Holiday Review

The Wine Lover's Daughter: a Memoir by Anne Fadiman
3.5 stars



So I enjoy books (obviously), authors Anne and Clifton Fadiman and wine so I should have loved this memoir but by the end I was sort of tired of hearing about Clifton's obsession and Anne's ambivalence with wine.  Clifton Fadiman was a famous book critic who wrote the New Lifetime Reading Plan which sits on my night stand.  Anne is also a well known author who writes books about reading.  Some chapters of this book were great but I skimmed through those which seemed as if they just listed every wine of quality.  Overall, if you are a wine connoisseur you might find this short memoir completely compelling.  If not, then plan to skip around to the more biographical parts.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

The Homes That Jane Built

Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley
4 stars



Jane Austen's novels are famous for their domesticity so it make sense to have a book dedicated to the author's own home life.  This book focuses on the houses that Jane and her sister Cassandra were delegated to during their life.  Starting at her father's rectory and ending in cramped quarters necessitated by their closeness to the hospital, this book is both biography and descriptions of the homes that shaped her fiction.  As a dedicated Austen fan, this is surprisingly my first biography that I have read of her life and it felt fairly comprehensive.  While centering on Jane, it also provided much insight into the domestic home life of the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries.  Overall, it was a fascinating read.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Traveling Through History

Invictus by Ryan Graudin
3.5 stars



I have read almost all of Ryan Graudin's books and I am always impressed with the complexity and inventiveness of her plots.  This time traveling, far in the future, science fiction novel is no different, however, I do think in this case the depth of characters suffers from plot overload. I still liked this young adult novel and will continue to read Graudin's novels to see what she comes up with next.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Colorful History of Video Games

The Comic Book Story of Video Games: The Incredible History of the Electronic Gaming Revolution
by Jonathan Hennessey with Art by Jack McGowan
4 stars



Although I am not much of a gamer now, I did come of age during the Nintendo NES generation and I have brothers who went through the ranks of Sega and PlayStation.  This started out pretty slow, with the history beginning before World War II and didn't really pick up until Atari hits the pages.   Then the art explodes with the graphics and evolution behind the modern video games.  The artwork is outstanding and is a very apt format for this information.  I received this through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Riveting Memoir

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie

4.5 stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this book at first.  Alexie is brutally honest about himself, his family (especially his mother) and life on the Reservation and it took me a few chapters to begin to feel comfortable with his writing.  Once I accepted the fact that a popular author was going to lay it all out there, I began to really admire the way he wrote about so many difficult episodes of his life.  This is a mix of narrative and prose and while the poetry wasn’t my personal favorite, I appreciated the way he dealt with his emotions in the format he felt most fitting.   I’ve read some of Alexie’s prior work but this makes me want to delved deeper into the rest.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Franklin Family

The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin’s House by Daniel Mark Epstein

4 stars

I always find books on the American Revolution so difficult to read because everything moved so slowly then.  Diplomatic relations took months because letters arrived on ships crossing the Atlantic, or battle orders had to arrive by horse across mountain ranges.  Suffice to say, this book did indeed take me a while to read, however, the focus of this book on one very important family made it much more enjoyable.  The changing relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his son, William, and their opposing positions in the war made for fascinating reading.  It also brings to mind that families have always experienced strife in this country for being on opposite sides of the political spectrum.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Christmas Reading

A Lot Like Christmas: Stories  By Connie Willis

4 stars

Connie Willis is the author of one of my favorite books, The Doomsday Book, and I figured if anyone could write good short science fiction Christmas stories it would be her.  These stories are all a little bit strange, with plenty of humor and just enough Christmas joy to make them perfect holiday reads.  My favorite stories in the collection are “Miracle”, “Inn”, “Adaptation” and “deck.hall@boughs/holly”.  I also really enjoyed Willis’s commentary on Christmas at the beginning and end and her lists of holiday favorites.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Christmas:  A Biography by Judith Flanders
3.5 stars



This short book is packed with the minutiae of Christmas celebration, tradition and myth.  One aspect of Christmas that I found completely revelatory is the fact that even in the good ole days, they wished for a Christmas like the good ole days meaning that Christmas has never really been as good as you think it used to be.  Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I did find it a bit scattered and it could have been organized better as it jumped about in time and geographical at whip-lash speed.  It did force me to look at the Christmas holiday in a different light.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Holiday Romance Review

