Wednesday, December 6, 2017

The Book Review Club (December 2017)



Welcome to the final edition of 2017 of The Book Review Club. December is a busy time of year. All the better to learn of a good book and sit down quietly with it and a cup of tea. AND what are the bests gifts in the world to give? Books! So, please click through to other reviews at the end of mine.


A FLIGHT OF PICTURE BOOKS 

Picture books! Why picture books? Well, I'm reviewing a few seasonal picture books for a couple of reasons. First, it's good to read picture books. Even as grownups. Rebecca J. Gomez lists here 10 (sometimes very funny) reasons why adults should read picture books. Here's one of my (serious) favorites: "A picture book could teach you something new." Second, picture books are part of how I decorate my house for various holidays. On the coffee table, I fan out picture books relating to the holiday. They're short; they're colorful; they're unintimidating (it should be a word!). Everyone flips through them. They're conversation starters. My children trip down memory lane. Picture books are a very good thing.

THIS NEXT NEW YEAR by Janet S. Wong, Illustrated by Yangsook Choi: This Korean-English bilingual book follows a half-Korean boy as his friends and family prepare to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Pasadena, CA. It's about fresh starts, bringing luck into your house, being the best you can be and feeling comfortable about celebrating in the way that fits you. Very uplifting. At the back, there are facts about the Korean language and the lunar year. And here's a link to Duk Gook soup (Korean Rice Cake New Year's Soup). I'm going to make it this year. Let me know if you do. Duk Gook Soup

THE LEGEND OF POINSETTIA by Tomie dePaola: This folk story of a young girl, Lucida, who lives with her family in a small village in the mountains of Mexico. Her plan to weave a new blanket for the Christmas Eve Nativity scene falls through. She doesn't want to be the only one without a gift for Jesus and grabs an armful tall green weeds and places them by the manger. After Mass, all the tall green weeds throughout the village shine with red stars. The weeds have turned into la Flor de Nochebuena (the Flower of the Holy Night--the poinsettia). There are great details about life in rural Mexico and Christmas preparation. There is a nice moral about the power of simple gifts that come from the heart. At the back, the author explains how the poinsettia ended up in the United States.

A KENYAN CHRISTMAS by Aunty Kiko, illustrated by Moses Wanjuki: Filled with Kenyan details like bare Jacarandas and hornbills and peppered with Kenyan words, this rhyming picture book is very atmospheric. It follows Akinyi who is at first stuck inside due to the short rains, but then goes to the fair and the beach and finally celebrates Christmas with her extended family in the country. At the back, there is a glossary and facts about Kenya.

(Dear FCC: Bought. Bought. Bought. Oh, and Season's Greetings to you!)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

PICTURE BOOKS
Jody Feldman: FINDING WINNIE: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear
                         by Lindsay Mattock and Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
         
                         THE YOUNGEST MARCHER: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks
                          by Cynthia Levinson and Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
                       

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS
Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: CASTLE IN DANGER by Karen Lautenberg (MG,  historical)

Sarah Laurence: A SEASON FOR DARING GREATLY by Ellen Emerson White (YA, contemp)

Stacy Nyikos: I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER by Erika Sanchez
                                                                                                                    (YA, contemp)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS
Ellen Booraem: A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles

Linda McLaughlin: BRAT FARRAR by Josephine Tey (mystery)

Patti Abbott:  THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY by Louise Penny (mystery)

Ray Potthoff: AWAY AT WAR: A CIVIL WAR STORY OF THE FAMILY LEFT BEHIND
                       by Nick Adams (historical, also appropriate for YA)

NONFICTION REVIEW
Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS by Sy Montgomery

Margy LutzAT HOME IN NATURE by Rob Woods (memoir)

Scott Parker: THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS by Les Stander


Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Book Review Club (November 2017)



Happy November 1st and welcome to the November meeting of The Book Review Club. As per Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women and other books, "November is the most disagreeable month of the whole year." Whether you agree or not (I don't, but perhaps t's because I live in So Cal!), we can improve your November with great reviews of great books. Enjoy!




