My Maril: Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Hollywood, and me - Terry Karger

All I can say is WOW! This book about Marilyn Monroe will be different from anything you've ever read about her. The book is written by Terry Karger, who is the daughter of the voice coach, Fred Karger, that got Marilyn started in Hollywood. Terry met Marilyn, whose real name was Maril, in March of 1948, when she was only 6, and Maril was taking voice lessons from Fred. Maril became a valued member of the Karger family. Terry has resisted telling the story of Maril all these years. But she finally decided it was time to do it. And, boy, are we glad she did. This story is so illuminating of a Marilyn Monroe that none of us have ever seen before. 

I won't give away everything, but I do want to tell you to pay special attention late in the book as to how Marilyn died on August 5, 1962. And how the Kennedys were VERY MUCH involved. You will enjoy reading about how Marilyn became an integral part of the Karger family. And how Terry spent so much time with the Hollywood elite. You will be interested in Marilyn's close relationship with Terry's father, Fred. And you will certainly enjoy reading about Fred's 2 marriages to Jane Wyman, and how that led Terry to become a big part of Ronald Reagan's life.

I especially liked learning more about Joe DiMaggio's relationship with Marilyn. We've all heard how Joe loved Marilyn, even for the nearly 37 years that he lived after Marilyn died. But there are a lot of other details we didn't know...until now! Finally, the pictures that we see throughout the book are amazing. They show a side of Marilyn that we just didn't ever get to see. And it's fun to see pictures of so many big-time celebrities back in their heyday.

But through it all, Maril was someone that we just didn't know. She was kind, generous, funny, warm, very intelligent, and loving. You have to read this book so you can also learn who the real Marilyn Monroe was. Thank you to Terry Karger, for finally giving us a picture of someone who has historically been portrayed incorrectly. You will learn who she was and why Terry and her family loved her so much. People, the book is available at Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. Get your copy...quick! You will thank me.

The Physician's Daughter, by Martha Conway

The Physician's Daughter, by Martha Conway, is a book that had me crying...a lot.  I don't mean just tearing up either.  They were real tears, but I'll get to that a little bit later.  First, here's what the inside flap tells us it's about:

It is 1865, the American Civil War has just ended, and Vita Tenney is determined to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a country doctor like her father.  But when he tells her she must get married, Vita explores every means of escape - and finds one in war veteran Jacob Culhane.  Damaged by what he's seen in battle and with all his family gone, Jacob is seeking a new start.  Then he meets Vita - and together they hatch a plan.

Months later, Vita seemingly has everything she desired.  But alone in a big city and haunted by the mistakes of her past, she wonders if the life she always thought she wanted was too good to be true.  When love starts to compete with ambition, what will come out on top?

This was a fascinating book on several levels.  First, there was the fact that Jacob was in a Southern prison for much of the Civil War.  Martha has done some amazing research to show us what went on behind the scenes while Jacob and his fellow prisoners tried to survive.  

Another very interesting aspect of the book is how women became doctors around the middle of the 19th century.  Martha's research on this fledgling practice was also a stand-out.  We are all so used to having both female and male doctors, that we don't stop to think about how that started.  It was very illuminating to see that it was shortly before the time the story takes place that it all began.

I also want to point out that the quotes at the beginning of each chapter are very instructive by themselves.  They are quotes from the late 1700s to the late 1800s about the woman's place in this world.  Here are just two mid-19th century examples:

"Ladies are all very well in their place, and that is looking after the latest Paris fashions and making tea at home."  (The Medical Press and Circular, 1870)

"Study as she likes, and labour as she likes, (the female doctor) will never equal the first-class London surgeon, but she can nevertheless make the village happier, teach hygienic laws which prevent disease, or remove by a little skilled advice the suffering (of a patient)."  (The Spectator, 1862)

That brings us back to the crying.  It's not unusual for me to cry. However, in this book, I cried back-to-back-to-back at 3 different times toward the end of the book.  That IS unusual.  But that's how much I was affected.  

Do you want to learn something AND care about the characters?  Go ahead and grab a copy of The Physician's Daughter by Martha Conway.  