The Lady in Red by Kelly Bowen
4.5 stars

Kelly Bowen has become my favorite historical romance author and her books and story always have interesting, likable characters and intricate storylines.  This is only a novella but I was still invested in these characters by the end.  Both of these characters who are artists with difficulty practicing their craft.  One is held back by her gender and the other by his social status.  I will say that Kelly Bowen needs to write King’s book and soon because he is one side character in many of her books who deserves his own story.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

With This Christmas Ring by Manda Collins
3.5 stars

Merry and Alex were engaged five years ago, until Merry called off the engagement unexpectedly and immersed herself as her scholarly father’s apprentice.  Now they are thrown together as the well-being of an infant is on the line and they are forced to reconcile their past.  Set around the Christmas season, this book is a sweet novella for the holidays.  I’ve read several of this author’s historical romances and they are dependably fun to read.  There was quite a bit crammed into this short book so it at times seemed too rushed but it’s an enjoyable seasonal read.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Christmas Cowboy Hero by Donna Grant
3.5 stars




Abby is struggling to get by, raising her teenage brothers on her own, when one of them gets arrested for stealing cattle.  Clayton has avoided going home to his family ranch because of all the pain of his past, at the ranch and as a Navy SEAL.  When he finally heads home to catch a cattle thief, he instead finds Abby and a hope for a new beginning.   This is a sweet story with likable characters.  Clayton portrays a bit of the generic, strong, do no wrong, protective type hero, but overall I really did enjoy this Christmas romance.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Evolving Literature

The Written World:  The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization
by Martin Puchner
5 stars



The history of literature and writing is one shaped by technology, civilization, religion and politics and I have never read it so entertainingly revealed as in this book.  Starting in Mesopotamia and working his way to the Potter universe, Puchner examines the changing form and function of literature through the ages.  Each chapter details a different geographical and historical location and how it relates to the time before and ahead of it.  Interspersed with informative pictures and brief personal travel anecdotes, this book is the definitive book on books for any book lover.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Bookfrogs and Mystery

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan

4.5 stars

Lydia works at the Bright Ideas bookstore and feels a special affinity for all of its bookfrogs, a group of downtrodden people who spend their days among the stacks of books.  One evening, Lydia finds one of her favorite bookfrogs has just committed suicide with a familiar photograph in his pocket; photograph that he has no possible reason to be in possession of, which sets off Lydia on a journey into her very violent past.  I was completely astonished by this book and the level of suspense and twists that I didn’t at all see coming.  I enjoy books that take me by surprise and are well written and this is both.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   

November Romance Wrap Up

No Other Duke Will Do by Grace Burrowes

4 stars

Julian, Duke of Haveford, lives in a grand Welsh castle but is effectively broke.  When his sister throws an expensive house party to attract spouses for them both, he is sure no one will want an insolvent duke.  Elizabeth comes from a ducal family and has so far managed to continue her spinster ways until she realizes that her strong, practical personality may be just what Julian needs.  This is written more in the vein of Georgette Heyer than modern historical romances and is a joy to read.  I think many of the storylines continue throughout the series which is somewhat confusing at times but I loved all of the characters and side stories and look forward to the next in the series.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Enchanted by the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall

4 stars

This is a lovely fairytale of a romance taking place in Scotland.  John Early, banished from England, not accepted in Scotland. really has no hope of attracting a suitable bride so instead finds romance where he can.  Gillian is the shy, seemingly submissive daughter of a huge family who everyone believes needs a strong Scottish husband to protect her.  When she and John meet, the attraction is instant, but the circumstances are not ideal.  What follows is the story of one woman coming into herself and finding her strength and one man determining that he is actually good enough to belong somewhere.  This is an incredibly sweet story that’s only fault lies in trying to include so much adventure that it becomes somewhat repetitive.  Regardless, I liked the writing and the characters so much that I look forward to reading more by this author.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Falling for Mr. Wright by Robyn Neeley

3.5 stars

Sarah and Ryan are office friends who have never tried to take their relationship further.  When Sarah convinces Ryan to help win over her boss, and his best friend, Ryan has to decide if he is okay with the outcome.  This is a cute friends to lovers story (really the only contemporary romance plot that I seem to enjoy) and while the rampant unprofessionalism involved bothered me a little, it was still fun to read.  I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Crazy Kind of Love by Mary Ann Marlowe

