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

Book: Full Throttle

 Book: Full Throttle

Author: Joe Hill

Pages: 496

This is my 113th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

A little door that opens to a world of fairy-tale wonders becomes the blood-drenched stomping ground for a gang of hunters in "Faun" A grief-stricken librarian climbs behind the wheel of an antique Bookmobile to deliver fresh reads to the dead in "Late Returns".  In "By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain" - now an episode on Shudder Tv's Creepshow - two young frinds sumble on the corpse of a plesiosaur at the water's edge, a discovery that forces them to confrton the inescapable truth of their own mortality.  And tension shimmers in the sweltering heat of the Nevada desert as a faceless trucker finds himself caught in a sinister dance with a tribe of motocycle outlaws in "Throttle" cowritten with Stephen King. 

This was a pretty good book.  I liked about half the stories.  The first two were really good.  The next few were just okay, and then the last one was a story - In the Tall Grass - has been made into a Netflix show.  Joe Hill is a great writer - I have enjoyed many of his books in the past.  I am just not a huge fan of short stories.  They always are hit or miss for me.

Stars: 4

Book: All Better Now

 Book: All Better Now

Author: Neal Shusterman

Pages: 528

This is my 112th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

A deadly and unprecendentd virus is spreading.  But those who survive it experience long-term effects no one has ever seen before: utter contentment.  Soon after infection, people find the stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings that used to weight them down are gone.  More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening.  But not everyone.  People in power-who depend on malcontents and prey on the insecure to sell their products, and convince others they need more, new, faster, better everything - know this new state of being is bad for business.  Surely, without anger or jealousy as motivators, productivity will grind to a halt and the world will be thrown into chaos.  Campaigns start up to convince people that being eternally happy is dangerous.  The race to find a vaccine begins.  Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plans ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world.  It's nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda.  Three teens from very different backgrounds who've had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever.

This was a great book.  I really like Shusterman's books.  He is a write of my favorite genre (dystopian), and he is an excellent writer.  This is his newest book and it didn't disappoint.  I liked the characters.  The story flowed well.  I can see this happening in real life - people on two opposite ends on how they think a virus should play out.  (we did see that actually).  It was fun to see Svalsbard and their seed vault mentioned - we saw that in person 2 summers ago - as well as Basel.  Great book.

Stars: 4.5

Book: The Memory Police

 Book: The Memory Police

Author: Yoko Ogawa

Pages: 288

This is my 111th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

On an unnamed island, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses....most of the inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few able to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten.  When a young writer discovers that her editor is in danger, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her floorboards, and together they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past.  

This was an interesting book.  I liked the idea - seemed kind of familiar in a way with today's political climate.  Government telling people what no longer exists.  In this case it starts with inanimate objects and works up to even body parts.  Behind the memories being whiped and things becoming obsolete is a story of a community trying to hold it together with what it is left.  Interesting book.

Stars: 4

Book: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

 Book: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

Author: Neal Stephenson

Pages: 768

This is my 110th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidently meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard University, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself.  The young man from a shadowy government entity approaches Mel, a low-level faculty member, with an incredible offer.  The only condition: she must swear herself to secrecy in return for the rather large sum of money.  Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, which, if authentic, are earth-shattering.  They prove that magic actually existed and was practiced for centuries.  But the arrival of the scientific revolution and the age of Enlightenment weakend its power and endangered its practitioners.  Magic stopped working altogether in 1851, at the time of the Great Exhibition at London's Crystal Palace - the world's fair celebrating the rise of industrial technology and commerce.  Something about the modern world "jams" the "frequencies" used by magic, and it's up to Tristan to find out why.  And so the Department of Diachronic Operations - DODO - gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back, and send Diachronic Operatives back in time to keep it alive - and meddle with a little history at the same time.  But while Tristan and his expanding operation master the science and build the technology, they overlook the mercurial - and treacherous - nature of the human heart.  

This was a pretty good book.  It is LONG - and I will say that is why I knocked it a star.  At times it just felt a little too drawn out for now reason.  However, the story overall was a good one.  Well written and intriguing.  I liked most of the characters.  It was a neat idea.  I listened to this one and it really passed the time.  Stephenson can get into the weeds with overexplanation of science sometimes, but this one wasn't too bad.  Good read if you are looking for a tome.

