Thank you for joining me here!   (Reminder: the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.)  I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer (Length: 482 pages).   I’m a huge Krakauer fan, so I was excited to finally dive into this book. I wasn’t disappointed–this is classic Krakauer, where he alternates educating the reader on the history (and geopolitics in this case) behind an event, as well as diving into the people who are part of the events in question. I am absolutely fascinated by Pat Tillman’s story, and I truly enjoyed learning about him as a person. He was so complex, well-read and with a remarkable sense of duty and loyalty. I finished this book very angry with Bush, Rumsfeld, et al for perpetuating the false war against Iraq, as well as creating the conditions that made Tillman’s case ripe for a cover-up of horrifying proportions (a cover-up of the fratricide that killed Tillman as well as the basis for the war itself). This is a must-read, and is still relevant to our times today.

Book #2:

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (Length: 224 pages).  I have read a few Agatha Christie books and was in the mood for a new one. I don’t believe I’ve read any starring Miss Marple, and this mystery apparently is the second book in that series. This is a fast, fun read with a solid mystery at its center (but aren’t all Agatha mysteries perfect?). The multitude of law enforcement type characters was a bit confusing but once the story progressed I realized I could ignore their differences and focus on the mystery. I enjoyed being surprised by the solution to the mystery, and I found the character development to be perfect (not too much, not too little) and the settings of the novel (a dance hall and a mansion) to hold my interest. Would recommend!

Book #3:

The Institute by Stephen King (Length: 577 pages).  This King novel came highly recommended to me, and they were absolutely correct that I would love this book. This is a typically lengthy King read, but I honestly don’t think a word was wasted here. The plot of the book centers around a government experiment on children with telekinetic and telepathic powers. I could NOT put the book down and finished it in one day. The book is totally appropriate for teens ages 13 and up, so long as they are okay with the subject matter (experimentation on children). I found the character development to be really well-done here, the plot is sufficiently fast-moving and the ending wrapped all of the loose ends up to my satisfaction. I ADORE this book, and will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Book #4:

Welcome to the United States of Anxiety by Jen Lancaster (Length: 270 pages).  As a big fan of this author’s previous books (which include Such a Pretty Fat and Bitter is the New Black), I was confident I’d enjoy this most recent non-fiction book. Lancaster has constructed the book around the five stages of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but through the lens of our country’s rapidly increasing levels of anxiety, of the individual. The chapters are on specific causes (think–social media, politics, environment, diet, etc) and they are all spot-on. And this was written PRE-pandemic. Her humor (mostly sarcastic) results in a book that is anything but anxiety-provoking, and it’s worth a read if you’re in the mood for something easy and fun.

Thank you for joining me here!   (Reminder: the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.)  I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn (Length: 246 pages).   In need of something light, I picked up this romance-type novel, which happens to be the first book in a three book series called Chance of a Lifetime. Since this one was recommended by Anne Bogel, I knew it would be good, and she was absolutely correct. This series is about each of a group of three friends who share a large lottery win. The writing is excellent (although the Kindle version has a few annoying typos), the characters are all well-rounded and intelligent, and their actions actually make sense. The female protagonist in this book, Kit, is a metallurgist at a university and her love interest is a headhunter who also works in a salvage yard catering to historic homes, which she also happens to own. Her renovation of her “new” home is an interesting side plot. I really, really enjoyed this book and feel confident that you will too!

Book #2:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Length: 466 pages).  I ADORE this book! I’ve been wanting to read this for several years, mainly due to so many positive reviews, and I finally picked up this (longer than average) novel. It was absolutely worth the wait, and I enjoyed it even more than The Rules of Civility (reviewed earlier this month). There is one primary setting, a luxury hotel in Moscow, where the protagonist, Count Rostov, is serving a life sentence of house arrest, courtesy of the Bolsheviks. The story starts when the Count is in his early 30s and stretches over the next 30 years. I love his personality (he’s a consummate gentleman, thus the title) and his gentle sense of humor. His interactions with two different young girls as well as the staff of the hotel during the time span of the novel are what make this novel sing. The ending is fantastic as well. This novel will make it on the top ten list of 2020 for me for sure!

