A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
Publication Date - February 4, 2019
3.5 stars
The narrator of this book is the neighborhood in which the story takes place. Valerie and her son Xavier have lived in the neighborhood since Xavier's birth and remained after Xavier's father tragically died. Valerie is a botany Professor and Xavier is about to attend a prestigious music program. The Whitman's recently razed the neighboring plot to the ground and built an obnoxious mini-mansion in its place. Their complicated family dynamic is the stuff of nightmares and gets worse with the burgeoning relationship between Xavier and Juniper Whitman. The plot explore issues such as race, incest, the environment, and feminism without being too heavy -handed. It is an incredibly well-written book that I predict will be well received, but it just STRESSED me out. This happens with books that use a lot of foreshadowing, when you just know that bad things are going to happen to good people. That is a personal issue though, so I still think it is a book worth picking up. I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An Everyday Hero (A Heart of a Hero #2) by Laura Trentham
Publication Date - February 4, 2020
4.5 stars
I will be completely honest and admit to going into this book expecting too much sappiness for my taste but while there is some sap, there is also humor, strong characters and an lovely plot. Greer came crawling back to her small town Tennessee home after a lot of unsuccessful years in Nashville. After a horrible night at a bar, she is forced to volunteer for an organization that helps veterans and their families with music therapy. Through her work, she meets Ally and Emmett who change her life in ways she didn't count on. I loved all of these characters and never once stopped rooting for them and their relationships with each other. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Light After the War by Anita Abriel
Publication Date - February 4, 2020
3 stars
This follows nineteen year old Vera as she attempts to live her life with her best friend Edith following harrowing events of World War II. Moving from Italy to the United States to Venezuela, they mix with different jobs and men. To me, this felt more like a collection of events, some very dramatic, but not a true story. The characters were all surface deep and I did not feel a connection, even when there were truly horrific things happening. This one just did not work for me. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Half Broke: a Memoir by Ginger Gaffney
Publication Date - February 4, 2020
4 stars
Ginger Gaffney is a horse trainer who volunteered her time on a ranch for prisoners who are transitioning to life outside. They called her when they realized that the ranch horses were no longer manageable and what resulted was a relationship with the prisoners and the horses, sometimes rewarding and almost always challenging. Ginger also mixes in her own story and it ultimately becomes a tale of empathy, connection (with people and horses) and acceptance. This is beautifully written and while the slow pacing and description may not be for everyone, I found this to be a lovely memoir. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Re-reading Examined
Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-reader by Vivian Gornick
Published - February 4, 2020
4 stars
I love this type of book so always keep my eye out for "books about books." The author examines the books that she frequently re-reads and how the important aspects of them change as she ages. Most of these books, I have never even heard of, which did affect my opinion of the book as a whole but only marginally. Re-reading is something that I always want to do more of (darn plethora of new books) so I am always interested to read about someone else's experience doing so. Overall, this is a book that I enjoyed reading slowly. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Published - February 4, 2020
4 stars
I love this type of book so always keep my eye out for "books about books." The author examines the books that she frequently re-reads and how the important aspects of them change as she ages. Most of these books, I have never even heard of, which did affect my opinion of the book as a whole but only marginally. Re-reading is something that I always want to do more of (darn plethora of new books) so I am always interested to read about someone else's experience doing so. Overall, this is a book that I enjoyed reading slowly. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fun Celebrity Stories
Name Drop: the Really Good Celebrity Stories I Usually Only Tell at Happy Hour
by Ross Matthews
Publication Date - February 4, 2020
4 stars
I'm not sure what made me request this book...I'm only slightly aware of who the author is and my pop culture does not usually extend to the reality television that a portion of this book covers, however, it was just so much fun. Ross is charming, and silly and does have some really entertaining stories about celebrities. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
by Ross Matthews
Publication Date - February 4, 2020
4 stars
I'm not sure what made me request this book...I'm only slightly aware of who the author is and my pop culture does not usually extend to the reality television that a portion of this book covers, however, it was just so much fun. Ross is charming, and silly and does have some really entertaining stories about celebrities. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Seventies Hit-Maker
Captain Fantastic: Elton John's Stellar Trip Through the Seventies by Tom Doyle
4 stars
My love of Elton John's music was handed down by my mother, who listened to his songs often when I was a child. Now that he has written a memoir, I probably should have picked that up but since this was already on my Kindle, I went with that instead. I'm glad that I did. This is based on a number of interviews that the author did with Elton John for a magazine. It covers just the one decade but most of his well known songs were released during these years. I think that the singer comes off as funny, charming and self-effacing even during his most dramatic tantrums and I enjoyed this peak into his ascent into fame. I received a digital ARC of this book (a long time ago) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
My love of Elton John's music was handed down by my mother, who listened to his songs often when I was a child. Now that he has written a memoir, I probably should have picked that up but since this was already on my Kindle, I went with that instead. I'm glad that I did. This is based on a number of interviews that the author did with Elton John for a magazine. It covers just the one decade but most of his well known songs were released during these years. I think that the singer comes off as funny, charming and self-effacing even during his most dramatic tantrums and I enjoyed this peak into his ascent into fame. I received a digital ARC of this book (a long time ago) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Funeral Home Life
The Undertaker's Daughter by Kate Mayfield
3 stars
The author's father was an undertaker in a small Kentucky town so she grew up living in the funeral home surrounded by death. I actually really enjoyed learning more about her experiences in a funeral home and some inside information regarding the processes surrounding death. That is the area in which the author excels, but the memoir parts of the book are not as well written. She jumps from serious issue to serious issue (including inter-racial dating in a small town southern town in the seventies, her sister's serious mental illness, and a teacher's sexual predation) with a bit of callousness that doesn't read well. Overall, this was an interesting but uneven memoir. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars
The author's father was an undertaker in a small Kentucky town so she grew up living in the funeral home surrounded by death. I actually really enjoyed learning more about her experiences in a funeral home and some inside information regarding the processes surrounding death. That is the area in which the author excels, but the memoir parts of the book are not as well written. She jumps from serious issue to serious issue (including inter-racial dating in a small town southern town in the seventies, her sister's serious mental illness, and a teacher's sexual predation) with a bit of callousness that doesn't read well. Overall, this was an interesting but uneven memoir. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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