orphaned by disease then raised by a famous surgeon only to devote herself to the male dominated world of medicine in 1840's England. Nora is not your average lady prone to fainting spells and a general distaste of knowledge of medical practices since she has grown up in the shadow of one of the cities prominent surgeons who has encouraged her studies and curiosity. She is a gifted anatomical artist and has a keen mind but outside of the house what she does would be akin to witchcraft and illegal. The historical story of a woman fighting men for a seat at the table is not new but the behind the scenes look at medical practices in the 1800's if fascinating. In a time of such poor hygiene and lack of knowledge disease or injury carried a death sentence more times than not. 4 1/2 stars
Mount Olympus is home to the gods. Olympus Texas is home to people who act like they are gods - The Briscoes. They cheat, they lie, they love who they want without a care to who they hurt along the way. And, like the Greek Gods they have no patience for mortal problems or emotions. June is a mom with little in the way of maternal instincts. Her husband Peter's offspring is running around town and he thinks no one will notice. Their children are no better. March is back in town after having an affair with his sister in law and a shooting stirs up resentment in the town again. No marriage is on a solid footing. They are a damaged family destined to make the same mistakes without a clue as to how to change. This brought back echoes of another dominant Texas family - Edna Ferber's GIANT. 4 stars
A spin of divorce in Puritan New England and the power of gossip. Mary Deerfield has had enough of the abuse from her drunken husband. He is smart enough to never beat her in front of their servant girl or in areas that would be visible to the town but she feels that enough is enough. As expected the tables are turned when she files for divorce and she is accused of adultery and forced to return to her husband's home. Her life worsens and as she looks for ways to escape she is turned in for practicing witchcraft. My take from this book is that however bad a few men can make your life it can be made much worse by a clever woman with a grudge. This is a classic story of power, abuse and fear. 4 stars
Vern has run away from the strict cult she was born into. She gives birth to twins alone in the woods and raises them on the run from unseen demons. Always alert to those who would take her or her children she is trying to get to the only people she knows who have escaped. On the run and free for the first time Vern's body is changing and she is learning firsthand the new power she is being given as a host to a fungus. Vern and her children are both strange and familiar in this deep, dark tale of love, community and good vs. evil. Think Frankenstein tripping on some bad mushrooms after escaping Charles Manson's family. 4 1/2 stars
An engaging saga of early female aviators, artists and early 1900's Montana combined with a dual story of a child actress hoping to jump start her failing career by playing Marian. Marian and Jamie's story takes us from prohibition Montana where Marian gets involved in a tangled relationship with a bootlegger rancher. Jamie looks to California for a fresh start and dreams of becoming an artist. Years go by and both are involved in the war as Marian goes to Europe and Jaime goes to Asia which brings them back full circle. Marian is obsessed with flying the circumference of the Earth from pole to pole. The modern story of Hadley whose life mirrors Marian's and whose career will come full circle with this movie. It is a love story, history lesson and vivid adventure with nods to Steinbeck, "Legends of the Fall" and THE GOLDEN HOUR by Beatriz Williams. It is the kind of book you want to go back later and reread to discover what you missed the first time through. 5 high flying stars
Only Andy Weir can take us to deep space, immerse us in science but explain it in a way "anyone" can understand and tell it with wicked good humor. We begin with a science teacher turned last minute astronaut who is sent out to deep space with little training to save the Earth when the sun stops giving us heat. Easy right? Dealing with problems and variables he can't control he teams up with an unlikely partner to save the world from extinction. So much fun to read and smart - this is the one space book everyone should read. Weir's "Astrophysics For Dummies" approach that doesn't make you feel like a dummy makes us all want to be armchair astronauts. Can't wait for the tv/movie of this one! 5 deep space stars
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