What Are We Reading And Reviewing in September 2020?

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What Are We Reading And Reviewing in September 2020?

1Carol420
Ago 22, 2020, 10:30 am



Two days that we can celebrate...but why stop with just one day? Tell us what you plan to read the entire month of September.

2Carol420
Editado: Sep 30, 2020, 4:49 pm



📌 - ★
Carol's September Reads
📌Lost Girls - Angela Marsons - 5★ (Group Read)
📌The Skeleton Room - Kate Ellis - 3.5★ (Group Read)
📌Contest - Matthew Reilly - 5★ (Pick A Winner)
📌Something In The Water – Catherine Steadman - 3.5★
📌The Last House Guest – Megan Miranda - 3.5★
📌The Echo Killing – Christi Daugherty - 4★
📌Half Moon Bay Jonathan Kellerman - 3★ (Early Reviewers)
📌Whiteland - Rosie Cranie Higgs - 3.5★ (Early Reviewer)
📌Fragile - Lisa Unger - ★
📌The Forgotten Room - Lincoln Child - 3.5★
📌Paper Ghosts - Julia Heaberlin -3★
📌Our Little Secret - Roz Nay - 3★
📌A Reason To Believe - Diana Copeland - 5★
📌The Empty House: and Other Ghost Stories - Algernon Blackwood - 4.5★
📌The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher - 5+★
📌The Abominable - Dan Simmons - 4★
📌A Solitary Man - Shira Anthony - 4.5★
📌Parting Shot - Mary Calmes - 5★
📌From The Grave - David Housewright - 4★
📌Hell Island - Matthew Reilly - 5★
📌The Never Game - Jeffrey Deaver - 2.5★
📌Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume - 5★
📌The Goodbye Man - Jeffery Deaver - 3.5★
📌A Matter of Time #1 - Mary Calmes - 5★
📌A Matter of Time #2 - Mary Calmes - 5★
📌Lone Star - Josh Lanyon - 5★
📌Where You Lead - Mary Calmes - 5 ★
📌Touch and Go - Aiden Bates - 5 ★
📌The Cleaner - Mark Dawson - 4★
📌Shadows In Death - J. D. Robb - 5+★
📌Mainly By Moonlight - Josh Lanyon - 4.5★
📌The Current - Tim Johnston - 4★
📌I Buried A Witch - Josh Lanyon - 5★

3Carol420
Editado: Ago 30, 2020, 8:21 am

Este mensaje fue borrado por su autor.

4JulieLill
Ago 26, 2020, 4:20 pm

Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies
J.B. West
5/5 stars
J.B. West was the Chief Usher of the White House from 1940’s in which he worked for the Roosevelts until his retirement a year or so into the Nixon’s’ first term in the White House. His role (along with his staff) was to assist in the daily lives of the president and his family which included planning social events, renovations to the White House (and each President’s wife had their say so in those changes) and supervising the staff. Each President had a budget for the White House but that did not cover all their expenses which they then had to pay for themselves. This was well written and a wonderful look at the Presidents’ wives and their roles in the lives of their husbands and country.

5Carol420
Sep 1, 2020, 9:41 am


A Reason To Believe - Diana Copeland
5★
Detective Matthew Bennett doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the spirit of a murdered child leads him to her body, he's shaken to the core—and taken off the case. Unable to explain his vision, or to let go of the investigation, Matthew turns to renowned medium Kiernan Fitzpatrick. Though he has doubts about Kiernan's claims to communicate with the dead, Matt is nevertheless drawn to the handsome psychic, who awakens feelings he thought were long-buried. Haunted by the lingering spirit of the little girl, Kiernan is compelled to aid in the search for her killer. The chance to get closer to the enigmatic Matt is an unexpected bonus. Although Kiernan's been betrayed by people who turned out to be more interested in his fame than in himself, with Matt he's willing to risk his heart. As the two men grow closer, Kiernan helps Matt rediscover that life offers no guarantees—but love offers a reason to believe.

I couldn’t find one thing wrong with this book…except that it was way too short. The writing was easy to read and the author told the story clearly without a lot of added unnecessary baggage. Matt and Kiernan were delightful characters. It was very believable how they interacted not only with the secondary characters…but more importantly… with each other. It’s not only a story of a heartbreaking murder with a sad little ghost…but also a story that explores the effects of grief and the courage it takes to start again. I hope that we will get an opportunity to meet up with Matt and Kiernan again.

6Carol420
Sep 2, 2020, 6:36 am


The Last House Guest
3.5★

Littleport, Maine, has always felt like two separate towns: an ideal vacation enclave for the wealthy, whose summer homes line the coastline; and a simple harbor community for the year-round residents whose livelihoods rely on service to the visitors. Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.

This was listed as a thriller and I guess if you count the murder it qualifies… but it’s not what I consider “thriller” material. It took quiet a while to get going and wasn't the page turner I had thought it would be. The story also did something that really annoys me…it jumps from the present day to one year earlier which becomes confusing at times. Overall it was a good enough story but it could have had so much more potential.

7JulieLill
Sep 2, 2020, 7:17 pm

Bizarre Romance
Audrey Niffenegger
3.5/5 stars
This is a compilation of odd, dark short stories by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveler's Wife) and with illustrations by her husband Eddie Campbell. I enjoyed it. A fast read!

8Carol420
Sep 3, 2020, 9:36 am


Half Moon Bay – Jonathan Kellerman & Jesse Kellerman
Clay Edison series Book #3
3★

Clay Edison has his hands full. He’s got a new baby who won't sleep. He’s working the graveyard shift. And he’s trying, for once, to mind his own business. Then comes the first call. Workers demolishing a local park have made a haunting discovery: the decades-old skeleton of a child. But who is it? And how did it get there? No sooner has Clay begun to investigate than he receives a second call—this one from a local businessman, wondering if the body could belong to his sister. She went missing fifty years ago, the man says. Or at least I think she did. It’s a little complicated. And things only get stranger from there. Clay’s relentless search for answers will unearth a history of violence and secrets, revolution and betrayal…because in this town, the past isn’t dead. It’s very much alive. And it can be murderous.

I have read Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series for more years than I care to think about…and absolutely loved the characters and the series. I was hesitant to start this new series with new characters to learn to like or dislike but I am really glad that I did. The character of Clay Edison is just as interesting as Alex and his friend, police detective Milo Sturgis and as coroner he is presented with the opportunity to add more information about the dead that he works with. This one though, I found to be stretching the imagination a bit. Clay did things that a coroner not only wouldn’t do but wouldn’t have the authority to do. As fascinated as I am with forensics…I found a lot of the information just boring…slow moving and a bit hard to follow with way too many side stories. I’m wondering if the additional author Jesse, his son, could account for the difference in Jonathan’s usual style of writing. I’ll continue with the series but hope that Clay gets back on track soon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.

9Carol420
Sep 4, 2020, 8:29 am


The Echo Killing – Christi Daugherty
4★

A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less. Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect. Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence―even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs.

True to my nature I read the second of this series first so I knew who the killer was from the start. It really didn’t bother me because I enjoyed the adventure of finding out the how and the why of Harper’s mother’s murder. There remain so many unanswered questions in both this one and the second book…that you know that there will be more great books in this series. The characters of Harper as well as Detective Luke Wells are well worth the time to read these books.

10Carol420
Sep 5, 2020, 10:09 am


The Forgotten Room - Lincoln Child
Jeremy Logan series Book #4
3.5★
Jeremy Logan is an "enigmalogist"…an investigator who specializes in analyzing phenomena that have no obvious explanation. In this newest novel Logan finds himself on the storied coastline of Newport, Rhode Island, where he has been retained by Lux, one of the oldest and most respected think tanks in America. Just days earlier, a series of frightening events took place in the sprawling seaside mansion that houses the organization. One of its most distinguished doctors began acting erratically…violently attacking an assistant in the mansion's opulent library and, moments later, killing himself in a truly shocking fashion. Terrified by the incident and the bizarre evidence left behind, the group hires Logan to investigate…discreetly…what drove this erudite man to madness. His work leads him to an unexpected find. In a long-dormant wing of the estate, Logan uncovers an ingeniously hidden secret room, concealed and apparently untouched for decades. The room is a time capsule, filled with eerie and obscure scientific equipment that points to a top secret project long thought destroyed, known only as "Project Sin." Ultimately, the truth of what Project Sin was . . . and what has happened in that room . . . will put Logan in the path of a completely unexpected danger.

What I was expecting and what I got was two entirely different things. I expected an old fashioned ghost story set in an old haunted mansion, massive in size, with creepy rooms and dark furnishings, populated with shifting shadows and whispers in the dark. It appeared obvious that “evil” had taken up residence here. What I got instead was quite a different story of mystery and madness based on something unexpected and unusual. An intricate story on its own merits, but deviating substantially from what I had hoped for. Perhaps my expectations were too high based on the author's previous works... but I believe the "teaser" promised something else. I didn't dislike the story by any means...but was just disappointed in the content. In all fairness there were parts that were exciting and goose bump producing...but there just wasn't enough of those. The writing style...as always with Lincoln Child...remains clear and concise but this particular story isn't as engaging as those in his prior novels. I think the Agent Pendergast series has spoiled me somewhat.

