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What are you reading?
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Christine
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Feb 20, 2022 04:04PM
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: Revenge Wears Prada – Lauren Weisberger – 2**
Subtitle: The Devil Returns. This is a follow-up to the immensely popular The Devil Wears Prada . Andy and Emily have joined forces to launch a high-end bridal magazine that is very successful. I didn’t much like either of these two lead characters and how they handled their professional and personal relationships. I’d already read book three in the series (which focuses on Emily), so that may have colored my reactions.
My full review HERE
The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera – 5***** and a ❤
What a wonderful story. Magical, mystical, and yet completely relatable. Eight-year-old Kahu wants nothing so much as to please her Grandfather and be loved by him. But he dismisses her as a “useless girl.” Still, her grandmother, father and uncle champion her cause, as she comes of age and proves that she has what it takes to become chief and lead her people.
My full review HERE
Furious Hours – Casey Cep – 3.5*** rounded up
Subtitle: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee. This is a combination of a true crime exploration of the serial killer Reverend Willie Maxwell, and a mini biography of Harper Lee. I found the entire story fascinating, but then I am a fan of both Lee and true crime books. However, I think the author would have been less successful with this book without the Lee hook, and that somehow just didn’t sit right with me. So, three stars: I liked it; other true-crime or Lee fans will probably like it too.
My full review HERE
West Side Rising – Char Miller & Julian Castro – 4****
Subtitle: How San Antonio's 1921 Flood Devastated a City and Sparked a Latino Environmental Justice Movement. I grew up in San Antonio’s West Side and witnessed many a flood in our neighborhood. This book explores not only the results of the city’s founding in a flood plain, but the political decisions – motivated by class and racial prejudice – that ensured that the areas poorest citizens would continue to suffer for centuries despite contributing tax dollars to help the wealthy stay dry. And how, a group of those West Side residents, fueled by yet another flood, marshalled their collective political power to achieve major changes.
My full review HERE
My review for I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death by Maggie O'Farrell
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am reading
, so far it’s a nice story, but is moving a little slow. Hope the next 1/2 picks up. Then have about 10 books to chose from for this month. Not sure what I want to read next. Probably,
Heard this was really great.
The Duke and I – Julia Quinn – 3.5***
Book one in the Bridgertons series. This was everything a regency romance should be. There is a young marriageable lady in need of a husband, an aloof, dashingly handsome but rakish duke, and enough sexual tension and plot twists to keep things interesting and the pages turning.
My full review HERE
- a charming but thrilling adventure story with an unlikely female friendship
- a crime story with a sci-fi twist. Didn't hit the mark for me.
I am working my way through the Wheel of Timer Series.
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit – Jeanette Winterson – 3***
Winterson’s semi-autobiographical debut novel has a protagonist who is also named Jeanette. It is a glimpse at one teenager’s path out of childhood and into adulthood. Oh, the angst of teen years! The confusion and questions that adults don’t seem to want to answer (heck, they don’t want you to even ask), the emotional roller coaster of attraction vs guilt. First published in 1985, I can see why it became so popular. But I’m long past this stage of life and I’ve read many books treating coming-of-age, including those featuring LGBTQ characters. I thought it was fine for its genre, but not particularly memorable to me.
My full review HERE
I just finished Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture, by Justine Picardie. I have read a little about Catherine Dior and knew she was an active Nazi Resister. I did not realize the degree though. She was a very courageous woman.
Cold-Hearted Rake – Lisa Kleypas – 3***
Book number one in The Ravenels series. A charmingly wicked bachelor inherits an earldom, and butts heads with the late earl’s beautiful, young and head-strong widow. Sparks fly and passion overcomes sensibility and rules of propriety.
My full review HERE
Lunch At the Piccadilly – Clyde Edgerton – 3***
The jacket blurb promised a funny romp with elderly ladies who steal a car and go on an adventure. The book however, is not nearly so fun … and funny … as the jacket blurb. Yes, there are some humorous escapades, but much more is devoted to Lil’s nephew Carl, a quiet, unassuming bachelor who can’t seem to find his way to a happy and fulfilled life. The episode with the stolen car (brief though it is) was quite funny, but the ending is rather poignant.
My full review HERE
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The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern – Lilian Jackson Braun – 3***
Book two in the “Cat Who” cozy mystery series, starring journalist James Qwilleran and his Siamese Koko. I like this series, set in an unnamed northern-midwest city. I like the way Qwill ferrets out information, and how he’s beginning to notice that his cat is quite astute. The plot is full of twists and turns, as well as a colorful assortment of characters, good and bad. Photographer Odd Bunsen is an able sidekick.
My full review HERE
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets Of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Sáenz – 4****
This is a coming-of-age story featuring two Mexican-American teens trying to figure out their place in the world. I enjoyed this book and felt connected to these boys and their struggles. I’m way past that stage of life, but I remember the pain of not feeling like I fit in, the joy of finally having a good friend, the fumblings and push/pull of early romantic encounters. And I loved Ari and Dante, their reliance on one another and their growing relationship.
My full review HERE
Lady Clementine – Marie Benedict – 3.5***
This work of historical fiction focuses on Lady Clementine Churchill, the woman beside (not behind) the man, Winston Churchill. Lady Clementine emerges from the pages as a strong woman, with the courage of her convictions and easily able to stand up to (and for) the man in her life, helping Winston Churchill achieve the successes for which he is so well known.
My full review HERE
Lizzie & Dante – Mary Bly – 3***
This romance features a tragically ill heroine who is a Shakespeare scholar vacationing on the island of Elba, an understanding handsome Italian chef and his precocious 12-year-old daughter, plus a supporting cast of movie stars, gay friends, and no-nonsense acquaintances. There are some twists and turns, because the path to happiness is never a straight one, and I thought the author was trying a bit too hard to force the reader to tears, but I still enjoyed the book. And I LOVED all the food references.
My full review HERE
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