Book #3:

Dream Work by Mary Oliver (Length: 98 pages).  In my reading goals for 2020, I listed reading more poetry, and here I am. I was aware of this poet as she’s won a Pulitzer Prize, and this collection does not disappoint. Her poetry is very deep . . . this collection of 45 poems includes poems about the Holocaust, child abuse and poverty in India. Many are based in nature, which I love. Each poem is beautifully constructed, of course, but they are all accessible to readers like me, who aren’t well-versed (ha!) in the ins and outs of poetry. I’d definitely recommend checking out this poet if you’re also looking to expand your reading choices.

Thank you for joining me here!   (Reminder: the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.)  I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett (Length: 315 pages).   This is an absolutely incredible book that every American should read, especially those still in high school or college. The author is an attorney who grew up in a small town in Texas, and she discusses the inequities in our justice system, specifically the federal sentencing guidelines that a 100:1 ratio of powder cocaine to crack cocaine. Not all sentencing reforms of the old, racially unjust laws are retroactive, resulting in over 30,000 inmates (80% of whom are people of color) who are serving life sentences for minimal drug possession crimes. This is infuriating and needs to be changed (likely via an act of Congress as the only current remedy is clemency). The writing here is excellent and the author paints a vivid story, humanizing all of the inmates she helps. This would be an excellent book club choice!

Book #2:

Replay by Ken Grimwood (Length: 322 paperback pages).  I thought this science fiction novel was really interesting a la the movie Groundhog Day, but over the span of 25 years. The protagonist relives a 25 year section of his life over and over again. The premise is novel, but the writing is a bit graphic in parts, so if you’re sensitive, beware. The writing is excellent, and the character development is fantastic (but how could it not be, with the narrator being re-invented repeatedly?). The plot obviously makes this one a hard one to put down, as you have to find out how it ends, and throughout, you’re going to be thinking of your own mortality. I would recommend this for sure.

Book #3:

The Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi (Length: 228 pages).  I have listened to this author’s podcast and have enjoyed it, so I checked out her book from the library. There isn’t much new information here that the author hasn’t already published on IG or on her podcast, but I do enjoy her philosophy (focus on and put energy into only the things that matter, and use hacks or shortcuts for everything else). This book delineates all of the author’s suggested shortcuts as wells as how you can implement this philosophy in all areas of your life, so for those reasons this is absolutely worth a (quick) read.

Book #4:

Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake (Length: 409 pages).   I purchased this for my Kindle upon reading a review that called this historical novel Downton Abbey meets Crawdads. While I wouldn’t quite go that far, I really enjoyed this read. This novel is set in the time period of 1895-96, at the newly-completed Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. There is a murder mystery at the center of the novel, and that aspect reminds me of Agatha Christie a bit. The setting is very scenic, the writing is beautiful, and the character development is relatively strong (without being too deep as this is primarily plot-driven). I did find the plot drags a bit in the middle, but the resolution of the mystery is very satisfying overall. There is an interesting character arc of a man named Madison Grant, who was based on a real-life land and wildlife conservationist (and the founder of the best zoo in American–the Bronx Zoo) who was also a eugenicist. I absolutely would recommend this book, and it would be another fantastic book club pick.

Thank you for joining me here!   (Reminder: the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.)  I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin (Length: 320 pages).   This is a well-written thriller set on a fictional Caribbean island called Saint X. The plot is very remiscent of the Natalie Hollway case but where the body is found ASAP. The rest of the novel recounts how the victim’s family members, fellow tourists and a few islanders deal with the aftermath of the death. The focus is mainly on the victim’s sister, with a plot twist at the end that is a bit unusual but makes sense in retrospect. The writing here is VERY good, but there was a bit too much navel-gazing for me when it comes to the sister, and the novel drags a bit too much in the middle, for my liking. You will not like all of the characters, but you aren’t supposed to like them. Race and privilege are a bit part of this novel, which would make it a great book club choice.

Book #2:

Eat to Beat Disease by Dr William W. Li (Length: 414 pages).  This is another very specific book choice which (hopefully) doesn’t apply to you.  However, unlike the last book on colon cancer that I reviewed last month, this book should apply to anyone who is looking to stay healthy, and wants information on how to heal their body through diet. The author is very well-qualified to educate on which foods help to heal which diseases, specifically via antigenesis (blood vessel growth). His writing is straightforward, scientifically-based and he provides all of the resources for you to verify the information provided, if you wish. He has a Ted Talk that is worth Googling as well. This is worth a purchase to keep in your personal library as it’s a fantastic reference.

