|
Two women caught up in a world that demands complete obedience and has complete control of their lives fight to make a place for themselves. Eliza's family is going through a rough patch forcing her sisters into governess positions and Eliza and her mother to run a boarding house. Eliza embraces the chance to control the kitchen and explore her cooking skills while writing a cookbook. Ann finds a much needed job alongside Eliza as her assistant and is needed to support her injured father and mother in an asylum. The two begin a strong relationship based on their mutual love of good food instead of the pathetic Victorian English fare. Based on the life of England's version of Julia Child it has an authentic voice that speaks to social ills while delighting the reader with horrific visions of common dishes and wit. A stellar story of finding your voice and standing up for yourself. 4 1/2 stars 
0 Comments
Gin Kelly, the fast talking redheaded bootlegger has fallen hard for Anson the Prohibition agent. After almost dying together now all they want is to be married and live quietly with Gin's little sister. But we know, dear reader, that life is never quiet when Gin is around. Ghosts from their past surface and threaten to take it all away again while in a modern day parallel story, Ella ponders at her connection to a mysterious redhead and her family's insistence that she dig information about a black sheep politician. Gin and Ella's stories are very similar and it is fun to try to do the 23 and Me connection. Beatriz Williams has created the ultimate fun "bad girl with a soft heart" and a perfect historical escape with countless secrets, romance and dangerous people. Her many fans will be happy to know I don't think this will be our last story with Gin Kelly. 4 stars  A journalist finds herself caught up in the all too real disappearance and dismissal of a young girl from the south side of Chicago. TV journalist Jordan Manning is not from Chicago but when she digs into the disappearance of a smart beautiful teenage girl who should have had her whole life ahead of her but instead was dismissed as just another black runaway it hits her like a gut punch. She gets to know the family and takes much more interest than the police which also puts her in danger. This is a crime thriller whose other life as a tv journalist is well aquainted in the world of which she writes. Tamron Hall has found a niche where through her book she acts as an advocate for those cases the police don't take as seriously as they do if the crime were committed in another part of the city. She also encourages journalists to get back to hard investigating these stories that get swept under the rug. This is the first book in the series and one I am looking forward to following. I think readers of true crime will enjoy this fictional but realistic story. 4 stars  Once again we find ourselves in on the chase with the crime solving/book writing duo of ex-Inspector Daniel Hawthorne and Anthony Horowitz. Don't worry if you haven't read the other two books as they can all be read as a standalone. The two of them have been invited to attend a smallish book festival on an island off the coast of England. Daniel agrees to go and Anthony is wondering why since he usually doesn't show much interest in the marketing stuff. What should be a quiet seaside jaunt turns into anything but when a body messes up their plans. With a real London Inspector there the local officials are happy to let him solve the whole thing and Anthony is close behind with his notebook hoping for material for the next book. This is classic Agatha Christie material - a remote location, suspects are trapped and there are more than enough reasons and people who would want this man dead. I enjoy the way that Anthony Horowitz can make light of the publishing industry as well as himself in a tongue-in-cheek way and enough name dropping that you want to consult Wikipedia to find out if he has changed the author's names. The result is a bit of lightheartedness in a gruesome murder mystery. Always fun, this will appeal to his many fans as well as those readers who want a classic story told in a fresh way. 4 stars  To say Elizabeth Strout rambles in this book is not a slight. Her writing feels like two friends sitting together having a deep conversation with no time limit. Lucy Barton is a familiar character if you have met her in previous books but don't worry if she is new to you as it is easy to catch up. Years have passed and Lucy has recently lost her second husband when her first husband William comes back into her life. They have stayed friends (and are not getting back together thank you very much). Lucy begins to unspool her life with William, particularly the early years with William's doting mother. She picks apart their history as one would absentmindedly pull at a loose thread in a sweater or a young child would worry a loose tooth. It is in this monologue that we understand their marriage and unlikely friendship at the end. If you are of an age, it will make you revisit your own relationships and at times I wanted to envelop her in a hug and mutter "Oh Lucy". 4 stars  Detective Warwick is back now working in a cold case unit investigating someone close to the family whose funeral he attended. For those not familiar with Detective Warwick, there is a brilliant bit early in the story where he shares his Sherlock Holmes-like detective skills in solving a murder that takes place while he and his wife are on a luxury cruise. Back at home he begins chasing down the culprits who are involved in stolen art which involves his wife's art background and her friendship with the dead man's widow. The mystery is clever, the characters are likable (or despicable) and the lack of adult situations and language makes it work for a wide variety of readers and age groups. Recommended for those readers who delight in clever detective series like those of Louise Penny. 4 stars  There are times that I feel like I am the only person left who has not read this popular series so I was happy to begin a spinoff series that can stand alone. The brides are a very devout order with strong ties to nature and the sea. They lead a quiet life spending their whole lives on the island doing sea related offerings and self flagellation with almost no interaction with the outside world. When Rain washes up on their shores and is taken in by the brides her presence shakes up the order along with the realization that the outside world may be closing in. Quiet magic with an emphasis on nature makes me think that fans of Alice Hoffman will also enjoy this. 4 stars  The Howard boys began their lives as actors almost as soon as they began walking. Their story is very different however from some of the Hollywood tell alls of child actors. These boys were protected and guided by their agent who also happened to be their father and unlike other stories of parental involvement - they were loved and mentored by some of the best the business had to offer. Ron is the product of his various roles - the cowboy in the white hat, the innocent young man who blushes and also the one person you know would have your back. Clint, while not the polar opposite, was very much more of the bad boy and dabbled in the drug scene his brother turned away from. Both of them were absolute professionals. The fun parts for me were getting a behind the scene look at the making of AMERICAN GRAFFITI and the early days of George Lucas who inspired Ron to switch from acting to directing. It is a nice look at the gentler days of Hollywood and a love letter by two brothers who love their family and each other. 4 stars  3 1/2 stars Pearl is a huge one-eyed hog who usually sits on his haunches like a king looking over his kingdom. Your first mistake is to assume that Pearl is a dumb pig. Your second is to take his calm demeanor as ambivalence. Pearl watches and learns and is able to control the thoughts of those around him making you do things you do not want to do. This, being a horror tale, means a sea of blood and slaughter and outright terror of Pearl for the farmer, his family, and the local population. If JAWS kept you out of the water and CUJO kept you away from dogs, this will keep you away from farm animals forever.  A truly scary "Alice down the rabbit hole" look at a grieving man whose life has been taken over by a smart device. We have all had those creepy moments when Alexa decides to turn on for no reason at all and laughed it off. Thiago thought the strange voices, lights and music randomly coming on through their smart device was laughable until his wife is killed and he runs away to a cabin near Rocky Mountain National Park to grieve in private. Going to a remote location was his first mistake. A series of scares happen as well as the appearance of a strange wall (like the one in 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, a CUJO like dog, zombie like encounters and really weird dreams push him to the edge of sanity that even his well meaning mother-in-law can't help with. This is raw grief inspired psychosis mixed with a futuristic fear of evil technology and a good old fashioned horror story. Fans of HORROSTOR, vintage Stephen King and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD are all worthy readalikes. This will be your go to Halloween horror read! 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
November 2024
|
RSS Feed