Book: The Map of Salt and Stars

 Book: The Map of Salt and Stars

Author: Zeyn Joukhadar

Pages: 384

This is the 148th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

This novel begins in the summer of 2011.  Nour has just lost her father to cancer, and her mother moves Nour and her sisters from NYC back to Syria to be closer to their family.  In order to keep her ather's spirit alive as she adjusts to her new home, Nour tells herself their favorite story - the tale of Rawiya, a 12th century girl who disguised herself as a boy in order to apprentice herself to a famious mapmaker.  But the Syria Nour's parents knew is changing, and it isn't long before the war reaches their quiet Homs neighborhood.  When a shell destroys Nour's house and almost takes her life, she and her family are forced to choose:  stay and risk more violence or flee across seven countries of the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety- along the very route Rawiya and her mapmaker took 800 years before in their quest to chart the world.  As Nour's family decides to take the risk, their journey becomes more and more dangerous, until they face a choice that could mean the family will be separated forever.

This was a really good book.  My favorite part was the intertwining of the story of Rawiya and Nour's real life.  The writing is pretty good and I liked most of the characters.  Nour annoyed me at times, but she was probably supposed to since she was a 12 year old character.  The ending was good.

Stars: 4

Book: Cleopatra Cipher

 Book: Celopatra Cipher

Author: LD Goffigan

Pages: 304

This is my 147th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Former FBI profiler turned professor Adrian West is in Rome for academic conference when she learns that her friend and colleague, Doctor Sebastian Rossi, has been abducted.  Her former partner, Nick Harper, believes that his disappearance is linked to stolen artifacts related to one of the most famous queens in history - Cleopatra.  When another of his colleagues is found murdered, and Adrian framed from the crime, it's a race against tie from the streets of Rome and  Cairo to the ancient temples of Egypt.  Adrian must prove her innocence, find Sebastian before it's too late, and stop a shadowy secret society from using the secrets of an ancient queen to cause the loss of countless lives.

This was an interesting book.  I read it for a reading challenge.  IT is an easy quick read with an interesting story.  Good character developement.  Well written.  IT is the first in a series and played out as so.  

Stars: 3

Book: The Lake House

 Book: The Lake House

Author: Kate Morton

Pages: 512

This is my 146th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquistitive, and precociously talented 16 year old who loves to write stories.  One midsummer's even, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guiests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, 11 month old Theo, has vanished without a trace.  He is never dound, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned.  Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist.  Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather's house in Cornwall.  While out walking one day, se stumbles upon the old Edevane estate-now crumbling and covered with vines.  Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone - yet more present than ever. 

This was a pretty good book.  It is a long and twisting tale as the reader tries to figure out the who done it.  It actually took me awhile to figure out who actually did what, and I was on the fence on being happy about it and being annoyed about it.  Sometimes I felt like we were being kept in the dark for no reason, which I do find annoying in books.  Kate Morton is a talented writer, though, and I liked the majority of the characters.  I liked the dual time line stories equally.  I dropped it a start for the ending.  Seemed a bit too convenient, but it wasn't a bad ending.

Stars: 4

Book: All Systems Red

 Book: All Systems Red

Author: Martha Wells

Pages: 160

This is my 145th read for the year

What Amazon says:

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure".  In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company.  Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.  But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.  Ona distant planet, a team of scientists are conductin surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied droid - a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot".  Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.  But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Muderbot to get to the truth.

This is a great book.  I had watched the TV show first, and this book follows it quite well with very minor changes.  There are equal parts humor and science fiction in this short little novel.  Excellent writing and great character development.  I am anxious to keep going with the series.

Stars: 5

Book: Slewfoot

 Book: Slewfoot

Author: Brom

Pages: 320

This is my 144th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Connecticut, 1666: An ancient spirit awakens in a dark wood.  The wildfolk call him Father, slayer, protector.  The colonists call him Slewfoot, demon, devil.  To Abitha, a recently widowed outcast, alone and vulnerable in her prious village, he is the only one she can turn to for help.  Together, they ignite a battle between pagan and Puritan - one that threatens to destroy the entire village, leaving nothing but ashes and bloodshed in their wake.  This terrifying tale of bewitchery features more than 2 dozen of Brom's haunting full-color paintings and brilliant endpapers, fully immersing readers in this wild and unforgiving world.

