Coffee & Books discussion
Bookish!
>
What are you reading?
All the lonely people by Mike Gayle and Native from Akala
At Bertram’s Hotel – Agatha Christie – 3***
Christie excels at creating complicated plots with many suspects and red herrings to keep the reader guessing. She has plenty of surprises in store with this one as well. I had, unfortunately for me, seen the PBS Masterpiece mystery series episode, so knew where it was heading, but I still found it fascinating to watch how Christie wove the elements together.
My full review HERE
Babylon’s Ark – Lawrence Anthony – 4****
Subtitle: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo
Lawrence Anthony was a well-known conservationist and advocate for animals, running a game reserve in South Africa when images on CNN of the war in Baghdad caught his attention. Horrified at the potential loss of wildlife at that war-ravaged city’s zoo, he had to somehow go help. And so, against all odds, he did. This is the story of his work there. It’s informative and exciting. It’s quite the adventure!
My full review HERE
Miss Benson’s Beetle – Rachel Joyce – 4****
Two women no one would ever consider as compatible form an unlikely team as they travel to the other side of the world in search of an elusive beetle. What they find is a strong vocation, and an ever-lasting bond of friendship and love. I absolutely loved these characters! There were times when I had to laugh at their foibles. There were times when I feared for their safety. And quite a few tears were shed as well. Ultimately, they teach us a lesson about courage and perseverance, about not being afraid to fail … or to succeed.
My full review HERE
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox – Maggie O’Farrell – 3***
There’s so much going on here I hardly know where to start. There’s the mystery of Esme’s commitment to the mental, Iris’s mess of a love life, and the intrigue of Iris’s “brother, who is really no blood relation” Alex. I thought it was rather melodramatic as well as being disjointed, but that ending – that wonderfully ambiguous and ethereal ending! Well, she got an extra half-star for that final scene.
My full review HERE
The Whole Cat and Caboodle – Sofie Ryan – 3***
Book # 1 in the Second Chance Cat Mystery series, featuring Sarah Grayson, proprietor of Second Chance, a consignment shop in North Harbor, Maine, and her rescue cat, Elvis. This is a cute cozy mystery with a decent premise and a wonderful cast of colorful supporting characters. I love that the crew of senior sleuths is christened “Charlie’s Angels” … with a nod to the movie, NOT the original TV series! I’ll keep reading this series.
My full review HERE
My review for A Life Lost: The shocking true story: Jackson Is Haunted by a Secret from His Past by Cathy Glass
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Listening For Lions – Gloria Whelan – 4****
This is a lovely YA / middle-school-grade novel with some important lessons about doing what is right, and honoring your parents and elders. Rachel is a worthy heroine; she’s intelligent, principled, compassionate and a hard worker. I love the way that she interacts with others and considers the possible effects of her words and actions before moving forward.
My full review HERE
Cutting For Stone – Abraham Verghese – 5***** and a ❤
This is an epic story of twin boys, born of an Indian nun and a British surgeon in an Ethiopian hospital, but raised by two other Indian physicians and the staff of Missing Hospital. Verghesse is a masterful storyteller, who wields his pen with surgical precision. The landscape and characters come to life on the page, letting the reader experience the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of Ethiopia and the hospitals both there and in New York where Marion finishes his training.
My full review HERE
Devil’s Food Cake Murder – Joanne Fluke – 2.5**
Book # 14 in the Hannah Swenson cozy mystery series and she STILL hasn’t made up her mind on which suitor – dentist Norman or lawman Mike – to accept. Looks like the boys may be making the decision for her. Yes, there’s a murder, and yes, Hannah MUST investigate. But she also bakes a lot of goodies. The recipes are probably what I like best about the series.
My full review HERE
ᗩ ᑕOᑎᑎEᑕTIᑕᑌT YᗩᑎKEE Iᑎ KIᑎG ᗩᖇTᕼᑌᖇ'ᔕ ᑕOᑌᖇT
My review for The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison by Meredith Jaffe
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
ᗩ ᑕOᑎᑎEᑕTIᑕᑌT YᗩᑎKEE Iᑎ KIᑎG ᗩᖇTᕼᑌᖇ'ᔕ ᑕOᑌᖇT
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna – Juliet Grames – 3.5***
In her debut novel, Grames explores the lives of two sisters and the rift between them. Spanning a century we follow Stella Fortuna from her birth in a small Italian village at the beginning of the 20th century, through her family’s immigration to America, to the birth of successive generations, until she is an old woman mostly confined to bed and still “at war” with her younger sister, Tina, who lives just across the street. I love family sagas and this one is epic. I really enjoyed this book but hated the title and device of “seven or eight deaths” – it just seems so contrived.
My full review HERE
My review for This Has Been Absolutely Lovely by Jessica Dettmann
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
,
and
. Trying to finish out my books for the year. Just finished
, which I really enjoyed.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman- so good.
Concrete Rose – Angie Thomas – 4****
In this prequel to The Hate U Give , Thomas gives us the young Maverick Carter, a 17-year-old gang member struggling to find his path to manhood. I can really see how this young man, hardly out of childhood, is being influenced – by his peers, by his parents, by other adults in his neighborhood and school, and by the expectations of society. Thomas writes about a realistic urban environment for many families, with brutal honesty and empathy. She does not shy away from the serious social issues facing these families, nor does she offer platitudes or pat answers on how to address these issues.
My full review HERE
The Weight of Heaven – Thirty Umrigar – 5*****
Reeling from the loss of their son, Frank and Ellie Benton accept an opportunity to relocate to India to run a factory. But they cannot escape their grief, and Frank’s obsession with the son of a local couple drives a wedge between both couples. This is the third book by Umrigar that I have read, and the third time I’ve rated her work 5-stars. It is an intense and heartbreakingly real story. The tragedy of this couple’s story is inevitable though none the less shocking.
My full review HERE
I just finished Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. It was fantastic. I loved the characters and how she wrote from the perspective of each one. The big twist at the end (kinda figured something would have to go wrong) but I was not expecting what all went down go go down and some info to come out. 🤐 my favorite character was Wylan. He has such an interesting story, and in the sequel Bardugo goes into more detail on his story. I am currently reading the sequel, Crooked Kingdom. It is great so far and I am loving all of the character development. Definitely would recommend Six of Crows to anyone and hopefully, I will be able to say the same for Crooked Kingdom.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
, Heather Morris. Sad story, but good so far.
City of Secrets – Stewart O’Nan – 3***
Set in 1945 Jerusalem, the novel follows Brand, a survivor of the Holocaust, as he tries to make a new life working with the resistance. I love O’Nan’s ability to put you into the mind of his characters – to understand their hopes, ambitions, and fears. But this was perhaps too intense for me at this time. I appreciated it more than I enjoyed it.
My full review HERE
Coffee & Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Day I Died (other topics)Summit Lake (other topics)
Under an Alaskan Sky (other topics)
Oxygen (other topics)
The House in the Pines (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lori Rader-Day (other topics)Charlie Donlea (other topics)
Jennifer Snow (other topics)
Carol Cassella (other topics)
Ana Reyes (other topics)
More...
Holmes On the Range – Steve Hockensmith – 3.5***
Well, this was a hoot and a half! I loved the brothers Big Red (Otto) and Old Red (Gustav) and how they worked together. Big Red narrates, as he is the more educated of the two, being able to read and write. But Old Red is the real fan of Holmes and his methods of observation and deduction, and it is he who finally solves the murder.
My full review HERE