3 stars

Jo is working as a tabloid photographer even though she has no interest in celebrity and is actually pretty bad at it.  She happens to attract the attention of a musician one day and it turns her life upside down.  I thought this was completely entertaining but I have to admit it was hard rooting for a tabloid photographer, regardless of her dreams,  background and awesome best friend.   Also, Micah was sort of a cookie-cutter character and I think more could have been done regarding his background, which really interesting and could have been delved into further.  I do think I missed a lot by not reading the prior book in the series, though, so that may have affected my opinion of this book.  I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Exciting Space Writing

Endurance:  A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly

4.5 stars

This book proves that space travel can be just as exciting nonfiction as fiction and Scott Kelly does a fantastic job of describing his journey to becoming one of two astronauts staying at the International Space Station (ISS) for an entire year.  His narrative alternates between his experiences during the year in the ISS and his long road to becoming an astronaut.  Using simple language, this is an inspiring story of turning your life around in order to meet your goals and always saying yes to challenging adventures.  At times, I will admit that the details become repetitive but it was all so entirely interesting that I never really minded.  I have read three books this year by modern astronauts and they have amazingly all been different and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.  I received this book from the BookishFirst program in exchange for an honest review. 

Space Warriors

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
4 stars



A group of teens are selected to travel on a mysterious mission to a mysterious planet to mine a mysterious substance.  What they find, once on board the luxurious ship, is that not everyone will be chosen to go to the new planet and they are forced to compete in odd virtual games with complicated scoring involved in order to secure their position. This is a thoroughly enjoyable young adult space travel series with interesting characters and a premise that promises to keep delivering.  The competitions do at times get repetitive but I liked the interesting perspectives on teamwork and leadership that are at the forefront of each one.  Overall, this is a series that I will definitely revisit.  I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Thanksgiving Review

Bonfire by Kristin Ritter
4 stars



Abby hasn't returned to her small Indiana town in years and when she does it is as a lawyer investigating the biggest corporation in town and their unethical practices.  As she delves into one mystery she reexamines the disappearance of her best frenemy and reopens old wounds.  This is definitely an entertaining book and while it wasn't necessarily a twisty thriller, I didn't figure out was going on until the very end.  This may be picky but you could tell the author didn't do very much research into location because there were several cringe-worthy mistakes regarding Indiana (but probably only a Hoosier would pick up on those).  Otherwise, I thought this an entertaining and readable debut.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. 

Moon Dance

Artemis by Andy Weir
3 stars



I went into this book with high expectations and excitement, and while this is a perfectly entertaining novel, it didn't come close in my estimation to the fast-paced, survivalist action of the Martian.  Jazz is a super intelligent young woman living in Artemis, the first city on the moon.  She is obsessed with making money and goes from one heist to another, avoiding police and her father.  Involvement with a huge corporation and the Brazilian mafia soon puts her in over her head and she is forced to work with a motley group pulled together in order to save her city.  Jazz has a very similar snarky attitude to the Martian's Mark Watney but it just doesn't gel as well with her personality and this situation.  This book also includes science overload with description of life on the moon both fascinating and incredibly dull.  I still have high hopes for future space novels from Weir, but this probably won't rank as a favorite.  I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Monday Review

Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
by David Sedaris
4 stars



I guess it is no surprise that David Sedaris kept diligent and hilarious diaries but it is somewhat surprising how much I enjoyed reading them.  Normally author diaries are something that I dip in and out of, eventually discarding because really how interesting can another person's day to day life actually be, but I found myself compulsively reading this from beginning to end.  Sedaris has dry wit and notes funny observations about the people and conversations he experiences each day.  Spanning decades and continents, this is one diary definitely worth reading.  I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

An Irish Lifetime

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
5 stars



I thought about not giving this five stars, because it's definitely not a perfectly written book, but then I remembered all of the hours that I spent immersed in, obsessed with and besotted by this massive novel.  Cyril Avery was born to a sixteen year old unwed mother who left him in the care of a nun who later left him with his unusual adoptive parents.  His childhood and adolescence in Ireland is colored by his sexual identity and the shadow of the Catholic church.  The novel follows his entire life as people come into and out of his life, as he makes terrible decisions and deals with tragedy.  It is deep, heartbreaking and beautifully humorous.  It is a book that I will think about for years to come and will probably return to when I want to immerse myself in the tragedy and beauty of one person's life.  I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Russian Magic

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book in the Winternight Trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale, but I loved this book even more.  Vasya has fled her family home after a tragedy and has struck off on her own as a traveler.  She is older, wiser, stronger and even braver than before as she seeks freedom from those who call her a witch and expect her to marry.  The writing is beautiful and the descriptions are breathtaking while the characters are strong yet flawed.   The elements of historical Russia are perfectly interspersed with magical elements.  It is not often that the second book is better than the first, but this one definitely is and I cannot wait for the last in the trilogy.  I received this book from Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.  