Book #3:

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (Length: 352 pages).  I have tried to read this twice before, and gave up. This time I couldn’t put it down! The writing is lyrical, and the author conveys a gorgeous sense of place (Manhattan in the late 1930s), snappy dialogue and I adored the protagonist (Kate Kontent). This is a polarizing novel with reviewers (some call it pretentious, others call it amazing), and I’m decidedly in the second camp. The resolution of the “love story’ is excellent here, with a twist that I just didn’t see coming. I’m looking forward to reading this author’s novel, A Gentleman in Moscow next.

Book #4:

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke (Length: 315 pages).   This was a freebie Amazon Prime read that I downloaded this summer, and I was pleasantly surprised with this well-written thriller! The format is interesting here–a la the movie Sliding Doors, where the protagonist (criminal defense attorney) comes to a fork in the road and the alternating chapters reveal each of the two paths. I thought the plot here is excellent–very fast-paced and believable. The character development is sufficiently deep to understand the mindset of the protagonist, so the reader is able to at least understand why she makes the choices she does. I didn’t figure out the underlying mystery until the end, which is always makes for a satisfying read. I highly recommend this fun thriller, and I plan to check out the authors’ other novels (namely, Girls’ Night Out and The Good Widow).

Thank you for joining me here!   (Reminder: the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.)  I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny (Length: 443 pages).   If I had to choose only one author to read for the rest of my life (God forbid!), it would be Louise Penny.  I adore all of her work, and her as a person (her Facebook page is a delight).  This novel is #16 in her Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series, and be still my heart, it’s set in Paris!!  Having had the good fortune to visit Paris for 2 weeks over 20 years ago, this novel’s depictions of the beautiful sights in Paris made it seem like I was there yesterday.  The setting is the best part of this novel, as the mystery and the plot aren’t the strongest in Penny’s canon, in my opinion.  There are some technical and continuity issues in this mystery centered around corporate espionage.  (For example, what happened to the second security guard in the apartment in the final standoff??)  There are many plot holes which require the reader to suspend disbelief, and given Penny’s typically intelligent narratives, this is a bit disappointing.  In terms of character development, the reader is finally able to learn why Armand and his son Daniel have been estranged for so long, and quite simply, the reason is LAME.  However, given all of the above, I LOVED the fast pacing of the plot (ridiculous as it is), the incredible setting and the quality of Penny’s writing.  I am still a fan, and will always be a fan of her work.   

Book #2:

Chris Beat Cancer by Chris Wark (Length: 296 pages).  This is a very specific book choice which (hopefully) doesn’t apply to you.  The author is a stage 3 colon cancer survivor of 15 years, who advocates against adjuvant (clean up) chemotherapy to prevent a recurrence of cancer, and instead promotes a diet and lifestyle change. While his tips are obviously specific to cancer prevention, I found this to contain excellent information for anyone who wishes to lead a healthier lifestyle.  Main point:  animal products are one of the biggest drivers of disease in our bodies.  The author does include a ton of scientific studies to back up his main points (which is great on the Kindle because you can just click on the link immediately).  I am not a fan of the more radical alternative therapies as I believe science plays a huge role in medicine, and we can’t discount all that scientists have discovered.  However, given how much we are brainwashed by the meat and dairy industries, I think the author has some excellent points here that would benefit even the average reader who isn’t fighting or seeking to prevent cancer or other diseases.  

Book #3:

Too Late by Colleen Hoover (Length: 395 pages).  Ugh.  Just NO.  This is awful.  This is the third novel by this author that I’ve read, and picked it up because it was recommended as a “read next” choice.  The plot here is trite, centered around a college student who lives with an extremely abusive boyfriend who is also a drug dealer.  Yet she falls in love with an undercover cop who inexplicably falls in love with her as well.  The protagonist is clearly brainwashed, which typically would be understandable given that she’s an abuse victim, however her actions don’t make sense even within this emotional framework.  The abuse scenes (sexual and physical) are very exploitative and don’t advance the plot in a way that the reader can forgive the exploitation.  There’s enough forward momentum that I wanted to keep reading to see how it ends, but I felt gross the whole time.  Only true Colleen Hoover fans will enjoy this book, and after this one, I’m not ever going to be one of them.