Coffee & Books discussion

I finished my book called Christmas Eve Cowboy by Diana Palmer

I finished my book called The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

End of Watch – Stephen King – 4****
Book three in the Bill Hodges Trilogy has the retired detective (now a private investigator) and his partner, Holly Gibney, intrigued by the recent murder / suicide involving a survivor the original Mercedes Killer rampage. King gives us a fast-paced, intricate plot, with complex characters, and a fascinating exploration into brain activity and the possibilities. I really like Bill Hodges, but I love Holly, and she really shines in this episode
LINK to my full review

I finished my book called Emergency Room by Caroline B. Cooney

Paper Money – Ken Follett – 2.5**
Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle , Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day. The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot, which tested my ability to focus. I’m not sure the mid-1970s plot has stood the test of time very well.
LINK to my full review

Flower Net – Lisa See – 3***
Before she rocketed to fame with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan See wrote a short series of mysteries, of which this is the first. What I liked most about this book was the look at China – from karaoke bars to the neighborhoods housing the working class, from high-powered businessmen to prostitutes, See gave the reader a look under the blanket of the typical tourist-friendly experience. The plot is convoluted and full of twists and turns, as much political intrigue as murder mystery. Not her best book, but it held my attention.
LINK to my full review

The Sweetness of Water – Nathan Harris – 5*****
In his debut work, Harris explores rural Georgia shortly after the end of the Civil War, when slaves had been emancipated and Union soldiers moved in to enforce the terms of surrender and “reconstruct” the South. Full of complex characters and gripping scenes that move the plot forward, this is a marvelous debut. Harris explores moral dilemmas and the difficulties of trying to do the right thing against a post-war upheaval and tension. He gives us characters with strong principles who can be blind to their flaws, some of whom overcome and some who give in to those weaknesses.
LINK to my full review

I just finished , Shelby Van Pelt. It was so different and creative, but took a while to get into the concept of the Octopus being the narrator and the other characters were very detached for good reasons. However, the book slowly creeps in and I just was won over and loved it. Amazing how animals and Sea Creatures can help us reconnect to ourselves. Connection, kindness, and love really are what this beautiful book is about. Definitely Recommend It. 💕

My review for The Wrong Sister by Fiona Palmer

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

Kristine (Trying to Get Back to Reading) wrote: "I just finished , Shelby Van Pelt. It was so different and creative, but took a while to get into the concept of the Octopus being the narrator and t..."

Loved this book!

Whip Hand – Dick Francis – 3***
Book # 2 in the Sid Halley series. The plot is intricate and includes a couple of different mysteries, both of which involve unscrupulous business dealings and which involve Sid’s two loves: his ex-wife Jenny and thoroughbred racing. Sid is forced to face his greatest fears and answer for himself: Is there anything you’re afraid of?
LINK to my full review

I finished my book called Beneath Devil's Bridge by Loreth Anne White

I’m on a ten book series the Anne of green gables
By L M Montgomery

I read a few (3)as a child and am revisiting it all

ver:
Lady In Waiting – Anne Glenconner – 3.5***
Subtitle: My Extraordinary Life In the Shadow of the Crown. Glenconner has spent her life as an intimate friend of the royal family. As a child she played with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. She served as a Maid of Honor for Elizabeth II’s Coronation, and as Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. She was married to Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, and they bought an developed the Caribbean island, Mustique – THE place where Jet-setters escaped in the 1970s-‘80s. A fascinating autobiography.
LINK to my full review

My review for Wish You Were Here by Karly Lane

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

This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing – Jacqueline Winspear – 4****
Jacqueline Winspear, perhaps best known for her Maisie Dobbs cozy mystery series, turns to autobiography / memoir in this wonderful work. With honesty, humor, tenderness and compassion she explores her family background and her own childhood in the English countryside. I doubt I would have picked up this heartfelt and touching memoir were it not a book-club selection. I’m so glad I read it, and I think knowing Winspear’s own background will give me additional insight into her fictional characters.
LINK to my full review

The Boxcar Children – Gertrude Chandler Warner – 4****
This is the first in a very popular series for children. First published in 1942 it introduces readers to the four orphaned siblings: Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. They may be alone except for one another but they are very resourceful and work well as a team. It’s a grand adventure and a charming story with a happy ending.
LINK to my full review

Neither Here Nor There – Bill Bryson – 2**
Subtitle: Travels in Europe. First published in 1993, this is not aged well. I’ve read several of Bryson’s books and found some of them hugely entertaining. But not this one. He seems far too snide and complaining, the “Ugly American” come to life.
LINK to my full review

My review for Darkest Place by Jaye Ford

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

Being Dead Is No Excuse – Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays – 3***
"The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral" is charming and has some great casserole recipes. Metcalfe and Hays have crafted a charming book on the etiquette of funerals in the South, specifically in the Delta, from the proper hymns to sing, to the use of Cream of Mushroom soup, to the power of the restorative cocktail. They sprinkle in a wealth of anecdotes on colorful friends and relatives who have had proper send-offs and give us the recipes to create our own funeral masterpieces. Funny and informative.
LINK to my full review

Cooking With My Sisters – Adriana Trigiani – 3***
Trigiani is well-known for her fiction, frequently drawing from her family history to draw her characters and launch her plots. This book is a combination of memoir and cookbook, in which she relates many family stories and provides the recipes that bring back those memories. A delicious treat.
LINK to my full review

I finished my book called Brain Death by John Benedict

I was reading the ten part series of Anne of green gables. Don’t laugh lol
Love it but have stopped for a break out it in my to read later now as I want to read a poetry book and then another book then I’ll come back to it
I loved it
I read three in the series as a ten year old