11LibraryCin
Sep 5, 2020, 4:47 pm

Once Every Never / Lesley Livingston
3 stars

Clare is in England with her aunt when, at a museum, she touches an artifact and it transported to another time. Clare’s best friend Al is with her and they figure out that she was transported back to when a woman led her tribe against the invading Romans. Of course, there is a hot warrior to help keep things interesting... and a kidnapping in Clare’s current timeline.

It was ok. For some reason, I just didn’t get into it as much as this type of story might normally grab me; I’m not sure why that is. I guess I didn’t really “connect” with the characters. Not sure what else it might have been. I believe this is the first in a series, but at this point, I don’t plan to continue.

12Carol420
Sep 6, 2020, 12:47 pm


The Goodbye Man - Jeffery Deaver
Colter Shaw series – Book #2
3.5★
In the wilderness of Washington State, expert tracker Colter Shaw has located two young men accused of a terrible hate crime. But when his pursuit takes a shocking and tragic turn, Shaw becomes desperate to discover what went so horribly wrong and if he is to blame. Shaw's search for answers leads him to a shadowy organization that bills itself as a grief support group. But is it truly it a community that consoles the bereaved? Or a dangerous cult with a growing body count?
Undercover, Shaw joins the mysterious group, risking everything despite the fact that no reward is on offer. He soon finds that some people will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden . . . and to make sure that he or those close to him say "goodbye" forever.


The only bad thing I can really say about it is that it’s slow to pick up speed and it goes from very interesting dialog and action to parts that you just want to skip over and get on to more Colter. Anyone that is a die hard Jeffery Deaver fan and/or enjoyed the first book in this new series… The Never Game…will really, really like seeing Colter Shaw in action again. I like what Jeffery Deaver has done to make Colton Shaw a likeable character that plays his part perfectly even if I’m not sure I like what Colter does for a living. One thing that makes this series a bit different and a little harder to get into than his other series is that the evidence is neatly and concisely presented to the reader at the start. You have to watch or you might miss it altogether but it’s there. Some, I’m sure… will say that the spine-tingling plots and twists are missing from this series…they’re not… but they are better disguised…making the reader pay more attention to the details. I do have to admit that it can be a bit tiring. I personally will look forward to trying another adventure with Colter Shaw.

13LibraryCin
Sep 6, 2020, 5:40 pm

A Single Thread / Tracy Chevalier
3.25 stars

It’s 1932. Violet is a single woman in her 30s and is living with her complaining oppressive mother. She jumps at the chance to move away, and becomes involved with a group of women who embroider cushions for a church. There, she makes friends and discovers a purpose in life (in addition to the newfound freedom from her mother). While on holidays, she also meets Arthur, who is, unfortunately, married.

It’s a slow moving book. I listened to the audio and my mind did wander some. I do suspect it might have rated it slightly higher had I read it. I almost rated it a bit lower, but I was focused enough throughout the end of it, that I wanted to up it just a little (that’s why the 1/4 star). Anyway, it’s also just after WWI, and this is shown to affect many of the characters. It is a time where some things are less accepted, and that is portrayed in the book, as well. It was interesting how the few times Hitler was mentioned, the context reminded me very much of Trump.

14LibraryCin
Sep 6, 2020, 11:25 pm

The Gown / Jennifer Robson
4 stars

It’s 1947. Ann is working as an embroiderer for Hartnell, who designed Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth’s wedding gown. Miriam has just come to England from France and also finds work as an embroiderer for Hartnell. The two soon become friends and roommates. In 2016, Heather’s grandmother has just died, and she is left a box with her name on it and embroidery inside it. Her grandmother never talked about her life in England before she emigrated to Canada, and Heather wants to find out more.

I really liked this. I wasn’t sure what I was going to think, as I’m not much for fashion, so I think if there had been more focus on the gown than there was (and all the details in creating it), I might not have liked it as much. But, I liked all the additional stories of Ann, Miriam, and Heather. They all had a romantic interest, and as Miriam got to know Ann better, more of her own past in France was revealed. I did, at one point, stop to look up a photo of the gown itself, and even looked for a video of Princess Elizabeth’s and Prince Philip’s wedding.

15Carol420
Sep 7, 2020, 9:21 am


The Empty House: And Other Ghost Stories – Algernon Blackwood
4.5★
The empty house -- A haunted island -- A case of eavesdropping -- Keeping his promise -- With intent to steal -- The wood of the dead -- Smith: an episode in a lodging-house -- A suspicious gift -- The strange adventures of a private secretary in New York -- Skeleton Lake: An episode in camp. Algermon Henry Blackwood - 4 March 1869 - 10 December 1951… was an English short story writer and novelist, one of the most prolific writers of ghost stories in the history of the genre. He was also a journalist and a broadcasting narrator. S. T. Joshi has stated that "his work is more consistently meritorious than any weird writer's except Dunsany's" and that his short story collection Incredible Adventures (1914) "may be the premier weird collection of this or any other century."

These are stories that make you keep the lights on and keep you checking over your shoulder...just in case. Blackwood is a master of the ghost tale….a master at creating eerie environments and taking the reader on a weird and a sometimes wild ride. It’s a collection of short, creepy, goose-bump producing stories that have obviously well stood the test of time. They are, or are like, the stories that have been told by dying campfires…told on dark & stormy nights…and passed down from generation to generation. Some things are just timeless and that certainly applies to these stories that will tickle your imagination no matter what you believe or disbelieve about the supernatural. My Scottish granddad used to say “I don’t believe in ghost…but I’m very much “afeared” of them". I bet you’ll be “very much “afeared” of them” also after reading the first few.

16Carol420
Editado: Sep 7, 2020, 9:30 am

>14 LibraryCin:
A lovely review. I always felt a bit sorry for the then Princess Elizabeth. From the documentaries that I've seen... she seemed so determined that she was going to marry her Prince come 'hell or high water" even if he was older than she, and her parents...especially her mother...thought it was going to be a mistake. Seems that the marriage has turned out better than anyone except the happy couple, thought. Her gown was beautiful and I still love the woman's clothes in her pastel colors with all those matching hats.

17LibraryCin
Sep 7, 2020, 12:59 pm

>16 Carol420: Oh, that's interesting that her parents were not "for" the marriage. I didn't know that.

As I looked up the dress, I remembered Beatrice was wearing her grandmother's dress for her wedding, as well. I had - when I heard that - thought it had also been Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress, but I was mistaken. It was a different formal dress for Queen Elizabeth, also designed by Hartnell.

18Carol420
Editado: Sep 7, 2020, 1:56 pm

I don't believe her father was as against it as her mother was. Also the fact that she was only 13 when they started corresponding was one of the factors, and also that he wasn't British added to it. Here is a bit of info that came from one of the websites about his life that you might find interesting.

"Philip was born into the Greek and Danish royal families. He was born in Greece, but his family was exiled from the country when he was an infant. After being educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, he joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, aged 18. From July 1939, he began corresponding with the 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, whom he had first met in 1934. During the Second World War he served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets. After the war, Philip was granted permission by George VI to marry Elizabeth. Before the official announcement of their engagement in July 1947, he abandoned his Greek and Danish royal titles, became a naturalised British subject, and adopted his maternal grandparents' surname Mountbatten. He married Elizabeth on 20 November 1947. Just before the wedding, he was granted the style His Royal Highness and created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich by King George VI. Philip left active military service when Elizabeth became queen in 1952, having reached the rank of commander, and was formally made a British prince in 1957."

Here is also the picture of Princess Beatrice wearing the dress. Beautiful dress.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/princess-beatrices-wedding-dress-borrowed-16...

19LibraryCin
Sep 7, 2020, 9:25 pm

>18 Carol420: That is interesting. Thanks for digging that up!

Let me add a link to Elizabeth's wedding gown.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q8XU34Dr4H4/TXftA4q4LXI/AAAAAAAABqQ/HrslF-cAS...

20LibraryCin
Sep 7, 2020, 11:10 pm

Mew is for Murder / Clea Simon
3.5 stars

Theda is a reporter and has an idea for a story on cat hoarders after she comes across an older lady in her neighbourhood who seems to have an abundance of cats. She may or may not be a hoarder, but the neighbour sure doesn’t like the woman or her multiple cats. When Theda comes around again, she discovers the woman dead. The police think she just fell, so it was an accident, but Lillian (the old woman)’s young friend and helper (and musician) Violet, doesn’t agree. She insists Lillian must have been murdered.

