|
Sam and Sadie meet as kids under strange circumstances forming a long lasting friendship that is not without a few big bumps along the way. Years go by before they are reunited as adults and decide to form a company designing video games. They have not changed and some of the old bumps in their relationship begin to trip them up again. A sprawling look at friends who love each other but not as lovers and lovers who try to be friends and fail. This is a look at the human need for connection and searching for perfection even if it is found in a made up digitized world. A must for gamers and a prequel for lovers of READY PLAYER ONE who want a deeper connection to the emotional lives of the characters. 4 stars 
0 Comments
An Agatha Christie style whodunnit with all the atmosphere of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS but instead of a train we are on the luxury liner The Queen Mary crossing from England to New York. London in the 30's has a certain charm but not for Lena who is a singer in a club trying to follow in her musician father's footsteps. Her father is gone and she has just been fired from the club when her boss dies in front of her leaving Lena as a potential suspect. Fortunately, she has an offer to sail to New York for a job in a broadway show and a good friend in the dead bosses wife who can help her get there. Once on the ship Lena straddles the line between her rooms on the upper decks with the people she must impress and the people of color and staff on the lower decks. Her light skin allows her some freedom but soon she ends up in the middle of more suspicious deaths and deeper into a family plagued by bad luck possibly worse than her own. So many secrets and so many suspects make for a classic British murder mystery on the high seas. Historical fiction readers as well as classic mystery lovers will fall for this romantic sea crossing filled with danger with lovers in the moonlight and killers in the shadows. Bon Voyage! 4 stars  3 1/2 stars A powerful story of love, pain and bullying. Todd is a teacher and single parent of a young son who are quietly living on the coast when one day someone from Todd's childhood appears as if from nowhere to upend their lives. Jack and Todd have a love/hate relationship that goes back to when Jack bullied Todd at school yet secretly befriended him. This abuse left a lasting impression on Todd that is still with him especially as he sees as he is losing control to Jack of his life and his son Anthony's affection. It reaches a boiling point and Todd's descent into madness begins. It doesn't help that Anthony's mother who abandoned them both is now back inserting herself into Anthony's life. It is a breakdown of a parent/child relationship, an act of violence that will haunt both of them and a man who is at war with himself. You see the events spiral out of control and are powerless as the reader to do anything to stop the horror.  Emma Webster is a successful MP. She is pushing a volatile bill through Parliament that has marked her as a villain in some social media. Being in the spotlight is tough enough but she has also started getting threats and her teenage daughter has just been accused of social media bullying. When a reporter ends up dead at her house it is too much. Now on trial for his death she is worried about the vicious threats but even more worried about her secrets coming to light. Is she innocent of the death? Was it a horrible accident and she is a victim as well? British tabloid drama in the best sense that speaks to the pitfalls of political notoriety and the power and potential abuse of the press. 4 stars  A mix of paranormal and teen angst finds its way in a squabble between believers and non-believers united in loss. A small town governed by its own and led by a powerful guild exists to service nearby communities in a need to communicate with the dead. Russ is caught in a power struggle between his now dead boyfriend Ian who is haunting him and no one else and the Guild who demand strict adherence to their rules in the town. The town's income depends on the services of mediums so when a ghost debunking tv show wants to film there it creates havoc. Some in town want to show that they are real and the income won't hurt but others feel that it is a bad idea and they have to insure that Ian as a ghost will cooperate. Russ gets further pulled in when he befriends a guy from the next town over whose family is none other than the ghost debunker show hosts. Politics , ghosts, revenge and teens trying to find their way in life and love all play a major role. 3 stars  The primary character is a young noblewoman who is married off to a domineering man and then tossed aside when she cannot provide a living male heir. Her story is similar to most of the women in that time but Isabelle made the decision to alter her husband's wishes for a child something that would put her life at risk. After being sent home in disgrace she finds a safe haven in a convent and then in the court of the imprisoned Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. This story is billed as a story of Queen Eleanor even though she does not