Anxious People – Fredrik Backman – 3***
It starts with a really bad idea born of desperation, follows a group of strangers at an apartment viewing who are now hostages, and the two police officers (father and son), who are trying to find the truth. It’s a bit chaotic, much as the real-life scenario would be, and the reader is kept guessing as to what really happened for most of the book. The ending is totally unrealistic, but nonetheless satisfying, as befits a fable.
LINK to my full review

Cathedral Of the Sea – Ildefonso Falcones – 4****
Spanish journalists / reviewers have called Falcones “Spain’s new Dan Brown” or proclaimed “A new Ken Follett is born!” I can certainly see why those comparisons are made. This is an epic historical novel focusing on one character’s connection to the church, and more importantly to the Virgin Mary. It’s an engaging story that kept me turning pages – all 611 of them!
LINK to my full review

My review for At Risk by Patricia Cornwell

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

The Lincoln Highway – Amor Towles – 4****
This is a quest and a road trip, a saga of family and friendship, an exploration of morals and principles against temptations which are seemingly impossible to resist. It begins when Emmett and his younger brother Billy decide to set out for California and a new start in life. But their plan gets derailed when two friends show up and suggest a “side trip” to New York. The result is an odyssey worthy of Homer, but rather than ten years, THIS odyssey takes only ten days. I loved these characters, though I am not sure I like the ending, which leaves the reader to imagine what will happen next, and hungry for more details of future adventures.
LINK to my full review

My review for A Dolphin Called Jock: An injured dolphin, a lost young woman, a story of hope by Melody Horrill

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

I finished my book called The Patient by Jane Shemilt

My review for Under Her Skin: The life and work of Professor Fiona Wood AM, National Living Treasure by Sue Williams

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

I am listening to by Tina Brown. Still, getting filled in on royal life, but it doesn’t sounds difficult to be part of so far.

Going to start, , by Fredrik Backman. This is the 3rd Book in his Beartown Trilogy. Really looking forward to reading this.

The Big Door Prize – M.O. Walsh – 3***
My F2F book club chose this book for discussion; I knew nothing going into it and expected a charming, quirky character-driven ensemble of small-town Southern America. I got some of that, certainly, but so much more. There are some pretty heavy issues here, including unrealized dreams, peer pressure, drug abuse, and grief. There are scenes that are introspective and give the reader some insight into what these characters are thinking. Other scenes are light-hearted and break the tension. And there are very dramatic scenes that made me afraid to look, and more afraid to look away.
LINK to my full review

Stay Where You Are, Then Leave – John Boyne – 3.5***
The Great War (WWI) began on Alfie Summerfield’s 5th birthday, with the result that few people attended his birthday party. That was okay … more cake for Alfie! This is a book suitable for middle-school children, but deals with some serious issues, including poverty among the families of fighting men, conscientious objectors and “shell shock” (now called PTSD). Alfie is a marvelous character. He’s curious, intelligent, a hard worker, resourceful and tenacious.
LINK to my full review

My review for Gone to Ground by Bronwyn Hall

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

I finished my book called Drown Her Sorrows by Melinda Leigh

This House Is Haunted – John Boyne – 3***
It is 1867 and Eliza Caine, whose father has just died and left her virtually penniless, responds to an advertisement for a governess position at Gaudlin Hall in Norfolk, England. In this work, Boyne focuses his considerable talent on writing a classic gothic ghost story, with a writing style that is reminiscent of Dickens and Bronte. Eliza is a great heroine. The big climax is a bit overdramatic, though typical of the genre. But the ending is downright chilling.
LINK to my full review

The Exiles – Christina Baker Kline – 3***
Historical fiction that looks at the issues of “transport” wherein women convicted of crimes were sent to Australia territories to “work off” their sentences. Kline also deals with the issues surrounding colonialist’s treatment of the indigenous population, with the story of Mathinna, the orphaned daughter of an Aboriginal chief, who is taken in by the new governor of Van Diemen’s Land (now known as Tasmania). The treatment these women endured was brutal and dehumanizing, but Kline’s characters band together to support one another and triumph.
LINK to my full review

I finished my book called Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh

My review for Runt by Craig Silvey

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

Reading
thanksgiving in hollybrook by Brenda Maxfield
very nice Amish style fiction light romance clean

An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good – Helene Tursten – 3***
This was a book group selection so I was expecting a fun romp of a story, and was surprised by the murder. The book is actually a series of short stories, all featuring 88-year-old Maud and her interactions with various neighbors in her apartment building. It’s a fast read with an interesting premise.
LINK to my full review

My review for Life with a Psychopath by Francesca Di Pietro

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

The World According to Bertie – Alexander McCall Smith – 3***
Book four in the 44 Scotland Street series continues the varied stories of the current (or former) residents of the apartment complex. What I love about the ensemble series is that each book gives us just a glimpse into their lives. We pick up where the last book left off, and end with many issues still unresolved. It’s the same way we encounter casual friends, catching up when we see them, but not knowing how things will turn out once we depart. And yet, happy to see them again and catch up once more.
LINK to my full review

The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams – 3.5***
A troubled teen with a summer job in the library and an aging widower who still feels lost without his wife forge an unlikely alliance based on a reading list found tucked into a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird . This is a very good debut for Adams. The characters are complex and have a variety of issues. On the surface one wouldn’t expect them to have anything in common or to be able to relate to one another at all. But Adams brings them together, first by happenstance, and slowly by shared experiences and their individuals needs for human connection.
LINK to my full review