30-some years old and Theda’s still a bit of a partier, so I wasn’t crazy about that (I thought she acted way younger than her age). Wasn’t as interested in the bar hopping and the music, but loved the cats! So, it was up and down for how interested I was in certain parts of the book, but overall, I liked it enough to look into the next in the series. If it has more focus on animals, I’ll continue; if it’s more focus on music, it’s unlikely. (Another one with a cat title, so I will continue on.)

21Carol420
Sep 8, 2020, 7:27 am

>19 LibraryCin: That is beautiful. reminds me of watching Dianna enter the church for her and Prince Charles' wedding. She was half way down the aisle before her train ever got up the steps:)

22Carol420
Editado: Sep 8, 2020, 7:50 am


Something In The Water - Catherine Steadman
3.5★

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you? Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares? Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave? Wonder no longer. Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

We all say that we know our boundaries. We all think, and hope that we would always choose to do the right thing…but depending on the circumstances…would we?... Could we? Erin and Mark are suddenly faced with this decision that will certainly change their lives forever. Unfortunately I believe I may be in the minority of readers since I actually liked the book…well I at least liked the story. I will admit the characters weren’t exactly appealing but if you can overlook that…and remember that it is this authors first novel…you will enjoy the concept of the story. Since I have not written or published a novel in the last…Oh…my entire lifetime…I have to give Ms. Steadman’s first try a 3.5 star rating. I can't say I was overly thrilled with the characters and their actions, but it was overall a good story. I'm willing to give her next one a try.

23Carol420
Editado: Sep 9, 2020, 8:03 am


Contest - Matthew Reilly
5★
Dr. Stephen Swain has found himself locked in the after-hours darkness of the New York Public Library. It isn't a mistake. He's been entombed in the historic sanctuary for a reason—as the guest of an unknown host, chosen for a night of fun and games. He's unprepared. He's afraid. And he's not alone. Six other contestants roam the black halls, room by room, floor by floor, in the dead silence. Each strapped with an explosive set to detonate should they escape before the night is over. The terms are simple: seven players enter—only one will leave. Now Swain must navigate the labyrinth to outwit the unknown moves of his mysterious opponents, and to outlast the unimaginable dangers that await him. Against insurmountable odds the contest has begun. Should he win, the greatest, most unfathomable terror lies at the night's end: the very reason behind the game.

I love almost everything that Matthew Reilly writes….so I wasn’t too surprised that I love this one also. If you were to mix “Juristic Park” and “Die Hard” together you would have the ingredients that compose Contest. Matthew Reilly has an incredible talent for creating characters that matter and that you can care about. Contest will take you for one wild ride and you will be glad that you went along. . Have fun! Don’t try too hard to make it make sense in the scheme of reality…just sit back and enjoy.

24Carol420
Editado: Sep 9, 2020, 11:25 am


Whiteland – Rosie Cranie Higgs
The Whiteland Novels Book #1
3.5★
‘You’re only going to get burned.’
‘By what?’
‘Monsters,’ she calls into the night. ‘And girls who go looking for them.’
In a lonely Swiss mountain village, Kira’s holiday erupts. It’s winter, it’s eerie, and out in the woods something imbeds its claws into her sister. When Romy returns, she’s different. She’s violent, inhuman, and by rights, should be dead. Even though things aren’t normal, all their parents care about is that she’s still alive. In the otherworldly forest, Kira starts to pry, but secrets like to be kept. With the help of Callum, a sarcastic Scotsman, Kira stumbles upon the folkloric world of Whiteland, eating all she knows. If Kira runs away, she’ll be safe. If she doesn’t, her family might not survive. In the end, there’s no mercy in revenge.


It’s either like a fairy tales for adults or Edgar Alan Poe on "happy dust". In the beginning it's a little hard to keep up with what is actually happening as Kira is describing the dream that she is “living” and taking her through the Swiss village... past nightmare images from her dream. By the 3rd chapter it is much easier to follow. It has many dark twists and even though some are predictable…the author does a really good job of making the reader feel the otherworldly and nightmarish atmosphere of the woods...which becomes increasingly terrifying and strange as the book goes on. Anyone that likes horror genre or paranormal genre or even folklore... will find this book more than satisfying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from bhc press in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.

25BookConcierge
Editado: Sep 9, 2020, 8:29 pm


Booked For Trouble – Eva Gates
Digital audiobook read by Elisa Arsenault
3***

Book two in the Lighthouse Library mystery series focuses on Lucy Richardson’s socialite mother, Suzanne, who has come for a visit and is behaving in a very unlikely manner. Suzanne is intent on getting Lucy back to Boston and properly married. But when a library book-club attendee is found murdered in the marsh near the Lighthouse, the police suspect Suzanne, and Lucy begins to investigate on her own to clear her mother.

I like this cozy mystery series, even if Lucy does go above and beyond inserting herself into the investigation. Gates seems to be taking a page from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, as well – giving Lucy two likely suitors in Mayor Connor McNeil and police officer Butch Greenblatt. How will she choose between these two gorgeous hunks?!

Gates fills out the cast with an assortment of charming library workers, book club enthusiasts, and Lucy’s cousin Josie (who runs a very successful bakery). The author includes many literary references to the delight of this bookworm. And the resident cat, Charles (Dickens), is a nice addition.

An enjoyable cozy mystery series, that I’ll continue reading.

Elisa Arsenault does a fine job of reading the audio version. She sets a good pace and has clear diction, so even when listening at a faster speed I could easily understand her.

26BookConcierge
Sep 9, 2020, 3:14 pm

Touchstones seem to not be working ... again....

27BookConcierge
Editado: Sep 9, 2020, 8:29 pm


Death Of a Winter Shaker – Deborah Woodworth
3.5***

Book # 1 in the Sister Rose Callahan cozy mystery series, set in a Shaker community in 1930’s Kentucky. Their peaceful community is focused on hard work, worship and nonviolence, so they are shocked with a body is found in the herb house. The deceased was a “winter” Shaker – one of the many drifters who professed to be a Believer to escape the harshest season during the unsettled Great Depression.

Shaker Sister Rose Callahan begins to investigate when it becomes clear that the Sheriff has no intention of searching very far for the culprit. The villagers are suspicious of the Shakers, even going to far as to call them witches, and the murder has put them on edge, with some villagers resorting to violence.

I really enjoyed this mystery. Woodworth has given the reader some very interesting and complex characters. Rose is determined, clear-thinking, intelligent and tenacious. She’s also principled and will not hesitate to name a fellow Shaker as the murderer if that is where her investigation leads her. There are plenty of suspects; the Shaker way of life, with its requirement for celibacy and strict division of the sexes, means that the only way to grow the community is to take in outsiders. And the desperation of the times means that people are willing to say anything for the security of a warm bed and enough food to eat.

I look forward to reading more of this series, and from this author.

28BookConcierge
Sep 9, 2020, 8:29 pm


Be Frank With Me – Julia Claiborne Johnson
Digital audiobook performed by Tavia Gilbert.
4****

M.M. “Mimi” Banning is a reclusive literary genius (and one-hit wonder) who has fallen prey to a Ponzi-scheme and is flat broke. In order to keep her Bel Air mansion, she must now produce a new book. She reluctantly agrees to her publisher’s offer of an assistant, with stipulation: “No Ivy Leaguers or English majors. Must drive, cook, tidy. Computer whiz. Good with kids. Quiet, discreet, sane.” But when Alice Whitley arrives she’s put to work immediately as a companion / nanny to Frank, Banning’s 9-year-old son, a devotee of 1930s movies (with a wardrobe to match).

This is a delightful, engaging novel. The characters are complex and the author deftly handles the difficulties of dealing with such an unusual situation. To say that Alice has her hands full is an understatement. She almost never has a chance to interact with Mimi, whose assistant she is supposed to be, because Mimi locks herself away in her study “writing” while Alice is left to care for Frank.

Frank is a challenge – to say the least. Although no diagnosis is ever given, it seems clear that he is on the autism spectrum. He’s highly intelligent, but unable to understand other’s behavior. His chief coping mechanism is to lie down stiff as a board. He is very literal as well, so jokes and word play elude him. He’s also a pretty talented detective and thief. Frank is the catalyst for the book’s most hilarious … and heartbreaking … moments.

Rounding out the cast are Mr Vargas, Mimi’s publisher and Alice’s boss (and all-around good guy); Paula, the secretary at Frank’s school (and a person Frank can truly rely upon); and the mysteriously elusive Xander, Frank’s piano teacher and all-around handy-man, who comes and goes seemingly on a whim.

I thought this was headed for a Hollywood ending … but Johnson surprised me. I’m glad. I love it when a book leaves me wanting more. I can hardly wait to read what she writes next.

Tavia Gilbert does a superb job narrating the audiobook. Her voice for Frank is particularly effective. Brava!

29LibraryCin
Sep 10, 2020, 12:04 am

Zeitoun / Dave Eggers
4 stars

Zietoun (pronounced Zay-toon) and his wife Kathy lived in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. Zietoun ran a painting/consulting business. They had 4 kids at the time. Kathy evacuated with the kids and Zeitoun stayed behind to keep watch on his home, plus the rental properties that they owned. It wasn’t long before things got really bad for him, while Kathy couldn’t get ahold of him and had no idea what had happened...

