Another historical masterpiece that takes place in the Reconstruction Atlanta with a Chinese-American young woman who bucks the system. Jo Kuan works as a ladies maid in a house where she grew up but where she was considered a childhood friend she is clearly now a servant. She takes this in stride and puts her energy into other secret projects like writing an advice column under the name "Miss Sweetie" for the newspaper located where she and her adopted grandfather live. I loved this independent young woman who had to fight racial and sex discrimination in post-war Atlanta and didn't take no for an answer. This novel works well for adults, young adults, and ambitious middle school readers.
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Lucas Page used to be an FBI agent but after catastrophe struck and he returned to the land of the living a few parts short, he decided to give it up and become an academic. He was settling into his Professor role until a sniper started picking off law enforcement officers and others in NYC. And, just like that, he was called back in to do what only he can figure out. This is a heart-pounding police thriller with a grouchy but thoroughly loveable character. The story is complex and makes you figure out the clues instead of handing you the bad guy. Violent and scary and probably a little too realistic but wow, what a great read. Anyone looking for that next hit of adrenaline will want this.
A solid 3 1/2 stars for this one. A giant rambling hotel/resort in the Catskills with an illustrious past sounds more like the scene in a Stephen King novel and while this story does take on a more sinister approach it really is more about family and legacy with a murder mystery thrown in for good measure. A hardworking immigrant family buys a hotel in 1931 and throws everything they have into the running of it. They are successful and soon this family operation is a vacation destination and is handed down to their children and grandchildren to run it. Its fame was not always from positive reviews and when a young boy disappears and then years later a young girl is accosted, the hotel begins to lose its charm. Each generation has a more difficult time filling up the rooms to capacity or even an interest in running it. The luster of the hotel may be fading but the mystery of the "bogeyman" remains and you will keep reading to the final page hopeful that the killer's identity will be revealed.
Review Wonderful, heartwarming and a very different kind of romance story from a new author. Ellie and her overbearing husband live in the English countryside and she is happy, sort of, to be the best housewife she can be until the day she discovers the Harp Barn. Dan, barn owner and harp maker is a sweet uncomplicated man with simple tastes and a heart too big for his body. Every harp is special and personal and when he gifts a harp to Ellie it opens up a new chapter for both of them. Sometimes we make life too difficult with the rules we think we should follow or others tell us to follow. We should instead guide our lives by our hearts as Dan and his rescue pheasant do. Quirky, down to Earth and a complete delight - you won't be able to wipe the silly grin off your face.
This story feels closer to the truth than other retellings of the legend of Robin Hood. It is told through the eyes of noblemen and women, common folk and all those others in between. The good people of Nottinghamshire are fed up with being taxed while their king is off fighting the Holy Wars in the Middle East. They have no real law, no hopes for better conditions and little faith in those who have been left to sort things out. What starts out as a way to help the common folk spirals out of control and it will pit faithful subjects of the king against those who want the crown and those who just want change. The author has tried to put a human face on the superhero image told in legends of the man who would be known as Robin Hood as well as the others who have a stake in the game. Political intrigue, adventure, and superb writing, this historical debut is perfect for any lover of British history, realistic portrayals of myth or a great story of turning the tables on those in authority.
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