Stars: 4

Book: My Friends

 Book: My Friends

Author: Fredrik Backman

Pages: 448

This is my 109th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Most people don't even notice them - three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world.  Most people think it's just a depiction of the sea.  But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.  25 years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion.  These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.  Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into 18 year old Louisa's care.  She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it.  The closer she gets to the painting's birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she'll find.  Louisa is proof that happy endings don't always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timelss power of friendship and art.

I want to start off by saying that I am a Backman fan.  Most of the books he writes are wonderful and I always get excited when he releases a new book.  This one just missed the mark for me.  There were a couple of things.  1) it is overly flowery.  I am not a big fan of these kinds of books.  It felt overdone.  Do I love a sweet story?  Of course.  But this was just so much fluff that I could not get into the underlying story.  And it wasn't really sweet - it was overly depressing.  2) I hated the main character.  Louisa acts more like a 12-13 year old instead of the 19 year old that she is.  I have two 19 year olds.  Are they immature?  Sure.  But not to this level.  Was Backman writing her as if she wasn't wordly because of her background and maybe he felt this is how someone of that age would act without guidance?   Maybe, but it was a big turnoff.

Stars: 3

Book: Four Past Midnight

 Book: Four Past Midnight

Author: Stephen King

Pages: 960

This is my 108th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

One Past Midnight: The Langoliers takes a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Bostoninto a most unfriendly sky.  Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't.

Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake - until the mysterious John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.

Three Past Midnight: The Library Policeman has his terrifying sights set on businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind.  But another enemy lurks as well - the truth - and if Sam can find it in time, he might stand a chance.

Four Past Midnight: The Sun Dog comes in the form of a looming supernatural menace, appearing in every picture that young Kevin Delevan takes with his new camera.  Pop Merrill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, aims to exploti it for profit - but this creature is a very dangerous investment.

This was a pretty good book.  I listened to it because I have had hours and hours of driving and yard work over the last few days - it made the time fly by.  The first two stories were my favorite.  The Langoliers is a mini series I enjoyed years ago and it was nice to finally hear the story.  It followed the mini series very closely.  The last two were a little slower, but only at the end of each story.  Got a bit rambly.  But overall a really good one.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Big Dumb Eyes

 Book: Big Dumb Eyes

Author: Nate Bargatze

Pages: 240

This is my 107th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Nate Bargatze used to be a genius.  That is, until the summer after 7th grade when he slipped, fell off a cliff, hit his head on a rock, and "my skull got, like, dented or something".  Before this accident, he dreamed of being "an electric engineer, or a doctor that does brain stuff, or a math teacher who teaches the hardest math on earth".  Afterwards, all he could do was stand-up comedy.  But the brain stuff industry's loss is everyone else's gain because Nate went on to become on of today's top grossing comedians.  Nate talks about life as a non-genius.  From stories about his car and his travels as a Southerner to tales of his first apartment where he was almost devoured by rats and his many debates with his wife over his chores, his diet, and even his definition of "shopping".  He also reflects on such heady topics as his irrational passion for Vandy football and the mysterious origins of sushi.

This was a great book.  I love Nate.  I have watched all of his standup from when he first started and love to see how popular he has become.  His book was 100% what I expected it to be - down to earth, and written in his cadence.  My favorite chapter was the one about his dad - made me cry!  He is a clean comedian and that comes through in his book as well as hilarious stories and anecdotes.  Check this one out and if you haven't seen Nate perform -I hightly suggest it.

Stars: 5

Book: What You Are Looking For is In The Library

 Book: What You Are Looking For Is In The Library

Author:Mickiko Aoyama

Pages: 304

This is my 106th read for the year

What Amazon says:

What are you looking for?  So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian.  For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for an provide just the book recommendation to help them find it.  A restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills, a mother triest to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, a conscientious accountant yearns to open an antique store, a recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose.  This book is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection.

This was a good book.  The story is interesting and I like how the characters made life changes based on just being asked a simple question "What are you looking for?".  The story moves along nicely - with several characters becoming intertwined.  I will say it unraveled a bit at the end - got a bit rambly - but overall a cut and sweet novel.