This was really good. There were a few parts – mostly Zietoun’s background in Syria – that I kind of lost focus, but the rest of it was really good. I did see a sort-of “spoiler” when I was only part-way through that I wish I hadn’t seen, though it wasn’t specifically about the storyline.

30BookConcierge
Sep 10, 2020, 8:45 am


The Red Address Book – Sofia Lundberg
2.5**

From the book jacket: Meet Doris, a 96-year-old woman living alone in her Stockholm apartment. She has few visitors, but her weekly Skype calls with Jenny – her American grandniece, and her only relative – give her great joy and remind her of her own youth. When Doris was a girl, she was given an address book by her father, and ever since she has carefully documented everyone she met and loved throughout the years. Looking through the little book now, Doris sees the many crossed-out names of people long gone and is struck by the urge to put pen to paper.

My reactions: I am so over the dual time-line device in historical fiction! Just tell the story. This seemed very disjointed, what with the drama occurring in present day – both Doris and Jenny have some serious problems – and the drama of her great lost love in the past, I just never felt connected to these characters or to the story. I wanted more of Gosta, the artist that Doris befriended and who came through for her when she most needed him. I felt that the love affair with Allan was rushed and not really fleshed out. Yes, I remember the passion of a youthful love affair, the way your emotions wipe everything else out of your consciousness; but this just seemed underdeveloped to me. I also thought the relationship with Jenny’s mother (Doris’s niece) was lacking depth.

So, while I enjoyed reading about the modeling career in 1930s Paris, and the pluck and drive which took Doris across the ocean (twice), I was decidedly “meh” about the whole.

31JulieLill
Sep 10, 2020, 10:08 am

>29 LibraryCin: This was a good book but after I read it something controversial came out about the book and the family.

http://www.edrants.com/dave-eggers-national-book-award-finalist-refuses-to-answe...

32Carol420
Sep 10, 2020, 10:24 am


A Solitary Man - Shira Anthony
4.5★
Sparks fly when Chance meets tall, sexy Xav at a Wilmington bar and they have the hottest one-nighter of their lives. But Chance doesn’t do repeats, Xav seems detached, and they go their separate ways without a word. Later, when closeted Assistant District Attorney C. Evan “Chance” Fairchild meets Dare's Landing's newest deputy sheriff, Xavier “Xav” Constantine, Evan isn’t only wary. He’s irritated as hell. Xavier is a former FBI agent turned deputy sheriff who is hot on the trail of a South American child prostitution ring. Evan is fighting to put an end to rampant cocaine trafficking and chafing under the thumb of an election-hungry boss. When someone tries to kill the eleven-year-old witness who holds the key to both their investigations, they’re forced to work together as they put their lives on the line to protect him. As Chance and Xav collide in the heat of a sweltering North Carolina summer, dodging bullets and chasing bad guys isn’t the only action going on.

It starts off a bit slow as we get to know the main characters and the background story that puts Xav in a role that he never expected to be a part of. It quickly speeds up once they get together. Xav and Chance have chemistry from the beginning but neither is ready to admit that they have had anything resembling a relationship. Both of them hold very public positions and they live in a small southern town inhabited by very conservative people. As they both fight the whole idea… they find that their relationship is not going to wait or just go away and it only gets stronger as they are forced to pull together and combine their resources to combat the true evil,… the selling of children and the cold blooded murder and attempted murder of a pair of 11-year- old twin boys that tried to escape their awaited fate. It’s a good mystery story as well as a romance. I know that it won’t be right for everyone and don’t expect that all will be comfortable with it. I have two wonderful, loving gay friends that have been legally married for several years now and are the parents of an 18 year old son that is hoping, and has a good chance, of getting into Harvard. The characters of Chance and Xav remind me of my friends and that love sometimes just happens and we don’t always get to choose the “who” in our lives.

33LibraryCin
Editado: Sep 10, 2020, 4:59 pm

>31 JulieLill: That was a bit about what I read (about the family) while in the middle of the book. I didn't look at the extent of it until I finished, though. Ok, following your link, there's even more going on, this time via the author himself. Wow!

34Carol420
Sep 11, 2020, 8:46 am


Our Little Secret - Roz Nay
3★
The true story of a teenage killer and the silence of a small New England town. For twenty years Daniel Paquette's murder in New Hampshire went unsolved. It remained a secret between two high school friends until Eric Windhurst's arrest in 2005. What was revealed was a crime born of adolescent passion between Eric and Daniel's stepdaughter, Melanie- redefining the meaning of loyalty, justice, and revenge.

Young love… first love sets the stage for this author’s debut novel. The story goes to show that we may not always know people as well as we think we do...what they are really capable of…and to what ends an entire town would go to protect them. If you are an avid true crime fan you will really enjoy this book.

35Jenson_AKA_DL
Sep 11, 2020, 9:39 am

So far in September I've read and reviewed Prisoner of Night, Red, White and Royal Blue and Blood & Honey. I also re-read and added on to my review of Loose Ends which is a tie in to the original Roswell television series.

>32 Carol420: that book sounds like one I might enjoy, I'm going to look into getting a copy for myself.

36Carol420
Editado: Sep 12, 2020, 3:18 pm


The Abominable - Dan Simmons
4★
The year is 1924 and the race to summit the world's highest mountain has been brought to a terrified pause by the shocking disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine, high on the shoulder of Mt. Everest. By the following year, three climbers - a British poet and veteran of the Great War, a young French Chamonix guide, and an idealistic young American - find a way to take their shot at the top. They arrange funding from the grieving Lady Bromley, whose son also disappeared on Mt. Everest in 1924. Young Bromley must be dead, but his mother refuses to believe it and pays the trio to bring him home. Deep in Tibet and high on Everest, the three climbers - joined by the missing boy's female cousin - find themselves being pursued through the night by someone…or something. This nightmare becomes a matter of life and death at 28,000 feet - but what is pursuing them? And what is the truth behind the 1924 disappearances on Everest? As they fight their way to the top of the world, the friends uncover a secret far more abominable than any mythical creature could ever be.

Dan Simmons is another of my favorite authors. I believe I have read everything that he has written and enjoyed each and every one. This was really not an exception even though it received only a 4 star rating. The biggest complaint that I had with the book was the extensive detailed description of mountain climbing and mountain climbing technique. It’s a difficult book to say much about with giving away a lot of the story. The same with the ending… but I can say that the "Abominable" that the title refers to is truly abominable…was disturbing on several levels… and was not at all what I expected. It’s not The Terror…that was one of the best books Dan Simmons ever penned… but it is still a very worthwhile read.

37BookConcierge
Sep 13, 2020, 10:06 am


Brown Girl Dreaming – Jacqueline Woodson
Digital audio performed by the author.
5*****

Jacqueline Woodson is an award-winning author and poet. This memoir of her childhood, growing up in the turbulent 1960s is written entirely in free verse.

In it Woodson explores family dynamics; the differences between “the North” (Brooklyn) and “the South” (South Carolina), between generations, between religious beliefs; and the hopes, ambitions and obstacles to success faced by a young black girl in 1960s America. The language is appropriate and accessible for the target middle-school audience, but eloquent and complex enough to engage and interest adults.

I loved how she related the importance of a teacher who recognized and celebrated her gifts rather than focus on her struggles with learning, and who encouraged her to believe that she WAS a writer. As well as the importance of a family who nurtured and supported her, despite divorce and the upheaval of moving several states away.

The audio version is performed by the author. I cannot imagine anyone else doing a better job of conveying the emotion of her story.

38JulieLill
Sep 13, 2020, 1:29 pm

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jonathan Safran Foer
4/5 stars
Oskar Shell, a young man whose father was killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11 finds a mysterious key that belonged to his father. He takes on as his mission to find what that key would unlock and finds himself meeting and interacting with people he would never have met and overcoming some of the grief of his father’s death. What a nicely written novel - recommended!

39threadnsong
Sep 13, 2020, 8:30 pm

>36 Carol420: Oh wow. Now Dan Simmons has taken on Mt. Everest? This must be a fascinating book indeed. Like you, I loved The Terror (listened to it on audiobook during Snowpacalypse 2014, which gave it a whole new dimension) and I loved how well he researched what life must have been like on those two ships.

40LibraryCin
Sep 13, 2020, 11:16 pm

The Kitchen God's Wife / Amy Tan
3.5 stars

Pearl and her mother are often at odds with each other. Pearl’s mother, Winnie, immigrated to the US from China, not long after WWII. Pearl doesn’t realize just how much from her life in China Winnie hasn’t told her. But, her Aunt Helen hints that there are secrets... Aunt Helen encourages Winnie to tell Pearl and also encourages Pearl to reveal her own secret to her mother – a secret about her health.