enter the story until the last third of the book. The bulk of the story revolves around the strong independent women controlling their own destiny despite the powerful men. This is a women's story from Queen Eleanor down to the orphan Marie who lives at the convent, masterfully told and well researched. Fans of Ken Follett's PILLARS OF THE EARTH series and the classic historical fiction of Philippa Gregory will dive into this meaty tome. 3 1/2 stars  A Bengali American family steeped in traditional roles such as- dad is the boss and daughters will be respectful and obedient, find it hard to enforce and live by at present. The Das family is falling apart after the youngest daughter died in an accident not long after she came out as gay and in love to her family. Now, mom and dad are divorced and Mitali, Keya's older sister is wracked with guilt, is estranged from the family and unsure about where a new relationship is going. When an unfinished play that Keya and her girlfriend wrote surfaces an idea is hatched to help old wounds heal and make amends. Forgiveness, understanding and loads of family drama are all at play here and while a big part of the book is the crossover of cultures there are just as many universal themes to attract a wide variety of readers including THE READING LIST and LOVE,CHAI AND OTHER FOUR LETTER WORDS. Another excellent addition to fostering global understanding and connection. 4 stars  We all know a little bit about Joan of Arc - the brave teenage girl who took up a sword for God and country. Katherine J. Chen peels back the layers like an onion to discover the person behind the legend. Joan suffered an incredible amount of abuse as a child and teen from her father, brothers and villagers. The only person who cared for her was her older sister who died after being raped by foreign soldiers. This in part drove Joan to avenge her sister and help unite France by becoming a warrior. She was a giantess, physically strong and tough from years of abuse as well as being fascinated by weapons and war from an early age clearly a novelty. The Middle Ages was brutal with disease, war and violence ending most lives early and Joan soon sees that she has as much to fear from the politics of King's court as she does on the battlefield. It is amazing that she caught the attention of the Dauphin and ended up leading the French army into battle given her lack of education, noble birth and sex. This is a violent and brutal look at a time where kings and kingdoms were won, lost and ruled by church and state and one teenage girl risked it all for what she thought was her right. 4 stars  A story of a lifelong friendship between two women with all the ups and downs that life throws at them. Agnes and Polly have looked forward to summers spent at Fellowship Point on the coast of Maine along with the handful of other families. Now at the sunset of their lives Agnes persuades Polly to push the other families to dissolve a generational old trust and give the land back. This is a prickly point for many including Polly's children. Agnes has been approached by Maud to write her memoir and starts prodding Agnes to dig deeper and reveal the stories behind her popular children's book series. We are privy to the witty and sometimes caustic banter between Agnes and Polly. We are also able to read over Maud's shoulder as she reads Agnes's journals to discover the secrets and untold stories surrounding the very private Agnes. The secondary characters are just as entertaining and play a pivotal role in understanding life on Fellowship Point. Deep ties to family and lifelong friendships that seem more intimate than their marriages, this is a beautifully crafted book that quietly pulls you along like a lazy river. The perfect compliment to a summer retreat cold drink in hand as you gaze across the water. 4 stars  If you could find out when you would die would you want to know? All over the world adults receive a box with a length of string inside. The length of string reflects how long your lifespan will be. Most open the box, some do not but everyone is affected in some way. Do you fall in love with someone who has a short string? Do you quit your job to spend the time you have left enjoying life? Do you hurry to have a family? Should we give insurance or benefits to short stringers? We follow a handful of people who are dealing with these questions and more as the world goes topsy-turvy and new bigotries form. Short stringers are harassed,feared and hated as support groups and others band together to show unity. This is the ultimate book club selection as it gives you so much to discuss and think about. It is the kind of book that leaves you worn out with emotion and insight as you are left with this message - whatever the crisis we are all strung together. A powerful debut novel. 4 1/2 stars  |
I love to read good books and share the new books that are available and those that are coming soon
Adult Genres
General Fiction Historical Fiction Thriller / Mystery Fantasy / Sci-Fi Non-Fiction All Adult Genres Other Genres Young Adult Genre Kids Books Genre Follow Kim
Review Archives
September 2024
|
RSS Feed