Review: The Deaths and Afterlife of Aleister Crowley

The Deaths and Afterlife of Aleister Crowley by Ian Thornton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this. As an historical figure, Aleister is probably a distant relative so naturally I was intrigued by the premise of this book. However, I had difficulty with the layout of the story, and the history versus the fiction seemed chaotic. Not your typical historical fiction.
Overall, there were sections of the book that were interesting but I could not finish it.
#TheDaethsAndAfterlifeOfAleisterCrowley #NetGalley #Unbound

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Review: Campusland

Campusland by Scott Johnston
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I tried to read the entirety of this book. I generally adore books set at in a school-setting, whether that is college, high school or boarding school. I find them to be nostalgic for me at this point. Campusland was meant to be satire about the degree to which college (especially elite universities) are considering themselves "safe spaces" for free speech and winds up just being ill-informed propaganda. This book is basically tone-deaf to the social injustices that our young people are trying to sort out. Its one thing to actually be funny in dealing with these topics, it is another thing entirely when you miss this mark and are just mean-spirited and hateful. I would guess that most young people would be uncomfortable reading this book aloud to their peers. I honestly feel sorry for the copy editor that had to read this multiple times.
#Campusland #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

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Review: The Dearly Beloved

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a spectacular debut from Cara Wall. This was a poignant story about two couples who are on very different paths but the husbands end up serving as ministers in the same Church jointly. They each bring different strengths to the job and their wives are very different in both their backgrounds as well as their current dreams and lifestyles. Some of the most intriguing aspects of this book for me were regarding the question of degree of faith and belief within the minister and the family of a minister and how that may impact the Church community or the minister and his ability to do his job. Also, once the children played a role in family life, obviously each wife had very different perspectives of motherhood and given the time frame that this was taking place, the options for education and decisions about possible placement into an institution for the child who was diagnosed with autism added an interesting twist in the story as well as each person's relationship with the others.
Many of these issues are things that I had never considered about the ministerial life and what having a family involved in that would be like. It really is a family career, given all of the presumed responsibilities of the minister's wife within a Church. How would the faltering of faith or the lack of belief in God or Christianity affect this role? This would honestly make a terrific bookclub read.
Thank you for the early copy!

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Review: Unmarriageable

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this Pride & Prejudice retelling with a wonderful twist of characters and setting. with the setting being Pakistan of today. I thought there were some pacing issues with this book but all-in-all, I think it worked overall and was a refreshing version of the story.

I would recommend this to lovers of P&P, retellings and adding diversity to traditional English literature.

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Review: Wherever She Goes

Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have only read one other Kelley Armstrong book and this was head and shoulders above that one (and it was good). She is a fantastic writer and her characters and story keep you turning the pages.
I loved that this was a stand-alone thriller and I initially worried that it would fall into the same, tired trope as many other novels of late, where the female protagonist is telling people around her what she has witnessed and isn’t even believed by her own family. Fortunately, although recently separated, her ex- is more willing to listen and without spoiling the plot, this avoids the trope of the pathetic female who no one listens to as the heroine. Aubrey has a hidden past, good and bad, that is complicated. This clearly influences many of her decisions going forward and makes for a compelling and very readable story.
Highly recommend!! This was a pleasure to read. I hated to have obligations this week because I wanted to get time to read this!
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Review: You Belong To Me

You Belong To Me by Mark Tilbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have read by this author and I found it to be quite the page-turner. I will definitely read others by him again. This was a fast paced, thriller with several twists and turns. It was told in a dual timeline and from multiple POVs. I loved the approach, which pulled the reader right into the story.
There were a couple of small details that keep from rating it a full five stars. I had trouble believing the mother’s character and her level of dysfunction. Maybe a little more detail or consistency in her character development would have been helpful. I also felt that one of the storylines used in connecting with the “good guys” and the “bad guy” was too repetitive and therefore seemed less believable as a tactic for a character who comes across as very intelligent at one point. It doesn’t seem likely that he would be gullible in the situation he was faced with.
Even with that being said, this was a well paced, dark and entertaining thriller.