This was good. It was told at the start and end by Pearl, but the majority of the book, in the middle, is Winnie relating her story – her life in China – to Pearl. It’s written as if the reader is Pearl. I liked Pearl’s portion of the story, but when we switched to Winnie it took a while for me to warm up to the story and become as interested as I ended up being. Ultimately, Winnie’s story was the “meat” of the book.

41Carol420
Editado: Sep 14, 2020, 8:43 am


Lost Girls – Angela Marsons
DI Kim Stone series Book #3
5★

When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping. And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad. Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realizes that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive are getting smaller by the hour. Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families' past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone's child pay the ultimate price?

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that that reads Angela Marsons books or the DI Kim Stone series… that she has written another outstanding contribution. Kim is a complex…fascinating but extremely flawed character that you just have to admire and like. The ending is a complete surprise that you will never see coming…but then, most of her books end with big surprises and the ability to make the reader yearn for more. This story could have been pulled from the headlines of almost any newspaper in the world If you are someone that enjoys intelligent, fast-paced police procedural crime thrillers…then I would highly recommend this entire series. The good news is that I recently learned that Angela has signed a contract for 12 more of these books. Happy Camper!!!

42Carol420
Sep 14, 2020, 9:05 am


Parting Shot - Mary Calmes
Matter of Time series Book #7
5★

Life had never been easy for Duncan Stiel. His childhood was the stuff of nightmares, and his day job as an undercover police officer forces him to hide his true self and occasionally lands him in the hospital. So when he finally meets the perfect man, it comes as no surprise that everything falls apart around him. What Duncan doesn’t expect is that the hardest hurdle to get over before he can make a life with Aaron Sutter is the one inside himself. Everyone thinks Aaron has it all—looks, money, fame, and success beyond measure. Everyone, that is, except Aaron. At the end of the day, the cameras stop flashing, friends go back to their own lives, company business is handled, and Aaron is always alone. The moment he meets Duncan Stiel, Aaron knows he’ll do anything to hold onto the larger-than-life detective. But when he realizes money won’t buy him the ultimate happiness, Aaron needs to find the strength to give Duncan something much more important—his heart.

My favorite of the series and an excellent conclusion since Aaron has played a huge role through out the entire series. It seems only right that it should end with him finding peace and a love of his own. What I like about this author's books is the Crime/Mystery storyline which sets it apart from your average romance. I know some will find the topic difficult, if not impossible to deal with but if you can deal with it…you can’t help but make friends with these characters. Sometimes it seems that there just isn’t enough love spread around in this old world so it’s nice to see the characters in our books are finding something and someone to hold on to.

43Carol420
Sep 14, 2020, 1:13 pm


Hell Island - Matthew Reilly
5★

Captain Shane Schofield and his elite team of marines is about to discover . . . There is no hell like a man-made one. It is an island that doesn’t appear on any maps. A secret location where the government conducts classified experiments. Experiments that have gone terribly wrong. . . . When all contact with the mysterious island is suddenly and inexplicably lost, Captain Shane Schofield and four crack Special Forces units parachute in. Nothing prepares them for what they find—the island is a testing ground for a deadly breed of genetically enhanced super-soldiers. You could say they’ve just entered hell, but this place is much, much worse.

For a story filled with this much action…it is extremely short…only 120 pages. If Matthew Reilly wasn’t such a great writer with this kind of story it probably would leave the reader confused and saying “what happened”. Fortunately… that never happens here. Just to give you an idea…this is from the book… “It slammed into Haynes, ramming him back against the door. His head hit the steel door hard, the blow stunning him but not knocking him out. And as he slumped to the floor and saw the creature draw a glistening long-bladed K-bar knife from its sheath, Haynes wished it had knocked him unconscious, because then he wouldn’t have to witness what it did to him next…” My only regret is that this wasn’t carried into a full blown novel. 120 pages can only whet the appetite. Oh yeah…you‘ll just have to read the book if you want to know exactly what the creature did to him next.

44JulieLill
Sep 15, 2020, 9:40 am

Strangers on a Train
Patricia Highsmith
5/5 stars
Two men meet on a train and get to talking about their lives. Charles Bruno then proposes a scheme in which Bruno kills Guy Haines’ wife and Guy kills Charles’ father. Not thinking that Bruno is serious, he leaves the train and later on finds out his ex-wife has been brutally murdered and now Bruno has re-entered his life pressuring him on the deal he feels he made with Guy. Excellent read and compelling to the very end!

45Carol420
Sep 15, 2020, 11:16 am


From The Grave - David Housewright
P.I. Mac McKenzie series Book #17
4★
Once a police detective in St. Paul, Minnesota, Rushmore McKenzie became an unlikely millionaire and an occasional unlicensed private investigator, doing favors for friends. But this time, he finds himself in dire need of working on his own behalf. His dear friend and first love Shelby Dunston attends a public reading by a psychic medium with the hope of connecting with her grandfather one final time. Instead, she hears McKenzie’s name spoken by the psychic in connection with a huge sum of stolen…and missing…money. Caught in a world of psychic mediums, with a man from his past with a stake in the future, and more than one party willing to go to great and deadly lengths to get involved, McKenzie must figure out just how much he’s willing to believe―like his life depends on it…before everything takes a darker turn.

The past is running to catch up and overpower P.I. McKenzie when a man he killed 20 years ago appears to be after him again. Yes…I said “killed”. Meet psychics Hannah Braaten…a double threat since she can not only see the dead she can hear and speak with them also. During a reading Hannah encounters Leland Hayes…the man that McKenzie killed who wants the $6000.00 that he died for 22 years ago and now he sees no reason that his son shouldn’t be able to get it for him. Obviously that he is dead comes as a big surprise to him. It was a fairly good read but not as good as some of the others in this series. This surprised me since everyone knows how I feel about ghost stories. I found the dialog to be rather stilted and there just wasn’t enough twists to raise it to a 5 star rating.

46Carol420
Editado: Sep 16, 2020, 9:33 am


The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher
5+★
When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be? Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. That would be horrific enough, but there’s more—Mouse stumbles across her step-grandfather’s journal, which at first seems to be filled with nonsensical rants…until Mouse encounters some of the terrifying things he described for herself. Alone in the woods with her dog, Mouse finds herself face to face with a series of impossible terrors—because sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real, and they’re looking for you. And if she doesn’t face them head on, she might not survive to tell the tale.

The book has been described as a result of the mating between the “The Blair Witch Project" and “The Andy Griffith Show”. I thought it was just a joke at first but the further I went with this story…I began to see the reviewers point. You can almost picture Barney Fife creeping through the woods. The reading is so fast and effortless that you will be amazed when you stop to catch a breath to realize how enthralled you have become in what should have been a totally ridiculous idea. You’re a little kid who stayed out too late and now realized that you were having a great time but now it’s getting dark and you have no idea how to get home. People…this is horror at its most horrific and I don’t scare easily…but you will just be waiting for something to jump out from behind your comfortable chair or the headboard on the bed and grab you. Please tell me that someone locked the door!!

47JulieLill
Sep 16, 2020, 11:37 am

Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
David Sedaris
4/5 stars
David Sedaris opens his life to his readers with his diary entries from 1977-2002. The entries relay the often bizarre world of David’s and his thoughts about life, his family, his work and the strange people and events he encounters. This is definitely for Sedaris fans. If you haven’t read any of his other books - you might want to read some of those before you open this book.

48JulieLill
Editado: Sep 16, 2020, 11:38 am

Este mensaje fue borrado por su autor.

49Jenson_AKA_DL
Sep 16, 2020, 11:45 am

Read and reviewed The Sugared Game by KJ Charles. I really like this author, she's a more recent find for me.

50Carol420
Sep 17, 2020, 9:40 am


The Cleaner – Mark Dawson
John Milton series Book #1
4★
John Milton is the man the government calls when they want a problem to go away... but what happens when he’s the one who needs to disappear? After a botched job leaves a bloody trail, government assassin John Milton does the one thing he’s never done before: he hides. Disappearing into London’s bustling East End and holing up in a vacant flat, Milton becomes involved with his neighbor Sharon and her troubled son Elijah, who are caught in an increasingly bloody turf war between two rival gangs. Unable to ignore the threat, Milton sets about protecting mother and son, meeting violence with violence. But his involvement puts him in the sights of the government’s next best killer, and before long Milton is not just fighting to save a family and a home - he’s fighting to stay alive.

This series has been compared to Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, and Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne… and as huge fan of all these great heroes; I do have to say I that I really don’t see the comparison. John Milton is so very, very different from Reacher and Rapp. They aren’t assassins and no one “owns” them like Milton is “owned”. I have read several of the books in this series and I always have trouble picturing John in the role that Mark Dawson has set out for him…an assassin…better known as a “cleaner”…one of the deadliest men on the planet. John does kill people for a living…and does it very well… but he always seems greatly bothered by it and wants to help the people out more than he wants to kill them. In this first book we see John trying to step aside and just live out the rest of his life in peace…of course he isn’t allowed that pleasure.