Stars: 4

Book: Flight Behavior

 Book: Flight Behavior

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Pages: 448

This is my 105th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Set in present day Appalachia, this parable of catastrophe and denial explores how the complexities we inevitably encounter in life lead us to believe in our particular chosen truths.  Kingsolver's riveting story concerns a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee who experiences something she cannot explain, and how her discovery energizes various competing factions - religious leaders, climate scientists, environmentalists, politicians - trapping her in the center of the conflict and ultimately opening up her world.

This was a great book.  After reading a book with my daughter about the monarch butterflies (non-fiction - "Bicycling With Butterflies) I was pleased that this book captured the story in partially fictional form.  I liked the characters and how the story develops bringing this town together because of the Monarchs and the scientist trying to figure out why they ended up there.  The story flows well and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Bloodsucking Fiends

 Book: Blooksucking Fiends

Author: Christopher Moore

Pages: 304

This is my 104th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Making the transition from the 9-5 grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that's where C. Thomas Flood fits in.  A would-be Kerouac from incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen-turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway.  But all that changes when a beautiful undead reahead walks through the door - and proceeds to rock Tommy's life - and afterlife - in ways he never thought possible.

This was a weird book.  Not bad for say - just weird.  Typical Christopher Moore in my opinion.  It was all over the place.  Silly?  yes.  Confusing?  Yes.  Bizarre?  Yes.  I liked the characters, but the story was just a bit too hard to follow to make it enjoyable for me.

Stars: 3

Book: Heartstopper

 Book: Heartstopper

Author: Alice Oseman

Pages: 288

This is my 103rd read for the year

What amazon says:

Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning.  A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance.  But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understan the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.

This graphic novel was fine.  There is so little dialogue I was done with it in an hour.  The draws are just okay - maybe a style?  It didn't say much so I don't really have a lot of feelings for it one way or another.  I know there are a lot of books in the series, so maybe you would really need to read them all to get a good feeling.

Stars: 3

Book: Small Wonder

 Book: Small Wonder

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Pages: 288

This is my 102nd book for the year

What Amazon says:

Whether Barbara Kingsolver is contemplating the Grand Canyon, her vegetable garden, motherhood, genetic engineering, or the future of a nation founded on the best of all human impulses, her writings are grounded in the belief that our largest problems have grown from the earth's remotest corners as well as our own backyards, and that answers may lie in both those places. 

This was a great little book.  I am a Kingsolver fan and have read several of her books this year and last year.  This one is non-fiction and full of stories that actually overlap a bit from her "Animal, Vegatable Miracle" that I read late last year (it was excellent).  Kingsolver is a gifted writer.  She is bright and thoughtful with just a touch of funny.  She seems like someone I would love to hang out with.  Her kids had a pretty amazin childhood growing up learning to live off the land during the summer - very inspiring.  Check this one out.

Stars: 4.5

Book: Nick and Charlie

 Book: Nick and Charlie

Author: Alice Oseman

Pages: 176

This is my 101st read for the year

What Amazon says:

From the mega-bestselling creator of Heartstopper, a must-have novella in which Heartstopper's lead characters, Nick and Charlie, face one of their biggest challenges yet.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder - right?  Everyon knows that Nick and Charlie love their nearly inseparable life together.  But soon Nick will be leaving for university and Charlie, a year younger, will be left behind.  Everyone's asking if they're staying together, which is a stupid question - or at least that's what Nick and Charlie assume at first.  As the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie start to question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart.  Charlie is sure he's holding Nick back - and Nick can't tell what Charlie's thinking.  Things spiral from there.  Everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever.  What will it take for Nick and Charlie to defy the odds?

This was a good little book.  I listened to it which made it fun.  It was less than 2 hours, so I finished it in a day.  It has a good story, and even though I have not read Heartstopper yet (but will this week), I was able to follow it.  Good character development and a cute little story.