CREMAINS OF THE DAY
by Misty Simon (adult, cozy mystery)

As a girl who was raised on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for cozy mysteries. In fact, I'll read a bunch of books from a variety of genres and then wake up one morning and think, "Time for a cozy mystery." So, not too long ago, I woke up, emailed my dear friend Misty Simon and asked, "Got a spare ARC of your upcoming cozy?" And, voila! That's how I wound up with the first book in the Tallie Graver mystery series.

I don't want to give too much away because, uh, I don't want to spoil the mystery for you.

I will say that I giggled my way through the book. Here's an example of a bit of the humor: I took a sip of perfectly doctored tea--lots of cream and more sugar than my mother would have been happy with--and tried to quell the shaking in my hands. My adrenaline was fading...I had seen shock before when I'd shown Waldo my monthly bills for new shoes, but had rarely experienced it firsthand. (pg 39)

There's a body with a knife in the chest, a stun gun, embezzlement, a break-in, a nasty ex-husband, some light romance (not with the ex!), a difficult cop, a nosy cookie-baking mother, flower deliveries from a dead woman, and a protagonist who needs to clear her name. Everything gets tied up and solved by the final page so you can sleep easy.

CREMAINS OF THE DAY. Ya gotta admit, Misty comes up with the best titles.

If you're into cozy mysteries, this one's for you! Clever, funny, satisfying!

(Dear FCC: I know Misty. She sent me an ARC. Guilty as charged. BUT I did truly enjoy the book.  And you would, too!)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: THE HANGING GIRL by Eileen Cook (thriller)

Sarah Laurence: STARFISH by Akemi Dawn Bowman (debut, contemp)

Stacy Nyikos: SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo (fantasy)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS by Courtney Stevens (contemp)
                                                                                                                 

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Linda McLaughlin: THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE by Lisa See (women's lit)

Patti Abbott:  LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng (literary)


NONFICTION REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: JOURNEY FROM INVISIBILITY TO VISIBILITY
                                                  by Gail Harris, Marilyn Lesser, Cynthia Soloway

Margy Lutz: HARRY: A WILDERNESS DOG SAGA by Chris Czajkowski (memoir)

Ray Potthoff: THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by Edward Gibbon (history)


Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The Book Review Club (October 2017)



"From ghoulies and ghosties/And long-legged beasties/And things that go bump in the night,/Good Lord, deliver us!" (Scottish prayer) Welcome to the October edition of The Book Review Club! Please be sure to scroll down after my review. There are links to reviews of good books in a variety of genres (more adult fiction than usual this month). Enjoy!

IN A DARK, DARK WOOD 
by Ruth Ware (adult, British psychological thriller)

Because I figure you'll hear about them from other sources, I don't often review books that hit the NYT bestseller list (In a Dark, Dark Wood was a NYT, USA Today, LAT bestseller and more. Plus Reese Witherspoon's developing it as a movie.). BUT a psychological thriller makes for a great Halloween month review. AND this book kept me on the elliptical way, way past 30 minutes! WHICH MEANS In a Dark, Dark Wood totally grabbed me.

In a Nutshell: Six twenty-somethings celebrate a bachelorette weekend in a remote house in Northumberland, England. Some of the characters know each other. Some are meeting for the first time. The house is creepy and surrounded by a forest (hence, the title :) and has sketchy cell phone service. Voila! You have all the ingredients for a thriller.

