Lisa Leaps into 2024

I'm Lisa, an accountant/auditor, married with one son and three grandchildren, residing in Pennsylvania. I've been participating in the Category Challenge since 2008. My favorite genre is mysteries and crime, but I will occasionally dip into other genres as the mood strikes. In addition to reading, I also enjoy crossword puzzles, old movies, trying new recipes, and practicing with crochet stitches, although I haven't made anything of real consequence yet. I've made the decision to retire at the end of 2025, which makes me nervous and happy at the same time. I've purchased a two-year planner so that I can mark off the days! I look forward to seeing what everyone else is reading and losing myself in books to destress.

My challenge is going to consist of 10 categories, and I will participate in the CATS and KITS if I have any books that fit, as well as the BingoDog.

Short Story Collections
1. After the Funeral (January AlphaKIT) Library
2. Rear Window and other Murderous Tales (January MysteryKIT) Kindle
3 Pieces of Justice (Kindle) February
4 Neighbors and Other Stories (Library) February
5 Dearborn (Library) February
6 Wednesday’s Child Library, March
7 You Think It, I’ll Say It Library, April
8 This is How You Lose Her Library, May

New Books
1 The Heiress January
2 Northwoods January
3 The Fury January
4 Random in Death February
5 One of the Good Guys April
6 Table for Two April
7 She’s Not Sorry April
8 Darling Girls May
9 The Last Word May
10 Long Island May
11 Lake County May, Kindle

New To Me Authors
1 I Love It When You Lie (Kindle) February
2 Leaving (Library) February
3 Mrs March Library, March, March CalendarCAT
4 Amazing Grace Adams Kindle, March
5 Victory over Japan Kindle, May
6 Mother Daughter Murder Night Kindle, May
7 The Appeal Kindle, May

Non-Fiction
1 To Be Loved (Kindle) February
2 Medgar and Myrlie (Library) February
3 This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing (Kindle), April
4 Motherhood (Kindle), May, May CalendarCAT
5 Bad Feminist (Kindle) May
6 You Need A Budget (Kindle) May
7 What a Fool Believes Library,May

Historical Fiction
1 Sing Wild Bird Sing (Kindle) January, RandomKIT
2 Dear Mrs Bird (Kindle) March, CalendarCAT
3 Mockingbird Summer Kindle, March, AlphaKIT
4 Restless Dolly Maunder Library, April
5 The Undertaking Kindle, April
6 The Rumor Game Library, May
7 Stars Over Sunset Boulevard Library, May

One Word Titles

1 Afterlife January AlphaKIT, (Kindle)
2 Out (Library) January
3 Yellowface (Kindle) January
4 Monogamy (Kindle) April
5 Trust (Kindle) April
6 Mama (Kindle), May

Long and Shortlisted Books
1. The Rachel Incident 2024 Tournament of Books Longlist Library (Jan)
2. My Men 2024 Dublin Literary Award Longlist (Library) (Feb)
3. After This 2007 Pulitzer Finalist Kindle, March
4. Kala Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, Library, March
5. The Road Home Costa Shortlist, Kindle, April
6. Bright Young Women Edgar Nominee 2024, Kindle, April
7. Ordinary Human Failings Women's Prize Longist, Library, April
8. We Begin at the End Barry Award Nominee, Kindle, April
9. Nightbloom Women’s Prize Longlist, Kindle, May

Mysteries and Crime
1. The Quiet Tenant. Library, January
2. Death on Account Kindle, January
3. Every Last Fear Kindle February AlphaKIT
4. Dangerous to Know March, Kindle
5. The Hunter March, Library
6. Daughter of Mine April, Library
7 Friday on My Mind May, Kindle
8 The End of Her, Kindle, May
9. Her Perfect Twin Kindle, May

Series
1. Bloody January (January CalendarCAT) Kindle
2 Tuesday’s Gone Library, February
3 Waiting for Wednesday, Library, February
4 Still Water Kindle, March, AlphaKIT
5 Murder in the Tea Leaves Library, March
6 Beneath the Bleeding Kindle, April, MysteryKIT
7 April in Spain, Kindle April, MysteryKIT, April CalendarCAT
8 Thursday's Children Library, April, MysteryKIT
9 Dark Saturday Kindle, May

Fiction General and Literary
1. Goodnight Beautiful Kindle, January
2. Charming Billy Kindle, January
3. Beloved Kindle Prize and CalendarCAT, February
4 Looker Library, February
5 Everyone Here is Lying Library, March
6. Inheritance from Mother Library, March
7. The Road Home Kindle, April
8. The Body Lies Kindle, April
9. The Family Next Door Kindle, May
10. Real Americans Library, May
11 The Golden Spoon Library, May
12 Those People Library, May

CATS and KITS

Hosting:
September CalendarCAT
November Mystery KIT

BingoDog



1 The Golden Spoon
3 Beloved
4 Her Perfect Twin
6 The Heiress
7 The Appeal
9 Bright Young Women
10 Dear Mrs. Bird
11 Death on Account
12 Yellowface
13 Charming Billy
14 After the Funeral
15 The Rachel Incident
16 Murder in the Tea Leaves
17 Sing Wild Bird Sing
18 Medgar and Myrlie
19 Random in Death
23 Inheritance from Mother
25 Table for Two

Enjoy yourselves, I'll be back next year!

Ooh, snacks! :) Your nonfiction category reminds me that I'd like to try and read more nonfiction in 2024...I need to find a way to incorporate it into my challenge!

Thanks, I can use a little snack right now. The "One word title" category is great!

Snacks! Thank you, exactly what I need!

Have a great reading year, Lisa.

Welcome back and have a great reading year!

>3 lsh63: Good category! I'm assuming new means newly purchased? Best to read them straight away. Happy reading in 2024!

>15 christina_reads: Thank you Christina for visiting! Making a category for is probably the only way I will incorporate nonfiction into my reading.
>16 MissWatson: Thank you Birgit! I was looking at my books and realized that I had several that are one word titles.
>17 VivienneR: Thank you Vivienne!
>18 rabbitprincess: Thank you RP!
>19 pamelad: Thank you! In my case new is more likely to mean the new releases in 2024 that I have stalked the library for. I have to admit I also buy a lot of Kindle books when they offered as a daily or monthly deal.

You obviously know the way to stop us in our tracks - just put out some yummy snacks! I am dropping a star and looking forward to following along in 2024. :)

Good luck with your 2024 reading!

Good luck with your reading in 2024 and thanks for the snack.

I'd like to be good and say I'll have some grapes, but those cake pops have caught my eye. Looking forward to your reading and a few BBs I'm sure.

>21 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, thanks for stopping by!
>22 Tess_W: Hi Tess, thank you!
>23 lowelibrary: Thank you April and you're welcome!
>24 dudes22: Hi Betty, yes I was staring at the cake pops when I added the picture! I'll be following your reading as well.

Good luck and happy reading for 2024!

Thanks for leaving out snacks. Now what's everyone else going to eat? ;-D
Happy reading in 2024!

>26 majkia: Thank you Jean!
>27 mstrust: Thank you Jennifer! I guess it’s time for more snacks lol!

Hi and all the best for your 2024 reading! I have a nonfiction category, too, but so far I have struggled to really fill it. I hope to concentrate better on it next year.

Happy reading in 2024!
Looking forward to your long and shortlisted category - I am a bit of a prize follower as well.

>29 MissBrangwen: Thank you Mirjam! Creating a nonfiction category is the only way I can at least try to read a little more nonfiction. I have to really be in the mood for it.

>30 JayneCM: Thank you Jayne! I do enjoy looking at the prize lists when they come out. Some of the books I would probably never read, but it's fun to look.

I’ll have a stroopwafel cookie, thank you! I had to stop to say hello to a fellow accountant/auditor and crocheter!

>32 Charon07: Thanks for stopping by, I'll have to drop by and visit your thread.

Lisa, I love your categories and I'll be following your reading again in 2024, adding books to my wishlist with every visit.

>34 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay, thank you and Happy New Year!