Stars: 4

Book: The House of the Spirits

 Book: The House of the Spirits

Author: Isabel Allende

Pages: 504

This is my 100th read for the year

What Amazon says:

The House of the Spirits, which intoduced Isabel Allende as one of the world's most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family.  The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world.  When their daughter Blanca embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

This book was fine.  I did have a hard time getting into it.  I listened to it, which was probably a mistake - I couldn't quite get my head wrapped around this complicated story in that form.  It started out slow.  It did not like the Esteban character.  Felt very convoluted at times.  She is a good writer, but this book was just a bit of a slog and wordy.

Stars: 3

Book: The Cancer Ladies Running Club

 Book: The Cancer Ladies Running Club

Author: Josie Lloyd

Pages: 400

This is my 99th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

When Keira first receives her breat cancer diagnosis, she doesn't want to have to tell her family, or step back from work.  She doesn't want to sit in a hospital, or be part of a group of fellow cancer patients.  Cancer is not her club.  But as she accepts that her health is no longer something she can rely on, Keira finds herself embracing running.  And running in the company of a group of brillant, funny, women each going through treatment unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she needs.  Because the C-word is not going to define Keira's identity.  And with the Cancer Ladies' Running Club cheering her on, she's going to reclaim her life.  One Step at a time.

This book was just okay.  I really wanted to like it - it had a good premise and I thought it would be a neat read.  But it just isn't well written.  I didn't like many of the characters.  The main character was the worst of all - wishy washy, and a lot of her actions made no sense.  She owned a company yet she let her seconds in charge walk all over her.  The author kept writing about her support at home yet she didn't have it with her husband and children.  It was very fluffy and very surface of a read.  I gave it an extra half a star based on the author's note on the end.  This is her story in fiction form - she was Keira. 

Stars: 3

Book: In A Garden Burning Gold

 Book: In A Garden Burning Gold

Author: Rory Power

Pages: 432

This is my 98th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Rhea and Lexos were born into a family unlike any other.  Together with their siblings, they control the seasons, the tides, and the stars, and help their father rule their kingdom.  Thanks to their magic, the family has rules for an eternity, and plan to rule for an eternity more.  But Rhea and Lexos are special: They are twins, bonded down to the bone, and for the past hundrew years, that bond has protected them as their father becomes an unpredictable tyrant - and his worsening temper threatens the family's grip on power.  Now, with rival nations ready to attack, and a rebel movement within their own borders, Rhea and Lexos must fight to keep the kingdom - and the family - together, even as treachery, deceit, and drama threaten to strand the twins on opposite sides of the battlefield.  

This was a good book.  I found it just perusing the local used book store and I am glad I decided to pick it up.  The story is well developed and I liked many of the characters.  It takes place in a fictional land that is supposed to rival Greece.  The names of the characters are great.  The story flows well as the children do what they feel they must to keep their family united.  I will admit it got a little off the rails near the end, but did finish up nicely.

Stars: 4 

Book: City of Mist

 Book: City of Mist

Author: Carlos Ruis Zafon

Pages: 176

This is my 97th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Carlow Ruiz Zafon conceived of this collection of stories as an appreciation to the countless readers who joined him on the extraordinary journey that began with The Shadow of the Wind.  Comprising eleven stories, most of them never before published in English it offers the reader compelling characters, unique situations, and a gothic atmosphere reminiscent of his beloved Cemetery of Forgotten Books quartet. The stories are mysterious, imbued with a sense of menace, and told with the warmth, wit, and humor of Zafron's inimitable voice.  A boy decides to become a writer when he discovers that his creative gifts capture the attentions of an aloof young beauty who has stolen his heart.  A labyrinth maker flees Constantinople to a plague-ridden Barcelona, with plans for building a library impervious to the destruction of time.  A strange gentleman tempts Cervantes to write a book like no other, each page of which could prolong the life of the woman he loves.  And a brilliant Catalan architect named Antoni Gaudi reluctantly agrees to cross the ocean to New York, a voyage that will determine the fate of an unfinished masterpiece. 

This was a great book.  It is no secret I am a fan of Zafon's books - The Shadow of the Wind remains one of my favorite all time books.  I was glad to find this one that was published after his death.  It is well written and I enjoyed all of the short stories.  I wish he was still here to continue to write.