51Carol420
Sep 17, 2020, 4:27 pm


Mainly By Moonlight – Josh Lanyon
Bedknobs and Broomsticks series Book #1
4.5★

Can a witch avoid a murder rap without revealing the supernatural truth? Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband John who happens to be the Police Commissioner and just might be under the influence of a powerful love spell…or he may just genuinely love Cosmos. Whatever the situation may be… uncertainty threatens their nuptial magic.

I seem to be finding books this month that are a happy marriage between TV programs. This one reminded me of a cross between Bewitched and The Thin Man. I kept watching for Samantha Stevens and Endora to appear and wiggle their noses. I think the Endora look-alike character can easily be Cosmos mother. It was a delightful little first book of a two part series. I loved the character of Cosmo. He was sweet, trying to be mortal, and wanting and trying so hard to do the right thing for himself and for John. However his being the main…well, the only suspect...in a murder case made everything he did seem wrong. I was just holding my breath that he and John actually made it to their wedding ceremony. I figured out early in the book what had happened and who had made it happen…but it is still an endearing and entertaining first book in this little two-part series…even if it did have some loose ends. Hopefully book #2 will tie those up.. I’m finding that I really like Josh Lanyon’s work.

52Carol420
Sep 18, 2020, 7:52 am


Fragile - Lisa Unger
4★

Everybody knows everybody in The Hollows, New York… a quaint, charming town outside of New York City. It's a place where neighbors keep an eye on one another's kids, where people say hello in the grocery store, and where high school cliques and antics are never quite forgotten. As a child, Maggie found living under the microscope of small-town life stifling. But as a wife and mother, she has happily returned to The Hollow’s insular embrace. As a psychologist, her knowledge of family histories provides powerful insights into her patients' lives. So when the girlfriend of her teenage son, Rick, disappears, Maggie's intuitive gift proves useful to the case--and also dangerous. The investigation has her husband, Jones, the lead detective on the case, acting strangely. Rick, already a brooding teenager, becomes even more withdrawn. In a town where the past is always present, nobody is above suspicion, not even a son in the eyes of his father. Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie pursues her own leads into Charlene's disappearance and exposes a long-buried town secret--one that could destroy everything she holds dear

Small town…filled with old and big secrets…a place where history keeps repeating itself. From the beginning of the book the reader is fairly certain where it’s going to lead and how it’s going to turn out. In spite of this I found it an intriguing read. The back and forth between the past and present in novels is sometimes difficult to follow but in this case it was very easy. The characters are well developed and you can appreciate who they are and how they got there. I especially liked the lead detective that actually wasn’t intended to be the outstanding character but turned out to be just that. As in all small towns, the people are connected in some way both good and bad. The Hallows sounds like a quaint little town but one that you might want to think twice about living in.

53NatashaBarker
Sep 18, 2020, 8:10 am

Este usuario ha sido eliminado por spam.

54Carol420
Sep 19, 2020, 12:06 pm


Paper Ghosts – Julia Heaberlin
3★

Years ago, her sister Rachel vanished. Now she is almost certain the man who took Rachel sits in the passenger seat beside her. He claims to have dementia and no memory of murdering girls across Texas in a string of places where he shot eerie pictures. To find the truth, she proposes a dangerous idea: a ten-day road trip with a possible serial killer to examine cold cases linked to his haunting photographs. Is he a liar or a broken old man? Is he a pathological con artist—or is she? You won’t see the final, terrifying twist spinning your way until the very last mile.

Grace is obsessed with her sisters’ disappearance and now she believes that she has found the man responsible…Louis Feldman. Problem is he’s been down this road before. Carl gained fame for having published a bestselling book of photographs some years previously…. and achieved notoriety as the suspected serial killer of several women. He was tried…but not convicted for one murder…then he went off the grid for a few years. Now he back and he claims to have dementia. Now here’s where the story begins to fall apart for me. Grace removes Carl from his care home where he is currently living and has decided that she can get him to confess to her sister’s abduction by taking him on a 10-day road trip through Texas. Really??? I kept waiting for someone to yell ”APRIL FOOL”. I’ll give it 3 stars for the writing style and a very creative idea... but it just didn’t seem in the realm of possibility to carry this theme out convincingly.

55LibraryCin
Sep 19, 2020, 5:01 pm

The Secret Lives of Saints / Daphne Bramham
4 stars

“Saints” in the title refers to the religion, “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” (LDS), or more specifically, fundamentalist LDS (FLDS) – that is, the polygamous branch of the LDS/Mormons. This book includes info from various, mostly former, FLDS – that is, it includes some memoir-type info with regard to some people (again, mostly those who have left), but the second part talks about the law, courts, trials, and even that some governments look the other way (British Columbia in Canada seems the worst for that).

This book does focus more on the Canadian FLDS (and leader/prophet Winston Blackmore) than any other I’ve read, so that was interesting to me. I’m in Calgary, Alberta, and though I knew about Bountiful, BC (actually called Lister, which I didn’t know), I did not know that there is a small population of FLDS in Alberta, as well, mostly in/around Cardston. The FLDS is so intertwined, though, that it started with a history, and there is also much about the communities in Utah and Arizona, and of course, about Warren Jeffs.

I have read quite a bit about the FLDS so many names are already familiar to me in that I’ve read some of those memoirs. I know that a few of the Canadian FLDS had a trial wrap up in BC last year, so I’m going to look that up to refresh my memory on what happened there. This book was published in 2008, so things have happened since then (like the trial in BC). I found the second part of the book – the legal stuff – much more interesting than I expected, and found myself even more interested than in the first half of the book; I guess much of that was exasperation and frustration at all the laws they are breaking... and in some cases, flaunting (in addition to polygamy, there is, of course, all kinds of abuse, plus bilking the government (i.e. taxpayers) out of as much money as possible – they need all that extra income to feed their 15+ wives and 70+ children (ok, that might just be Blackmore with that many, but you get the picture)).

56Carol420
Sep 20, 2020, 10:35 am


Shadows In Death - J.D. Robb
5+★

While Eve examines a fresh body in Washington Square Park, her husband, Roarke, spots a man among the onlookers he’s known since his younger days on the streets of Dublin….a man who claims to be his half brother… a man who kills for a living…and who burns with hatred for him. Eve is quick to suspect that the victim’s spouse…resentful over his wife’s affair and poised to inherit her fortune and would have happily paid an assassin to do his dirty work. Roarke is just as quick to warn her that if Lorcan Cobbe is the hitman, she needs to be careful. Law enforcement agencies worldwide have pursued this cold-hearted killer for years, to no avail. And his lazy smirk when he looked Roarke’s way indicates that he will target anyone who matters to Roarke…and is confident he’ll get away with it. Eve is desperate to protect Roarke. Roarke is desperate to protect Eve. And together, they’re determined to find Cobbe before he finds them…even if it takes them across the Atlantic, far outside Eve’s usual jurisdiction.

There is no way that I could ever give any of the 51 books in this series less than 5 stars. They are as close to the absolutely perfect crime story, police procedural and romance as any book can ever hope to come. You must start at the beginning and watch Eve and the team grow and develop into the best that NYC has to offer. See Eve and Roark become one of the most endearing couples in today’s literature and watch Peabody in her pink coat, become everything…as a person and as a police detective… that Eve always knew that she could and would be. Of course Galahad...the cat...gets fatter and more adorable with each book and Eve carries on her ongoing verbal battle with Sommerset who she really adores and would protect with her life if need be. This book will just take its rightful place as a part of the one of the best series in print today. About twice a year I and all the fans of this series…get to visit with these very good friends and see what’s happening in their lives. J.D Robb, (Nora Roberts), makes it a marvelous experience every single time. 100 of these books...1000 of these books... would never be too many.

57LibraryCin
Sep 20, 2020, 5:28 pm

The Good Son / You-Jeong Jeong
3.5 stars

When 25-year old Yu-jin wakes up one morning, his house is strangely silent. He is used to hearing his mother at certain times every day. Not only that, he thinks he had a seizure the night before and can’t remember how or when he got home. It’s not long before he discovers his mother’s body in a puddle of blood. What happened the night before...?

This was good. It was slow-moving as Yu-jin tried to figure out what had happened. It does make me, a little bit, not to want to walk by myself at night (though not possible for me to always avoid, as I don’t drive).

58BookConcierge
Sep 21, 2020, 8:50 am


Olive Again – Elizabeth Strout
4****

Strout returns to the character featured in her Pulitzer-Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge. Olive still lives in Cosby, Maine, still has a strained relationship with her son, still is remarkably clueless about how her abrupt manner affects others, and yet…

I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read the first book. Suffice to say that while Olive wasn’t young in book one, this book continues her story into her mid-80s.

The book is character-driven and Strout excels at revealing these characters by their actions and conversations with one another (or with themselves). Like most of us, Olive lives an “ordinary” life – she keeps her house, runs errands, goes to baby showers, converses with people at the grocery store, has her children come visit, finds a new friend in an expected setting, and faces the waning years of her life with as much dignity as she can muster.