So What?: But what makes this story stand out? Believe me, I don't stay, huffing and puffing, on the elliptical for any old thriller. Two things, I think. Number one is the characters. They are so very multi-dimensional.  For example, the protagonist, Leonora Shaw (who goes by several names, depending on the stage of her life) is a runner. Which is handy in a thriller. A runner can run away from the bad guy. But more than that, Leonora has the loner mentality of a runner. And it's that loner mentality that directs how she reacts, how she makes decisions, how she interprets information. And all these things drive the plot. Number two is the moving parts. There are a lot of them. And they are handled expertly and fit together perfectly. Leonora Shaw is our point-of-view character. The story begins with her receiving an invitation to the bachelorette weekend. Fairly early on, though, Leonora wakes up in a hospital room, trying to remember how she got there. From this point, the author is juggling two time lines (before the murder and after the murder). I can imagine Ms. Ware sitting with a cup of tea, thinking and planning and scheming to make sure there are no loose threads and no clunky plotting. Much appreciated!

I listened to In a Dark, Dark Wood. Imogene Church is a terrific narrator. Also, I enjoyed all the British-isms in this book, such as "hen" party in lieu of "bachelorette." Ruth Ware's most recent publication, also a psychological thriller, is The Lying Game (July 2017). It's certainly on my list!

(Dear FCC: library. And I heartily recommend this book!)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Sarah Laurence: THE RATTLED BONES by S.M. Parker (YA, ghost story)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Ellen Booraem: NORSE MYTHOLOGY by Neil Gaiman (mythology/folklore)

Jody Feldman: THE SHADOW by Todd Moss (thriller)


Linda McLaughlin: SISI: EMPRESS ON HER OWN by Allison Pataki (historical)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving:  LOVE THE WINE YOU'RE WITH by Kim Gruenenfelder
                                                             (women's)

Ray Potthoff: THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE by Jessica Shattuck (historical)

Scott Parker: HEAT STORM by Richard Castle (mystery/thriller)

Stacy Nyikos: THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict (historical)

Tanya Sutton: MISSING, PRESUMED by Susie Steiner (mystery)

NONFICTION REVIEW

Alyssa Goodnight: HALF BAKED HARVEST COOKBOOK by Tieghan Gerard (cookbook)

Margy Lutz: THIS IS ME by Danny Wilks (memoir)

Patti Abbott:  MORNING STAR by Ann Hood


Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

The Book Review Club (September 2017)

Welcome to the September edition of The Book Review Club. We're glad to be back following our hiatus and have lots to recommend after a summer of reading. We never know from month to month who will choose to review in which genre. It's always fun to see if there's a pattern. This month, we have more reviews of adult fiction and nonfiction than of young adult/middle grade. Must've been something in the water, I guess. Enjoy!


THE MAYO CLINIC HANDBOOK FOR HAPPINESS
by Dr Amit Sood (self help)

I don't often read a book from the self-help shelf. But in August, I had an interesting chat with someone who is physically disabled. She described the accident at age 25 that broke her neck, the rehab for learning to walk again, the return to college for a new career. "I met a lot of depressed, bitter people in rehab and decided not to be that way." It was the word "decided" that grabbed me. This person consciously decided to be happy. I thought back to my twenty-something self, to a time when I was profoundly miserable (relationship, job and grad school angst).  Could I have chosen to be happy or, at least, less unhappy? Maybe? And this is how I ended up reading The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness.

In a nutshell, Dr Sood divides brain activity into "focused" and "wandering." When we're in the default wandering mode, which is over 50% of the day, we stress and worry and drift toward depression. I swear there are days when my brain wanders 90% of the time! Social media has only worsened the condition. I could join Wandering Brains Anonymous (if such a group exists)!

The Handbook for Happiness is a four-step, 10-week program. The steps are: Train Your Attention, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, Start a Mind-Body Practice, Pick Healthy Habits. Each step comes with a series of exercises. For eg., Cultivate Emotional Resilience (weeks 3-8) provides strategies to "refocus thoughts" away from stress.

Does this all sound a little simplistic? Yes. Maybe. But, yet, yet, there could be something to it. Something important. We all know if you want to improve at a skill, you need to practice. On some level, it makes sense to practice being happy. I think the book is worth the read. I love the "Food for Thought" maxims, such as "A step back is often a move forward." I'm going to try some of the exercises.

