The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Finished: - 4*, - 3.5*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
The Ladies of the Secret Circus - Audiobook
One More for the Road - Ebook
Deep Shadow - Own
The Man Who Died Twice
The Joy and Light Bus Company
Murder In The Queen's Armes

The Library of Lost and Found – Phaedra Patrick – 3***
A heart-warming and enjoyable read. Martha Storm volunteers at the local library and would love to have a permanent paid position there. She’s clearly unappreciated, but soldiers on. And then one day a book of fairy tales is left for her, and as she tries to puzzle out where the book came from and how it came to be in her possession, she uncovers family secrets. Patrick writes quirky characters with hidden secrets very well. These are nearly broken people who keep their heads down and try to exist without much support or joy in their lives. And yet …
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 3.5*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
The Ladies of the Secret Circus - Audiobook
Deep Shadow - Own
The Man Who Died Twice - Library

Klara And the Sun – Kazuo Ishiguro – 4.5****
Klara, the narrator of this extraordinary work, is an artificial friend (AF). She is a keen observer and tries to be a good friend to Josie, the young girl she’s ben bought to accompany. For all her intelligence and perceptiveness, Klara cannot quite understand emotion and she certainly doesn’t have feelings of her own. Her interpretations of what she observes are sometimes quite naïve. What does it mean to love? Can science duplicate that essentially human quality in an artificial intelligence being? Do we want scientists to try?
LINK to my full review

I finished First Warning: Acorna's Children and starting Twelve Sharp

Starting:
What Happens at Christmas - Ebook
The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music - Library
The Liberated Bride - Library
The Doll Factory - Library
Belgrave Square - Library

Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle – Ann B Ross – 3***
Book number twelve in the Miss Julia series, featuring a woman of a certain age who cannot help but get involved in the goings on in her North Carolina town. What I love about this series is Miss Julia, herself. She’s a real firecracker of a woman. The supporting cast of characters are wonderful as well. A fast, fun, comfort read.
LINK to my full review

DNF:

This book has been lingering around my TBR list for a long time. Today I made the decision to DNF it. I just could not get into it at all nor do I think that I will try it in the future. Thus the DNF list.

I seldom give a book this designation. Sometimes I will put a book aside even for a long time and then re-try it. Not this one.

Finished: - 4*

Atomic Love – Jennie Fields – 3.5***
This work of historical fiction captured my attention from the beginning, and the twists and turns in the plot kept me turning pages. Set in 1950 Chicago, it focuses on Rosalind Porter, previously the only woman physicist working on the Manhattan Project, but now selling jewelry at Marshall Fields. It’s a fast-paced espionage thriller with a romantic triangle. It held my attention and I found it hard to put down at times.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
Deep Shadow - Own
What Happens at Christmas - Ebook
The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music - Library
The Black Echo - Library
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours - Library

Ordinary Girls – Jaquira Díaz – 4****
In this memoir, Díaz relates her childhood and teen years with brutal honesty. She grows up in Puerto Rico and Miami, with a mentally-ill and drug-addicted mother. And looks to her friends for the love and support she does not get at home. I found her writing gripping and enthralling. There were times when I wanted to turn away, because the scenes were so painful, but her writing kept me going. My heart went out to the young girl and struggling teenager. I applauded the woman she became.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 5*, - 3.5*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
Deep Shadow - Own
What Happens at Christmas - Ebook
The Black Echo - Library

Next to start:
In the Last Analysis - Library
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century - Library
The Namesake - Library

Shards Of Honor – Lois McMaster Bujold – 3***
Book number 1 in the space-opera series Vorkosigan Saga introduces the reader to this family. We have a kick-ass heroine, Commander (later Captain) Cordelia Naismith and the leader of the enemy forces, Captain Aral Vorkosigan. Lots of intrigue, adventure, drama, danger, politics and plot twists to keep the reader turning pages. And witty banter to show the attraction between these two blossoming to romance. I doubt I’ll continue the series (just not my preferred cup of tea), but I’m glad I read it.
LINK to my full review

I finished Twelve Sharp and starting The Midnight Library

The Book of Lost Friends – Lisa Wingate – 4****
For this work of historical fiction, Wingate was inspired by actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, wherein newly freed slaves search for family members from which they’d been separated. She uses the ubiquitous dual timeline for this story, and while I’ve come to really dislike this device, I thought Wingate did a marvelous job in this case. I was interested and engaged from beginning to end, and I really appreciated learning about the “Lost Friends” advertisements.
LINK to my full review