1. Afterlife A nice quick read about Antonia, who is a little lost after the sudden death of her husband, and her interactions with her three sisters, one of whom suffers from mental illness. There is another storyline that in my opinion, wasn't needed, where Antonia comes in contact with an undocumented pregnant teenager. I would have been content to read an entire books about Antonia and her sisters.

2. Out This book was nominated for the 2004 Edgar Award for Best Novel. It's a pretty gruesome story of four women working the late shift at a bento factory, who are all living difficult lives. Masako, feels estranged from her husband and teenage son. Kuniko, vain and having a taste for things she can't afford, is abandoned by her boyfriend, and is deep in debt. Yoshie is a single mother, who is also the caretaker for her mother-in-law, who is partially paralyzed after a stroke. Yayoi is young mother who unfortunately has to leave her two young boys home along, since their father is so unreliable, and also abusive.

When Yayoi snaps and kills her husband, it sets off a chain of events that affects them all. It was a very good read.

>37 lsh63: I read Out a number of years ago and loved it. It was my first Japanese crime novel and it made me a fan of this genre.

>37 lsh63: I read this years and years ago and so much of it is still so vivid in my mind. What a great book.

>37 lsh63: This went on my WL!

Wow, I'm taking a BB for >37 lsh63:. First of the year!

>38 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I really enjoyed it, I'll have to see if the author has any more books that have been translated.
>39 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay, I must have missed this years ago, and of course it was pre-LT.
>40 Tess_W: Hi Tess, I think you'll enjoy it. I don't know if you have a Kindle but I noticed that it's on sale today.
>41 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

3 After the Funeral I'm finding that I am enjoying short story collections very much, hence the category devoted to them. Occasionally, I may need to take a break so that I don't overload on them, but I find that they fit the bill when I don't have the energy to concentrate on a complicated plot or a large cast of characters. I enjoyed the title story about nine year old Charlotte, who becomes almost a mini adult as she tries to keep her family together after her father's death. I also enjoyed the last story in the collection, "Coda" about a mother and daughter living together in the mother's house during the pandemic. The middle aged daughter and elderly woman have their routine, breakfast, naps, and longing to do things they can't due to the lockdown. Bored, the daughter becomes obsessed with the caregiver to their elderly next door neighbor.

4. Goodnight Beautiful This was a so-so thriller about a psychologist Sam, his wife Annie, and his landlord who are all keeping secrets from one another. I was a little confused in the beginning and then it became clear what was happening. There was also a complete rip off of Stephen King's Misery inserted into the story, I'm not sure why. I thought that the ending was wrapped up a little too neatly.

5. The Quiet Tenant I found this to be just a so-so psychological thriller. On the surface Aidan is perceived as a hard working family man, a pillar of his community, He is also a serial killer who has kept one of his kidnapped victims, Rachel, alive, chained in his backyard shed for five years. When Aidan's wife dies, he has no choice but to bring Rachel along, telling his daughter that she is a family friend who needs help. The story unfolds from the POV's of the nameless victims, Rachel, Aidan's daughter Cecilia, and Emily, the local restaurant owner who is captivated by Aidan's charms. I suppose I was looking for a little more suspense.

>45 lsh63: I thought it was fine, but far too predictable for all the hype it received.

6 The Rachel Incident I enjoyed this story of Rachel, who works at a bookstore, who one day meets James, and they become friends for life. Things get a bit messy when Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Byrne who has secrets of his own. James, Rachel, and Dr. Bryne's lives become even more messy. I loved the ending.

7 Bloody January This was a pretty good first in a series featuring Harry McCoy, a Glasgow detective, who works to solve the case of a teenage boy who shoots and kills a young woman, then commits suicide. Working with his brand-new partner, Mccoy soon finds himself in trouble with his superior office and Glasgow's wealthiest family, the Dunlops. I like that this series is set in the 1970's, and I liked the first book enough to continue with the series.

>46 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay, yes exactly, I was looking for a bit more suspense or a twist that came out of nowhere.

Hi everyone, I can't believe it's the middle of January already, I feel like it was just New Year's Day. I have read 7 books so far this month, but I haven't been keeping my usual speed-reading pace that usually happens at the beginning of the year. My mother fell on the day I was supposed to go back to work after the holiday and while she was in the ER, she admitted that she had fallen the week before and didn't tell anyone. Not only that, she also wasn't eating any of the food that we prepared and dropped off. Thankfully there was no damage from the two incidents, but needless to say I insisted (while also being respectful) that she come to my house which is all on one floor.

I don't think she can return to her home, and when I was at her house, I was mentally looking at all the things she's "let's say collected", which if my hoarding hubby gets his hands on them and brings them to our small house, I will be drowning in stuff and it's making me twitchy.

While reorganizing I did find several books that I've had forever that I will make an effort to read and release this year. My reading time is taking a small hit, but I still get it in, I nicely told my mom that Lisa needs some unwind time from early evening until bedtime. I start work very early, so it's a must.

We're taking it one day at a time, but there will be difficult discussions and changes ahead. My anxiety has lessened now that she is at my house, I wasn't able to concentrate on much of anything when I had the feeling that she wasn't doing well.

Although it can be difficult, I am sure that you feel better having your Mom close so you can keep an eye on things. It's good that you keep some time for yourself to relax, rejuvenate and get your reading in.

Wishing you and your mom the best as you navigate those tough decisions, Lisa!

>37 lsh63: I've taken a BB on Out. Thank you!

>48 lsh63: Isn't it funny how we all see the same book differently. As we discussed in another thread Bloody January was a disappointment for me. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>50 lsh63: Sorry to hear about your mother. It's a very difficult and worrying time. I expect her eating will improve when she has people around. I wish you both well.

>51 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy, one day at a time and deep breaths seems to be the way to go.
>52 christina_reads: Thanks Christina! I'm getting some of my reading groove back, so that's helping.
>53 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne, you're welcome! Yes you're right, my mother's eating has improved, in fact she asked for seconds last night, and it made me happy!

I'm so glad you're able to step in and have your mom at home with you. You're lucky to have each other.
I probably would have talked my mom into coming to live with us by now except that we live in a tri-level.
>43 lsh63: Taking a BB, it sounds really good!

>50 lsh63: That's quite an adjustment, Lisa. But you'll all adjust in time and find a new normal. Good luck preventing things from migrating over. Your reading so far this year is very good and I've taken two book bullets already.

>55 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, yes I am fortunate as she will be 94 in April and her mind is still sharp as a tack, perhaps sharper than her children on some days.

>56 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay, yes in time we will find a new normal. Mother and hubby are both fond of memorabilia, and keeping things "just in case" they can be used someday. In my husband's case I frequently make things disappear then pretend that I don't know what happened to them, such as six month old newspapers. I get keeping photos, obituaries, sentimental items of those who are no longer with us, but my mother in law had at least 100 elephants in their three story family home and I told hubby to keep three. My mom has a box of my father's ties from the 1970's and he's been gone 20 years. It's going to be rough but hopefully we can all compromise lol. I'm glad you took two BB's!

>57 lsh63: I was sorry to hear about your mother’s fall, but I’m glad to hear she’s doing better now that she’s with you. I tend to be a bit of a hoarder myself, and I’m getting to an age where I think I need to downsize a lot so that folks aren’t cursing me for having to clear out my junk when I’m gone.

>58 Charon07: Thank you. The decluttering is something that I think about all of the time. At least my mother's things are pretty organized, so that will make things a bit easier.

8 The Heiress This book turned out to be quite the page turner. It's a messy family story about Ruby McTavish, who when she died, was North Carolina's richest woman. She also managed to outlive four husbands and was also kidnapped when she was a child. After her death, her adopted son Camden wants nothing to do with the family wealth or the property known as Ashby House, but his wife Jules has other ideas. I loved reading Ruby's letters to an unnamed person detailing the events of her life, in particular the circumstantial deaths of her husbands, and her motive for adopting her son. Her narrative, along with Jules and Cam's POV's make for an interesting read.

>60 lsh63: - I'll take a BB for that.

>60 lsh63: I've been hit by a BB for this one!