Stars: 4

Book: Ceremonial Time

 Book: Ceremonial Time

Author: John Hanson Mitchell

Pages: 246

This is my 96th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Ceremonial time occurs when past, present, and future can be perceived simultaneously.  Experieced only rarely, usually during ritual dance, this escape from linear time is the vehicle for John Mitche''s extraordinary writing.  In this, his most magical book, he traces the life of a single square mile in New England, from the last ice age through years of human history, including bear shamans, colonists, witches, local farmers, and encroaching industrial parks.

This was a good book.  I found it when I was researching for a book challenge where I needed a local author.  John is from the town I currently live so I was excited to find this one.  It is well researched

Stars:4

Book: Deadwood

 Book: Deadwood

Author: Peter Dexter

Pages: 365

This is my 95th read for the year

What Amazon says:

Deadwood, Dakota Territories, 1876:  Legendary gunman Wild Bill Hickcock and his friend Charlie Utter have come to the Black Hills town of Deadwood fresh from Cheyenne, fleeing an ungrateful populace.  Bill, aging and sick but still able to best any man in a fiar gunfight, just wants to be left alone to drink and play cards.  But in this town of played-out miners, bounty hunters, upstairs girls, Chinese immigrants, and various other entrepeneurs, and miscreants, he finds himself pursued by a vicious sherriff, a perverse whore man bent on revenge, and a besotted Calamity Jane.  Fueled by liquor, sex, and violence, this is the real wild west, unlike anything portrayed in the dime novels that first told its story.

This was a pretty boring book.  I think part of the problem is that I listened to it and the guy who read it was pretty monotone.  I read this one for two reasons - 1) for a challenge - I needed a book that took place in the Dakotas and 2) Because years ago I watched the Deadwood series on HBO and really enjoyed it.  This was barely like it.  There doesn't seem to be a ton of plot - it seems more like a collection of stories with Wild Bill in the center.  There are a few characters from the TV show in the book, and when I read the reviews, I see that it is pretty unrelated to the story.  Ah well.  There isn't much development, and the writer is long winded on needless details (in my opinion).  

Stars: 2.5

Book: The Hope Chest

 Book: The Hope Chest

Author: Viola Shipman

Pages: 317

This is my 94th read for the year

What Amazon says:

The discovery of one woman's heirloom hope chest unveils precious memories and helps three people who have each lost a part of themselves find joy once again.  Ever since she was diagnosed with ALS, fiercely independent Mattie doesn't feel like herself.  She can't navigate her beloved home, she can't go for a boat ride, and she can barely even feed herself.  Her devoted husband, Don, doesn't want to imagine life without his wife of nearly fifty years, but Mattie isn't likely to make it past their anniversary.  But when Rose, Mattie's new caretaker, and her young daughter, Jeri, enter the couple's life, happiness and the possibility for new memories return.  Together they form a family, and Mattie is finally able to pass on her memories from the hope chest she received from her mother.  With each item - including a favorite doll, family dishes, an embroidered apron, and an antique Christmas ornament - the hope chest connects Mattie, Don and Rose to each other and helps them find hope again in the face of overwhelming life challenges.  A beautiful story about the unconditional love and support of family. 

This book was just okay.  I was originally excited to find it because I enjoyed her more recent book "The Receipe Box" very much.  But this one just wasn't as good.  It was overly frilly and sweet to the point of trite..  Instead of actual dialogue and story developement and character development, we got a lot of "I love yous" and weak chapters that felt disjointed.  Full of plot holes.  Sad because I really did enjoy her most recent book, so I would say she has improved.

Stars: 3

Book: Disappearance of a Scribe

 Book: Disappearance of a Scribe

Author: Dana Stabenow

Pages: 336

This is my 93rd read for the year

What Amazon says:

Alexandria, 47BC.  Cleopatra- seventh of her name, avatar of the goddess Isis, ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt - watches over her city.  The war is over, but Alexandria has suffered in its wake.  Caesar has returned to Rome, and the queen must restore her city and her kingdom to their former greatness.  But now a body has been found floating uprigth at the bottom of the sea, anchored by a weight around its feet.  It's the second corpse to be found this way, and with a city to rebuild and a kingdom to keep in line, Cleopatra cannot allow any more murders to interfere.  So she sets Tetisheri- her Eye and closest confidant - to make things right.  As she delves deeper into the mystery, Tetisheri will discover sercrets, consipracy, and danger far beyond her ken.