I just love Olive, even if I don’t much “like” her. I can’t really say she’s mellowed much as she ages, but there is something so real, so vulnerable, so recognizable in her. I think there’s definitely some of me in her (or some of Olive in me).

59JulieLill
Sep 21, 2020, 11:52 am

Enduring Love
Ian McEwan
4/5 stars
Joe Rose and his girlfriend are spending time hiking in the countryside when a hot air balloon comes flying across the sky with the passengers struggling to maintain the flight. They run to the balloon to help, along with a passerby, Jed Parry. They try to help but one of the passengers falls to his death and the child is swept away in the balloon but later found. They are upset but leave to resume their lives but unfortunately Jed, the man that helped has now become obsessed with Joe Rose and will do everything he can to intrude in his life, upsetting his relationship with his girlfriend. This is a fascinating look at a stalker's victim and how it affects his life and his relationships.

60LibraryCin
Sep 21, 2020, 11:31 pm

The House Girl / Tara Conklin
2.5 stars

In the mid-19th century house slave Josephine is planning to escape. Current day, Lina is a lawyer. Her law firm wants to file a reparations lawsuit, but needs to find a descendant to represent. While Lina looks for such a descendant, she is drawn into Josephine’s story. Josephine is thought to be the real artist behind the art supposedly created by a white woman, the woman Josephine serves.

I may have that summary a bit “off”. I listened to the audio, but I’m not going to fault the narrator for my loss of focus. I have listened to this narrator before and rated those books 4 and 5 stars (for the 5 star book, she as one of a few narrators). So, unfortunately, I did lose focus many times in this book, so I never really cared about the characters and I wasn’t all that interested in the story.

61BookConcierge
Sep 22, 2020, 9:36 pm


Go See the Principal – Gerry Brooks
Digital audio narrated by Gerry Brooks and Angela Gonzales
2.5**

Gerry Brooks is an elementary school principal in Lexington, Kentucky. Apparently, he’s also a YouTube celebrity of sorts. I’ve never seen any of his videos, but I might have to look him up. I think – though am not sure – that this book might be a review of some of the topics covered in his YouTube videos.

I don’t have any children. I’m not a teacher. It’s been a long time since I’ve personally been in school of any kind, let alone elementary school. Things are obviously different … and yet.

I do recognize many of the issues with the cafeteria / lunchroom. With juggling all the supplies. With bathroom breaks. With playground issues.

I would probably have found this funnier if it was closer to home and I could relate. As it was, I thought it was more “instructional” than entertaining.

The book includes a glossary of terms, as well as a final chapter, titled “The Answer Key: Teachers Teaching Teachers,” in which advice sent in by teachers on various topics such as “5 tips I wish they had taught me in college” or “5 ways to sustain a strong marriage for educators” is relayed.

Brooks performs the audiobook himself, except for the last chapter, which is read by Angela Gonzales.

62Carol420
Editado: Sep 23, 2020, 10:38 am



Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret - Judy Blume
5★
Margaret Simon is almost twelve. She likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong. But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush. Margaret is funny and real, and her thoughts and feelings are oh-so-relatable—you’ll feel like she’s talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.

This is a fantastic as well as ageless book that should be read by all girls from 9 to 99. It touches on all the things all girls worry about…body image…boys…friends…and the inevitable changes that will take place rather they are ready for them or not. It’s told in the first person in “kid friendly” language and is truly a treasure “We must…we must… we must increase our bust!" Remember that one ladies?? Doesn’t matter if you’re 25 or 75…I just bet you do. You’ll love meeting Margaret rather it’s the first time or the second or third time. It will have to be counted as one of the best reads I have had this year…and it wasn’t even a ghost story:)

63LibraryCin
Sep 23, 2020, 11:21 pm

Educated / Tara Westover
4.25 stars

In this memoir, Tara Westover primarily recalls her childhood, growing up in a Mormon family in Idaho. Her parents didn’t believe in education, or public health, or anything government-related. Her father sold scrap metal from his junkyard, and enlisted all his kids to help, including his youngest, Tara. As she and her siblings grew up with no education, a few of them decided to leave to get that education they’d been missing. Tara was left at home along with her extremely abusive brother, Shawn, until she was able to get away, as well.

It started off a bit slow, but it built and built, I thought. It was hard as the book continued on – even as Tara left TO get that education she missed out on while growing up – to watch how hard a time she had cutting ties with her abusive family. I guess – it’s her family. Even as she grew to know how they were just wasn’t right, they were still her family.

64JulieLill
Sep 24, 2020, 1:37 pm

>63 LibraryCin: I just started this and am enjoying it!

65Carol420
Sep 24, 2020, 1:55 pm


The Current - Tim Johnston
4★

In the dead of winter, outside a small Minnesota town, state troopers pull two young women and their car from the icy Black Root River. One is found downriver, drowned, while the other is found at the scene—half frozen but alive. What happened was no accident, and news of the crime awakens the community’s memories of another young woman who lost her life in the same river ten years earlier, and whose killer may still live among them. Determined to find answers, the surviving young woman soon realizes that she’s connected to the earlier unsolved case by more than just a river, and the deeper she plunges into her own investigation, the closer she comes to dangerous truths, and to the violence that simmers just below the surface of her hometown. Grief, suspicion, the innocent and the guilty—all stir to life in this cold northern town where a young woman can come home, but still not be safe.

I found it a bit difficult to keep track of who the characters were and what they were to each other…but once the plot kicked in it was still difficult…but difficult in a different way...difficult to put down. The thing that I found a little hard to believe was the fact that one of the characters fell into a river in the middle of a Minnesota winter and actually survived. I live in Michigan and I have read accounts of people unfortunate enough to encounter any of our lakes and rivers in the middle of a Michigan winter. They can pretty much start forgetting about being rescued and just start planning for their eternity. I think that Minnesota might be the same if not worse. I like this author...loved his book Decent. He hasn’t ever written a bad story …and he didn’t this time either if you overlook the river incident. It had enough going for it to make the reader want to see the outcome.

66BookConcierge
Sep 25, 2020, 3:35 pm


Long Road To Mercy – David Baldacci
Digital audiobook performed by Brittany Pressley and Kyf Brewer.
4****

From the book jacket: Atlee Pine is the lone FBI agent assigned to the Shattered Rock, Arizona, resident agency, which is responsible for protecting the Grand Canyon. So, when one of the Canyon’s mules is found stabbed to death – with its rider missing – Pine is called in to investigate. It soon seems clear that the lost tourist had something more clandestine than sightseeing in mind.

My reactions:
This is a fast-paced mystery / suspense / thriller with a kick-a** female heroine – or two. I really liked Pine, who is physically and mentally strong, intelligent, determined and well able to take care of herself, and others. But I loved her assistant, Carol, who more than rises to the occasion and shows that she’s more than up to the task of besting the bad guys. This is a team to watch!

The title is a reference to a tragic incident in Pine’s history. At age six an intruder broke into their home and using the “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe… rhyme chose between Atlee and her twin sister, Mercy. Mercy was taken and Atlee never saw her again. She haunted by this and there are references to it throughout, but I thought it distracted from the main plot here. I know that there is a second book in the series, in which Atlee Pine goes back to her home state to try to solve the mystery, so perhaps Baldacci is just setting up the background. But I found it a distraction.

Still, the action is fast and furious, and there are multiple twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader (and Atlee) on her toes. I like the possible romantic relationship as well

The audiobook is performed by a team of talented voice artists: Brittany Pressley and Kyf Brewer. They do a great job voicing the many characters. They set a good pace for the action and have clear diction so even when listening at an increased speed I could understand easily.

67JulieLill
Sep 27, 2020, 6:09 pm

Boy Swallows Universe
Trent Dalton
4/5 stars
Set in Australia in the 1980’s we find brothers Eli and August Bell living with his mother and Slim, a friend that watches over the family. Life is not easy for the family, the father is in jail and they have little resources to live on. The Bell family keeps hanging on when the boys go to live with their dad after he is released while their mother ends up in jail and now Eli is now being targeted by Tytus Broz, a criminal/drug dealer. This is definitely a wild romp and you will have a hard time putting this down!

68threadnsong
Sep 27, 2020, 6:27 pm

Murder of Angels by Caitlin Kiernan
3***

Ten years ago, Niki Ky and Daria Parker saw something unspeakable in an old house in Birmingham, Alabama. Daria has denied it, escaping into a frantic music career and various addictions. But Niki hasn't been so fortunate. Diagnosed schizophrenic, she's lost years in a haze of therapy and antipsychotics. Now terrifying fragments of waking nightmares are reaching out to her, ghosts and demons driving her toward revelation and release, and she has begun to doubt that all the cracks in her reality are hallucinations.