9 Northwoods This book is part police procedural and part mystery, set in a town named Shaky Lake, in Wisconsin. The main character Eli, works as a deputy in the very small department, which is complicated by the fact that his mother Marge, is the sheriff. Eli is suffering from PTSD from his deployment in Afghanistan, is drinking a lot, and it's affecting his marriage and career. One night he finds the body of a teenage boy, and also learns that there is a teenage girl missing. Because the department is so shortstaffed and underfunded, the department is aided by a, Alyssa, an FBI agent to assist with both cases. The main storyline was resolved, however there were a few loose threads that make me think perhaps, there might be a sequel in the future.

10 Rear Window and other Murderous Tales This collection includes the classic "Rear Window", as well as 8 other stories, one of which was published after Cornell Woolrich's death. The majority of the stories delve into the psychology of the mind under pressure when commiting a crime or being accused of one. I enjoyed them all, but the ones that stood out for me were "The Corpse Next Door" where a man becomes so enraged about his stolen milk, that he kills the thief, and hides his body in the apartment next door, which slowly makes him lose his sanity. "Two Murders One Crime" is a two part story about how an innocent man is charged and executed for a murder he didn't commit, and the police detective who beomes obsessed and vows to make the guilty party pay for a later crime that he didn't commit.

>61 dudes22:, >62 Tess_W: Hi Betty and Tess, I hope you enjoy the book when you get to it.

>64 lsh63: I really like Woolrich and have several of his books, but I still don't have Rear Window, and the other stories sounds good too. Well, I just have to get that one!

11 Death on Account I was hit with a BB from DeltaQueen50 (Judy), when I read her review of Speak for the Dead. I was immediately intrigued and went off to the Kindle rabbit hole of looking for books by this author. I hadn't heard of Margaret Yorke before, and none of her books are available at my library, but there were quite a few available through KindleUnlimited and also at a reduced price. Death on Account is the story of a henpecked husband named Ronnie, who has finally had enough of his domineering wife Isabel bossing him around. One day Ronnie snaps and steals money from the bank where he works, dreams of getting rid of Isabel for good, and changing his life. Of course things didn't quite work out for him in the end. It was a very good read, and I have plans for more of this author's books in the near future.

I love Rear Window by Cornell Woolrich but I love even more the film by Alfred Hitchcock. The changes that Hitchcock made only enhanced the story and the casting- James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter were perfect!

>68 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, the movie Rear Window was great. I love Thelma Ritter!

12 Charming Billy This book won the 1998 National Book Award for Fiction. The story begins at the funeral of Billy and skips back and forth over the years. The reader learns that Billy was an alcoholic, but was beloved by his many friends and family. The narrative is told from the POV of his cousin Dennis's daughter, and also others who were at the funeral. The last chapter was excellent.

13 The Fury This was supposed to be a thriller, but I didn't find it very suspenseful at all. A movie star and her friends take a trip to her private Greek island where of course someone is murdered. The storyline was very slow moving , and the narrator maybe tried a bit too hardt to be clever. There were also jumping timelines and a plot twist that was just weird. I loved The Silent Patient, so I thought this would be a better read.

14 Sing Wild Bird Sing This was a story about a young woman named Honora, who travels from 19th century Ireland during the famine via New York to the American West. She has know hunger, loss, and various setbacks in her life, but she remains determined to have a new life in America, on her own terms, shunning the idea of what society believes a woman's role is supposed to be. I loved that she was a better shot than her husband!

15 Yellowface I'm not usually one for satire, but I enjoyed every bit of this book. June Hayward, who is White, takes her deceased Asian "friend" Athena's manuscript, finishes it, and publishes it as her own work. June obtains the recognition and fame she feels that she richly deserves, then her world crumbles around her as the haters flood social media platforms accusing her of plagiarism, as well as accusing her of racism. June is a horrible character, but I have to admit I found myself feeling just a little bit sorry for her.

The month started off for me with a abrupt change in my hybrid work schedule as well as some challenges with my mom and her health, but I am finding my "new normal", and balancing blocking out time to read, relax and handle everything on my to do lists. It's a work in progress but I'm getting there.

I read 15 books this month:

12 female authors
3 male authors
7 library books
8 Kindle books

My best books of the month, both rated at 4.5 stars, were Out and The Rachel Incident.

16. I Love It When You Lie I enjoyed my first read of the month about the Williams sisters, Tara, June and Clementine all come together for the funeral of the grandmother who raised them. Each sister has either a dark secret or issue that they're dealing with. Also featured in the story is their sister in law Stephanie and Lottie, Tara's teenage daughter. The book begins with the investigation of a missing man that the sheriff suspects someone in the family had something to do with. We don't know if the missing man is Tara or June's husband or Clementine's boyfriend. I love the strength of the sisterly bond, even including the sister in law that they kept at a distance.

17 To Be Loved Reading about Berry Gordy's early life and the magic of Motown is always an interesting read. In his autobiography, he recounts his family's struggles, his career path before he lived, breathed, and worked around the clock to make Motown. It was inspiring to read about how he fulfilled his dreams even when the odds were stacked against him. I was especially interested in the parts where he goes back and forth with the decision to finally sell Motown, and I can see from a dollars and cents perspective, why he did it. I also learned about many songs he wrote that I had assumed were written by the artists themselves. As an added plus, my husband who usually doesn't have the attention span to read for long periods of time, is also reading this book and is enjoying it.

18 Beloved I'm slowly getting over my intimidation of reading Toni Morrison's works, although admittedly, some of what I've read so far requires a bit of work "to get it". This books won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and it's protagonist, Sethe is haunted by her past memories of her former home and family and friends. She was born a slave and was able to escape to Ohio, but her house is occupied by the angry ghost of her deceased baby whose tombstone was marked Beloved.

I did not realize that the book is based on the real life story of Margaret Garner. The storyline and the POV's jumped back and forth a bit, and it was challenging for me to read, but I'm glad that I finally did.

19 Random in Death This book is number 58 in the Eve Dallas series, and as usual, it did not disappoint. In this one, a psychotic young man going around injecting young girls at large events with deadly toxins and drugs. After two deaths and a further attempt, she and her team work around the clock to try to figure out where the killer will strike next, and if the victims are random or known to the killer.

20 Pieces of Justice After being hit with a BB by Judy (DeltaQueen50) for her review of Speak for the Dead, I immediately took a look at the Kindle offerings for this author. Pieces of Justice is a short story collection where most of the stories feature someone exacts justice by committing murder. Most of the stories are set in a vacation setting where in quite a few of them someone just happens to be near a cliff that they could be pushed over. I really enjoyed the first story, "The Liberator", where a woman helps to get rid of annoying people by arranging accident for them on vacation, but then the tables are turned on her in a very nice twist.

21 Every Last Fear
This was a mediocre thriller about a young college student named Matt, whose parents and younger brother and sister are all murdered on a family vacation in Mexico. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time that the family has endured a tragic situation and found themselves in the news. Matt's older brother Danny is serving a life sentence for the murder of his girlfriend Charlotte. Danny's story became the subject of a true crime documentary which suggested that Danny is innocent. When the real killer of Danny's girlfriend and the truth about Matt's family was finally revealed, I felt as though the ending was a bit rushed.

22 Neighbors and Other Stories I loved every single one of these short stories, with the exception of one, which was written in a confusing manner and may have been a form of some sort of experimentation. The collection contains a very nice introduction by Tayari Jones, who writes that "Diane Oliver could very well have been included with the likes of Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison and Ann Petry." Sadly, Oliver was killed in a tragic accident in 1966, when she was just 22 years of age.

This collection contains stories published during her lifetime in various magazines and anthologies, and a few that were published posthumously. Most of the stories revolve around the everyday struggles of Black family life. In the title story, a family wonders if busing the youngest member of the family to an integrated school is the right thing to do if it puts them all in danger. In "Traffic Jam", Libby, a young mother is a maid, who while tending to the needs of her employer, worries about her own children, and wondering when her husband will return. "Health Service" is just heartbreaking as a mother walks with her four children to seek health care at the county clinic, only to be told that the doctors were leaving early and that should come back another day.

>77 lsh63: I usually never say this, but I liked the movie better than the book in this case!

>82 Tess_W: Hi Tess, that is interesting, for some reason I never saw the movie, but I will see if I can find it. Now I’m wondering if there’s a list somewhere of “the movie was better than the book.”