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Review: Educated

Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was able to catch an interview session with this author on YouTube a few months ago and realized that she was the real deal. Then to experience this memoir was overwhelming. Just the unusual experience of life as a child in a secluded world, not even hearing about common, well-known, historical events, is shocking. And then, the degree of abuse and neglect that she was subjected to without ever knowing how to handle it is also incredible. In a memoir, it is always fascinating to learn about the experience other's have in life that differ from your own or that are way off the grid, but this is so beyond what most urban and suburban kids and now adults have encountered to really be incredible to imagine. The true grit and raw intelligence she had to go through the educational process and then to ultimately understand what that means for her, essentially as the change agent for herself and her potential future family, to break the cycle with her own self-will.
Beautifully done.

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Review: How To Talk To Black People

How To Talk To Black People by A. Anon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was an interesting read. I live in the rural south and my children have gone through schools that are very racially diverse, as financially comfortable white kids. They have had friends (thank goodness) from all different ethnicity, race, religion, sexuality and social class. Many of the characters in this book were stereotypical of kids that have gone to the schools or who live in our area and therefore believable. Even the ugliness of things said by Ivy from the beginning are understandable given her background and what she has been exposed to her entire life. If anything, it reinforces the need for books such as this one to open up the discussion rather than debate over how to speak to each other when our backgrounds are unique to our own conditions. In Ivy's case, she had ignorance from her family, loss of a parent and then neglect from the other and poverty to try to overcome in an environment of a well-heeled school system. So as awful as she was, I think her bravery in trying to keep going makes her a redeemable character.
So, although most likely for brevity, this seemed to have every stereotype possible to make the points on key issues, race, class, sexuality, it also hit many of these well. For my taste, I would have preferred a little more nuance and less obvious tropes but for the discussion purpose that this book was trying to meet, I think it does this well. I liked the willingness of the characters to have open and free discussions about social issues that were differences between them to better understand what life is like in someone else's skin.
I agree with some of the other reviews that there were some issues that seemed to resolve too easily, that in my opinion, would be unlikely to occur in reality. And I would also say that, even if a child is the son of amazingly accomplished parents and gifted in his own right, is it realistic that he would call out the local neurosurgeon on stage in front of his entire class (as the new kid) and be able to recite his mother's research? Maybe....but most kids don't care that much about what their parents are doing honestly. This does not detract from the story at all and I would highly recommend this book.

#HowToTalkToBlackPeople #NetGalley

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Review: Ask Again, Yes

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore this book. So much so, that I chose it as my BOTM pick in addition to already having it on NG to read and review.
This is a gorgeously written, beautifully flowing family saga that has a little bit of everything. I love the Romeo and Juliet story line through part of it as well as the basis of the connection between the two central families. My husband's family are from New York and originally from Ireland so many of these themes rang completely true to character for me.
There was an interesting level of psychopathology of both sides of the family that could have led to any number of outcomes. I enjoyed the pacing of this novel and the themes that ran throughout.
This will be a book club pick for me for our group in the future!

Highly recommend!

#AskAgainYes #NetGalley

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Review: The Female Persuasion

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was raised in a household that was quite ahead of the curve in terms of the feminist movement. My mother was always a proponent of this and did college work in Women's Studies, so as a child I distinctly recall discussions that were similar to the interactions or conversations that Faith had with her coworkers or with her mentees. And, like Corey, my father was on board as well with his progressive attitude towards women's rights. So a lot of the historic aspects of this story felt true to me. I also loved the ability of Meg Wolitzer to bring this movement into the present as its natural evolution and also the current climate of today's political challenges in the USA and worldwide.
Definitely recommend!