Life's Illusions, by Michael Kenny

Michael Kenny's Life's Illusions is an in-depth look at what happens when you place career over personal.  It's a story that makes you think about how you are living your life.  That's not always comfortable, but it sure can be important.  Here is the blurb:

All Jonathan Kent wanted from life was to escape his humble origins and live life on his own terms.  For this ambitious young man, becoming a superstar trial lawyer would be his pathway to success.  Emotionally bruised from a jilted love in college, he pursued his goal with singular focus, excelling in law school, clerking for a federal judge, and landing a job in "Big Law" at an elite Washington, DC firm.  Mentored by a brilliant, charismatic alcoholic with an acute sense of fairness and economic and racial justice, Jonathan became a mesmerizing trial lawyer.  For most of his career, he epitomized the amoral zeitgeist of Big Law success, but he was changing.  Now, poised to try the biggest case of the twenty-first century, Jonathan is forced to reconnect with his past and, ultimately, choose between selfless love and a self-indulgent career.

Here are a few things about the book that impressed me:

1.  His early explanation about Alzheimers was very educational.  I learned a lot.                                          

2.  His writing reminds me of Amor Towles.  It's very well written but still readable.

3.  I had some tearing up, which means I made an emotional connection to one or more characters.

4.  At one point he describes the personal excesses of the wealthy.  I can't relate to his lists(!), but I was just impressed by the size and magnitude of the lists themselves.

5.  His supporting characters fit right in, and the reader is made to feel a connection with them as well.

Mr. Kenny can flat-out write.  Life's Illusions is a story that will grab you and make you want to know what happens to the protagonist up to the last page.  I highly recommend it.

Alessandra Harris' latest book - Last Place Seen

Last Place Seen is Alessandra Harris' 3rd novel.  I really enjoyed her 1st one, Blaming the Wind, which I read back in 2016.  Somehow I missed her 2nd, Everything She lost, in 2018 (I WILL get to it!).  But I was able to get the 3rd one, thanks to Alessandra.  And I enjoyed this one too.  She combines mystery and drama with family dynamics with social justice issues with tightly woven stories.  Here is the storyline:

In the aftermath of her husband's life-altering mistake, Tiana Williams grapples with lingering resentment while working full-time and raising their toddler. But when Jay becomes a person of interest in the kidnapping of ten-year-old Zoe Miller, Tiana is torn between trusting her husband and believing the growing pile of evidence.  After she gets dragged further into the mystery and discovers her connection to the missing girl, the shaky ground beneath her crumbles.

With the odds stacked against him, Jay does everything in his power to prove his innocence.  Racing against the clock, he must uncover the truth about Zoe's kidnapping before he loses everything he loves - including his freedom.

During a sweltering heat wave and a raging California wildfire, Tiana and Jay will stop at nothing to find Zoe, even if it means tearing apart their marriage and risking their own lives in the process.

If this sounds like a book you will have trouble putting down, then you are correct.  Plus, it happens to take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, which, for many of you (including myself), will feel right at home.

Get your hands (or ears) around Last Place Seen.

The Sweet Spot, by Amy Poeppel

Well, I have good news, bad news, and good news.  First the good news - The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel is terrific.  Now the bad news - it's not available until February 14, 2023.  And, finally, the good news again - you can preorder it now!  Bottom line?  Get your copy on Valentine's Day next year and put it at the top of your TBR pile.  

Lots of books have a few protagonists and a bunch of secondary supporters.  The Sweet Spot has a whole variety of central characters, and she makes us care about each and every one.  They range from a young baby all the way up to a grandmother, with lots in between.  I think it's an extraordinary feat to be able to focus on multiple people and have the reading audience connect with each and every one.  Well done, Amy!

Jim Ciardella's The Dealer

Jim Ciardella's The Dealer is a fascinating book.  Now I admit that I am particularly interested in the subject matter because it's about the Ferrari of Los Gatos car dealership, which was in operation for nearly 20 years in the mid-70s to the mid-90s.  Why am I so interested?  Because I know the owner of that dealership, Brian Burnett, as well as his ex-wife, Tina.  And his kids went to the same school as my kids, in similar grades. But besides all that, Brian's dealership was the biggest in North America! And Jim tells us why.  He tells us about the celebrities that bought cars there.  He tells us about trips to Italy, with other dealers, to meet with, and get wined and dined by, Enzo Ferrari himself.  He tells us all about the ups and downs of owning a Ferrari dealership.  You don't have to be from Los Gatos to appreciate and enjoy this book.  Believe me.  It's just flat-out interesting reading. 