23 My Men I took a BB from Kay(RidgewayGirl) for this one. She warned me, but my curiousity about the storyline got me. The book is based on the life of a Norwegian maid who later became a Midwestern farmwife, Belle Guiness, the first femal serial killer in American history. The murders and ultimate body count were written almost as an afterthougj, so the reader never really gains any insight into Belle's psyche, leaving me a little unsure about what I read.

>81 lsh63: Oh, this sounds wonderful. Thanks for the book bullet!

Hi Lisa, I enjoyed reading your comments and I took BBs for Sing Wild Bird Sing and Neighbors and Other Stories!

>85 RidgewayGirl: Happy to return the favor! I’m about to fit in one of your BB’s, Dearborn.

>86 MissBrangwen: Hi Mirjam, Thank you, and I hope you enjoy them both!

24 Tuesday’s Gone It's been about three years since I read Blue Monday, so I thought I would read the next book in the series just to make sure that I want to continue with it. When a social worker does a wellness check on one of her clients, she discovers that she is serving tea to a naked, decomposing corpse. The police, unable to determine what happened, call upon Frieda to see if she can help them with the case. Frieda is a complex character, aloof and closed off, yet caring. The corpse is eventually identified as Rober Poole, a con man, but the question becomes who killed him? I'm looking forward to reading Waiting for Wednesday in the near future.

25 Leaving The story of how a chance encounter between Warren and Sarach, who broke up in college over 40 years ago, sets off a chain of events in their lives. They realize that the passion between them is still there, however while Sarah is divorced, Warren is still married to his wife Janet. Sarah lives outside of New York, while Warren lives in Boston. Warren wants to leave his marriage, however his daughter's reaction to his affair causes him to realize that he could lose her forever. The ending was excellent.

26 Medgar and Myrlie This was a fitting read for the month of February in which we celebrate Black History Month and Valentine's Day. Myrlie Evers met her future husband Medgar on her first day of college and immediately fell in love. She knew a life with him would be a dangerous one, yet love prevailed as he relentlessly fought for civil rights in his native Mississippi. Admittedly, I did not know anything about Mr. Evers, only that he was murdered at his home on June 12th, 1963. His death has been described as the first in a series horrible assassinations that later included John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

Justice for his assassination took almost 30 years , but was finally served in 1994. Mr. Evers served as the first field secretary for the NAACP, organizing protests and voter registration drives, and pushing for school integration. The book recounts Myrlie's frustration at times out of fear for the lives of her husband, herself and their three children. Her faith in her huband's work gave her the hope that whatever happened to him would not be in vain. Myrlie later became an activist in her own right, later serving in the role of national chair of the NAACP.

27 Dearborn This was another BB from Kay(RidgewayGirl), and I have to say that I enjoyed every single one of the short stories in the collection. I cracked up when reading "Speedoman", which was about the alternating POV's of husbands and wives when a man enters their community pool with a pink robe and wearing a Speedo. "Marseille" was particularly moving which was about a woman's lost love with the sinking of the Titantic.

>92 lsh63: I'm glad you loved it, too. Speedoman was definitely a stand-out in a very good collection.

28 Waiting for Wednesday I'm enjoying the Frieda Klein series, after not being 100% sure that I would continue with it since it's been three years since I read the first book. There are way too many series to try to catch up on, sometimes it's years before I go back to them and I feel as though I sometimes forget certain characters or previous storylines. Frieda finds herself involved with the case of a mother who is found murdered in her own home. Her three children seek Frieda out as they all struggle with their mother's death, as well as handling her own family issues with her sister-in-law and niece. As if that wasn't enough she finds herself teaming up with an ex journalist who is tracking a serial killer. I'm glad I decided to continue with this series.

29 Looker I picked this up because I really enjoyed How Can I Help You. I found Looker to be less of a thriller and more of a sad account of what happens to a woman who slowly unravels after dealing with years of unsuccessful fertility treatments, her husband leaving her, and her becoming obsessed with her neighbor which results in disaster.

Happy March everyone:

February was a rough month in my house, with hospitalizations for both my mother and myself. Me with a nosebleed that scared me right to the ER, and for my mother a fall. My brother thought he might have COVID, but thankfully it's just a viral infection. My mom is in a rehab facility right now, and has been there for about a week. I want her to return to my house, but I now realize she will need to use a walker and I probably need to have someone at my house while I'm at work. I still managed to read 14 books, which was pretty good considering most days I was pretty tired. I'm hoping that things improve in March and I'm glad to see February go.

9 female authors
3 male authors
2 by a male/female duo

9 library books
5 Kindle books

My best books of the month were Beloved, Neighbors and Other Stories, and Medgar and Myrlie. I was forewarned by Kay (RidgewayGirl) about My Men, and read it anyway, it was just ok.

>96 lsh63: Ha! I did tell you.

Best wishes to your Mom, Lisa. I hope she recovers and comes home soon. I picked The Witch Elm to read for the Bingo Square about reading a book from another LTers library as it's one of the hundreds of books that we have in common.

Sorry to hear about your mother. I hope she recovers soon and returns home to you. And I know from my husband's experience nose bleeds can be pretty alarming.

Even with the health issues, it was a good month for reading.

Wishing you and your mother all the best!

>97 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay,yes you did. I’m glad it wasn’t that long of a book!
>98 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy and thank you! I’m going to read The Death of Sweet Mister for my Bingo square from a similar library (yours). Holy cow we have a lot of books in common!
>99 VivienneR: Thank you Vivienne. It freaked me out along with the maskless doctor who treated me. It was a good reading month even with everything that was going on.
>100 christina_reads: Thank you Christina!

>96 lsh63: I hope your March goes better than your February, and best wishes to your mother.

I hope both you and your mother are doing better!

30 Everyone Here is Lying I was in the mood for something that wouldn't require a lot of concentration, and this fit the bill. William Wooler is having an affair with Nora. When Nora ends things, he returns home to find his 9 year old daughter Avery there. Avery was supposed to wait and come home with her older brother Michael, but Avery doesn't do as she's told. William loses his temper with his daughter, leaves the house and returns later to find out that Avery is missing. The question becomes did someone take her or do something horrible to her? Avery reminds me quite a bit of young Rhoda in The Bad Seed, and the conclusion was kind of twisted but expected.

>102 mathgirl40: Thank you Paulina!
>103 Charon07: Thank you!

31 Still Water I'm a big fan of this series, but I didn't find this one to be a page turner. It could be because I came down with a cold for the first time in about five years and couldn't concentrate that much. A lot of change takes place in this book; Lynn Kellogg leaves Resnick's squad and joins the Major Crimes Squad, headed by no other than Helen Siddons. Resnick also becomes involved when a colleague of his girlfriend Hannah disappears.

32 Mrs. March I probably shouldn't have read this book while taking cold medicine, because there were times I wasn's sure what I was reading. Mrs. March is the wife of famous author Mr. March (George), is obsessed with appearances and her comfortable lifestyle. When a storekeeper tells Mrs. March that she resembles the protagonist in her husband's newest novel, she becomes anxious and paranoid, since the main character is a prostitute. This one remark causes Mrs. March's questioning her husband's actions and her downward sprial into insanity. This book has all the makings of a Hitchcockesque movie.

33 Dangerous to Know This is another book I read in my week of taking Dayquil, napping and drinking tea. For years Hermoine has been abused and oppressed by her husband Walter. After years of being his domestic slave, she slowly starts to rebel and carve out a life for herself. Meanwhile, Walter is secretly visiting prostitutes and taking his anger out on them. At first Walter is too busy with his activities to notice what Hermoine is up to, but when he does, it leads to a dangerous showdown.

34 Dear Mrs. Bird This book was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Set in London during World War II, Emmy dreams of becoming a war correspondent, and due to her not paying attention at her job interview, finds herself employed as a typist for an eccentric advice columnist, Mrs. Bird. Mrs. Bird has specific rules that any letters containing what she considers to be unpleasant are to be destroyed. Emmy can't help but sympathize with many of the women's problems and takes it upon herself to answer some of the letters in secret. I loved the friendship between Emmy and her best friend Bunty.