Thinking in the Online World

How to Think:  A Survival Guide for a World at Odds by Alan Jacobs

4 stars

A book this dense with gathered knowledge could only work at a short length, which is what Alan Jacobs has done.  This looks at how we make judgements in a world where people can act anonymously in 140 characters segments.  Culling examples and knowledge from sources current and ancient, Jacobs comes up with a manual with great advice on how we can interact both personally and online with people who share different beliefs.  This is especially important in our current political climate where two sides refuse to bend to the other in any form.  I mostly agree with everything this book is trying to suggest, and found this a good primer for deeper books on decision-making.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Life in Orbit

Ask an Astronaut:  My Guide to Life in Space by Tim Peake

4 stars

Tim Peake spent six months in the International Space Station and decided to ask the public for questions regarding his experience.  This book is a collection of those questions along with his very detailed answers.  For anyone with a basic interest in current-day space travel, this book provides a wealth of information from the very beginning of launch to the aftereffects of living in microgravity.  Tim Peake answers questions with a good mix of expertise and humor and provides a clear argument for the importance of a continuing Space Station.  I especially enjoyed the photgraphs at the end and the illustrations throughout.  I, at times, found the Q & A format a burden and would have rather read a straight memoir of his experiences but, overall, I liked this exploration of life in low orbit.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Review

Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright

Publication Date - November 7, 2017

3.5 stars

Emma is a star manager at a fitness company whose love life takes a dive when she discovers her boyfriend preparing a quiet dinner for another woman.  Enter her boyfriend’s brother, Lucas, who escorts her home after the disastrous evening and ends up as her company’s newest consultant.  Lucas’s interesting past and their undeniable chemistry complicates Emma’s life and makes her reevaluate all of the lessons gleaned from her beloved Jane Austen novels.  This is a mild romance novel with the character’s dealing with some deeper and important issues.  I felt that Emma’s inner dialogue was occasionally repetitive which made reading tedious at times, but overall, this was a quick, sweet read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday Review

The Senator’s Children by Nicholas Montemarano

Publication Date:  November 7, 2017

4 stars

David Christie is an up and coming politician with an intelligent wife and two children, Betsy and Nick.  While campaigning for Senator, tragedy strikes and changes the trajectory of his career and personal life.  I found this book extremely well written and the different ways that the character’s lives intersected and affected each other was fascinating.  I thought the character’s behavior and actions both repugnant, yet understandable at the same time.  The plot did jump around in both time and in plot points that took away from the interesting aspects of the character studies, but overall it is a thoroughly enjoyable book.  I received a copy of this book from Tin House Books in exchange for an honest review. 

Midweek Reviews

Love, Africa: a Memoir of Romance, War and Survival

By Jeffrey Gettleman

4 stars

Jeffrey Gettleman has served as the New York Times East Africa correspondent for almost a decade.  During that time he has covered war, famine, dirty elections and disease.  This memoir covers his start as a journalist and his long time obsession with East Africa.  He gives a nuanced overview of the issues faced by the continent, the irresponsible way the U.S. interferes and the lasting effects of colonialism while also detailing his long, complicated romance with his wife.  As a person, he is not always likable (something he admits to several times) but as a writer on Africa, he is spot on.  I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen

3.5 stars

Amy Thielen grew up in northern Minnesota with a mother who took pride in her culinary skills.  Later as the author rotated through the kitchens of some of New York City’s finest restaurants, she reflected often on the Midwestern foods of her youth.  I thought it extremely interesting that regions can have culinary traditions so imbedded that we often don’t consider them until we leave that region.  This memoir often skips around in time and could have been shortened due to repetitions, but overall this is a wonderful tribute to the food we grow up eating.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Review