Finished reading The Midnight Library and started reading Size 12 Is Not Fat

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – William Kamkwamba – 4****
Subtitle: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. This is the memoir of an extraordinary young man, the son of a Malawian farmer, struggling in poverty and through famine and drought, but following the spark of inspiration, his own thirst for knowledge, and a desire to help his family and community. William saw a need and thought, “What if?” As he explained to a TED conference, “I tried, and I made it.” It’s the not the best-written book I’ve read, but his story is inspiring and uplifting. Bravo!
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*, - 3.5*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
Deep Shadow - Own
The Black Echo - Library
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century - Library
Eldest - Own

Finished Arrows of the Queen and starting Shopaholic Takes Manhattan

The Cat Who Turned On and Off – Lilian Jackson Braun – 3***
Book three in Braun’s popular “The Cat Who…” cozy mystery series, starring Jim Qwilleran (known simply at Qwill), and his two Siamese: Koko and Yum Yum. I really like this cozy series. As a journalist for the local newspaper, Qwill has every reason to search out the story. There isn’t a lot of graphic violence, and Qwill is a gentleman when it comes to romantic interludes.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
Deep Shadow - Own
Words in Deep Blue - Library
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
The Chinese Shawl - Library
Eldest - Own
Fog of Doubt - Ebook

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle, The Chinese Shawl - Library
Words in Deep Blue - Library
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Eldest - Own
Fog of Doubt - Ebook
Bewilderment - Library
Undercover Kitty - Library
The Broken Girls - Audiobook

The Pianist – Wladyslaw Szpilman – 4****
The subtitle is all the synopsis anyone needs: The Extraordinary True Story of One man’s Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945. Szpilman was a Jewish pianist who managed – by luck, courage, tenacity, and the kindness of others – to stay hidden and survive in the bombed and war-torn city. I found it engaging and gripping. Even though I knew he survived, I simply could not stop reading.
LINK to my full review

Ask Again, Yes – Mary Beth Keane – 5*****
This is the kind of character-driven literary fiction that I absolutely love. Keane focuses this decades-long story on two families living in a suburb of New York City. There is so much going on here. Family expectations. Alcoholism. Denial. Mental Illness. Betrayal. Forgiveness. Love. By the end of the novel I felt that I really knew these people. I cheered for them. Was dismayed by them. Worried about them. Forgave them.
LINK to my full review

The Night Watchman – Louise Erdrich – 4****
Erdrich was inspired by the true story of her grandfather, who successfully fought against a US Senator intent on “eliminating” various Indian tribes to craft this novel, set in 1953, on the Turtle Mountain reservation in North Dakota. There are two main characters, Thomas Wazhashk and his niece Patrice Paranteau. Their parallel and interconnecting story lines highlight the life, struggles and triumphs of the Native Americans during this era. I loved these characters, Patrice, in particular, as well as the many supporting characters.
LINK to my full review

Magic Bites – Ilona Andrews – 3***
Paranormal fantasy is just not my thing, but this was really quite fun to read. I loved that the main character is a kick-ass woman who does not suffer fools (or vampires or shapeshifters or demons, etc) lightly. There were parts of the story line that reminded me of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files stories. The action is nonstop and there’s some interesting sexual / romantic tension. If I need another paranormal fantasy for a challenge prompt I just might turn to Andrews in the future.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 3*, - 3*, - 4*, - 3.5*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Eldest - Own
The Broken Girls - Audiobook
The Iron Hand of Mars - Library

I am reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Starting:
The Namesake
Death in Delft

Finished: - 4*, - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Eldest - Own
The Namesake - Library
No One Is Talking About This - Library
His Last Bow: Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes - Ebook

I started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Finished: - 3*, - 3*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Eldest - Own
Logging Off - Audiobook
His Last Bow: Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes - Ebook
Silent House - Library

I've been "on the road" the last couple of weeks, traveling with a friend. But I'm back now and WAY behind in posting reviews. Please bear with me as there will be a larger number than usual posted in the next week or two.

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Have a Little Faith – Mitch Albom – 3.5***
Albom explores what it means to live a life of faith by looking at two very different congregations and their preachers: Rabbi Albert Lewis and Pastor Henry Covington. These two men could not be more different and yet each exemplified what it means to life a life of faith. There were a couple of times when I bristled at the feeling of being emotionally manipulated, but in the end I found it moving and thought-provoking, comforting and challenging.
LINK to my full review

The Spook In the Stacks – Eva Gates – 3***
Book number four in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. This series features Lucy Richardson, the librarian (and resident) at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library of the coast of North Carolina. It’s a fast, fun cozy mystery. As the title and cover imply, this one is set around Halloween.
LINK to my full review

Five Days in London, May 1940 – John Lukacs – 3.5***
Historian John Lukacs has written over twenty books, several dealing with World War II. In this book he focuses specifically on Winston Churchill and the five days from May 24 to May 28, 1940. We obviously know the outcome already, but Lukacs manages to convey the sense of urgency and tension and uncertainty of this moment in history. This is a slim volume, but very dense.
LINK to my full review