This was an interesting book.  I read ti for a reading challenge and knew nothing about it going in.  It is pretty well written and an interesting enough story, but I just couldn't get into it.

Stars: 3

Book: I am Malala

 Book: I Am Malala

Author: Malala Yousafzai

Pages: 256

This is my 143rd book of the year

What Amazon Says:

I am Malala.  This is my story.  Malala Yousafzai was only 10 years old when the Taliban took control of her region.  They said music was a crime.  They said women weren't allowed to go to the market.  They said girls couldn't go to school.  Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes.  So she fought for her right to be educated.  And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause:  She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school.  No one expected her to survive.  Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.

I know I am very behind in reading this story.  I don't know how I missed it.  Very familiar with Malala and her story, and found this book at our local bookstore and finally had a chance to read it.  It is a terrible tragedy, and I learned a lot about Malala as well as what happened.  I did find the back story a bit too long for this book, but overall, I am glad I read it.

Stars: 4

Book: Binti

 Book: Binti

Author: Nnedi Okorafor

Pages: 96

This is my 142nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galazy.  But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.  Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy.  The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the MEduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares.  Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.  If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdome enshrined within the University itself - but first she has to make it there, alive.

This bookw as fine, but at under 100 pages, I really didn't get much of a story.  It is the first of 3 books, and I was reading this one for a challenge, but did not know there were more.  I think if you read all three you would get one story and it would probably be decent.

Stars: 3

Book: Exiles

 Book: Exiles

Author: Ashley Saunders

Pages: 271

This is my 141st book of the year

What Amazon Says:

Is fear the killer of dreams?  It's been 12 years since the 2040 Quake rocked the Golden STate, fracturing Los Angeles and the fortunes of millions.  It's been 6 years since tech billionair Damon Yates founded his elite academy, giving Unfortunates from the wrong side of his hyperloop tracks a new future at Quest Campus, tucked away in the Santa Monica Mountains.  But an endeavor that sought to bridge a divide only tore 18 year old twin sisters apart.  Jade is a street-savvy adrenaline seeker ruling the city's downtrodden eastside.  Crys is an influential socialite ensconced in Yate's westside mansion - every bit her adoptive father's daughter.  After the mysterious murder of one of the academy's brightest, JAde sets out with her factious band of exiles to prove there's something sinister going on behind the walls of Yate's exclusive empire.  But to expose the earthshaking truth, Jade needs her estranged sister back on her side.  There's a big problem, though:  Crys is inexplicably terrified of her own twin's face.  

I could not get into this book.  I found a lot of the plot irrelevant, and the story convoluded. Did not like the writing style.

Stars: 2 

Book: Undomesticated Goddess

 Book: Undomesticated Goddess

Author: Sophia Kinsella

Pages: 400

This is my 140th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable.  She's made a mistake so huge, it's wreck any chance of a partnership.  Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere.  Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she's mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper.  Her employers have no idea they've hired a lawyer-and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven.  She can't sew a button, bake a potato, or get the ironing board to open.  How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope - and finds love - is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.  But will her old life ever catch up with her?  And it if does - will she want it back?

This was an okay book.  I like Sophie Kinsella's books.  This character was of course over the top bad at everything - almost to a fault.  And how fast she learned how to cook seemed a bit unrealistic.  I liked several of the characters, but Samantha was not a favorite.  Her choices and things that happened were just a bit over the top.  