Marlena by Julie Buntan

4 stars

This novel turned out not be at all what I expected.  It’s not so much about a death but instead about a small rural town and how pervasive drugs are in areas where poverty and boredom are strife.  The main character, Cat, moves to a small town in upper Michigan midway through high school.  Once a high achiever in a ritzy private academy, she now feels adrift after her parents divorce.  Marlena lives in a converted barn steps away from her house, and her life become inextricably intertwined with the troubled girl.  The friendship between the two girls is captures incredibly well and even while Cat feels as if she knows Marlena so well, she also realizes there are issues Marlena deals with in which maybe she shouldn’t turn a blind eye.  I don’t think the sections following an adult Cat were written quite as well which affected the flow of the novel, but overall this is a haunting and realistic novel.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Insights on Bowie

David Bowie: a Life by Dylan Jones

3 stars

In all honesty, I am not the most devoted fan of Davie Bowie, but I love chunky biographies about singers from the sixties and seventies so I decided to try this out.  My first piece of advice would be to only pick this up if you’ve already read a chunky biography about David Bowie because this is not that at all.  This reads like a documentary, where it cuts to different people discussing different aspects of the artist’s life and career.  It is basically snippets from different interviews following a fairly close chronology of Bowie’s life.  It is not comprehensive, though, so for someone who is not already well-versed in his background, this was sometimes difficult to follow…and a little tedious.  I would recommend it to someone who has read Bowie biographies, is a big fan and is looking for additional coverage.  If you’re not that person, then maybe start somewhere else.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Reviews

Dear Fahrenheit 451:  A Librarian’s Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to the Books in Her Life

By Annie Spence

4 stars

The title pretty much sums this one up.  Annie Spence is a librarian and she has written an epistolary book to different books in her life.   Book lovers will find much to identify with here and the whole last third of the book include lists of books with synopsis.  I thought there were some really funny letters, although it occasionally veered to silly.  Overall,  any booklover will find something in this short book.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

3.5 stars

I don’t really read much YA any more, which is why I think I was able to enjoy this book so thoroughly.  It takes familiar tropes, enemy male and female forced to work together, and adds an interesting space/dystopian scenario with artificial intelligence and creates a really fun read.  I liked both of the characters, even though they needed a bit more depth, but what I really enjoyed was the world.  Earth’s population has forced immigration to other habitable (sometime barely) planets reached through worm holes.  While Earth continues to destroy everything it touches, one of the nicer planets, Genesis, decides to secede causing a thirty year war.  I honestly could have read about these politics forever (which makes me think I should explore more adult science fiction).  Overall, this was fun to read and I will probably read the next in the series.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Long Journeys

The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life

By Laura Markham

4 stars

Ernesto and Raul Flores fled the gang violence in El Salvador for a better life in Oakland, California with their brother, Wilber, who had been living in the United States illegally for several years.  This is both a very personal story of teenage twins and the bigger story of unaccompanied minors entering illegally from the southern border.  Ernesto and Raul made a dangerous journey to cross the border, and once in the United States their life became mired in other unforeseen difficulties.  The author worked with the twins at the Oakland International school and got to know them, their court case and their family story.  This is a well-told and nuanced account even though the Flores twins don’t always make the best choices (they are teenagers, regardless of circumstances), she writes of them with empathy and open mindedness.  At times, I felt that their story veered a bit too uncomfortably personal and many of the intimate details of the teenagers life probably weren’t absolutely necessary.  Overall, though, I think this is a timely book and one that explores the reasons that someone may flee their country and the difficulties that persist once they do enter the U.S.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Review

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker
3 stars



Emma and her sister Cass disappear one night and after three years only Cass comes back with an incredible story of an island, a baby and a strange couple.   One thing that I can say for this book is that I never really guessed the complete story, which kept me compulsively hooked.  I did find the whole story very unbelievable and I felt the author tried to hard on the psychological component which made it unnecessarily convoluted.  As I said, though, I had a hard time putting it down which says something about the way it was written.  I received this book from the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.

Desert Rants

Rants from the Hill:  On Packrats, Bobcats, Wildfires, Curmudgeons, A Drunken Mary Kay Lady, and Other Encounters with the Wild in the High Desert

By Michael P. Branch

4 stars

The author and his family live in the far reaches of the Sierra Nevada desert where the wildlife, wildfires and harsh weather reign supreme.  This book is a collection of humorous essays depicting everyday life in this isolated environment.  Some of these are laugh-out loud funny, especially when he is grumpily despairing of the animals (both wild and domestic) that surround him.  All of these essays are very short and the entire book reads very quickly creating an incredibly fun reading experience.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.    