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Review: The Fourth Reich: The Specter of Nazism from World War II to the Present

The Fourth Reich: The Specter of Nazism from World War II to the Present by Gavriel D. Rosenfeld
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well-researched and chilling account of what life might be like had the Nazi's won WW-2 instead of losing. It brings up all kinds of timely topics that are shockingly in play today, not just in the USA but world-wide as the political climate is shifting towards a more nationalistic stance and countries becoming primed for fascist leadership. This is a deep and thought-provoking book that is ripe for many conversations, if people are willing to have them, in a time when it seems we are more divided than ever. Fantastic read.
Highly recommend to anyone interested in WW-2 or politics in general.

#TheFourthReich #NetGalley

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Review: Recursion

Recursion by Blake Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Usually straight science fiction is not my thing, but this was something above and beyond! I initially tried it because of all the hype over Crouch's book, Dark Matter. And this was definitely deserving of similar praise.
The story is a winding and intriguing tale of two main characters whose life intertwine but intermittently based on the events in the book. It begins with Barry who is NYPD officer and has a suicide case of someone suffering from a new syndrome called "FMS" or "False Memory Syndrome". At first it is unclear what is causing this and what will be done to try to stop it. Our other protagonist is a neuroscientist named Helena whose goal in her work is to find a way to help people suffering from dementia hold onto memories longer. Her aim is driven through her mother having dementia and her obvious love for her.
As the story weaves together, it brings everything from science fiction, thriller and a love-story. This book was a wonderful experience and will certainly have me lining up to read the next thing by this author.
Highly recommend!
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Review: The Body in Question

The Body in Question by Jill Ciment
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would have loved to sit and just be absorbed in this short, little book that packs a punch. This was a novel about a jury that is chosen for a murder trial in Florida and throughout the story are referred to by their juror numbers. They are sequestered early in the trial and this leads to many interesting tales that I did not anticipate. I have been on a jury for a murder trial but was not sequestered so there were many aspects of this book that absolutely rang true to me as a prior juror but then others that were not my experience personally.
I enjoyed the play on the title of the book and the narrative the story takes as it goes, both in storyline and job descriptions and so forth.
Really compelling and thought provoking.
Highly recommend for a book club that wants a discussion generator.

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Review: Someone We Know

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a good, fast-paced read. Not the best thriller/suspense of the year but entertaining and engaging. Definitely some twists and plot turns.

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Review: Something in the Water

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable book and I do recommend it as a page turning thriller. My only real issues with it are that it has the trope of a daft new wife who is rather obliviously played by those around her and that the big twist was too easy to see coming. I really like for a thriller to lead the reader along paths so that there are multiple options for what the answer may be but then the conclusion take you by surprise anyway. I don't think this one did that for me. Maybe I've been reading too many thrillers this year so I'm thinking in line with how they are set up instead of just taking it all in and enjoying the experience. There are definitely a lot of things positive about this book, so it was okay.

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Review: The Cabin at the End of the World

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a strange book for me. It started out promising then it took a turn that was so bizarre that not only did I not see it coming, I had no idea this was even a possible plot twist for this novel. Still uncertain how I feel overall about this book. My reluctance is that my gut feeling is to rate it low but I wonder if its one of those that the longer time you give after you've finished, the more likely that it will continue popping back into your consciousness. Usually those are the books that are higher ratings for me.
I think ultimately, the aspects of this that were most unexpected that i really didn't like, in terms of how the author handled it was the graphic nature of the violence. In thrillers or the like, I'm not put off by some of that but it is really dependent on the way it is written as to how tolerant I am with it. This did not seem to serve a purpose for the story itself other than to be gratuitous. So ultimately it detracted from the story in my opinion.