Stars: 3

Book: Mickey 7

 Book: Mickey 7

Author: Edward Ashton

Pages: 320

This is my 139th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Dying isn't any fun - but at least it's a living.  Mickey Barnes is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim.  Whever there's a mission that's too dangerous - even suicidal - the crew turns to Mickey.  AFter one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.  After sex deaths, Mickey 7 understands the terms of his deal - and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.  On a routine scouting mission, Mickey 7 goes missing and is presumed dead.  By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, his fate has been sealed.  There's a new clone, Mickey 9, reporting for expendable duties, and there can only be one Expendable.  If Mickey 7 reports his survival to Command, one of them is going into the recycler.  If he doesn't and they're caught, they both are.  Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse.  The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going pooly.  The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curisoty has Commander Marshall very afraid.  Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey 7.

This was a pretty good book.  I had actually seen the movie first, and this follows it loosely.  It is a pretty good story, and it moves along at a good pace.  Good character development.  In some ways I liked the book a bit better than the movie, but the movie had a lot more action/side character involvement than the book did.  Ends well.

Stars: 4

Book: The Man Made of Smoke

 Book: The Man Made of Smoke

Author: Alex North

Pages: 307

This is my 138th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Dan Garvie's life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child - narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer.  He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims.  So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death.  Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmareshas returned after all these years?  

That book was okay.  I like Alex North's books, and was excited for this one, but I had trouble getting into it.  Might have been a timing issue.  I found it a slow burn, which was probably on purpose, but way too descriptive with the mundane - just to fill pages.  The ending did not land for me like I was hoping.  The pace and the twists did not work for me.  I did enjoy large parts of the book - trying to figure out where it was going, but overall, it just was a bit slow.

Stars: 3.5

Book: Dr. Sleep

 Book: Dr. Sleep

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 531

This is my 137th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Years ago, the haunting of the Overlook Hotel nearly broke young Dan Torrance's sanity, as his paranormal gift known as "the shining" opened a door straight into hell.  And even though Dan is all grown up, the ghosts of the Overlook - and his father's legacy of alcoholism and violence - kept him drifting aimlessly for most of his life.  Now, Dan has finally found some order in the chaos by working in a local hospice, earning the nickname "Doctor Sleep" by secretly using his special abilities to comfort the dying and prepare them for the afterlife.  But when he unexpectedly meets 12 year old Abra Stone - who possesses an even more powerful manifestation of the shining - the two find their lives in sudden jeopardy at the hands of the ageless and murderous nomadic tribe known as the True Knot, reigniting Dan's own demons and summoning him to battle for his youn girl's sound and survival....

This was a great book.  I have actually seen the movie and really liked it, and the movie follows the book pretty closely.  It is well written and I like the character development.  A little rambly in true King fashion, but not terribly so.  It is a sequel to the Shining so we get to relive some parts of Dan's young life in this story and how he became the man he is.  It is an interesting twist on the vampire idea.  Wraps up nicely.

Stars: 5

Book: The Secret Wife

 Book: The Secret Wife

Author: Gill Paul

Pages: 418

This is my 136th read for the year

What Amazon says:

1914: Russia is on the brink of collapse, and the Romanov family faces a terrifyingly uncertain future.  Gran Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with cavalry officer Dmitri, but events take a catastrophic turn, placing their romance - and their lives - in danger.

2016: Kitty Fisher escapes to her great-grandfather's remote cabin in America, after a devastating revelation makes her flee London.  There, on the shores of Lake Akanabee, she discovers the spectacular jewelled pendant that will lead her to a long-buried family secret.

I really liked the start of this book.  I thought it was going to be a 5 star read for me for the longest time.  But then near the end it fell apart in my opinion.  I do not like the direction it took.  Until the last 1/4 of the book it is well written with great characters and good story movement.  It flowed well between the 1914 and 2016 parts of the book - I liked them equally.  I liked the writing style.  I liked the plot for most of the book.  I just wish she would have taken the ending another way - and if you read this book you might agree with me.