Radioactive Review

Radium Girls:  The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women

By Kate Moore

4.5 stars

Besides being featured in a documentary and a play years ago, amazingly, this is a mostly untold story in industrial history.  Hundreds of young women were hired in New Jersey and later Ottawa, Illinois to be dial painters.  They used a radium based substance to paint luminescent faces for watches and instrument panels, often using their lips to point their paint brushes.  As the years passed, these women began to experience painful, grotesque and troubling symptoms that left them horrifically sick or dead.  This story follows some of the more outspoken of the young women, along with their doctors and lawyers, as they fought back against the companies that knowingly endangered them.  This book is extraordinary.  You can tell just by reading how emotionally connected that author became with her subjects and it only adds to the overall awe of these incredible young women.  I think this is an especially important book as the new administration is starting to do away with some of the industrial regulations.  There are reasons that these regulations are necessary and it is books like this that keep stories like this alive.  I receive this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Historical Fiction

The Hidden Light of Northern Fires

By Daren Wang

4 stars

During the years of the Civil War the small town of Town Line, New York decided to succeed from the Union making it a very unique place to set this novel.  The Willis family, Nathan, Mary and Leander are pillars of the society and even Mary’s ravings on abolition and women’s rights are tolerated.  At the start of the war, though, Mary decides to make her family farm a stop on the Underground Railroad with haunting ramifications for her family and the town.  I think the characters of this book are realistically written and even the really bad guys are multi-faceted.   I do wish that the history of Town Line was explored even further because I finished the novel without a firm grasp on why it succeeded and what happened to it after the war.  Otherwise, this is a really great novel and I’m a little surprised there hasn’t been more buzz around it.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Friday Review

I Was Told To Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad
by Souad Mekhennet
4.5 stars



Journalist, Souad Mekhennet, grew up in Germany as the daughter of Moroccan and Turkish immigrants.  She realized she wanted to be a journalist after watching All the President’s Men, about Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward’s investigation of the Watergate scandal.  The events of September 11 set her on a path of dangerous investigative reporting in countries where her background allows her to bridge gaps between the West and the Middle East.  Working for newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post she travels into countries and meets with dangerous terrorists.  Many times these assignments become personal or cross the line into perilous situations that leave her questioning her career.  Mostly, however, she is dedicated to telling a fair story and I completely agree with her belief that honest and unbiased reporting is so incredibly important, especially with an increase in irreputable news sources passed along through social media.  This is a harrowing memoir but one of the best books to summarize the situation in the Middle East.  I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekly Reviews

The Barrowfields

By Phillip Lewis

4 stars

This book is summarized as a coming of age tale reminiscent of Wolfe and Styron (neither of whose books I have read) but to me this had a gothic feel with a decrepit mountain mansion with overflowing libraries and a desperate father with outsize literary ambitions.   The writing was superb with a multitude of literary references and interesting characters.  My only issue is that I didn’t always get a good grasp of the character’s motivations and the decisions they made and due to an extremely slow paced plot, more focus is turned onto the characters themselves making their actions front and center.  Overall, though, this is an engaging book and one that I found myself heavily highlighting.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

By Ta-Nehisi Coates

Publication Date - October 3, 2017

4.5 stars

During the eight years of Barak Obama’s presidency, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote for The Atlantic.  This is a collection of that writing along with more current essays prefacing each one.  I’m not sure I can do justice to how important , and timely (although sadly this kind of collection is always timely), is this book.  Coates does not suppress his criticism, disappointment and anger at the Obama Presidency and how it should have changed more for race relations than actually happened.  I don’t subscribe to The Atlantic so this is all new material for me, but even if these articles are rereads, it is worth it just for the commentary before each one.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Hard to be Queen

Anne Boleyn: A Queen's Obsession by Alison Weir
4 stars



Alison Weir has painstakingly recreated the court of Henry VIII in her series following his six queens.  Anne Boleyn, Henry's second and possibly most tragic and controversial wife, has been the subject of much speculation for centuries.  I have read several fictional depiction of her life and this is by far the most intriguing.  The author commits to a portrait of the doomed queen that showcases her strength and intelligence but also all of her flaws.  A queen dedicated to intellectual pursuits and religious reform but also power hungry and prone to fits of temper.  These are not short books but can be gobbled up like candy and Weir, who has written numerous nonfiction books about the Tudors, is the perfect person to write them.  I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Brain Games