When I saw this book at the used books store, and read the inside cover, it sounded like something I would like.  But this book was terrible.  I finished it just because I hate not to finish books, but it was a struggle.  Not at any point would I have thought this book took place in ancient Egypt if it wasn't on the cover.  The writing was juvenile.  There was no character development.  It was written way too modern for what it was supposed to be.  The dialogue was silly and immature.  This one will be donated.

Stars: 1

Book: The Hawthorne Legacy

 Book: The Hawthorne Legacy

Author: Jennifer Barnes

Pages: 384

This is my 92nd read for the year

What Amazon says:

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions - including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.  Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined.  As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, two of the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne gradsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions.  And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.

This was a great book.  I enjoyed it almost as much as the first one.  There are a lot of surprises, great puzzles, a lot of mystery, and it makes you think.  Avery still remains a good main character, and I even like some of the side characters.  It did lose a star for me this go around for 2 reasons.  1) there seemed to be just a bit too much going on.  It felt like the author wanted to got a few different directions and I started to lose track of the story line.  2) The love story - while mild - was a lot more prevalent in this book.  Yes, I know it is YA and I appreciate that the author keeps it very PG, but it was more central this go around.  Otherwise - strong read and Barnes is a really good writer.

Stars: 4

Book: The Poppy War

 Book: The Poppy War

Author: R.F. Kuang

Pages: 545

This is my 91st read for the year

What Amazon Says:

When Rin aced the Keju - the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies - it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn't believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin's guardians, who believe they'd finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who relized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence.  That she got into Sinegard - the most elite military school in Nikan - was even more surprising.  But surprses aren't always good.  Becasue being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard.  Targeted from the outside by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a leathal, unearthly power - an apitutde for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism.  Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seeingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive - and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.  For while the Nikara Empire is at peach, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea.  The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second.  And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away.  Rin's shamanic powers may be the only way to save her peoplle.  But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity - and that is may already be too late.

This was a pretty good book.  I almost didn't read it because I have not enjoyed the author's other books.  But the idea of the book drew me in ao I gave it a chance.  The story moved along at a pretty good clip.  The action scenes are well written and there is pretty good character development.  The book is gruesome though - espeically near the end.  Also - I should have read it instead of listening to it.  I do not like her chosen reader - she made Rin seem weaker than I think the author intended.  This is a first book in a series, but I don't think I will continue.

Stars: 4

Book: Everything is TB

 Book: Everything is TB

Author: John Green

Pages: 206

This is my 90th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia.  Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustics and inequity we blazed for it.  In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone.  John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile.  In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequitites that allow this curable, preventable infectious disease to also be the deadlist, killing over a million people a year.  John tells Henry's story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world - and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.

This was a good book.  I learned a lot about the history of TB and how it is still such a prevalent threat in many parts of the world.  I liked how Green continued the story of one kid - Henry - throughout the facts about TB.  It is an easy read and I got through it in an evening.  I was a little surprised he didn't mention Gates and his work with TB, but otherwise a solid read.  I also enjoyed that he included Henry's social media handles so I could look him up.

Stars: 4

Book: In Our Likeness

 Book: In Our Likeness

Author: Bryan VanDyke

Pages: 224

This is my 89th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Graham Gooding is a leader at a tech start-up when his brilliant coworker - and work crush - Nessie Locke asks for help testing a new algorithm.  Graham jumps at the chance to impress her, and to improve his floundering personal life.  He soon discovers that the algo is more powerful than Nessie - or anyone - realizes.  It was built to detect lies on the internet, but when Graham makes a small edit to Nessie's online profile, hoping to see if the program will catch the lie, Nessie changes in real life.  The algo can alter the real world.  Now, so can Graham.  No one knows what Graham has done, except his boss, enigmatic tech guru David Warwick.  Graham is racked with guilt, but Warwick thrills to the possibilites of what they can do next.  This promises to be the innovation that will make Warwick a household name.  Drawn by the power of the algo but terrified by its potential for chaos, Graham must decide what to do and whome to trust in a world where one true reality no longer exists.  As love, trust, memories, and what it means to be human begin to slip away, Graham and Nessie work together to resotre the past - before it's lost to the anarchy of a world without truth.

