Saturday, March 31, 2018

Review: Little Fires Everywhere

Little Fires Everywhere Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I hate to say this but I am just too old for this book. I did love Ms. Ng's writing style and the way she can get right into the thick of things.

I think I am too old to still be reading about teenagers and their "first time" etc. That is where the story started to fail for me and I truly didn't like Elena Richardson. When a character is someone that I can't get close to, when they appear in a scene I tend to skip along.

I have read Ms. Ng's "Everything I Never Told You" and I did enjoy it. She is a terrific writer but her material is just not my cup of tea.



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Review: Natural Order

Natural Order Natural Order by Brian Francis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Joyce Sparks is grieving and regretful. She is the homophobic mother of a gay man who died of Aids. This whole book brought me to tears so many times and I couldn't put it down. The writing is fantastic and absolutely "spot on".

A heartbreaking book .. and I loved it. It made me think about all the parents who were just coming to terms with their children's homosexuality, maybe not handling it well, then suddenly losing them to AIDS. So much sadness and regret. And yet the novel had a strong heart-warming component as well. I highly recommend this book!


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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Review: Liar

Liar Liar by K.L. Slater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent story and very unexpected. Judi is a grandmother of two little boys who lost their mother two years before. She helps her son by caring for the boys, picking them up from school and keeping house. She loves doing this for her son, Ben.

Everything is going well until one day when her son meets a woman, Amber. Before long Ben and the new woman become close and are making it their family together. Judi feels that something is not quite right and goes about trying to discover what it is that is wrong.

This was another unputdownable book. It kept moving right along and unfolding in a way that kept you constantly surprised, right up to the unexpected ending.

A terrific read.

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Saturday, March 24, 2018

Review: Everywhere That Mary Went

Everywhere That Mary Went Everywhere That Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mary has been slaving for eight years at her law firm in order to become a partner. Meanwhile her husband had died last year from a hit and run while he was riding his bike. Mary has been grieving and also she misses her twin sister who has entered a convent and Mary just doesn't understand that move.

On top of everything at the moment, Mary appears to be threatened. She is receiving hang up phone calls and perplexing notes. If that wasn't enough as she was walking with her secretary a car came up over the curb and hit and killed him. This is giving Mary ideas that the death of her husband may not have been accidental.

A good start to a series that I will continue reading.



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Sunday, March 18, 2018

Review: The Secret Daughter

The Secret Daughter The Secret Daughter by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written, emotional story that brought me to tears many times. It was based on true events in Australia in the early 70's concerning forced adoptions. Young expectant mothers were sent to maternity homes and forced to give up their babies. The poor souls had no choice because they had no means of support and their families, for the most part, had turned their backs on them.

2012, Sabina, a 38 year old married woman has just discovered that they are expecting their first child. Sabina and her husband have spent many years working and paying off their house and getting themselves financially secure and now they want to start a family. When they call in her parents to give them the news, they are completely stymied by their attitude and especially by her mother's reaction to the news who starts to voice unrealistic concerns and worries about the pregnancy. Sabina becomes very worried about her pregnancy and decided to have some blood tests to see if everything is as it should be.

The following day, after the episode with her parents, she receives a visit from them and they blurt out the very unexpected and surprising news that Sabina had been adopted. They refused to give her any other information, just that she was adopted. Of course Sabina wanted and needed more information about her past and where she came from.

And so the story continues and we learn about how the girls were treated in the "homes".

The story was well written, well laid out and easy to follow. An excellent read.

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Friday, March 16, 2018

Review: Y is for Yesterday

Y is for Yesterday Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The plot involved a video tape that a group of teenagers had made back in the 70's. Its the 80's now and the tape has surfaced but they realize that the tape could get them arrested namely for sexual abuse of a minor.

There are many characters that became difficult to keep track of and the story jumps back and forth from then to now. Also with Kinsey being chased once again by Ned Lowe and all the quirks that can happen in her living arrangements.

A good read.



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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Review: The Humans

The Humans The Humans by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Little did I know when I picked this book up at a very discounted price last year that I was choosing an absolute gem. An alien imposter has inhabited Professor Andrew Martin's body. The alien has been sent to nullify any information that the professor has discovered regarding a mathematical problem. The professor has died but we soon learn that he was not a very nice person in life.

The alien is ready to murder any persons that the professor had contact with that might know of his findings. He feels that he is up for the job and makes his start. But he starts to learn about humans and what makes them tick.

This book has murder, comedy, tragedy and love. A wonderful read.

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Friday, March 9, 2018

Review: How to Stop Time

How to Stop Time How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a terrific book. I have to confess that I love books about London. After studying English history in school in Canada, my goal was always to visit England and in particular London. I have been able to visit England approximately twenty times including London and that city is basically the love of my life. Hence, I love this book. The descriptions of the city were so vivid that I could almost smell it.

Due to a rare condition Tom Hazard has been alive for over four centuries and at age 439 he appears to be in his mid thirties. He has seen the wars and has met most of the famous people. He worked for Shakespeare and played jazz for F. Scott Fitzgerald. He was singed by the great fire of London and his wife died during a plague year. He even sailed with Captain Cook.

Every eight years he disappears and relocates with a new identity in order to keep his condition a secret. For centuries he has been warned that certain laboratories are interested in this condition and want to experiment in order to find the fountain of youth.

An excellent story that prompts us to look at our own lives and how we live, past, present and future.

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Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Review: Before We Were Yours

Before We Were Yours Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can truly see why this book won the best historical fiction for 2017 on Goodreads. It reads like a true story and actually could be a compendium of true life stories for many people.

It opens with Avery, a senator's daughter, accompanying her father to a nursing home appearance. During the visit Avery meets and sees quite a few people. One elderly lady shakes her hand and manages to remove an heirloom bracelet from Avery. She doesn't notice this bracelet missing until an attendant calls her later in the week to tell her they "found" her bracelet. Avery returns to the home and asks to see the resident who had the bracelet. On visiting the elderly lady's room she spies a photo that is very much a close likeness to her grandmother who is in a retirement home for memory.

The story takes us back to the thirties and a riverboat family with five children and the mother expecting twins.

I won't give away any of the powerful story, but I must say that I have hardly ever actually cried, boo hoo, cries like I did in reading this book. Oh, I have shed a tear or two but nothing like this book.

An excellent read as well as learning about a part of history that we should be a shamed of.




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Saturday, March 3, 2018

Review: City of the Lost

City of the Lost City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. The story was ok. Casey made a mistake a few years back and killed a mobsters grandson and her friend Diana has had problems with an abusive relationship. Diana has heard about a place, Rockton, where you can go to hide out and not be found, but only for a short term period. You have to qualify to be allowed to go to this town and Casey has no problem because she is a detective and in big demand. However, Diana has no real marketable skills. She is admitted because they want Casey to help solve some crimes that have been happening in Rockton.

It was not a real page turner for me, but the story was ok. It probably just wasn't my cup of tea but I will read the second book in the series.

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Review: The Flight Girls

The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar My rating: 4 of 5 stars A stunning story about the Women Airfo...