The Last 13 Books that I Have Read

 I'm currently reading Verity by Colleen Hoover (not a fan of it yet, and I'm 1/2 in already), but sometimes I love the books I'm reading, and other times, well, they're duds.  Here's what I've been reading lately.  Star ratings of 1 to 5 with 5 being best.

Cupcakes and Conspiracies by Katherine Hayton.  4 stars.  A cute cozy mystery.  Book 1 in the Sweet Baked Mysteries series.

Mother's Day by Dennis McDougal.  3 stars.  A true crime book about the worst person to ever call herself a mother.

City Dark by Roger A. Canaff.  2 stars. A fictional crime mystery about a missing mother.  Don't waste your time.

The Good Wife:  The Shocking Betrayal and Brutal Murder of a Godly Woman in Texas by Clint Richmond. 3 stars.  A true crime novel set in Austin, Texas.  A mix of business and religion as backdrops.

Strawberries and Suffering by Katherine Hayton.  3 stars.  Cozy mystery.  Second book in the Sweet Baked Mysteries series. Not as good as the first.

The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham.  4 stars.  Mostly I just like Grisham's writing.  The story was interesting, but definitely not believable.  A  legal thriller with a mix of crime and politics.

The Moonlight Mill Murders of Steubenville, Ohio by Susan M. Guy.  2 stars.  A true crime incident that occured on December 5, 1933 and a bunch of other garbage.

A Question of Murder:  Compelling Cases from a Famed Forensic Pathologist by Cyril Wecht. 3 stars. Five of Wecht's actual cases.  He got a little too personally involved in some of these in my opinion.  I got tired of it after the third one.  And Wecht is extremely arrogant.

Death Sentence:  The Inside Stories of the John List Murders by Joe Sharkey.  4 stars.  Grim true crime reading, but I had read a book about John List years ago, and this one was more detailed and accurate.

The Decision to Kill:  A True Crime Story of a Teenage Killer and the Mother who Loved Him by Leslie Ghiglieri.  2 stars.  The author was a friend of the family, and way too much sympathy was drummed up for the criminal rather than the victim.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban by J. K. Rowling.  5 stars.  Pure fantasy fiction and the best book of the series in my opinon.

We the Jury by Robert Rotstein. 3 stars.  A fictional book reminiscent of 12 Angry Men, but not nearly s good.  A very catty jury that demonstrates how people's minds can see the same issue in different ways, but not as good as it could have been.

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory.  4 stars.  Part of the Platagenet and Tudor historial fiction series.  Not as good at the next few that follow which I would rank at five stars, but obviously pretty good.  She's a fantastic author and does great research!  I also like reading the author notes.

Find more lists at Thursday Thirteen.

Sunday Synopsis

 

Clouds in My Coffee by Julie Mulhern
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For a "cozy mystery" as it's dubbed, this book deals with some pretty un-cozy topics: a death by poison, multiple shootings, a car tampered with, and a fire. There must be another reason it fits that category, maybe the length, the style, or the completely unbelievable plot.

First of all, I did not know that it was number 3 in the series. Having obtained this from a great book deal, $1.99, I didn't check to see what number or even if it was in a series. I had a feeling I was missing some context, especially at the beginning.

The blurb reads, "When Ellison Russell is nearly killed at a benefactors' party, she brushes the incident aside as an unhappy accident. But when her house is fire-bombed, she's shot at, and the person sitting next to her at a gala is poisoned, she must face facts. Someone wants her dead. But why? And can Ellison find the killer before he strikes again? Add in an estranged sister, a visiting aunt with a shocking secret, and a handsome detective staying in her guesthouse, and Ellison might need more than cream in her coffee."

There was some comedy sprinkled in, but the writing became tedious due to the countless similes. For example, she was as angry as... she was as tired as, it was as rough as... over and over and over. It almost felt like it was written by a middle-school student who had just learned about similes and used them excessively. The writing is not particularly sophisticated.

The characters are mostly one-dimensional. They each have one trait that defines them instead of seeing a character grow or change. In addition, Ellison, the main character, continued to refuse police protection although it seemed clear that someone wanted to kill her. There was one mishap after another, but the reader never sees detectives trying to unravel the mystery. It is simply solved at the end.