35 Amazing Grace Adams I loved every aspect of this book about Grace's quest to give her estranged daughter, Lotte, an expensive cake for her birthday. On her way to Lotte's birthday party, Grace gets stuck in a traffic jam, hasing hot flashes, and decides to leave her car since she doesn't want to be late. As Grace walks to the bakery and then to her ex-husband's house, she reflects on her life, why her daughter doesn't want anything to do with her, and the events in her life that has her on the brink of snapping. As the story develops, the reader learns why Grace is a little out of control and how her husband and daughter were also affected.

36 Murder in the Tea Leaves In this 27th book in the series, the Indigo Tea Shop is in charge of providing the catering for the cast and crew on ta movie set. When the director is killed, Delaine briefly becomes a suspect. Shortly thereafter, a member of the Charleston Film Board is also killed. Drayton was featured a little more in this book, which I loved. I wouldn't mind if the author shook things up a bit in the future, maybe a wrinkle in Theo's relationship with Riley?

37 The Hunter This book is sequel to The Searcher, and continues the story of Cal Hooper, ex Chicago police officer, who moved to rural Ardnakelty Ireland in search of peace. He is slowly being accepted by the community, has a good relationship with a local woman named Lena, and has also had a positive influence on young Trey. When Trey's father shows up out of nowhere along with an English millionaire and a get rich scheme, trouble brews and threatens the community. Cal and Lena vow to do whatever it takes to protect Trey, but will she listen to them or will her desire for revenge get in the way? This was a character driven slow burner novel, and even though the reader probably realizes who the murder victim will be, and it takes a while for things to happen, it was still a very good read. I'm almost over my hope for more books featuring the Dublin Murder Squad, and hope that there's a book 3 with Cal and Trey.

38 Inheritance from Mother The theme of this book explores the relationship between mothers and daughters. The main character, Mitsuki, is not a mother, she is a wife and the daughter who cares for her difficult aging mother. Her sister Natsuki, the favorite, is talented, beautiful, and married to a wealthy man. For many reasons the bulk of the caregiving duties fall on Mitsuki. As Mitsuki is torn between her difficult relationship with her mother and her realization that her mother is unable to care for herself, she also discovers that her husband is having an affair with a younger woman and probably wants to divorce her. The first part of the novel lays out the backstory of Mitsuki, her sister Natsuki and their mother Noriko. The second part focuses on Mitsuki's life after her mother's death, and how she tries to create a new life for herself.

I found this book to be a very interesting read about the cultural mores of Japanese family life and geriatric care. It was published as a serial novel in a Japanese newspaper with sixty six chapters over a two-year period, so there was a bit of repetition, but it didn't detract from my reading experience.

>107 lsh63: O...that one does sound good! A BB for me!

39 After This This book follows the lives of the Keane family father John, mother Mary, and their four children Jacob, Michael, Annie and Claire. Because the story was told through a series of vignettes, and with the abrupt jumps in the timeline, I never really connected with any of the characters. Although not highly rated on LT, the book was a Pulitzer Fiction Prize finalist in 2007.

>114 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it Tess!

The last few days have been rough, my mother passed away last Wednesday. Although she would have been 94 next month, it was hard to reconcile the fact that she was sitting up, alert and spunky one day, then lethargic and in pain the next. The rehab facility apparently didn’t think she needed to go to the hospital even after not eating for four days. When we finally insisted that she go, she was gone the next morning. I don’t think the outcome would have been different, and I need to let it go, and I will.Her passing was two days before the anniversary of my father’s 21 years ago. I have been trying to keep myself busy and trying to settle on a book because she loved to read as well, and she would be the first to say take some time out for myself.

>117 lsh63: Sorry for the loss of your mother

Lisa, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad for your mother's sake that the end came quickly, but that does make it a shock for you. Take care of yourself.

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your Mom, Lisa. I know what a difficult time this must be for you and your family. Take care of yourself and remember the good times that you shared with her.

>117 lsh63: Oh Lisa, I'm so sorry. What a shock for that to happen so suddenly. Sending strength and hoping that the right book finds you to help you take care of yourself.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom, Lisa. I hope you can find comfort in the memories you have.

>118 lowelibrary:,>119 RidgewayGirl:, >120 DeltaQueen50:, >121 rabbitprincess:, >122 dudes22: Thank you so much April, Kay, Judy, RP and Betty.

I didn't know you, or your mother, but as a 90 Year old person, I know what I want my family members to do after I am gone. That is to memorialize the wonderful times we had together. Laugh a lot and cry a little but thankful for what she left you with.

So sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. Take care of yourself during this hard time.

Sorry to here of your mother's passing. Take care of your family and remember the good times.

>117 lsh63: I’m so sorry for your loss. Absolutely take some time for yourself.

>124 JoeB1934:, >125 christina_reads:, >126 hailelib:, >127 Charon07: Thank you so much. I have to get through the service tomorrow, then I will be indulging in some alone time to be with my thoughts and self care.

40 Mockingbird Summer I enjoyed this coming-of-age story set in a segregated Texas town in 1964. Thirteen-year-old Corky Corcoran sets out to become friends with 16-year-old America, the daughter of her family's Haitian housekeeper, and shares her favorite new book with her, To Kill a Mockingbird.When Corky asks America to play with her girls' softball team for the church, it sets off tension and violence in her town. The events of the summer of 1964, change Corky in ways that she could never have imagined. I loved the depiction of small-town life in Texas, and Corky's discovery of world events outside of where she resides.

41 Kala It's 2018, and Kala's friends Helen, Joe and Mush reflect on the events of 2003 that led to her disappearance and the discovery of her remains. The pacing is rather slow, but then things picked up and it became a page turner for me. The plot and the dual timelines are very well constructed, and I was completely surprised as to what led to Kala's disappearance and her subsequent death.

I only visited your thread today, but I want to add my condolences. I hope you have some time for self care now.

Sorry for your loss, I lost my mother 2 weeks ago and I know how rough it can be.

>131 MissBrangwen:, >132 Tess_W:, Thank you Mirjam and Tess.

I'm spending a quiet reflective day, as my husband and I aren't really Easter people. We were invited to dinner, however I conveyed to everyone that I really wasn't up to a lot of people as I'm still recovering from all of the hustle and bustles of getting things in order and the service last week. There will be a lot to take care of in the coming days along with those first holidays and birthdays, but I'm taking it one day at a time. I took another week off from work, partly because I've had my fill of my boss, and I was "working" at times during my bereavement leave last week. I'm looking forward to getting back to reading and I am looking forward to a new month tomorrow.

I won't read any more books this month, so here's my March recap:

13 books read
6 Kindle books
7 Library books
2 male authors
11 female authors
My highest rated books for the month were Amazing Grace Adams and Wednesday's Child.

I forgot my last read for March:



42. Wednesday's Child Most of the stories in this collection are about the love and loss of women who have emigrated from China and are beautifully written. The longest story " Such a Common Life" is about the lives of two women, Dr. Ditmus, and her caregiver, Ida. The story captures the past, their loves, and the future. The title story depicts a woman's grief over her deceased daughter, born on a Wednesday. Surprisingly, reading these stories was not depressing, they were that good.

>135 lsh63: I'm looking forward to that one. She's so good at short stories.

Condolences on the loss of your mum, Lisa.

>136 RidgewayGirl: More short stories you say? I had no idea, I will investigate.
>137 pamelad: Thank you so much, Pam.

>138 lsh63: The collection I read was called A Thousand Years of Good Prayers and it was wonderful.

43 Beneath the Bleeding This is the fifth book in the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series. In this installment, Tony's leg is severely injured and he spends most of the book in the hospital. His physical injuries don't prevent him from providing assistance to Carol's team as they investigate a series of lethal poisonings and an explosion. I love the way Tony holds steadfast in his belief that what may appear to the police as unrelated clues, are actually instrumental to the investigation.

I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is such a shock. Take care of yourself.

>141 MissWatson: Thank you so much Birgit.

44 The Road Home This novel won the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2008. It tells the story of recently widowed Lev, who left his home country to travel to London for work, leaving behind his 5 year old daughter Maya, and his mother. Lev struggles to make his way, meeting people, and trying to find work, which is not as easy as he thought it would be. It was a very thought provoking read, part sad, and also uplifting at the same time, as the reader really wants to root for Lev's success.