(Dear FCC: Bought the book)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jody Feldman: A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME by Phil Binder (MG, contemporary)

Sarah Laurence: AMERICAN STREET by Ibi Zoboi (YA, contemporary)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Ellen Booraem: HONEYDEW by Edith Perlman (historical)

Linda McLaughlin: THE MOON IN THE PALACE (Bk 1 of duology) by Weina Dai Randel

Patti Abbott:  IN A LONELY PLACE by Dorothy Hughes

Stacy Nyikos: A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Armor Towles

Tanya Sutton: EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker (suspense/thriller)



NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: UNSETTLING THE SETTLER WITHIN by Paulette Regan (adult)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: INTO THE WILD by Jon Krakauer (biography)
                                                            THE WILD TRUTH by Carine McCandless (biography)

Margy Lutz: LISTENING TO WHALES by Alexandra Morton (memoir)

Ray Potthoff: MERLE'S DOOR--LESSONS FROM A FREETHINKING DOG by Ted Kerasote
                      (memoir)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow:  CORK DORK by Bianca Bosker (memoir)




Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!


Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The Book Review Club (May 2017)



Welcome to the May 2017 edition of The Book Review Club. Here's a little May trivia for you...On May 10, 1877, the White House's first telephone was installed. On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first black president. And on May 10, 1924, Edgar J Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation, which became the FBI in 1935. Whew. And now onto our really amazing book reviews! (This is our last meeting until September 2017. Happy Summer!)


THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE 
by Heather Gudenkauf (adult, mystery/thriller)

Somehow or other, the thriller NOT A SOUND by Heather Gudenkauf made its way onto my radar. I thought it sounded like a book I'd like to read this summer, and I jotted the info on a scrap of paper and stuck it to the fridge. Along came a rainy day, which put me in the mood for a thriller. I thought why am I waiting till May 30th for the release of NOT A SOUND? Why don't I read something else by Heather Gudenkauf? And anyway why haven't I already read something by Heather Gudenkauf? So, I picked up her debut, THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, which was published in 2009 and was a NYT bestseller. The result? My family ate ordered-in pizza for dinner.

In a nutshell: Early on an August morning in the small town of Willow Creek, Iowa, two seven-year-old girls disappear from their homes. The girls, Calli Clark and Petra Gregory, are neighbors and best friends. Calli has been a elective mute since the age of four after witnessing a domestic violence incident.

The story is told from several points of view (which I love): Calli, her mother, her 12-year-old brother, the local deputy sheriff, and Petra's father. The voices are all distinct and different and really well executed. There is loads of conflict: an alcoholic + abusive father, FBI agents vs the local law enforcement difficulties, previous romantic entanglements, a large uncharted forest, etc, etc. Also, due to the number of narrative perspectives, the reader knows much more than the characters in the story. This heightens the tension enormously.  The plot is very fast faced. The characters are rich and multi-layered. I happened to guess the identity of the villain (something I'm generally bad at), but it was based more on a feeling than anything concrete. And if anyone else has read/reads the book, I have one teeny, tiny question: I kinda would've liked a different character to pull the trigger. How do you feel about that?

All in all, it was a great, edge-of-your-seat read. Any complaints would come from my family because, once I started THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, I was so absorbed that I ignored everyone and everything around me. It's been several books since I've been this absorbed, and it was A DELICIOUS FEELING.

