Many believe that books are magic and in this story THE SCARLET LETTER was just that. Mia is raised in a cult that took in her pregnant and alone mother years before. Their leader acting as her father is a violent tyrant who demands strict obedience and little interaction with the outside world. Her mother secretly shares stories and a love of books which leads Mia to the library and someone who will save her. A magical copy of THE SCARLET LETTER allows Mia to travel back in time where she falls for none other than Nathaniel Hawthorne. As she finds true love and acceptance she will also understand the damage she may be doing crossing over into his world. She has something that her father wants and he will stop at nothing to get control once again. A beautifully realized story of the power of books to escape and give a voice to the powerless. Once again Alice Hoffman's atmospheric writing takes us to a quiet haven within a violent world with a hint of the mystical. 4 stars
0 Comments
If, or in this case when, we cut emissions to zero to halt the ever looming climate disasters what would that world look like? In this debut one possible future is explored. As part of the Great Transition everyone worked together to achieve zero emissions and a new society of cooperative help and awareness was born. Larch and his wife Kristina remember the world before Day Zero as they fell in love in a hospital after being injured fighting wildfires but this is the only world their teenage daughter Emi has ever known. While she is still concerned with getting her term project finished and trying to figure out her parents her world is shaken when a terrorist attack occurs and her mom, named a suspect is missing. Not knowing who to trust or what they will learn, they set out to find Kristina and get answers. This speculative story of our future focuses on a positive outcome to what will be a frightening reality of climate disasters to come while keeping us tethered to characters that we can all relate to. Scary and hopeful in equal measure this will appeal to science fiction readers as well as those who want a family drama with deep dives into the characters. It is a story that both young adult and adult audiences need to read now. 4 stars 1938 and trouble is brewing in Germany but you would never know it in Paris where there are bubbles, grand parties and art and wealth everywhere. Charlie is escaping a series of bad events (one being her soon to be divorced husband) and starting over as a reporter for The Times in Paris. Determined to make a name for herself she quickly becomes one with high society and the very busy social scene. At her first big event one of the wealthy is murdered and Charlie is right in the middle of the biggest story of the year. As she digs deeper she finds herself closer to her new friends who are all keeping secrets the biggest being that one may be a murderer. Elegant and filled with the promise of endless parties, overflowing champagne flutes and more murders, this is the start of a new series and an unflappable heroine we want to know more about. This will appeal to historical murder mystery lovers the likes of Agatha Christie and MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER by Colleen Cambridge. 3 1/2 stars
The saga of a small town in Pennsylvania where Eastern European Jews and Black Americans lived and worked together to prosper and fight back against discrimination as much as they could. The Heaven & Earth grocery store is owned by a generous Jewish woman named Chona and her enterprising husband Moshe. Moshe saw opportunity in the businesses he ran such as the music hall and Chona saw opportunity to help others at the store. Together with their neighbors they fought alongside each other against the evils of the world - be it the white town a few miles away who wanted distance, the Klan or evil in the form of someone they should have been able to trust. When Chona, Moshe and their friends Nate and Addie decide to help hide a young deaf and dumb boy it brings trouble to their doorstep that will change their lives forever. James McBride has a gift for warm and witty dialogue spiced with scenes that disgust and delight us in their humanity. This is a story that takes as long to tell as it should and puts him in the company of America's great storytellers. For readers of the character rich stories of Amor Towles, Ann Patchett and Jamie Ford and THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI. 4 1/2 stars
It is the 60's and the California surf culture is at high tide. It is also a time of political upheaval, war, racial tension, free love and musical discovery. Mindy and Ginger are being raised by sometimes parents. Their mom is sometimes there but as a surfing sensation she has little skill or desire to be a mom and their dad tried but has given them up as well to begin again with a new family. It is Mindy who takes over being everything to her younger sister but when it is her turn at the big wave of stardom Ginger is left adrift and falls under the spell of a self-proclaimed surf god and cult leader. The sisters go separate ways and reunite as the ebb and flow of their lives permit but one man will have the power to keep them connected. A classic endless summer coming-of-age story filled with sunlit dreams and dangerous emotional riptides. One of Melanie Benjamin's best but as a child of the 60's and California native I may be a bit biased. 4 stars
Jay sets out to recover his dead father bones off the Pacific coast where he committed suicide. He dons his scuba gear alone and promptly runs into a massive problem - that of being swallowed by a sperm whale. With one hour of air and some knowledge of whale digestive systems he is in a bit of a pickle.
Natural horror as well as Jay's inward battle with his relationship with his father and the voice in his head. This is a sure bet for those of us who are fascinated with the deep and love adventure but don't really want to deal with giant creatures like whales, deep sea squid, dinosaurs and great white sharks. 4 stars Val is commandeered by her former casemates to attend a reunion of the kid's show they were on decades ago. As they travel to Bliss the town in the middle of nowhere that was the filming location memories and tensions begin to surface. Someone died while shooting the last episode and everything connected to it mysteriously disappeared without a trace. The cast members want answers and they need Val to get them. This is psychological horror with traumatized kids who seem to be still traumatized adults - Val most of all. Who or what was Mister Magic and what was the hold the show had on them all. I will be honest, I had a tough time trying to understand what was going on until I read the author's note which put some of the story in perspective. It is definitely a fever dream brought on by the author's childhood trauma. 3 stars
Jason Bourne meets Stephanie Plum and Finlay Donovan!
I had forgotten how much fun a spy adventure from Ally Carter can be - a bit more spice than YA and just as much witty dialogue and danger. A woman comes to on her back in Paris with someone shouting a name telling her to run and much gunfire. She has no idea who to trust, who she is or where to run but ends up trusting Sawyer. As the bad guys continue to hunt them down her name is revealed- Zoe and she learns that her identical twin that she didn't know she had is the one everyone is after. For now, she plans on keeping the mysterious Sawyer close by while he tries to keep her at a distance and safe. A madcap adventure through Europe with plenty of bumps and bruises - this will delight readers who want a dose of fun with their James Bond tale as well as readers of Elle Cosimano and Janet Evanovich. The perfect book to pack for your trip to Europe. 4 stars Three generations of girls from the Dakota (Dakhota) nation have been traumatized beginning with the treatment suffered at the hands of white run Indian Schools which set out to strip them of their culture and "civilize" them. Beginning with Cora in the late 1800's and ending with Sissy in 1960's Chicago, each had a doll who they looked to for solace, guidance and connection. This trauma was passed onto the next generation with little understanding of its roots until Sissy pieces together her grandmother, mother and her own family history through the dolls. Linking the stories of the children in connection with the doll's voice allows the reader to understand the profound loss of identity and lingering trauma that Native Americans face and keep the stories preserved and passed on. Readalikes would include CROW MARY and ONE THOUSAND WHITE WOMEN. 4 stars
In 1923 Mae Foley and a small group of brave women join the prestigious New York City Police Dept. Beginning with Teddy Roosevelt's reign as Police Commissioner, women had gotten their toe in the door but still had an upward battle to prove themselves to their male counterparts. Mae began her career searching women who had been arrested and watching over subways to protect female passengers from lewd behavior and pickpockets but graduated to closing brothels and speakeasys during Prohibition. Once she made detective the fun began and Mae was very successful at undercover work even protecting female witnesses from gangster Lucky Luciano before trial and attending Nazi rallies. Anecdotes and hair raising stories of high speed chases and near misses with arrested women packing heat make this a historical romp that is entertaining and encouraging for women breaking into traditional male roles. 4 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
May 2024
|