Stars: 4

Book: Danse Macabre

 Book: Danse Macabre

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 512

this is my 135th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

This i a vivi, intelligent, and nostalgic journey through 3 decades of horrow as experienced through the eyes of the most popular writer in the genre.  In 1981, years before he sat down to tackleOn Writing, Stephen King decided to address theb topic of what makes horror horrifying and what makes terror terrifying.  Here, in 10 brilliantly written chapters, King delivers one colorful observation after another about the great stories, books, and films that comprise the horror genre.

This was a pretty good book.  It is from 1981, so I would have loved to read a more updated version from King now as the horror genre has evolved in the last 44 years.  A lot of his references are still favorites that we still enjoy in the tv/movie/film horror genre, but 44 years futher on, I wonder if his list would change.  But this book is well written and delves deep into the details on how he feels about different aspects of horror from the 50s-80s.

Stars: 4

Book: The Final Gambit

 Book: The Final Gambit

Author: Jennifer Lynne Barnes

Pages: 386

This is my 134th read for the year

What Amazon says:

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House.  The paparazzi are dogging her every step.  Financial pressures are building.  Danger is a fact of life.  And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers.  Her life is intertwined with theirs.  She knows their secrets and they know her.  But as the clock tickets down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help - and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything.  It soons becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorn brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.  Secrets upon secrets.  Riddles upon riddles.  In this game, there are hearts and lives as stake - and there is nothing more Hawthorn than winning.

This is the 3rd book in the Inheritence Game series.  While I am still enjoying it, I found this book the weekest one so far  I think Barnes was having a hard time advancing this story along.  This one I found harder to follow - a lot of characters and a lot of knew family members made it is a bit convoluted.  The puzzles and mystery were just as good as the past, but all the other stuff got a bit tiresome.  And the love story is a bit bigger in this one.  There are three more books in the series, but I think they are more off shoots than continuation, so I might take a break and come back to them later.

STars: 3.5

Book: Buried In The Sky

 Book: Buried in the Sky

Author: Peter Zuckerman

Pages: 320

This is my 133rd read for the year

What Amazon says:

When 11 climbers died on K2 in 2008, 2 Sherpas survived.  Their astonishing tale became the stuff of mountaineering legend.  This white-knuckle adventure follows the Sherpas from their remote villages in Nepal to the peak of the world's most dangerous mountain, recounting one of the most dramatic disasters in apline history from a fascinating new perspective.

This was an interesting book.  I found it when researching something else and did not know there was a tragedy on K2 like there was on Everest (which I read in John Krakauer's book Into Thin Air).  This is a book about the Sherpas and others who help the hikers up and down these mountains as much as it is about the tragedy.  We learn the backstory of many of the Sherpas and climbers that lead to the fatal hike.  Glad I found this one.

Stars: 4

Book: The Spymaters: How The CIA shaped History and the Future

 Book: The Spymasters

Author: Chris Whipple

Pages: 400

This is my 132nd read for the year

What Amazon says:

Only 11 men and 1 woman are alive today who have made the life and death decisions that come with running the world's most powerful and influential intelligence service.  With unprecedented, deep access to nearly all these individuals plus several of their predecessors, Chris Whipple tells the story of an agency that answers to the US president alone, but whose activities - spying, espionage, and covert action - take place on every continent.  At pivotal moments, the CIA acts as a break on rogue presidents, starting in the mid 70s with DCI Richard Helm's refusal to conceal Richard Nixon's criminality and continuing to the present as the actions of a CIA whistleblower have ignited impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.  Since its inception in 1947, the CIA has been a powerful player on the world stage, operating largely in the shadows to protect American interests.  For The Spymasters, Whipple conducted extensive, exclusive interviews with nearly every living CIA director, pulling back the curtain on the world's elite spy agencies and showing how the CIA partners - or clashes - with counterparts in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.  

This was a pretty interesting book.  It is well written and quite thorough coverage of the CIA over the years.  Each president form Nixon to Trump are covered in this book and how the CIA worked with them.  (I can give you a pretty good idea how that last one is going).  I learned a lot about the CIA in general and new information related to different difficulties each President faced.  Good book.