(Dear FCC: Bought book. Plain and simple.)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: MAX AND CHARLIE by Zack Lieberman (MG, graphic)

Stacy Nyikos: PLANET JUPITER by Jane Kurtz (MG, contemp)

Sarah Laurence: WILDMAN by J.C Geiger (YA, contemp)

Beth Bonini of TRAC: THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas (YA, contemp)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Ellen Booraem: ARABELLA OF MARS by David D. Levin (steampunk)

Jody Feldman: THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD by Agatha Christie (mystery)

Linda McLaughlin: Z: A NOVEL OF ZELDA FITZGERALD by Therese Anne Fowler
                                SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK by Matthew Quick
                                I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN by Joanne Greenberg

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty (women's)

Ray Potthoff: LILAC GIRLS by Martha Hall Kelly (historical)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid (literary)


Tanya Sutton: THE MONOGRAM MURDERS by Sophie Hannah (mystery)


NONFICTION REVIEW

Alyssa Goodnight: MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS by Gerald Durrell (memoir)

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: CLOUD MESSENGER by Karen Trollope-Kumar (memoir)

Margy Lutz: AT HOME IN THE WOODS by Vena and Bradford Angier

Patti Abbott:  MY BELOVED WORLD by Sonia Sotomayor (memoir)


Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The Book Review Club (April 2017)



What would you get if you crossed April1st with a monster? April Ghoul's Day! Ha, ha, groan, groan. April just happens to be National Humor Month. And, now....all joking aside...Welcome to the April edition of The Book Review Club! We've got terrific reviews of terrific books. Please scroll down after my post for links to everyone else's review.



SONIA SOTOMAYOR: A BIOGRAPHY
by Sylvia Mendoza (middle grade, biography)

For whatever reason, I don't tend to read much nonfiction. But when I do, I enjoy it. And I really, really enjoyed this book.

So, what is it about Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography that grabbed my attention?

For starters, Sonia Sotomayor herself is incredible. I mean, come on, she's the first Latina and the third woman appointed to the US Supreme Court. She's your basic American icon!

A few interesting facts I learned about Sonia Sotomayor:
-At the age of eight, she began giving herself insulin shots. And we're talking back in the day when you had to sterilize the needles!
-She grew up in a housing project in South Bronx. Her mother raised her and her brother on $5,000/yr. When her parents fought, Sonia escaped into books, homework and TV. She even read Encyclopedia Brttannica! She decided early on to become a police officer, then changed her goal to lawyer after reading this latter profession was more compatible with  her diabetes.
-As a Princeton undergrad, she joined organizations to help improve the conditions of various ethnic groups. She believed she was "...not a champion of lost causes, but of causes not yet won."
-And this fact just for fun: She applied to Harvard based on the movie 1970 Love Story. (One of my sons applied to Cornell based on The Office. High schoolers! Yeesh!)

Okay. So, Sonia Sotomayor is a great subject. What else makes this book sing?

Details. This book is alive with details. It often reads more like a novel than a biography. Which is infinitely more appealing than a dry account of someone's accomplishments. For example: On Sat. nights, Sonia's extended Nuyorican (Puerto Ricans living in New York) family gathered for good food, music and games. "She wanted to hear every word as they chopped vegetables, talked, laughed, and exchanged gossip. Sonia pressed her ear against the kitchen door to hear. She wanted to be a part of that link of womanhood, of that link to her heritage, of that link to two worlds."

The writing. Sylvia Mendoza writes well, really well. She's obviously done extensive research. (You should see the bibliography!) I was confident I was getting the real deal, the true story of Sonia Sotomayor. As an aside, I think the language is sophisticated enough to appeal to YA readers.

The take-away. Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography is inspirational. It encourages you to be the best you can. To fight for the underdog, to care for your community, to honor your roots. "At the end of each day she asks herself two questions: What have you learned today? What acts of kindness did you perform?"

Seems like an awesome way to live your life.


(Well, well, well, dear FCC: I'm actually lucky enough to know Sylvia Mendoza. And I requested an ARC of this book. I reviewed Sonia Sotomayor: A Biography because I loved it. Plain and simple. )

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!


YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Beth Bonini of TRAC: ANNA AND THE SWALLOW MAN by Gabriel Savit (YA, historical)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: PRADA & PREJUDICE by Mandy Hubbard
                                                            (YA, time travel romance)

Sarah Laurence: THE PEARL THIEF by Elizabeth Wein (YA , historical mystery)

Stacy Nyikos: THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas (YA, contemporary)



ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Linda McLaughlin: PRIDE and PREJUDICE and ZOMBIES
                                by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen (mashup)

Patti Abbott:  2 short stories by Robert Bloch from THE BIG BOOK OF JACK THE RIPPER
                      edited by Otto Penzler (horror)

Tanya Sutton: SLEEPING GIANTS by Sylvain Neuvel (science fiction, thriller)


NONFICTION REVIEW

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: BORN A CRIME by Trevor Noah (autobiography)

Margy Lutz: I MARRIED THE KLONDIKE by Laura Beatrice Berton (memoir)

Ray Potthoff: THE GREAT JOURNEY-AMERICANS IN PARIS by David McCullough (US history)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN by Azar Nafisi (memoir)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

The Book Review Club (March 2017)



Happy Very First Day of March! And welcome to this month's edition of The Book Review Club.  On this day in 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order which established the Peace Corps. Today also happens to be National Horse Protection Day and National Pig Day. And I'd say that's about enough trivia for one paragraph! And now our book reviews! Interestingly, we have an abundance of reviews of non-fiction books this month. Enjoy!


ON TURPENTINE LANE
by ELINOR LIPMAN (adult, romantic comedy)

Do you want to be charmed and entertained? Fall in love with a crew of quirky characters? Get tangled up in a twisty-turny plot? Yes? Then I have the book for you! On Turpentine Lane by Elinor Lipman.

In a Nutshell: Our sassy thirty-something protagonist, Faith Frankel, buys a small 5 1/2 room quaint but rundown house with an unexpected history. This purchase somehow sets off a crazy chain of events. There's Faith's deadbeat fiancé whose idea of a ring is a piece of red wool that makes her finger itch. He's walking across America. I'm not exactly sure why. I don't think he knows either. Enter Faith's meddling mother, her father and his wandering eye, her snow-plow driving brother with a new relationship. And, and, and a perfectly delightful officemate named Nick. Now, toss in a murder and a few more zany characters. It's all just so amusing!

What I Loved: 1. This book is beautifully, perfectly, wonderfully plotted. The plotting is a work of art. 2. The dialogue is spot on to the point you feel you're right there with the characters, perhaps sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee with them. 3. Great humor. And lots of it. 4. The writing is so damned good. Here are a few of my favorite examples:
~"...Windexed at the first sign of a fingerprint..."
~"His next question, eyes never leaving a colorized Kris Kringle, was..." (character is watching Miracle on 34th Street)
~"One of the things I love about you is your doomsday outlook based on affection for whoever's at risk."

What I Didn't Love: I have to wait another year or so for the next Elinor Lipman novel!

Kirkus Reviews describes On Turpentine Lane as "warm, clever, a little silly, a lot of fun." 

I'd say it's all that and more! Heartily recommended!

(Dear FCC: Bought it.)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEW

Stacy Nyikos: THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon (contemporary YA)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead 
                                          (historical, literary)

Tanya Sutton: BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty (contemporary women's lit)


ADULT NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Alyssa Goodnight: TALES OF HISTORY'S BOLDEST HEROINES, HELLIONS, AND HERETICS
                                by Jason Porath (biography/folklore)

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: THE BLUE SATIN NIGHTGOWN by Karin Crilly (memoir)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN
                                                            CHILDHOOD by Trevor Noah (memoir)

Linda McLaughlin:WHITE TRASH: THE 400-YEAR UNTOLD STORY OF CLASS IN AMERICA
                                by Nancy Isenberg (sociology)

Margy Lutz: TIDE RIPS AND BACK EDDIES by Bill Proctor and Yvonne Maximchuk
                     (autobiography)

Ray Potthoff: THE PATRIARCH by David Nasaw (biography about Joseph P. Kennedy)                            

Sarah Laurence: BECOMING NICOLE by Amy Ellis Nutt


Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!