>135 lsh63: Added to my library. Thanks

>140 lsh63: Waiting for this on my hold list. Favorite author.

>143 lsh63: Another add for me. You are really clicking with these latest books.

45 Bright Young Women I really enjoyed this book about a nameless serial killer who terrorized women in the Pacific Northwest as well as in Florida. Two women, Tina and Pamela, fight for justice dealing with incompetent law enforcement and misogynistic viewpoints. This book is a 2024 Edgar Award nominee.

46 Monogamy This book explores the seemingly perfect marriage of Graham and Annie, married for over 30 years, when Graham suddenly dies. Annie is left to pick up the pieces of her life, process her grief, and in the process learns that Graham was hiding something from her.

>144 JoeB1934:, >145 JoeB1934:, >146 JoeB1934: Hi Joe, Thank you, I hope you enjoy them when you get around to reading them!

47 You Think It, I'll Say It Most of the stories in this collection contained a character who made inaccurate assumptions or judgements about others, which happens all of the time. The stories are thought provoking and very well written. In "The World Has Many Butterflies", Julie and Graham both married to others, play the game I'll Think It, You Say It, a catty game where they make snide remarks at social gatherings. Eventually Julie gets carried away and thinks that Graham is in love with her, since she believes that she is in love with him. Another story I really enjoyed was "Do Over", where two people have different accounts of their school days.

48 One of the Good Guys This was an ok read, it's about Cole, who left his life in London behind after his marriage ends. He relocates to a remote coastal area where he meets Leonora, who is preparing for her latest art exhibition, seemingly to work in a peaceful area so that she can concentrate on her work. When two young female activists disappear after a heated discussion with Cole, he and Leonora find themselves in the middle of a police investigation. I especially enjoyed the section with Melanie's, Cole's ex wife, point of view.

49 Table for Two I enjoyed every bit of this short fiction collection. At over 450 pages, I read each of the six stories and the novella over the course of a week. The short stories all take place in New York, while the novella features Evelyn Ross (Eve), a character introduced in Rules of Civility, in Hollywood, in 1938. All of the stories were good, all different, my favorite was Hasta Luego, where a man is practically bullied into looking out for an alcoholic stranger at the behest of the stranger's wife. The standout read for me was the novella, written in noir style which also included Olivia de Havilland as one of Eve's friends, as well as a retired police officer, and a famous movie star.

50 She’s Not Sorry A thriller about an ICU nurse, Meghan, who is unnaturally attached to a patient with a traumatic brain injury. The patient, Caitlin, was either pushed or jumped from a bridge falling over twenty feet. Meghan is also recently divorced and raising her teenage daughter, when she runs into an old high school friend named Natalie. Meghan tries to help Natalie, who appears to be in an abusive relationship, but things aren't what they seem. The twist in the story was a good one.

>152 lsh63: I'm split on Towles, loved his Gentleman in Moscow, did not like The Lincoln Highway. I guess this book will have to be the tie-breaker!

51 Restless Dolly Maunder This book is on the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist, and was a good read. Dolly, born to a stuggling Australian farm family in the late 19th century, wants more out of life than spending her life on the farm, and dreams of being a teacher. Her father's response to her aspirations was "over my dead body". She resigns herself to her fate but dreams of a different life. She marries one of her father's hired hands, but doesn't love him, but they stay together because they understand one another, and raise three children. During the course of the story, Dolly and her family move from a farm to a shop, then to a series of small towns where they manage pubs, hotels, and a beach house. The family does well until the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which affects everyone. Dolly is a difficult woman, bitter toward her children and resentful of her parents, which makes if difficult to express or receive love. It was very interesting to learn that the author based this book on her grandmother's life.

>154 Tess_W: Hi Tess, I think you might like it, the stories are varied, and the novella is really good.

>155 lsh63: That is a terrific book to find. It matches up so well with a number of my favorites. Thanks for the tip.

52 April in Spain This book brings back a character from Elegy for April which I read over 10 years ago, so there were a few specifics that I didn't remember, but it didn't detract from the overall storyline. While on vacation in Spain, Quirke is having a hard time relaxing and enjoying himself. He tries for his wife's sake, when circumstances land him in the emergency room, he thinks he recognizes someone that he thought was dead. Of course he can't let it go, and enlists his daughter Phoebe to also become involved in the investigation. Tragic circumstances take place that will alter everyone's lives.

53 The Undertaking A very good read about the marriage of convenience betwen Peter Faber, a German solider, and Katharina Spinell, also a German citizen. Peter is looking forward to "honeymoon leave", while Katharina will collect a widow's pension in the event of Peter's death. After they finally meet, they fall in love, with Peter headed back to the Russian front, and Katharina becomes caught up in Nazi society. Things go well for her until Berlin falls, and then Peter makes a decision that affects everyone.

54 Ordinary Human Failings This book was on the Women's Prize Longlist. Set in 1990 London, this is the story of a family, the Greens, who moved from Ireland to England when 16 year old daughter Carmel became pregnant with her daughter Lucy. Lucy has been accused of strangling a 3 year old, which she may or may not have done. The reader would think that the book would evolve into a mystery, rather, it is the family's story, told in multiple POV flashbacks that recount the lives of Carmel, her brother Ritchie, and her father John. There is also a tabloid reported named Tom, who thinks that the sad family's story will make his career. It was a very good read. I plan to read the author's Acts of Desperation in the near future.

55 Daughter of Mine Hazel Sharp returns to her hometown for her father's funeral, after being away many years. She soon finds herself the sole heir to her father's house, which doesn't sit well with her two brothers, Gage and Caden. She soon finds herself in the middle of a police investigation, as not one but two cars are found in the lake outside their family home. When one of cars is identified as her mother's, Hazel begins to wonder if she left her volunatarily or if there's another reason for her disappearance, when Hazel was just a teenager.

>153 lsh63: I've read 3 of Kubica's books and two were good, and the third was so-so. Psychological thrillers are my fav genre.

>162 Tess_W: I think I have a couple of Kubicka's that I haven't read yet. There was one of hers that was really good. I'll have to look back and see which one I'm thinking of.

56 We Begin at the End This book really tugged at my heartstrings . The main protagonist, Duchess is a 13 year old self proclaimed outlaw, who has a foul mouth and a bad temper, but loves her five year old brother Robin with all of her heart and tries her best to take care of him. Their mother Star, unfortunately can't get herself together to take care of them as she has alcohol and drug addictions in order to numb her painful past. Fortunately, Duchess and Robin also have the town's sheriff Walk, looking out for them, as well as Star. Tragedy after tragedy befalls young Duchess and Robin, just when I thought something good was going to happen, it didn't. The book was rather slow in the beginning, but then I found myself unable to put it down.

>164 lsh63: One of my most memorable books in 2023

>165 JoeB1934: Hi Joe, it was really good.

57 Trust This book had a very interesting four part structure with varied genres focused on American finance and wealth. The first section was a best selling book, "Bonds" from the 1930's about a tycoon and his wife who survived the 1929 stock market crash. The reader then learns that this book within a book is the ictionalized account of an actual person, Andrew Bevel. The second section was Bevel's autobiography, written to refute how he was portrayed in the book. The third section was the account of Bevel's ghostwriter Ida and her life. The last section was a very fragmented diary written by Mildred Bevel, Andrew's wife as she was being treated for cancer. It was a good read that made me think a little bit.

58 This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing I enjoyed this memoir of Jacqueline Winspear, author the Maisie Dobbs series, which is one of my favorites. After reading about her paternal grandfather's experience during the war, her mother evacuation from London during the Blitz, and her childhood spent working on farms in Kent, the reader can see where much of the background material in her books originated. Perhaps the fact that the author apparently wrote the memoir over a thirty year span, accounts for it being slightly disjointed at times, but overall, it was a very interesting read.

>164 lsh63: Going on my WL!