Stars: 4 

Book: Home is Where The Bodies Are

 Book: Home is where the bodies are

Author: Jeneva Rose

Pages: 288

This is my 131st read for the year

What Amazon says:

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate.  Beth, the oldest, never left home.  She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end.  Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm's length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction.  Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn't been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them 7 years before.  While going through their parents' belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories.  However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of.  On screen, their father appears covered in blood.  What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.  Beth, Nicole, and Michale must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.

This book is fine.  It moves along just fine, but there is a lot of "hate/love" back and forth that always drives me crazy in books.  Especially short ones.  I didn't care much for any of the characters, but I was curious to see what the end result was going to be.  And the ending did surprise me, so kudos to that.  

Stars: 3.5

Book: A Slow Fire Burning

 Book: A Slow Fire Burning

Author: Paula Hawkins

Pages: 400

This is my 130th read for the year

What Amazon says:

When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about 3 women who knew him.  Laura is the troubled 1 night stand last seen in the victim's home.  Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member.  And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police.  3 women with separate connections to the victim.  3 women who are - for different reasons - simmering with resentment.  Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds.  How far might any one of them go to find peace?  How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?

I found this one an easy read and highly entertaining.  It moves along pretty well and I am left wondering who the killer was for a long time.  It was easy to pick up on who it wasn't, but not so much on who it was.  It was a mild plot twist as is, I was a bit surprised, but not overly so.  I would say my negative for this book is the names of the characters - which I know is silly.  So may characters that end with the letter "a" it started to get a bit hard to follow (I listened to this one).  Overall, a solid read.

Stars: 4

Book: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

 Book: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Author: Dan Gemeinhart

Pages: 352

This is my 129th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Five years.  That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation.  It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.  Coyote hasn't been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished - the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory boy - she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3600 miles back to Washington state in 4 days - without him realizing it.  Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers.  Lester has a lady love to meet.  Salvador and his mom are looking to start over.  Val needs a safe place to be herself.  And then there's Gladys.... Over the course of 1000s of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all - but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her "once upon a time" into a happily ever after".  

This was a pretty good book.  It has a sweet understory - a family picking up people who needed a place to be for a short while all while Coyote and her dad figure out how do deal with the worst kind of grief.  It has some silly parts, and some odd parts, but over all it is well written and flows nicely.  Good ending and a good lesson.

Stars: 4

Book: Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil

 Book: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Author: V.E. Schwab

Pages: 544

This was my 127th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

This is a story about hunger.  1532.  Santo Domingo de la Calzada.  A young girl grows up wild and wily - her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape.  But Maria knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men.  When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, Maria makes a desperate choice.  She vows to have no regrets.  This is a story about love.  1827.  London.  A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family's estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London.  Charlotte's tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow -but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.  This is a story about rage.  2019 Boston.  College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new.  That's why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind.  But after an out-of-character one night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers....and revenge.  This is a story about life - how it ends, and how it starts.

This was a pretty good book.  The writing was spectaular.  There is no doubt in my opinion that VE Schwab is a talented writer.  A was a little disappointed with the subject matter (I won't give it away because it felt like it was supposed to be a surprise) - so overdone.  Didn't love a lot of the characters - but not sure you are meant to.  They are pretty self absorbed, but true to most stories about this particular subject....it tracks.  I liked the back and forth of the story lines.  Didn't have a favorite of the three. The beginning and the end were solid and the middle was okay.

Stars: 4

Book: Ordinary Grace

 Book: Ordinary Grace

Author: William Kent Kreuger

Pages: 336

This is my 126th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961.  The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were selling out at the soda counter of Halderson's Drugstore, and Hot Stuff comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack.  It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president.  But for 13 year old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms.  Accident.  Nature.  Sucide.  Murder.  Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family - which includes his Methodist minister fathr' his passionate, artistic mother; Julliard-bound older sister; and wise-beyond his years kid brother - he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years.  Told from Frank's perspective 40 years after that fateful summer.