This book was okay.  I got it free from Amazon first reads and it fit a reading challenge category.  I liked the beginning.  I liked where the story was going when an algorithm was changing things in real life.  But then it got very convoluted and hard to follow and I started to lose interest.  It wrapped up fine.

Stars: 3

Book: A Killing Cold

 Book: A Killing Cold

Author: Kate Alice Marshall

Pages: 304

This is my 88th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

A wirlwind romance.  When Theodora Scott met Connor - wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family - she fell in love in an instant.  Six monhs later, he's brought her to Idlewood, his family's isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.  Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can't ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place.  Then, in a dusused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a phot of herself as a child.  A photo taken at Idlewood.  Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments o her memories.  Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger.  Because the Daltons do not lose, and discoering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.

This was a pretty good book.  I have read two other Marshall books and have liked them both.  This story flows well and there is good character development.  The mystery keeps you wanting to continue to read to see where it is going.  I was a little surprised by who the killer was.  The ending wrapped up the story nicely.  I did find the family a bit too hard on Theo - sometimes I think authors take the hate too far.  But that is a personal opinion.

Stars: 4

Book: The Book of Tahl

 Book: The Book of Tahl

Author: Tahl Leibovitz

Pages: 160

This is our 87th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

He stands 5'3" on badly deformed feet.  Bone tumors prevent him from straightening his arms or flexing his wrists.  His hands and feet sweat excessively, forcing him to change socks several times a day.  And from the age of 14 to 21, he was homeless, sleeping in subway cars and on roof tops, stealing food, clothes and money, and defending himself from the violent attacks of those who prey on the homeless.  49 year old Tahl Leibovitz is one of the most highly decorated and celebrated American table tennis players of all-time, a Paralympic Gold Medalist and USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame inductee who will represent the US at the 2024 Paris Olympics/Paralympics in late August.  He is also a high school dropout who went on to earn four college degrees, including a master's in social work from NYU's Silver School of Social Work.  Today, he is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a thriving psychotherapy practice in NYC.

So - this is a hard book to review, so I won't do much.  What Tahl went through was extraordinary and he should be commended for what he went through to get there.  It isn't well written - very disjointed.  But overall - to see him come out of a terrible situation to be a successful man was worth the read.

Book: When The Moon Hits Your Eye

 Book: When The Moon Hits Your Eye

Author: John Scalzi

Pages: 336

This is my 86th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Now humanity has to deal with it.  For some it's an opportunity.  For others it's a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything.  Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty.  And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now - something absolutely impossible.  Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives - over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their momentin the moonlight.  To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve.  All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you'd expect, and then to so many places you wouldn't.  

This book is great.  I am a Scalzi fan and the more books I read by him, the happier I am that I found him.  He is a terrific writer.  He is clever, and funny, and his sci fi and just all around entertaining.  They aren't hard reads and I like his character development and story telling.  He can jam pack a story into 300-400 pages and keep you wanting to read without stopping.  He takes a lot of unrelated stories in the various stories which all revolve around the moon turning to cheese and what they were going to do about it.  Read it in two days and look forward to his next book.

Stars: 5

Book: Between the Lines

 Book: Between The Lines

Author: Jodi Piccoult

Pages: 368

This is my 85th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

What happen when happily ever after - isn't?  Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book - one book in particular.  Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real.  Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving.  He really speaks to Delilah.  And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her.  Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince.  He's a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermines.  He's sure there's more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

This book was just fine.  I didn't really love the characters.  I liked the idea of the story, and I read it for a reading challenge (the character becomes part of the story), but otherwise I probably would have skipped this one.  I do like Piccoults books. This was definitely YA, and the main characters was very immature.  The ending was weird and a let down.  I was left with too many questions about characters that I really never connected with.

Stars: 3

Book: More or Less Maddy

 Book: More or Less Maddy

Author: Lisa Genova

Pages: 368

This is my 84th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Maddy Banks is just like any other stressed-out freshman at NYU.  Between schoolwork, exams, navigating life in the city, and a reent breakup, it's normal to be feeling overwhelmed.  It doesn't help that she's always felt like the odd one out in her picture-perfect Connecticut family.  But Maddy's latest low is devastatingly low, and she goes on an antidepressant.  She begins to feel good, dazzling in fact, and she soon spirals high into a wild and terrifying mania that culminates in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.  As she struggles to find her way in this new reality, navigating the complex effects bipolar has on her identity, her relationships, and her life dreams, Maddy will have to figure out how to manage being both too much and not enough.