59 The Body Lies The story begins with the assault of a 30 year old pregnant woman. When her son turns 3, she takes a job as a professor at a rural university, living apart from her husband. The authors does a great job portraying the life of a mother with a toddler, being overworked and tired, and always aware that she could be attacked again. You can feel the doom that you expect will happen when she encounters a trouble young student who becomes obsessed with her.

60 Thursday’s Children I'm really enjoying this series with prickly, quirky Frieda and all of her friends. In this 4th book in the series, Maddie, a high school acquaintance of Frieda's, asks her to talk to her teenage daughter Becky, who is acting out, losing weight, and possibly using drugs. Frieda discovers that the girl experienced a traumatic event, much like what happened to Frieda at the same age. She visits her hometown, deals with a crisis involving her mother, and vows to obtain justice fo herself and for Becky.

Happy May, everyone!

I did pretty well reading wise in April.

18 books read
11 Kindle
7 library books
13 female authors
4 male authors
1 male/female writing team

The books I rated the highest last month were Bright Young Women, You Think it I'll Say it, Table for Two, The Body Lies and We Begin at the End. We finally started to clear some things from my mother's house last weekend. I promised her that I wouldn't let anyone just throw away her books, so we boxed them up and they are stored at my house until I arrange for pickup. I'm very happy that I was able to find a place that would take donations. A lot of the places I called were very specific, no mass market paperback, or only non-fiction etc. My mother saved just about everything, but I was very surprised to find a few high school textbooks of my brother's (he's 55). Of course my hoarding hubby discovered them and placed them on our bookshelf. (why?) I also fell down the rabbit hole of looking at some of the books I purchased for her over the years, wondering if I had read them or not. My granddaughter asked for a very large heavy hardback copy of Rich Man Poor Man, which made me smile. I'm sure I read it way back when, but I will reread it just in case she wants to discuss it. I promised her I would read the Harry Potter books and never got around to it.

61 Victory Over Japan Kay (RidgewayGirl) put this author on my radar with her review of In the Land of Dreamy Dreams. Victory Over Japan which won the National Book Award, is a short story collection featuring the characters Rhoda, Nora Jane, Crystal, and Traceleen. These upper class ladies are no shrinking violets, they drink, smoke, sleep around and pretty much do as they please. The stories were very entertaining and I am sure that I will be reading more of the author's work, particularly her short story collections.

62 Darling Girls in Darling Girls, three women who grew up in the foster system are called by the police when human remains are found at their former home, Wild Meadows. The three women, Jessica, Alicia, and Norah are close, and consider themselves sisters. They each flashback to their lives before and after they went to live at Wild Meadows, and their evil foster mother, Miss Fairchild. It was a very suspenseful read.

63 The Last Word This book features the return of Natalka, Edwin and Benedict from The Postscript Murders. I read Postscript Murders in 2021, so there were a few minor details that I wasn't clear on. At any rate, it was an entertaining read, as Natalka and Edwin, who operate a detective agency, are hired to solve a suspected murder. Two daughters believe that their mother, a romance novelist was murdered by her second husband, and not of a heart attack. At the same time, Benedict, is asked by a friend from the seminary to look into the death of a vicar who was also a romance novelist, writing under a pseudonym. Harbinder Kaur's team also has a case of the suspicious death of an elderly journalist, turned true crime writer. Edwin puts the pieces together and learns that all of the victimes had attended a writer's retreat. Edwin and Benedict pose as writers to attend the retreat to see what they can find out. There were many characters to keep track of , and I would have liked to have more Harbinder, but it was an overall good read.

64 Friday on My Mind I'm really enjoying this series about Frieda Klein, psychotherapist and her odd, but loyal assortment of friends. In this book, someone close to Frieda has been murdered and she finds herself the primary suspect. Of course, right before her arraignment, she flees and is determined to solve the case on her own. There were a few parts that were slightly unbelievable, but entertaining nonetheless. I've already started reading Dark Saturday.

65 Dark Saturday After the events in Friday on My Mind, I couldn't help myself from diving right into Dark Saturday. Frieda is asked to meet with a young woman who was convicted of murdering her family 13 years ago. She more or less has to agree because the person asking for her help also helped her friend Karlson. I would never have guessed the actual killer in a million years. I'm trying to pace myself from reading the rest of the series too fast, but I have a feeling I will complete it very soon.

66 Mother Daughter Murder Night This was a pretty entertaining story about a grandmother, mother and daughter trio who are trying to solve a crime where the daughter is initially considered a suspect. The grandmother, Lana in her late fifties, is diagnosed with cancer and has to accept the fact that she needs her estranged daughter's help. Beth, the mother is a nurse at a care home who has been raising her teenage daughter Jack on her own, struggles with her love for her mother and her exasperation with her at the same time. Although the book dragged in a few places, it held my interest.

67 Motherhood I finished this just in time for Mother's Day, and it brought me back to my mother reading Ms. Bombeck's columns in the late 60's early 70's. In this collection of essays she portrays all kinds of mothers, some in hilarious situations and some sad. Most of the entries were dated, but there are some situations that never change.

68 The Rumor Game I thought that this was a very good historical fiction novel about a female reporter and an FBI agent in 1940's Boston. Devon, the FBI agent is tasked with investigating sabotage against war industrial companies, while Anne, the young reporter write a column titled "The Rumor Clinic", where she seeks to disprove harmful rumors. I thought that Anne was written as smart and capable, and Devon, although slightly flawed, was a likeable character. I thought that the author captured the various anti-Nazi and anti- Jewish sentiments rampant at the time , as well as the attitude toward those men who for whatever reason, were not on active duty for the war effort. I enjoyed the book very much.

69 The Family Next Door Neighbors Angie, Fran and Essie are suspicious of their new neighbor Isabelle, a single woman who moves into a four bedroom home and seems very interested in the other women's lives and their children. Essie, for some reason becomes obsessed with Isabelle, with whom she feels an instant connection. There is a very good reason for this, which is later revealed to the reader. All of the women have secrets, which read like a Desperate Housewives novel, but it was a light read that I needed at the time.

70 Real Americans A beautifully written family drama told in three POV's about three generations of a Chinese-American family. The first character we meet is Lily. She is the daughter of immigrants and is working as an intern for a media company when she meets Matthew at a holiday party. His uncle is the owner of her company, and Matthew sweeps her off her feet with his wealth. His father is head of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, which becomes a very important detail later on. The next character is Nick, Lily and Matthew's son, who is in high school in Washington state. Lily is raising Nick on her own, and Matthew has no contact with his son. The reader at this point is unclear as to why Lily and Matthew are no longer together. The third character's story is that of May, Lily's mother, who is older and desperately wants to make amends with her daughter for the choices that she made that affected the whole family. This book will wind up being one of my favorite reads of the month.

71 The Appeal I thought that this book was a very clever way to tell the story of the murder of one of the members of The Fairway Players, a local theater group. There were a ton of characters to keep track of, sometimes I had to refer to character list to keep them straight. The book begins with two young lawyers who are tasked by their boss, to go through various emails, texts, letters, and other documentation in order to gather evidence to support an appeal for the person currently in prison for the crime. I didn't think a complex murder mystery could be told in an epistolary format, but I thought it was addictive and intriguing.

72 Long Island I read Brooklyn about 10 years ago, and I wish I had reread it prior to reading Long Island. The book ended with such a cliffhanger that it just screams for a sequel. The events in Long Island take place 20 years later after Brooklyn, with Eilis married to her husband Tony, and mother to a teenage daughter and son. All is going reasonably well until there is a knock at the door brining Eilis news about her husband that she just cannot live with. She decides to visit her mother in Ireland for her 80th birthday and also to think things over about what she wants to do with her marriage. Eilis meets us with her friend Nancy and her former love Jim, who she realizes that she still has feelings for. Jim has been seeing Nancy, but is willing to rekindle things between them. The ending leaves everything up in the air, but I enjoyed the book.

73 Mama I'm sure that I must have read this book at some point maybe a good 30 years ago? It's the author's first book and won the American Book Award in 1987. It's the story of young mother Mildred Peacock, who tries to raise her five children alone after she finally has enough of her alcoholic abusive husband, divorces him, and kicks him out of her house. She lives in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in a run-down house, but she refuses to allow her environment dictate how she and her children live their lives. She and her children make mistakes, as we all do, yet the reader is heartened by her resolve, which sometimes means doing what you have to do in order to survive.