This book was adequate. It was good for a short read and didn't require serious brain power as the plot unraveled. It's what I would call a "bubble gum" book, and we all need one of those every now and then. 3 stars.

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Awesome Aussie Words (T13)

 

I recently read the book What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.  She is from Australia, so I came across some words we don't use here in the U. S.  Here are some of them.

1.profiterole- similar to a cream puff, but can be filled with things other than cream including savory filling or sweet filling, such as ice cream or chocolate.

2. pikelets- similar to pancakes but with thicker batter.  They are heavier than pancakes.  Another source said they were meat pies but I'm pretty sure in the story they were talking about pancakes.

3.  punnet- a basket or other container for fruits or vegetables..  Kind of like a measurement of how much you have.

4.  rusk- similar to toast but baked twice.

5.  foolscap- A size of paper approximately 13x 18 inches.

6.  lamingtons- Butter cake or pound cake dipped in chocolae and rolled in coconut.

7.  fe'te- a celebration or festival.

8.  tuckshop- Like a concession stand;

9.  paddlepop- an ice cream novelty.

10. fringe- What we call bangs.

11. rugged up- To wrap someone in warm blankets.

 12. petrol- gasoline

13. sultana and sultana bran- a sultana is a raisin

There were actually more that I wasn't familiar with, but these are fun!

For more fun lists, visit Thursday Thirteen.

Random Happy Tuesday

 Stacy hosts Random Tuesday Thoughts, and  Sandee hosts Happy Tuesday, which today is a celebration of Dr. Seuss.  

Dr. Seuss is the pen name for author Theodor Geisel, and today is his birthday!  Coincidentally, March 2 is also National Read Across America Day.  Dr. Seuss wrote over 60 children's books in his career.  Sadly, he passed away in 1991 at the age of 84. Was he really a doctor?  No.  Maybe a doctor of entertainment and humor!  

One of my favorite books is actually filled with meaningful symbolism:  Yertle the Turtle.  Yertle rules the pond with an iron fist and even "annexes" other parts of the pond and imposes her rules.  Yertle represents Adolph Hitler.  Yertle's kingdom was not big enough for her.  Mack represents German society that was oppressed under Hitler's rule. People under Hitler's rule had few rights.  The people were poor and had to ration food.  At the end of the book is this quote: “And the turtle, of course… all turtles are free as turtles and maybe, all creatures should be.”   ALL people should be free.

I also like the books Horton Hears a Who , The Cat in the Hat, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. I loved reading to my kids when they were little. Throughout my teaching career, I was asked to sign the book Oh the Places You'll Go for a number of parents who plan to give the book to their child when they graduate.  I thought that was a clever idea.

New topic... My mom is still not doing well, so if you're a praying person like I am, please add her to your list.  She has four wounds that aren't healing, possible blockage in an artery and blockage in the veins in both legs.  She will be at the doctor's office three times this week.  Additionally, she is having difficulty remembering things and has made some questionable decisions lately.  My sister and I spoke to a neurologist today, but they won't even see her unless she has a diagnosis from her regular doctor.  I thought they would make the diagnosis since they're the specialists!  Your prayers would be appreciated.

Moving on to lighter topics.  Remember that book/movie called Love in the Time of Cholera?  I wonder if anyone has thought to write one called Love in the Time of Covid.  Or maybe it would be NO love in the time of Covid. 

How about some funnies?

Here's one about Dr. Seuss!

I just love puns!

This is me!

Good advice if you're a criminal!

Also true!

Whatever it takes, Maxine, to spice up a boring day!

And last, but not least...

Have a great week!

Sunday Synopsis

End of Days: Con Law II by Mark Gimenez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The End Times

Armegeddon

End of Days

Borrowing from real life headlines, there are 50 ATF agents about to swarm a religious compound near Waco, Texas. Little do they know, they are about to be blasted with Browning Machine Guns. This is the start of a ten day standoff between the FBI and Jesus Christ and his disciples.

John Bookman is in Austin. He receives a letter from the grandmother of two little girls who live in the compound with their mother. Grandmother begs Bookman to save her two granddaughters, so he goes. Bookman also agrees to go in the compound to negotiate with JC, the leader of the group.