This was a great book.  He is a great writer.  There is great character development and the story flowed well.  There is a mix of everyday life in a small town and heartbreak that works well together.  The mystery was a little hard to figure out, but as we got nearer to the end, it started to pull together the "who done it".  Loved the epilogue.  I listened to it and it was a good book to listen to - easy to keep engaged.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Never Flinch

 Book: Never Flinch

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 448

This is my 125th book for the year

What Amazon Says:

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to "kill thirteen innocents and one guilty in "an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man", Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think.  Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhunged act f retribution?  As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, unhinged acto of retribution?  As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.  Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women's rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-staet lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors.  Someone who vehemently opposes Kate's message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events.  At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate's bodyguard - a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.  

This was a pretty good book.  It took quite a bit of concentration because there are a lot of story lines in this one.  I was happy to see another Holly Gibney novel - she is such a fun character.  The story had me hooked for the longest time, but near the end it started to get really confusing with all the characters who were getting their turn in the sun.  The worst characters were the Chris/Chrissy story line - that could have been left out.  I would have liked Holly to have been more central.  It isn't scary as much as a long build up to the final blow.  

Stars: 4

Book: The Stolen Marriage

 Book: The Stolen Marriage

Author: Diane Chamberlain

Pages: 416

This is my 124th book for the year

What Amazon Says:

It is 1944.  Pregnant, alone, and riddled with guilt, 23 year old Tess DeMello abruptly gives up her budding career as a nurse and ends her engagement to the love of her life, unable to live a lie.  Instead, she turns to the baby's father for help and agrees to marry him, moving to the small, rural town of Hickory, North Carolina.  Tess's new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows her no affection.  Tess quickly realizes she's trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.  The people of Hickory love and respect Henry but see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain.  When one of the town's golden girls dies in a terrible accident, everyone holds Tess responsible.  But Henry keeps his secrets even closer now, though it seems that everyone knows something about him that Tess does not.  When a sudden polio epidemic strikes Hickory, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital.  Tess knows she is needed and defies Henry's wishes to begin working at there.  Through this work, she begins to find purpose and meaning.  Yet at home, Henry's actions grow more alarming by the day.  As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle the truth behind her husban'ds mysterious behavior and find the love - and the life - she was meant to have?

This was a pretty good book.  I do like Chamberlain's books.  She is a great writer.  This one fell a little short for me based on her other novels.  Still an interesting story.  I really didn't love the main character.  She was fine, but not great.  I knew what the outcome was going to be - it was a pretty neatly wrapped up story to come out positive for Tess.  Happy ending which I do like, but it wasn't surprising.  Tess worked as a nurse for a bit and I found all of her skills a bit unbelivable as a new nurse.  However - overall, good story, good writing, just wished for stronger characters.

Stars: 4

Book: People of the Book

 Book: People of the Book

Author: Geraldine Brooks

Pages: 372

This is my 123rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Inspired by a true story, this is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author.  Called "a tour de force", this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the fames Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in 15th century Spain.  When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding - an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair - only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultranationalist fanatics.

This was an interesting book.  It jumps around in time -from the 1990s where our main character is working on the story of the book, to back in time to the 1400s-1600s.  I did enjoy the 1990s sections a lot more than the flashbacks - they felt a little unfinished.  Even though those were the longest chapters in the book, we never learned more about the people - (except one) - so it felt like we were missing an ending to a story.  It does jump into the future of the early 2000s with the main character to resolve the mystery of the book, and I liked that.  Overall it is very well written - I just wish I felt like the past and present fit together a bit more.