This was an interesting book.  I usually like Genova's books - she is a Harvard trained Neuroscience that has made quite the career of being a fictional writer about very real neurological disorders.  But this one missed the mark just a bit for me.  This is a tough subject and I think I learned a lot.  I just didn't like the Maddy character.  It gets a bit repetitive and the comedy bits are cringy.  Didn't connect with any of the characters and just was hoping for more.  I wanted to root for Maddy, but this particular character - it was too hard to do.

Stars: 3

Book: Valley

 Book: Valley

Author: Stacey McEwan

Pages: 400

This is my 83rd read for the year

What Amazon says:

At the bottom of the Chasm, Dawsyn and her followers traipse through the darkness to find their long-awaited home.  But there are whispers all around them and safety is never guaranteed.  With her powers much depleted, and food supplies running low, will they even survive the journey?  Above, the Queen and the new King of Glaca still bay for Dawsyn's blood, and they will not stop in their quest to destory her.  And with the help of someone Dawsyn thought her friend, they creep ever closer.  Long buried secrets will be revealed, hearts will be broken and a new day will dawn.  Who will reign in this climactic conclusion to the epic Glacian Trilogy?

This was a good wrap up to this trilogy.  The last book was awhile ago, but I didn't have trouble jumping back into the the world.  McEwan is a great writer.  The story flowed well, and there is good character development.  Dawsyn continues to be a powerful character.  The love story with she and Ryon did not distract from the overall mission she and the folks from the Ledge were trying to accomplish.  We get to learn Ryon's backstory.  There are some twists and turns and it has a satisfying ending.  She wrapped up the story well.

Stars: 4

Book: Anastasia

 Book: Anastasia

Author: Sophie Lark

Pages: 686

This is my 82nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Anastasia is the princess no one needs: the fourth daughter born to an emperor without a son, and the only royal lacking a magical gift.  Until she collides with a young Cossack rebel, changing both their lives forever.  Damien is taken from everything he knows and raised as a ward of the Romanovs.  Anastasia develops a strange king of magic shared only by the Black Monk Rasputin.  While her power grows in secret, boosted by forbidden contact with Damien, Anastasia makes a mistake with terrible consequences.  Fate grants her a single chance to set it right - but saving what she lost may cost everything she loves.

This was a very interesting book.  It is a different take on the Romanov family story mixed with magic and it kept me interested for the entire book.  There is good character development and a large battle I did not see coming.  The story flowed well for the first 3/4 of the book and I was anxious to see where it was going.  Then for a part of the book - the romance took over to the point that I found myself wanting to skip ahead to see if we got back to the original story.  And it did.  I am not a big romance fan, so in my opinion it took over more than necessary.  However, the underlying story mixed with Fantasy made up for it.

Stars: 4

Book: The Horse Dancer

 Book: The Horse Dancer

Author: Jojo Moyes

Pages: 464

This is my 81st book of the year

What Amazon says:

When Sarah's grandfather gives her a beautiful horse named Boo - hoping that one day she'll follow in his footsteps to join an elite French riding school, away from their gritty London neighborhood - she quietly trains in city's parts and alleys.  But then her grandfather falls ill, and Sarah must juggle horsemanship with school and hospital visits.  Natasha, a young lawyer, is reeling after her failed marriage: her professional judgment is being questined, her new boyfriend is a let-down, and she's forced to share her house with her charismatic ex-husband.  Yet when the willful fourteen-year-old Sarah lands in her path, Natasha decides to take the girl under her wing.  But Sarah is keeping a secret - a secret that will change the lives of everyone involved forever.

This was a decent book.  Not one of my favorite Moyes books.  Felt it was a bit unbelievable since one of the main characters was a 14 year old girl.  She was incredibly self centered and selfish and that kind of character drives me crazy in books.  It didn't capture my attention like her past books have.  

Stars: 3