What he finds is a peaceful community of people who were once down and out but are now perfectly happy with life in the compound. There doesn't appear to be any abuse. There doesn't appear to be any rule saying members of the compound can't leave. Book's intern, Veronica Cross, a spoiled 3rd year law student, also enters the compound with Bookman, but her experience is much more predictable.

By the end, it all makes sense. Bookman and Cross realize there is no way to peaceably remove the children from the compound, because the FBI got there first.

Con Law II falls far short of Con Law I. Same main character: John Bookman, nominee for the Supreme Court, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Texas in Austin. Add in one of his law students, Veronica Cross, who is his intern. Add in a woman, Ingrid Divine, a PI in love with Bookman, who shows up at the end of the book. And FBI SAC DuVall. Plus a dozen or more other characters who are central to the plot.

On his website, Gimenez says, "Buckle up, boys and girls, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. I think you will enjoy it. I guarantee you will not expect it." It was bumpy, and there were a few surprises, but much of it was quite predictable, and I don't feel like the book really ended. It just kind of stopped.

A few things got on my nerves. First and foremost, his overuse of the word "caliche." I have never used this word although I have lived in Texas all my life, and I would not use it over and over to describe a road. The defintion is... a mineral blend of gravel, sand, and nitrates or calcium carbonate." I wish I had counted how many times the word was in the book. I stopped at 35. I don't know anyone who describes this type of road as "caliche." They usually say sandy, gravel, unpaved, dusty, or something like that. So, there's my biggest beef! And another things that got "old" was listening to DuVall thinking about the demon in his head straining on his leash. Over and over. And one more repetitive phrase, "Drinking the Kool-Aid." And Chanel L'Eau.

Second, this book was more about spouting off his own ideology, some of which I probably agree with, but I don't need an author to preach to me. Give me drama, or history, suspense, or surprise, but not a lesson. Did you know that the Antichrist is Wall Street, according to this book?

This book was 562 pages. If we'd been spared the lectures and the repetitive words and phrases. I feel sure it would have been less than 500. Giminez didn't focus enough on why this man believed he was Jesus Christ. Much of it was unrealistic, which would be okay if it were more interesting.

Giminez... You disappointed me with this one.



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Sunday Synopsis

The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Philippa Gregory does it again! I always enjoy her historical fiction. Her writing puts you in the middle of the action, as if t you are in the tower, in the presence chamber, or on the block. In striking detail, she takes the most mundane characters, three relative unknowns (unless you are a British historian) and weaves a tale so detailed, so intense, that you can't wait to see what happens next. And when the story is over, you feel as though you've lost a friend.

The Last Tudor is the story of three sisters, Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey, cousins to the young, Protestant King Edward VI, who was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. The sickly Edward, not yet 18 years of age, chooses not to name one of his half sisters, Mary or Elizabeth, as heir. The Privy Council turns to Lady Jane Grey, cousin to the King, whose grandmother Mary was Queen of France (sister of Henry VIII).

The devout Jane Grey finds herself Royal - for nine days, and a martyr for all of history. Catholic Queen Mary I, daughter of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, his eldest offspring, takes her "rightful" place as queen, and Jane finds herself a prisoner in the tower, not only for refusal to denounce her Protestant faith, but for usurping the Crown. Little does it matter that it wasn't her choice.

The story begins with Jane, but there are two other Grey sisters with a claim to the throne, and this is their story, too: Katherine, the beautiful sister, looking more for love than religion, and Mary, also beautiful, but a dwarf who has little influence in Court. Mary I ruled for 5 years, and on her death, Elizabeth I became Queen and ruled for 44 years. The cousins remained threats through Elizabeth I's reign. The Last Tudor gives a glimpse into British life during the English Reformation and the English Renaissance, otherwise known as the Elizabethan Age. And because the heroines of the story defy the Queen's rule, there is also a glimpse into Elizabeth I's ruthlessness.