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Review: Inland

Inland by Téa Obreht
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First of all, I am so glad that i had the chance to read this early and review it. As the sophomore attempt, and much awaited at that, from Obreht, much was expected after the tremendous success of the debut novel. Inland was an interesting story told from two main perspectives, Nora Lark who is a homeowner in an Arizona town during a drought, awaiting her husband's water-seeking return. The alternate story is from the perspective of a pair of camel-riding outlaws. Both perspectives were fascinating and well researched. From a historical perspective, this was a work of art, telling the story from the various POVs that gave a firsthand view of what life would have been like for those who dared to try to live in the western, newly settled regions. The language used in each experience was so vivid and heartfelt that I could feel what the characters were feeling. This character driven story was poignant and compelling. In addition, Obreht adds the element of magical realism into the mix with characters talking to "the other dead" or Josie having these abilities to see and talk to the dead or see things about what was to be in the future. The slow, methodical pacing normally is not my favorite thing in a book but here it worked. It captured the growing thirst in Nora and her family as they waited for the return of her husband with the fresh water. This was a beautiful story and poignant novel that was a fantastic second book from a highly talented author.
Highly recommend.
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Review: Mrs. Everything

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book blew me away. I soaked this up. What an awesome summer read. From the first couple of pages I was drawn into the story of the lives of this family. They bring you in, share their secrets, triumphs and losses and captivate you with their story.
I love Jennifer Weiner anyway, but this is up there with one of her best in my opinion, at least for me. I liked the play on Jo and Bethie and the relation of their names to the girls from Little Women. I loved the diverse representation in both character types, whether religion or sexuality and issues. This book has something for everyone who enjoys a generational saga that has a decent pace. There isn't a lot of dragging here, despite the tome-like look of it.
Brilliantly done! Highly recommend!
I've already gotten my finished copy from my independent bookseller.

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Review: House of Salt and Sorrows

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had me at The Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling link. What a wonderful premise and the story did not disappoint. This is a darker, more Gothic version of the old fairy tale and therefore a more "grown-up" version of the story. Really well done and definitely recommend it. I am already anticipating what this author does next.

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Review: Color Me In

Color Me In by Natasha Diaz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Color me In was an important and well written book about a teenager who is biracial from both black and Jewish background, who “passes” as white. She has to deal with all the racial stereotyping that is done throughout her life but then her parents decide to divorce as well which adds another dimension to her turmoil.
I appreciated the various points of view that the author incorporated into the narrative to help enhance the story.

I would recommend this book.

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Review: Good Girls Lie

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Give me a book set at an elite school and then turn it into a thriller and I'm happy. This one was consistent with Ellison's previous books and did not disappoint. The story starts with a classmate who commits suicide, which isn't that surprising (sadly) at a ultra-competitive, Ivy-League-bound institution. But, is that what really happened? Good story with twists and turns. Kept me engaged throughout.
Definitely recommend.

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Review: Night of Power

Night of Power by Anar Ali
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recommend this novel as a good reading experience for many different types of readers. I think it especially speaks to readers like me who do not have a lot of history with the Muslim faith and culture. It also tells the story through different points of view so you get a different cultural perspective but also different perspectives within that culture, as you would see within any culture. I think this is especially important now, in this worldwide political climate of nationalism, where countries and societies are turning away anyone they consider different or "other" than who they think they are themselves. Now is when we need ways to remember who we are as people and regain some compassion and respect for all people and cultures.

Definitely recommend.
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Review: Keep You Close

Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love a good psychological thriller. This was almost that. It was a little bit lacking in something...I think the characters were not quite believable or the plot maybe had a view twists or turns that were too contrived for my taste. I like my thrillers to be edge of my seat, page-turners, but where I don't figure out the ending too soon (and not because it's so odd of an ending that no one would see it coming unless they were a psychopath themselves), but within the realm of reality. Nothing happens that can't be possible in the perfect thriller. This doesn't quite feel like it meets that level. It was good but not great. With a little work, maybe it would have been perfect.

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Review: Last Day

Last Day by Domenica Ruta
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I liked the premise of this book and certainly the hype drawn in the comparison to Station Eleven was enough to draw me to it. The problem was that the flow of the book itself didn't hold together well enough for me. It was hard to follow at times and while parts of it were decently good, other parts needed work.