Stars: 4

Book: Warcross

 Book: Warcross

Author: Marie Lu

Pages: 416

This is my 122nd book of the year

What Amazon Says:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn't just a game - it's a way of life.  The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit.  Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally.  But the bounty-hunting world is competitive and survival has not been easy.  To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships - only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.  Convinced she's going to be arrested, Emika is shoked when instead she gets a call from the game's creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer.  He needs a spy on the inside of this year's tournament in order to uncover a security problem - and he wants Emika for the job.  With no time to lose, Emika's whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she's only dreamed of.  But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

This book was okay.  I liked the idea of the book, and most of the writing.  I had mixed feelings about the main character, and didn't care one way or another for the side characters.  Pretty good action scenes with a lot of details.  The romance was subpar. The twist ending wasn't that shocking.  And of course it ends on a cliff hanger because there is a second book.  I won't be continuing.

Stars: 3

Book: The Witcher

 Book: The Witcher

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Pages: 352

This is my 121st read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless hunter.  Yet he is no ordinary killer.  His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.  But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good - and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

This was a pretty good book.  I didn't watch the show on TV, but found this book for a reading challenge I was participating in.  Interesting story, and I liked the main character.  It is a book of short stories, which isn't my favorite style, but I stuck with it.  The stories are tied together, sothat helped.  There are a lot of books in The Witcher series, but I do not think for now I will continue.

Stars: 4

Book: The Last Emperox

 Book: The Last Emperox

Author: John Scalzi

Pages: 308

This is my 120th read for the year

What Amazon says:

The collapse of The Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated.  Entire star systems - and billions of people - are becoming cut off from the rest of human civilization.  This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction - and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profti from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has even known.  Emperox Grayland II has finally wrested control of her empire from those who oppose her and who deny the reality of this collapse.  But "control" is a slippery thing, and even as Grayland strives to save as many of her people from impoverished isolation, the forces opposing her rule will make a final, desperate push to topple her from herthrone and power, by any means necessary.  Grayland and her thinning list of allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves, and all of humanity.  And yet it may not be enough.  Will Grayland become the savior of her civilization - or the last emperox to wear the crown?

This was a good ending to the trilogy.  There were some suprises, and of course a little bit of humor mixed into the tension.  I like most of the characters, and was sad when one of the main characters is killed.  It ended pretty well, but I would have liked a bit more.  However, overall a very good trlogy that I am glad I read.

Stars: 4

Book: The Third Gilmore Girl

 Book: The Third Gilmore Girl

Author: Kelly Bishop

Pages: 256

This is my 119th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Kelly Birshop's long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey's mother in Dirty Dancing.  But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.  Now, Birshop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl.  She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she's learned on her journey.  From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced - among them marching for women's rights and losing her second husband to cancer - Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

This was a great book.  I have watched and enjoyed all the shows that Bishop has been a part of, and think she is a fantastic actress.  I enjoyed learning more about her career and what she is up to now.  She was humble and caring about those who she worked with.  She shared her own tragic loss of her husband and how she has moved on without him.  Overall a strong, quick read.

Stars: 4.5

Book: The Staircase in The Woods

 Book: The Staircase in the Woods

Author: Chuck Wendig

Pages: 400

This is my 118th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.  Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere.  One friend walks up- and never comes back down.  Then the staircase disappears.  20 years later, the stiarcase has reappeared.  Now the group returns to find the lost boy - and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods.

I really wanted to like this book.  I have read a few Wendig books in the past and liked them, so when a new one came out, I jumped on it.  It started ou okay, but the book just dragged.  There were some very creepy parts, which kept me reading, but overall, it was a bit mundane.  The characters were doing the same thing over and over again.  Had a hard time connecting to any of the characters.  Ending was just fine.

Stars: 3

Book: Quiet in her Bones

 Book: Quiet In Her Bones

Author: Nalini Singh

Pages: 496

This is my 117th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

My mother vanished 10 years ago.  So did a quarter of a million dollars in cash.  Thief.  Criminal.  Now she's back.  Her bones clothes in scarlet silk.  When socialite Nina Rai disappeared without a trace, everyone wrote it off as another trophy wife tired of her wealthy husband.  But now her bones have turned up in the shadowed green of the forest that surrounds her elite neighborhood, a haven of privilege and secrets that's housed in the same influential families for decades.  The rich live here, along with those whose job it is to make their lives easier.  And somebody knows what happened to Nina one rainy night 10 years ago.  Her son Aarav heard a chiling scream that night, and he's determined to uncover the ugly truth that lives beneath the moneyed elegance - but no one is ready for the murderous secrets about to crawl out of the dark.  Even the dead aren't allowed to break the rules in this cul-de-sac.