Wednesday, February 1, 2017

The Book Review Club (February 2017)




Welcome to the first 2017 meeting of The Book Review Club. You're in for a fantastic February treat as my critique partner, Kelly Hayes, is in charge of the review on my blog this month. Here's my rule of thumb: If Kelly recommends it, I read it!




THE ICE BENEATH HER 
by Camilla Grebe (psychological thriller, Scandinavian)

I don't know about you, but lately I can't seem to get enough of Scandinavian crime novels. There's just something about the moody atmosphere, not quite Noir, which can oftentimes be too dark, and not the sanitized commerciality of a lot of American crime fiction. There's a low-key authenticity to most Scandinavian crime fiction that juxtaposes nicely with its more fantastic elements, making it feel universal and yet somehow exotic.

THE ICE BENEATH HER by Camilla Grebe is one such crime novel. It takes place in Stockholm, Sweden where a woman's body is found brutally beheaded in the home of Jesper Orre, the controversial CEO of a huge fashion chain. Of course, Orre is the main suspect, but seems to have disappeared into thin air, leaving his cell phone and wallet at home. And then there are the gruesome similarities between this case and an unsolved one from ten years before where a man was beheaded in the same way.

We get the story from three different perspectives: Peter Lindgren, one of the detectives investigating the case, Hanne Lagerlind-Schon, a criminal profiler who has had a past relationship with Peter, and Emma Bohman, a young sales clerk who worked for Jesper Orre's company and had a secret affair with him.

For the first half of the book, the plot kind of takes a backseat to the three main characters, as we live inside their heads and see the story through their eyes. There's Peter with his crippling fear of commitment. Hanne has early onset Alzheimer's which threatens her brilliant work as a profiler. And then there's Emma whose story takes place months before the murder. Her naivete and abusive background make her the ultimate target for a playboy like Jesper.

Emma is the character that really stood out for me. There's something so sadly inevitable about the tragic chain of events in Emma's life and her inability to pull herself out of the mire that got to me emotionally. And kept me turning pages.

But nothing in this book is as it seems. Just when you think you'e figured it out, it changes. And even if you do deduce who did it, it doesn't really matter because there's still plenty more tension to come, and plenty more to discover.

And that, I think, is the key to the success of Scandinavian crime fiction. It doesn't necessarily rely on plot devices to keep you reading. The characters often seem so real, you want to know what happens to them even after then mystery is solved.


(Dear FCC: I forgot to ask Kelly where she got her copy of this book. But if I were a betting woman, I'd bet her local library.)  

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jody Feldman: COSMIC by Frank Cottrell Boyce (middle grade)
                         This review examines a medley of humorous middle-grade novels.

Sarah Laurence: THE LOOSE ENDS LIST by Carrie Firestone (contemporary YA)

Stacy Nyikos: SPARE AND FOUND PARTS by Sarah Maria Griffin (horror YA)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: MOSQUITOLAND by David Arnold (contemporary YA)



ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Alyssa Goodnight: AGATHA RAISIN AND THE QUICHE OF DEATH by M.C. Beaton 
                               (cozy mystery)

Ellen Booraem: HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi (historical, literary)

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: NEW PLANET, NEW WORLD by Ian Prattis (futuristic, time travel)

Linda McLaughlin: IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE by Sinclair Lewis (Classic Fiction)

Patti Abbott:  TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis (western)

Tanya Sutton: SECURITY by Gina Wohlsdorf (horror, thriller)


NONFICTION REVIEW

Jenn Jilks: WOMAN INCOGNITO: TRANSGENDER WITHOUT TRANSITION
                   by Transcender Lee (autobiography)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: THE BIOGRAPHY OF NATALIE WOOD by Suzanne Finstad

Ray Potthoff: I COULD TELL YOU STORIES: SOJOURNS IN THE LAND OF MEMORY
                       by Patricia Hampl (memoir)

Scott Parker: THE PULP JUNGLE by Frank Gruber (autobiography)



Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!