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!