This book was fine.  I didn't really care for the main character.  And I did find the book a big slow paced.  Too many suspected.  Felt like main theme got bogged down with unnecessary dialogue.  I finished it, but not sure I will read another of her books.

Stars: 3

Book: Kaiju Preservation Society

 Book: The Kaiju Preservation Society

Author: John Scalzi

Pages: 268

This is my 116th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

When COVID-19 sweeps through NYC, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps.  That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization."  Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit.  Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.  What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth.  Not our Earth, at least.  In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world.  They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.  It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world.  Others have, too.  And their carelssness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.  

This was a pretty interesting book.  I do enjoy a good Scalzi novel.  His writing is fun and entertaining with good plot movement.  I liked most of the characters.  It is a fast and easy read.  Loved the idea of another world with giant animals that remind you of Godzilla.  Solid read.

Stars: 4

Book: Unsheltered

 Book: Unsheltered

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Pages: 508

This is my 115th read for the year

What Amazon says:

How could two hardworking people do everything right in life, a woman asks, and end up destitute?  Willa Knox and her husband followed all the rules as responsibleparents and professionals, and have nothing to show for it but debts and an inherited brick house that is falling apart.  The magazine where Willa worked has folded; the college where her husband had tenure has closed.  Te dubious shleter is also the only option for a disabled father-in-law and an exasperating, free-spirited daughter.  When the family's one success story, an Ivy-educated son, is uprooted by tragedy he seems likely to join them, with dark complications of his own.  In another time, a troubled husband and public servant asks,How can a man tell the truth, and be reviled for it?  A science teacher with a passion for honest investigation, Thatcher Greenwood finds himself under siege: his employer forbigs him to speak of the exciting work just published by Charles Darwin.  His young bride and social=climbing mother-in-law bristle at the risk of scandal, and dismiss his worries that their elegant house is unsound.  In a village ostensibly founded as a benevolent Utopia, Thatcher wants only to honor his duties, but his friendships with a woman scientist and a renegade newspaper editor threaten to draw him into a vendetta with the town's powerful men.

This was an okay book.  Not one of my favorite Kingsolver novels.  I found it very slow moving.  I liked the Willa part of the book, but the Thatcher part of the book dragged for me.  The story went basically no where. Just felt underdeveloped.

Stars: 3

Book: The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop

 Book: The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop

Author: Fannie Flagg

Pages: 304

This is my 114th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Bud Threadgoode grew up in the bustling little railroad town of Whistle Stop with his mother, Ruth, church-going and proper, and his Aunt Idgie, the fun-loving hell riaser.  Together they ran the town's popular Whistle Stop Cafe, known far and wide for its fun and famous friend green tomatoes.  And as Bud often said of his childhood to his daughter Ruthie, "How lucky can you get?"  But sadly, as the railroad yards shut down and Whistle Stop became a ghost town, nothing was left but boarded-up buildings and memories of a happier time.  Then one day, Bud decides to take one last trip, just to see what has become of his beloved Whistle Stop.  In so doing, he discovers new friends, as well as surprises about Idgie's life, about Ninny Threadgoode and other beloved Fannie Flagg characters, and about the town itself.  He also sets off a series of events, both touching and inspiring, which change his life and the lives of his daughter and many others.  Could these events all be just coincidences?  Or something else?  And can you really go home again?

This was not a good book.  I was disappointed because I loved Fried Green Tomatoes (the book and the movie) and this is the follow up story.  I have no idea how this got so many good reviews because the writing is very juvenile.  There is not good flow - it is all over the place as far as timeline.  It is convoluted and just felt tossed together to write another story about beloved characters.  Fell flat.

Stars: 2