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Review: All That's Bright and Gone: A Novel

All That's Bright and Gone: A Novel by Eliza Nellums
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a clever premise for a book. This is a story that is told from the POV of Aoife, a 6-year-old girl who has already dealt with some serious dysfunction in her family. The beginning is a traumatic experience that occurs while Mama and Aoife are driving to the mall to shop. Her mother receives a phone call and becomes agitated and seems to have a complete mental health breakdown, endangering both of their lives. This leaves the daughter alone and alternative care must be found. So many intriguing issues in this story. This really dove into how mental illness affects families and how sometimes trying to protect loved ones from information we think will hurt them may do more harm than good.
I work with people who have mental health issues and really appreciate a book that addresses the subject in a respectful and realistic way.

Highly recommend this book!

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Review: Riots I Have Known

Riots I Have Known by Ryan Chapman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought that I would like this one more than I did. It is a short (novella) about prison life in which a riot occurs that appears to possibly be due to the protagonist's own making. It is meant to be satirical and dark deliberately but at times felt gratuitous and with all the usual tropes of prison life. I guess it is because those "events and characters" actually exist in prisons, but trying humor about some of the issues just doesn't do it for me.

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Review: Thirteen

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Although this is book 4 in the Eddie Flynn series (he is the lawyer for the defense), this is easily readable as a standalone thriller/suspense book. Steve Cavanagh does a fantastic job of weaving several intricate plots together to an unexpected conclusion, even with all the hype and blurbs about this book out there. The initial storyline is straightforward in that Flynn is going through a rough patch in his private life due to his work and gets drafted into this case involving a Hollywood star that is accused of murdering his wife and a male friend. The trial is due to start and his defense is in need of an attorney like Flynn, someone who can be tough in the right places or take the fall if need be. He takes the job because he believes in the client's innocence and sets out to prove it. The remainder of the story is intricate weaving of the killer's moves and countermoves to continue his spree of murder and escape capture. Will he be caught? Will the correct guy be found guilty? How do you do that when the real killer is on the jury in his own trial? This is an interesting and thought-provoking story that is a thriller and legal drama simultaneously. Really well done and enjoyable.
Highly recommended.
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Code Blue by Mike Magee, M.D.

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This is such an important book looking at an insider's view (from multiple perspectives) of the medical industrial complex. Some may complain or moan that Dr. Magee is selling the medical community or administrators out by telling this story but it needs to be publicly told. In this day and age, when our country, as wealthy as it is, has such awful statistics in the healthcare sector for easily preventable conditions, we need to know these facts. Washington, D.C. politics are too busy vying for power and not representing the needs of Americans when it comes to many issues, but healthcare is one that will universally affect each and every one of us.
Wake up people! Everyone dies! Therefore, preventing disease is important. Treating disease early is important. Having easy access to high quality care is important. Instead we are allowing decisions to be made by the MIC that will ultimately affect our ability to access these services (and for providers to provide them).
Thank you Dr. Mike Magee for this timely and comprehensive book outlining the background and conversation we need to be having in this country now about how we want our healthcare to be for the coming years and why it became the way that it is now.

Highly recommend!!
#CodeBlue #NetGalley

29 Seconds by T. M. Logan

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This may very well be my favorite thriller of the year. I read a fairly large proportion of thrillers in my mix of books and this is the first of the year that both kept me up way too late and didn’t disappoint at all throughout. T. M. Logan does a brilliant job with this book, despite his daughter saying “he sits in a room and makes stuff up” and his son wondering when he’s going to get a proper job. If he keeps this up, they will be excited that Dad chose writing as his proper job.
This book has a terrific plot, great characters and well-timed twists. You even find yourself rooting for characters who are not necessarily making legal choices but they have good intentions. There is a depth to the characters and their relationships that is a step above many thrillers.
This is my first and only thriller that I would recommend as a must-read, beyond a 5/5. Yes, it’s that good.