>182 lsh63: I'm glad you liked Real Americans. I loved it. Have you read Goodbye Vitamin?

>186 RidgewayGirl: Hi Kay! Goodbye Vitamin is on my Kindle and I want to fit it in very soon.’

74 Nightbloom This book was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction this year and I thought it was a very good read. Set in Ghana, it's the story of cousins Akorfa and Selasi, born on the same day, who are as close as sisters, and their mothers are also best friends. Through a series of circumstances, the girls become estranged, then a crisis brings them slowly back together. The book is divided into three sections: Akorfa's POV, Selasi's, and then a combination of both of them. I thought it was very interesting how Akorfa and Selasi remembered certain events in a dissimilar fashion, and how circumstance caused them to see different paths in life.

75 Bad Feminist Interesting essays about women's rights, race and the media. Some of the pop culture references were lost on me.

76 This is How You Lose Her This was a book that was referred to in Bad Feminist, which piqued my curiosity. The book is a series of short stories mainly about failed relationships due to infidelity. Even though the main character, Yunior is definitely not good boyfriend or husband material, I couldn't help hoping that he would finally get his act together and find happiness.

77 Hard Girls I'm pretty sure that Kay (RidgewayGirl) put this book on my radar. The author is new to me so I wasn't sure what to expect. I found the story of Jane and Lila Pool, two estranged twin sisters, who left them as children, to be a very engaging read. Jane and Lila haven't seen each other since certain events that occurred years before. Jane is married with a young daughter, living a quiet suburban life with a nasty mother-in-law, and working at a job she doesn't really like so that she can keep an eye on her father. Out of the blue, her sister Lila makes contact with her, claiming she knows where their mother is, and that they should confront her. It was a really fun read, and the ending leaves a perfect segue to a sequel.

>183 lsh63: You had me till you said there were a ton of characters to keep straight!

78 The End of Her I picked this book to read off of my Kindle when I couldn't settle on a book to read, and I thought this would fit the bill. It's the typical domestic thriller about a recently married couple, Stephanie and Partrick, who are parents to colicky twin girls. A woman from Patrick's past shows up and accuses Patrick of murdering his first wife. The reader is left to wonder if he really did it, or if it's just a blackmail attempt. Things get very interesting as more of Patrick's past is reveale. I absolutely loved the ending.

79 The Golden Spoon A good but not great cozy based on The Great British Bake Off. The setting is at a remote Vermont estate, where the host, Betsy Martin has held the competition for over 10 years. The reader learns that someone is killed in the beginning, and then the story flashes back from the POV's of each of the six contestants as well as the host. I enjoy baking and found the book to be a nice light read that fit my mood at the time.

>192 Tess_W: Hi Tess, it was a good book but I did find myself distracted at times trying to piece together the characters relationship to the storyline.

>194 lsh63: I just started reading this—good to know what to expect!

>196 Charon07: I hope you enjoy it!

80 Lake County This was a Kindle First Read book for the month of May. I previously read other books by the author so I was pretty sure it would be a good read. In Lake County, the author reimagines the life of Marilyn Monroe, who is Aunt Jean to her niece Addie Anne Buckley in a noirish style. Addie Anne is supposed to take a trip to Hollywood with her aunt Jean for her 18th birthday, and as the book progresses, various circumstances take place which may ruin her plans. One roadblock is her boyfriend Truitt, who changes his mind about joining her in California. Truitt has his own problems with his illegal gambling business and running afoul of the Tampa mafia. Another person up to no good is Aunt Jean's boyfriend Siebert Rix, who doesn't care who he kills just as long as he's safe. I couldn't stop reading to see if Truitt and Addie got themselves out of trouble.

81 Her Perfect Twin This book was the epitome of twisty thrillers. Megan and Leah are estranged identical twins. Megan is not sure that she wants to stay married to her husband, while Leah lives in luxury, due to a book that she published about their lives, which was supposed to be written by both of them. One day, Megan discovers comprising photos of Leah on her husband Chris's phone, she decides that she wants answers. The plot is seriously twisted and messed up, and I loved every minute of it.

82 Stars Over Sunset Boulevard The book begins with the discovery of a Scarlett O'Hara hat in a vintage clothing store. The story of how the hat wound up where it did was a fun read. In 1938 Violet Mayfield winds up in Hollywood after her dream life in Alabama doesn't materialize. She obtains a secretarial job on the film set of Gone With The Wind, where she meets Audrey Duvall, a once rising film actress, who is now a secretary also. The two women become roommates as well as friends. Various events,including a love triangle, threaten to affect their friendship, but after some bumps in the road, the friendship endures.

>199 lsh63: Taking a BB for this one. I love twisty thrillers.

83 Those People A thriller about what happens when the wrong neighbors move into an upscale London neighborhood. The undesirables have inherited the property from the former resident, who is recently deceased. Eventually the bad blood in the neighborhood results in two deaths. I enjoyed the way that the story was formatted with flashback before the deaths occurred, police interviews, and multiple POV's. It was a fun and entertaining read.

84 You Need A Budget I create spreadsheets and work with numbers all day long for a living, so even though I know better, sometimes I have no idea where the money "goes". This book is meant to be a guide for getting out of the living paycheck-to paycheck cycle, getting out of debt, and setting goals for your money. The chapter "Slaying Debt, Whatever Your Situation', resonated the most with me, because I am quite frankly, slightly neurotic about paying interest. Another very important chapter is "Budgeting as a Couple", which can be a sticky situation if not handled in a manner agreeable to both parties. Now that I am actively planning our retirement budget, I did learn that while budgeting is important, you also have to give yourself a little wiggle room to enjoy life. I think I worry way too much about living longer than we will have funds for instead of actually designating funds for travel, unexpected expenses etc.

85 What a Fool Believes Michael McDonald, singer and songwriter, and member of The Doobie Brothers and for a short period Steely Dan, teamed up with actor Paul Reiser for this memoir. In addition to the songs that I most associate with his distinctive voice, such as "What a Fool Believes, "Minute by Minute" and "Takin It to the Streets", he also wrote songs, played keyboard, and provided background vocals for artists Christopher Cross, Carly Simon and others. He honestly recounts his early life, his interest in music, and his struggle with drugs and alcohol. It was an interesting read about not only his life, but also the music industry.

>203 lsh63: I also liked that book when I read it. The thing that resonated most with me was his statement, "Give every dollar a purpose." Made me more thoughtful about how I allocate my income every month.

>201 lowelibrary: Hi April, I hope you enjoy it!
>205 christina_reads: Hi Christina, Yes, giving every dollar a purpose. I'm making a plan for June right now.

86 Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter Divided into three parts, this combination thriller and police procedural tells the story offthe disappearance of wife and mother Charlotte Salter, then a few days later, a friend of the family, Duncan Ackerley is also found dead. In 1990, Charlotte never made it to her husband Alec's 50th birthday party, her children are all worried, her husband Alec, not so much. Because both events occurred during the Christmas holiday season, the police quickly determine that Duncan and Charlotte were having an affair, and that he killed her then later committed suicide. The second part of the book, thirty years later finds Duncan's son creating a podcast about the events, when another death occurs. The third part of the book introduces Detective Inspector Maud O' Connor who finally solves the case(s). It was a good read, a bit slow getting started but it held my interest.

Good Morning !

I can't believe we're approaching the second half of the year. I won't finish any more books this month so here's my monthly tally:

26 books read
11 library books
15 Kindle books
6 male authors
3 male/female duo
17 female authors

I had an excellent reading month. The last time I read 26 books was in May of 2010 (yes I had to check). I've been immersing myself in reading to avoid thinking about the tasks of cleaning out my mother's house(over 60 years of accumulated items), as well as the many loose ends that need to be tied up, as we never thought of asking my mother to create a will. It has taught me an important lesson, that's for sure. One of these days I'll stop procrastinating and get it done.

My best read of the month was Real Americans, I also enjoyed The Rumor Game, The Appeal and Nightbloom.

And with that, I think I'll create a new thread for the second half of the year.

I took away wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too many BB's from your most current reads!