Patient H.M.:  A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets

By Luke Dittrich

3.5 stars

 

The author’s grandfather was a well-known neurosurgeon during the time when lobotomies were at the leading edge of the field.  One of his grandfather’s most famous patients was Patient H.M., a man whose childhood injuries lead to epilepsy and later to a lobotomy that affected his short term memory for the rest of his life.  Interspersed with his grandfather’s life, his grandmother’s mental illness and the case of H.M. is a complex history of the field of neurosurgery and the lobotomy.  I can see why this was all thrown together but it did make for a disjointed and somewhat repetitive book.  The sections with detailed descriptions of the brain surgeries all started to sound the same (besides being fairly gruesome), however, I did enjoy the family history and felt that these were the stronger portions of the writing.   Even though I do think that portions could have been culled, I did find the history of the lobotomy equally fascinating and horrifying.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Midweek Review

Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities
by Daniel Golden
Publication Date - October 10, 2017
3.5 stars



American Universities are known for their open, collaborative projects and for their special interest in attracting international students.  As well as increasing the Universities international prestige, apparently this also leaves them vulnerable to spying.  This is not something that I ever considered but it does make perfect sense.  Golden explores several cases where international students and faculty have been spies for either the United States or their home country, including Russia, China and Cuba.  I found this interesting but also oddly repetitive and had a hard time holding my focus on the pages at times.  I did learn more about how these government organizations recruit and manage their spies.  I received this book from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Review

Would Everybody Please Stop: Reflection on Life and Other Bad Ideas
by Jenny Allen
3 stars



This collection of short essays is a bit mystifying.  There were a few, mainly memoir-type, very funny essays about the author's life but then there were pieces added in that were random and not humorous at all.  There were a few, including an Elmer Fudd therapy session, that I skimmed over altogether.  I really wish the whole book would have just been anecdotes from the author's life and she would have left out the more slapstick writing.  I received this digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Family Secrets

The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall
Publication Date - September 19
 4 stars

What happens to the family of the prominent, upstanding man who is accused of unspeakable crimes?  This well-written novel delves into the minds of the family members of George, a beloved teacher, who is forced into the spotlight when a group of teenage girls accuse him of sexual abuse during a school ski trip.  The author has created complex characters with fascinating inner lives and a believable, ritzy, small town atmosphere.  There were maybe too many different scandals going on and the ending was definitely abrupt but I devoured this (fairly lengthy) novel in a manner of days.  I received an ARC of this book in a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review. 

The Life of a Bench

Park Bench by Christophe Chaboute
Publication Date - September 19, 2017
3.5 stars



An amazing amount of action occurs around one park bench, as shown in this dialogue-free graphic novel.  I found the artwork and story interesting, but I actually got a little bored less than halfway through.  I am not sure that reading this digitally is doing the content any favors.  This is probably a book that should be left on a coffee table and perused in segments which would allow for more enjoyment of the beautiful story and artwork.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. 

Policy in Crisis

The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline
by Jonathan Tepperman
4 stars



This book explores various crisis that a country could face, and be devastated by, and how certain countries have not only survived the crisis but have flourished afterwards.  As an alum of a Public Affairs graduate program, this feels like something that I would have read during the course of my studies.  The case studies have a pragmatic center which I really appreciate.  None of the leaders profiled are perfect, or made one hundred percent perfect decisions, but they did manage to keep their country afloat during extremely rough circumstances.   The author does a remarkable job summarizing the conflict, the players involved and their decision-making in a way that is succinct and fairly easy to read.   I’m sure experts could find holes in his arguments (as experts tend to do) but I thought this was an interesting look at policy made during crisis and how it can be used under normal circumstances.  I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Monday Review - September 11, 2017

The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay
3 stars



Lucy works for an antique dealer in Chicago and has a special interest in old books.  After an encounter with her future boyfriend and his grandmother, a great deceit in Lucy’s work comes to light and changes her life’s course.  Lucy is a strange character, unnecessarily secretive and not at all dynamic.  I really enjoyed the descriptions of London and all of the literary references, and is the main reason that I kept reading.  I’ve liked this author’s writing in the past and continue to be interested in her new releases, even if I didn’t connect as much to this book.  I received a digital arc of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.