#29Seconds #NetGalley #stmartinspress

Gaawin Gindaaswin Ndaawsii, I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis

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What a remarkable book. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is compelling. I truly had no idea that this is the history of how the First Nations/Inuit/Metis of Canada were treated in the not so-distant past. And to think, the last of these "residential schools" run by so-called Christian Churches just closed at the end of the 20th Century is striking. Here in the USA, I think our schooling on the countries surrounding us is quite limited unfortunately. Other countries seem to have a better understanding of the history or politics of the USA than USA citizens have for any other country, then take a smaller fraction of that vast country that is Canada (we think Toronto/Quebec,etc) and most of us know little at all.
This is an important book for the people that it represents. It is also an important book for all those facing similar situations, separation from family due to refugee status or immigration issues or even the criminal justice system. Anytime children are in a family that they are happy and well-cared for in and then taken from against their will is a tragedy. We are seeing many examples of this scenario around the world and it is scary for those children and sad for the families. We must do better.
Highly recommend.
#GaawinNiinNdooGindaaswisiiIAmNotANumber #NetGalley #SecondStoryPress

The Orchid Sister by Anne D. LeClaire

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Let me start by saying that overall I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters and their POVs. There were many unique stories that all intertwine in the end. This is a story that starts with the backstory of the sisters, Maddie and Kat, whose parents were killed in a plane crash. Maddie was also involved in that crash but survives, spending months in the burn unit going through difficult treatment and being left with scars that she must live with forever. It is clear from the beginning that the two sisters are extremely close as a result of these events so that when Kat doesn't call or contact Maddie for several week, it is obvious to her that something is not right.
I thought the author did a thorough job of detailing how Maddie would go about hunting for her sister and what might clue her into there being a problem.
The issues I had with the story were 1) some pacing issues, seemed like a lot of detail in some areas and not enough in others, 2) If someone is missing, why would any solo female go off alone when she has a trusted male friend to help (in a foreign country no less) and 3) ending felt rushed compared to the build-up.
I liked the book and I am glad that I read it but there were small issues for my taste.

#TheOrchidSister #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing

Cape May by Chip Creek

🌟🌟 I was initially drawn to this book because my own honeymoon years ago was at a resort where couples interacted (as far as I know only at events in public) where we met a couple on their anniversary trip. This reminded me of that sort of experience but then wow. It was way too much "50 Shades of Grey" for my liking so I wound up giving it up despite trying to read it a couple of times. Just not for me. #CapeMay #NetGalley #CeladonBooks

The Rumor by Lesley Kara

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I loved the premise of this book and a thriller based on what seems like an innocent rumor is intriguing and extremely readable. The character development was good and kept the plot moving. I was surprised to see that this was a debut novel. I will definitely be looking for further work from this author and appreciate the chance to read this one. It did not disappoint.

#TheRumor #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine #BallantineBooks

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

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Thank you for the eARC of this sequel of Olive Kitteridge, with this ongoing view into the lives of Olive and company. This was like revisiting old friends, even when that brings challenges anew. I love this sequel and Strout is as wonderful a writer as ever. This makes me want to reread the original.
Highly recommend!

#OliveAgain #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroupPandomHouse #RandomHouse

Solving For M by Jennifer Swender

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Solving for M absolutely speaks to me as an adult who has a career in one of the STEM fields and children involved in these areas as well. I love the way this book uses a POV of a young child who is going through a difficult time at home and then her interactions through her math class and the teacher she has there. She is fortunate enough to have a teacher who wants to make math fun and more than just paperwork but instead bring it to life. Anyone lucky enough to have this sort of teacher is truly blessed. This book was very sensitive to the challenges that this young girl faced in her personal life with her mother's cancer and separation of her parents. The illustrations and the use of "word problems" were a wonderful addition to this story. I will look forward to checking this out in a physical copy to see how much better it looks in that format (its good in digital but I'm guessing it will be best in physical form).

Definitely recommend
#SolvingForM #NetGalley #RandomHouseChildrens #CrownBooksforYoungReaders