A Tale For the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki – 4****
This is Ozeki’s most widely-read work (if the Goodreads ratings are any indication). It was nominated for both the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this. Yes, I’ve read other books with multiple narrators and with multiple time lines. But there is an ethereal quality to Ozeki’s novel that I can’t remember ever encountering. I felt transported and immersed in these characters’ lives, even though I didn’t always want to be there. Nao’s story is particularly distressing with the bullying she endures, her family’s disastrous financial situation and her father’s deep depression.
LINK to my full review

Evans Above – Rhys Bowen – 3***
Book # 1 in the Constable Evans mystery series. I can’t really call it a cozy because our lead character is a policeman, after all, and NOT an amateur sleuth, but it has many of the hallmarks of cozies. I enjoyed the book, though it was a bit slow-moving.
LINK to my full review

I am reading Arrow's Flight

The Wedding Girl – Madeleine Wickham – 3***
Milly is engaged to Simon, the son of the immensely wealthy Harry Pinnacle. But Milly has a huge secret that is likely to derail all her mother’s plans for the “wedding of the century.” I didn’t like either Milly or Simon, but I still found the book entertaining. It was a quick, fast, chick-lit romantic escape.
LINK to my full review

Finished: - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Eldest - Own
Logging Off - Audiobook
His Last Bow: Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes - Ebook
Silent House - Library

Legacy – Nora Roberts – 2**
A mother-daughter team that produces fitness and yoga videos, with sidelines of clothing, shoes, etc, are threatened by a sicko who writes death threats in the form of “love poems.” There’s a slow-burning romance with a good guy to distract everyone from the psycho out there. The thriller part happens fast and furious in the last fifty pages, but the 350 pages before that are a slog.
LINK to my full review

The Book Of Magic – Alice Hoffman – 3.5***
I came late to the Hoffman fan club. I’m not terribly interested in reading about witches and magic, and I had seen the movie of Practical Magic, which I thought was terrible. But I finally read that first in the series last year and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it. So here I am again. What I really like about the books is the relationships between the generations of women. Hoffman moves back and forth between various characters. She does this quite well, keeping the story flowing and the reader turning pages.
LINK to my full review

Her Royal Spyness – Rhys Bowen – 3***
Book #1 in the “Her Royal Spyness” mystery series introduces us to Lady Victoria Georgina Charlotte Eugenie, daughter to the Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch, and thirty-fourth in line to the throne, and commonly known as Georgie. There’s little actual spying involved, rather it’s a typical cozy mystery in which Georgie tries to clear her name, and her brother’s, after a body is found in her bathtub! There’s a host of upper-class friends / family to round out the cast, and, best of all, her maternal grandfather, a retired cop. A fun, fast, read.
LINK to my full review

Lightning Men – Thomas Mullen – 3.5***
Book two in the Darktown series continues the story of a newly integrated Atlanta police force in the 1950s. There’s a lot going on here from the basic police procedural involving the crimes the officers are trying to solve, to the racism on the force, to the ugly and dangerous tactics of the Klan, to some personal marital issues, to political corruption. It certainly captured my attention. Mullen crafts a tight thriller, with complex characters, and a couple of stunning scenes. Still, I felt a little lost regarding the relationships between the characters because I hadn’t read the first book in the series first.
LINK to my full review

Today, The Attic Child, Lola Jaye. I have Kindle and Audio 🎧. Excellent book. 📚

Finished: - 5*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Eldest - Own
His Last Bow: Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes - Ebook
Silent House - Library

Starting:
A Song of Comfortable Chairs
Meet Your Baker
The Wicked King

Pied Piper –Nevil Shute – 4****
An elderly British man, John Howard, goes on holiday to France in April 1940, and must cut his visit short when Germany begins the invasion. He agrees to take two British children back to England with him, expecting a 2-day journey, but … This is a road trip and a suspense thriller with an undercurrent of family relationships and love. On the way he will encounter other refugee children, and of course, he takes them with him as well. Mr Howard is a marvelous character. Courage does not always involve fighting the enemy. Mr Howard and Nicole display the kind of quiet courage that comes from a deep conviction that what they are doing is correct, and a strong faith that somehow, they will prevail.
LINK to my full review

I finished Arrow's Fall and starting Dead and Gone

Finished: - 4*, - 4*, - 4*, - 4*

Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
Silent House - Library
The Wicked King - Library

Starting:
An Equal Music
The Witch Elm
The Vegetarian

Finished: - 2.5*, - 4*


Reading:
The Frank Bennett Adirondack Mountain Mystery Series: Books 1-3 - Kindle
All This I Will Give to You - Kindle
An Equal Music
The Witch Elm
The Vegetarian