I highly recommend The Last Tudor, whether you have read any of Gregory's novels in the Cousin's War, Plantagenet, or Tudor series. One doesn't need to have any background with her other novels in order to enjoy this one.  And if you are lucky enough to get the B&N Exclusive Edition, you will also be able to read a letter from the author and a reprinting of the actual letters Gregory used in her research.

Happy reading!

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Sunday Synopsis

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jodi Picoult has a way with controversial subjects, and this book is no different. Among the issues mentioned in this book are violence against the police, child abuse, arson, murder, the death penalty, prison conditions, homosexuality, religion, and organ donation. Perhaps trying to tackle so many subjects in one book is not a great idea, but Picoult does it fairly successfully.

What I didn't like about this book: It is too long, over 400 pages. I feel like Picoult could cut some of the events and back story from the book without changing the message or the plot structure of the novel. There are too many chapters on a peripheral character, Lucius, who does not impact the story line to any degree. She is far too wordy in this novel. Another thing I didn't like is that there are parts of the book that are preachy and almost insulting to certain types of people. Part of it bordered on blasphemy.  I think I would have enjoyed the book better had she not made her own opinion so obvious in the narrative.

What I did like about this book: The characters are realistic and relatable, even the ones you may not like. I can picture these characters in my head, not just their appearances, but their attitudes, backgrounds, and feelings. I also like the idea that everyone can be forgiven, that we are all basically the same except for certain circumstances. And I like the premise of this book.

What if your daughter needed a heart to prevent her from dieing? What if the heart that is available is the one beating inside the chest of the man who killed your husband and other daughter? Would you take it?  What if donating his organs is the way he feels he can reach salvation?  The premise sucked me in.

Change of Heart is about so much more than just the question of organ donation. The death penalty and religion factor in largely as well. The best thing about this book is that it made me think. If you're looking for a fluff book, this is not it. If you like to read stories about realistic people having realistic issues, and you enjoy reading or discussing controversial issues, then you may enjoy Change of Heart.

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Sunday Synopsis

Freepick

Happy New Year!

Instead of a synopsis of one book, I'm going to break down my year in reading.

In 2016, I read 37 books +; I didn't log each children's book I read in class this year.

Of those 37 books,
29 were fiction
5 were historical fiction
and only 3 were nonfiction (looks like I need to improve in this genre)
Of my 37, 11 were young adult novels

I abandoned one novel:  Still Alice

Amazon.com

I may go back to it, but it's a difficult read for me, depressing, about early onset Alzheimer's.  I haven't seen the movie and likely won't.

My least favorite book this year, the much anticipated and most disappointing, was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Amazon.com

I should have listened to the warnings not to ruin my memory of Harry Potter by reading this script, which was not actually written by J. K. Rowling.  Too late.  It wasn't true to the characterization and history of the series.  I know some people liked it, but I'm entitled to my opinion.

My favorite series was The Selection by Kiera Cass, a young adult series that I usually describe as being a cross between the Hunger Games and The Bachelor.

Amazon.com

It's definitely not as violent as the Hunger Games, but it's a very similar dystopian society.  And there is plenty of PG-rated romance and "girl drama."

I am currently reading Me Before You.

I have not seen the movie, and I'm not sure I will.  I am enjoying the book more than I thought I would.  I put off reading it because I thought it would be too sad or too mushy, but I'm finding it to be a study in human nature, and I'm liking it so far.

I've been sifting through the 105 books I have in my "to read" list on Goodreads.  There are books on there I had totally forgotten about such as Wake by Lisa McMann, A Truth Worth Tellin' by Toni Teepell, and The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

My favorite book of the year was The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory, a historical fiction piece centered around Katherine of Aragon and her relationships with Prince Arthur, Henry VIII, and Our Lady the King's Mother.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philippa Gregory does it again! I adored this book! The characters just come to life, and the one you don't like from a previous book is the one you root for in whichever book you are currently reading. Gregory has a way of doing that. She uses rich, historical details, not just events, but culture, allowing the reader to vividly picture the scenes and actions in the book. The only thing I did not like about this book is that it ended with her in court without the result, likely because it's an event in a different book, but I literally gasped at the end of this amazing novel.

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If you have suggestions about books I should read or a review you'd like to see, please let me know in the comments.  Thank you for visiting, and Happy New Year!

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