A truly unexpected novel, and not the ghost story I thought it would be. There is the trauma Daria and Niki face when they live through a mass suicide/bad drug trip a decade ago, there is their love story fraught with Niki's schizophrenia and Daria's touring as a rock bassist, and then there comes the tale of the after life. All melded together with descriptive, flowered writing full of imagery and telling a story.

My rating of a 3 is a combination of my likes and dislikes of this book. For the writing alone, the crafting of the love story and Niki's illness and Daria's life, I would give it 4 stars. The imagery Kiernan creates and brings the reader to is a gift. But her pulling in an even more complex after life, and the influence from other beings who have their own agenda on this world, I give it 2 stars. There seemed to be no true, clear path to a resolution, only a lot of imagery and re-naming and journeying to an end that seemed more convoluted than story.

69Carol420
Sep 27, 2020, 6:53 pm


I Buried a Witch - Josh Lanyon
Bednobs and Broomsticks series Book #2
5★

Something old, something new, something borrowed...something blacker than the darkest night. Antiques dealer (and witch) Cosmo Saville adores his new husband, but his little white lies--and some very black magic--are about to bring his fairytale romance to an end. Someone is killing San Francisco's spellcasters--and the only person Cosmo can turn to--the man who so recently swore to love and cherish him--isn't taking his phone calls. The only magic Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith believes in is true love. Discovering he's married to a witch--a witch with something alarmingly like magical powers--is nearly as bad as discovering the man he loved tricked and deceived him. John shoulders the pain of betrayal and packs his bags. But when he learns Cosmo is in the crosshairs of a mysterious and murderous plot, he knows he must do everything in in his mortal power to protect him.

I knew at the end of book 1 that Cosmo was not doing the right thing by not telling John what and who he really was…although John doesn’t appear to be the most forgiving or understanding sort. A great many of the characters are both good and bad except for Cosmo and John who are just trying to make their marriage work. Even the cat…who’s not really a cat…is pretty standoffish…yet the plots and the stories work together very well. That’s probably due to Josh Lanyon being such a good story teller. Actually this series would make a good movie or TV series. I hope book 3 is not the end for John and Cosmo and they can work out their differences. These books are filled with mystery & suspense with a little magic thrown in…just for good luck.

70LibraryCin
Sep 27, 2020, 10:23 pm

Salt: A World History / Mark Kurlansky
2.5 stars

This is pretty much what the title says. It looks at how people have used salt throughout the world and throughout history – what they’ve used it for, how they’ve obtained it and made it useful to them, and more.

It was very long. Some parts were interesting, but much was kind of dry for me. I did learn a couple of interesting things, like ketchup was initially an anchovy sauce! Nothing to do with tomatoes! And places in England ending in “wich” in the name at some point had salt mines.

71LibraryCin
Sep 28, 2020, 11:34 pm

The Sometimes Daughter / Sherri Wood Emmons
4 stars

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes was born at Woodstock to a high hippie mother, Cassie. Cassie later becomes upset when her husband Kirk “sells out” and goes to school to become a lawyer, so she leaves Kirk and Judy when Judy is only 6-years old to live on a commune. Cassie pops in and out of Judy’s life as the years go on and as Judy grows up.

I really liked this. Have to admit this was a rare book that started stronger than it ended – at least for me. Overall, though, I’m going to keep it at the 4 star rating I was thinking throughout the first half of the book. I was a bit disappointed in some choices Judy made as a teenager. I did love the relationship between Cassie and her dad, though.

72BookConcierge
Sep 29, 2020, 7:16 pm


A Short History Of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson
3.5***

Well, the title pretty much gives you a synopsis of what this nonfiction work is all about – “nearly” everything.

Bryson allowed his curiosity about scientific discoveries to lead wherever it might take him, and he organized his findings in a somewhat chronological order (hence the “history”). He begins with how the universe came into being, and proceeds through how Earth came to be the rock we call home, the natural disasters / dangers of volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc, continues through the formation of life, from the smallest microbeings to, eventually, man (and the way we are destroying the planet on which we reside).

It’s dry in places, and extremely detailed as well. It’s also funny and entertaining occasionally. I found myself reading certain passages aloud to my husband (who, I think, was sorry he asked “What are you reading?”).

73Carol420
Sep 30, 2020, 4:28 pm


The Skeleton Room – Kate Ellis
DI Wesley Peterson series Book #7
3.5★

When workmen converting former girls' boarding school, Chadleigh Hall, into a luxury hotel discover a skeleton in a sealed room, DI Wesley Peterson and his boss, Gerry Heffernan are called in to investigate. But within minutes they have a second suspicious death on their hands: a team of marine archaeologists working on a nearby shipwreck have dragged a woman's body from the sea. And it becomes clear that her death was no accident. The dead woman's husband may be linked with a brutal robbery of computer equipment but Wesley soon discovers that the victim had secrets of her own. As he investigates Chadleigh Hall's past and the woman's violent death, both trails lead in surprising directions and matters are further complicated when a man wanted for a murder in London appears on the scene, a man who may know more about Wesley's cases than he admits.

The entire series is slow going but the rewards are fairly good if you just stick with it. One thing we... (we’re reading this series as a group read on LibraryThing)... have found out is that the solution always relates to a modern police case handled by DI Peterson of Tradmouth and draws parallels with an archeology dig handled by his friend Neil Watson. The older story is usually just a paragraph or two at the beginning of the chapters and doesn’t take long to read but sometimes is harder to remember the important facts. There are a lot of characters to sort out and we have a skeleton tied to a chair in a walled up portion of a renovated schoolroom to add into them. If you enjoy a mystery that is generally a complicated tale of good and evil with a satisfying end…although you have to wait for…then Kate Ellis is for you.

74Carol420
Sep 30, 2020, 5:15 pm



Lynda and Oliver have read 300 books this year!!!! Congratulations on a fantastic achievement. Good job.

I posted it in September and October's chats since tomorrow is October but it's still September today:)

75LibraryCin
Sep 30, 2020, 11:14 pm

Forever / Maggie Stiefvater
2.5 stars

Possible spoilers for previous books... Maggie is now a wolf; everyone thinks she is missing, but Sam knows otherwise as she is staying with him. Famous musician Cole (who has also been missing, I think) and friend(?) Isabelle also know that Maggie is still alive.. Isabelle’s father(?) is insisting on a wolf hunt to get rid of the wolves once and for all.

I missed a bit too much in the first half to give it a higher rating. As usual, a better recap would have been appreciated... but then, maybe there was one and I missed it? It did pick up for me in the second half, and I paid more attention (I was listening to the audio, so that’s always easier for me to lose focus). It’s unfortunate I never did really figure out where Cole or Isabelle fit in, nor did I like either character very much.

76BookConcierge
Oct 1, 2020, 12:54 pm


Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn & George Vecsey
Book on CD narrated by Sissy Spacek
3.5***

This autobiography takes the reader from Loretta’s birth (sometime when FDR was president – she refuses to reveal how old she really is) to stardom.

I found this very interesting. She tells her story in a forthright and honest manner, relating both the good and the bad. She doesn’t apologize for her life or her choices (she married at age thirteen and was a grandmother by the time she was 29), but allows that she may not have had the education or life experience to do things differently at the time.

There were times when I winced at her ignorance but there’s no denying her talent and hard work. This memoir was first published in 1976. I had to keep reminding myself how different life was then. The audiobook I listened to was for the 30-year anniversary edition and included a forward with some additional information.

Sissy Spacek does a marvelous job narrating the audio. She was Lynn’s hand-picked choice to portray her in the movie, and has Lynn’s voice down pat. Most of the time I completely forgot it was Spacek performing it. I have never seen the movie, but having listened to Spacek’s performance on the audio, I know want to. Brava!

77threadnsong
Oct 11, 2020, 6:28 pm

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
5*****

Note: I finished this book in late September, and have not been on LT since then!

How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016? And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate's staunchest supporters? These are among the questions asked in this book, which delves beyond facile headlines to explain how white evangelicals have brought us to our fractured political moment.

What a timely, well-researched, fascinating, gripping book Du Mez has written. It traces the rise of white Christian evangelicalism from a small and fringe group to the powerhouse that dominates huge swaths of commerce, politics, and education. And how this group's view of Jesus is not that of the gentle, robed man who advocated "love thy neighbor," but instead a warrior whose mighty sword will swiftly kill millions of enemies.

The myth of the heroic warrior male in American history starts with Teddy Roosevelt, a short, high-voiced man who chose the cowboy persona and became President and patron of the West. But it didn't stop there, and morphed from Teddy Roosevelt to John Wayne to Ronald Reagan to Trump. None of these men were evangelical, but that does not seem to matter to this movement: they are brash, swaggering, and insistent that women stay in their appointed places. Boys are bullied into being men, girls are brainwashed into total submission, and any difference from these norms, including sexual assault, are the victims' fault. And her father's, because he did not protect "his" daughter/property well enough.

It is a quick read by a professor who has done an extraordinary amount of what must have been difficult research, and documents how we came to be where we are now.