Coffee & Books discussion

Utopia,

I am continuing the series I’ve been reading with the 6th book, perfect kill by Helen fields

Just started The Lady of the Rivers. Haven't read anything by Philippa Gregory for a while. I'm quite excited :)

Fortunately, the Milk – Neil Gaiman – 4****
This is a delightful fantastical romp of a story. There’s so much in this book it would almost be easier to list what is NOT in the book (no broccoli … that I recall). We have pirates, spaceship abduction, a stegosaurus in a balloon, sharks, piranhas, a volcano, unpredictable time travel, vampires, and, fortunately, the milk.
My full review HERE

Cherry Cheesecake Murder – Joanne Fluke – 1.5*
Book Number Eight in the Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series, featuring the Cookie Shop proprietor, her two sisters, and their mother, along with a regular cast of town residents. This is bad on so many levels. I am completely over Hannah’s dithering over her two suitors, her mother’s constant interference, her sister Andrea’s histrionics, and Hannah’s penchant for correcting everyone’s grammar. On the other hand, the cookie recipes are very good. Fluke should write a cookie cookbook and leave the tortured plots behind.
My full review HERE

A vigil in the mourning and Poison Orchids

I have several books going on at once:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

I finally finished “The Long Walk” by Stephen king. It took me forever because of school, but also because it was just very sad and depressing. I love a good King, but this one ranks pretty low on my list. I’m currently reading ready player one and it is fantastic!

Small As an Elephant – Jennifer Richard Jacobson – 3.5***
This children’s book deals with mental illness. Jack Martel emerges from his pup tent to find that his mother is missing. Eleven-year-old Jack must find his mom before the authorities intervene and separate them forever. I loved Jack; he’s resilient, intelligent, resourceful and brave. He’s also scared. But he’s determined to find his Mom and hopes he can forgive her for leaving him alone.
My full review HERE

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee – 5*****
My all-time favorite novel, which I re-read every few years. This is a singularly powerful novel that had a great impact on me when I first read it at age 13, and has never failed to move and inspire me as I’ve re-read it over the years. It’s a well-paced novel, a fast read with elements of suspense, family drama, humor and moral lessons.
My full review HERE

I finished my book called Say No More by Karen Rose

I finished my book called No One Left to Tell by Karen Rose

I just finished “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline and it was fantastic. I am about to begin “Ready Player Two.”

The Lady of the Rivers was a good Philippa Gregory book but not her best. The Boleyn books are much better.

Just started Out Stealing Horses.

I finished my book called Colton Bullseye by Geri Krotow

My review for Tiny White Lies by Fiona Palmer

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

House of earth and blood :)

I finished my book called Evasive Action by Carol Ericson

Finished Band of Women, Lauren Willig. Great book if you like historical fiction. Takes place during WWI. Also, just about to finish, Olive, by Emma Gannon. About 4 friends from college and the main character deciding she does not want to have children.

The Doll Factory!

I finished my book called Unraveling Jane Doe by Carol Ericson

The Perfect Guests

I finished my book called Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

Limitless by Jim Kwik

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret – Judy Blume – 3***
First published in 1970, this has become a staple of children’s literature, as well as a frequently challenged book. I think if I had read this at a young age I would have easily identified with Margaret. I certainly recognize some of my own anxieties about growing up, though my situation was very different from Margaret’s.
My full review HERE

A Bookshop In Berlin – Françoise Frenkel – 4****
Subtitle: The Rediscovered Memoir of One Woman’s Harrowing Escape From the Nazis. Originally titled ”No Place To Lay One’s Head”, this is an interesting first-hand account of the author’s ultimately successful journey to safety in Switzerland.
My full review HERE

I finished my book called Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

I finished my book called End Game of The Most Dangerous Game Golden State Killer by Anne Penn

Olive Kitteridge – Elizabeth Strout – 4****
After my F2F book club chose to discuss the sequel, Olive, Again , I decided to revisit the original. I can clearly see her growth as a character. And I’m more sympathetic to Olive, even though she is still hard to like.
My full review HERE

The Dutch House – Ann Patchett – 4****
Patchett uses the youngest member of the Conroy family, Danny, to tell this decades-long story of the family’s fortunes. I love Patchett’s writing. I love the way she reveals her characters in what they say and do. We see Danny grow from a young child to a middle-aged man with children of his own. And we watch Maeve take on the mantle of responsibility for her younger brother, encouraging and pushing him to succeed, to prove that they can thrive without the legacy they expected.
My full review HERE

Just finished Lion: A Long Way Home

Now reading Plain Truth which seems promising so far.

Summer Of the Monkeys – Wilson Rawls – 4****
At the end of the 19th century, Jay Berry Lee lives with his parents and twin sister on a farm in Oklahoma. A troop of escaped circus monkeys provide a summer’s entertainment as well as the opportunity to earn a large monetary reward - if only he can capture them! Fun adventure and a charming boy-and-his-dog tale.
My full review HERE

The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling – 3.5***
Of course I was familiar with Mowgli, Shere Khan, and Baloo, but I had never this classic of children’s literature. This edition had Mowgli’s tale, but also included three bonus stories: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (the mongoose), Toomai (who watches the elephants dance), and Kotick (the white seal). They are marvelous adventure stories with a few life lessons included. The exotic nature of the setting appeals to the imagination as well.
My full review HERE

I finished my book called The Next Widow by C.J. Lyons

The Last Rhinos – Lawrence Anthony & Graham Spence – 3.5***
Lawrence Anthony has been called the Indiana Jones of conservationism. He certainly lives up to that moniker in this memoir of his efforts to save the last remaining Northern White Rhinos in the wild. Anthony went to great lengths to plan a rescue of these magnificent beasts. I only wish that more of the book was focused on the animals rather than on the negotiations with government officials and rebel group leaders.
My full review HERE

I finished my book called No One Saw by Beverly Long

Dead Man’s Switch – Tammy Kaehler – 3***
This was a fun, fast read that taught me a bit about racing. I liked Kate as a lead character. She’s intelligent, prepared, determined, skilled and strong. I liked the way she thought through the scraps of information she collected to arrive at her conclusions. I also really liked her focus on the job at hand – driving that Corvette as part of a team.
My full review HERE

Free Pam Jenoff Book to Download:
Just noticed and got this, so thought I would mention:
Hi, I am a fan of Pam Jenoff and so is my Dad. I was looking up when her new book , This one is not free, it comes out 5/4. I did notice if you have an Amazon Prime Account (for shipping/movies/you also get up to 10 Prime books to take out Free for as long as you want). So, noticed is available if you have Kindle Unlimited, but also if you hit Amazon you should see it says $0.00 for PRIME and when clicked goes straight to your Kindle or Kindle App. I have an iPad and it worked right away. She also has a novella, just 21 Pages, called that is Free to Everyone.

I finished my book called Out of the Dark by Geri Foster

Hot Six – Janet Evanovich – 4****
Episode Six in the Stephanie Plum series has our charmingly inept bounty hunter on the trail of her mentor, and man of hot dreams, Ranger. This is possibly the funniest of the books in the series that I’ve read. I first read this in about March 2003, and I remember clearly reading in the cafeteria during my lunch break and bursting out in laughter loud enough to have people several tables away look up to see what was going on.
My full review HERE

Plain Truth 4 stars

Next on: The Flicker of Old Dreams