2 Short Reviews

Next month, Ellen Marie Wiseman will be Zooming in to the RBC.  Here is the book and my short review:

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, by Ellen Marie Wiseman:

Leave it to Ellen Marie Wiseman to give us an historical fiction that I'm sure very few, if any, of us have heard about. And let me tell you that in her usual manner she makes us feel what went on at Willowbrook State School on Staten Island. In her latest, The Lost Girls of Willowbrook, we learn about the incredible abuses that so many children suffered at this institution from the late 1940s until the late 1980s. Through the central character, Sage, whose twin sister, Rosemary, was admitted a number of years earlier, we learn exactly how the residents were treated. At times it's difficult reading. But that's exactly what makes an historical fiction so affecting. And, believe me, you won't be able to put this one down. Ellen Marie Wiseman has struck again! Pick up a copy...quickly.

I also have a review of Kimberly Belle's latest, The Personal Assistant.  She is not currently scheduled to Zoom in to the RBC.  But she has come once before, and I will try to schedule her for this book.  Plus, she was kind enough to send me an ARC.

It's always a treat to read Kimberly's books (I started with The Marriage Lie, still one of my favorite books). And The Personal Assistant is no exception. This is a book that centers on a woman who has become a very popular influencer (is that redundant?)...and, of course, what goes wrong. There are a whole bunch of twists and turns, and I challenge any of you who think you can always figure out what's going to happen to do that with TPA. It's impossible. Nobody really is who she/he seems to be. 
Get a hold of this book, people. You will definitely be glad you did.

More Books Read in 2022

In my last post, which was more than 3 months ago, I said I hoped to actually write some reviews.  Well, it's not happening with this post.  So I am going to do what I did back in February and list the books I've read, along with the ratings, in the order I read them.  Here we go:

The Magnolia Palace - Fiona Davis - 3.75 (my 1st, but not my last, Davis) 

Dark Obsessions - Marie Sutro - 3.25 (book 2 in the series - lots of tense moments)

Until We Meet - Camille de Maio - 4.0 (my 1st one in 2022)

Better to Trust - Heather Frimmer - 3.25 (recommended to me - solid)

Home Front - Kristin Hannah - 4.0 (2 out of the last 3! - see what I meant from my last post?)

The Sweet Life - Suzanne Woods Fisher - 3.5 (a fun novel about opening up an ice cream shop)

The Authenticity Project - Clare Pooley - 3.75 (very unique concept that definitely worked)

The Bride Wore Constant White - Shelley Adina - 3.0 (all of her books are entertaining)

People, keep in mind that anything 3.0 or higher is a good read. Whatever my own quirky reasons are for the ratings I give, it does not reflect on the author.  In my opinion, if I rate a book 3.0+, then it's well worth reading.  You can also go on Goodreads and see what the average rating is for these books.  For example, Marie Sutro's Dark Obsessions has a cumulative rating of 4.44/5 (I've always gone with the 4 scale). That is super high.

See you down the road for my next blog post.

                                                            

Books Read so far in 2022

Okay, this is totally pathetic.  I think I have good excuses for not writing any posts.  But does anybody really care what my excuses are?  More to the point, does anybody care that I haven't written any posts?!  Well, I'm not going to start now.  However, I am going to post what I've read with some ratings.  Let me preface the list by saying that I have read some good books so far this year.  But nothing has been above a 3.5/4.  I'm sure that will change; especially since I had 15 books at 3.75 or higher in 2021...and 6 of them were 4.0 or higher (1-4.0+ and 1-4.25)!

Here they are:

The Secret of Snow - Viola Shipman - 3.5 (a 4.25/4 for The Clover Girls!)

He Gets That from Me - Jacqueline Friedland - 3.5 (our RBC author in February)

The Match - Harlen Coben - 3.25 (a little low for a Coben)

The Last House on the Street - Diane Chamberlain - 3.5 (always good - 3.5 is on the low end for her)

Unforgettable in Love - Jennifer Skully/Bella Andre - 3.25 (book 7 - I like them all)

Slay the Dragon - William McGinnis - 2.75 (interesting look at China)

Surviving the Second Tier - M.K. Lever - 2.75 (unique premise)

That's it, folks.  I hope to write some real reviews down the road.  But, unfortunately, I can't make any promises.

New Authors in 2021

Good news - this is my LAST post about 2021.  Here is a list of new authors for me this past year:

Kevin Schewe

Catherine Ryan Hyde

Susan Wiggs

Helen Fisher

Susan Meissner

Alison Littman

Andrea Dunlop

Bob Boylan

Sejal Badani

Alex Michaelides

Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

Colin Whitehead

Eric Kasum & Michael N. Smith

Sanjay Prasad

Ed Duncan

Jaime Lynn Hendricks

Martha Hall Kelly

Sam Subity

Scott A. Shay

Christopher Taunton

Amy Mason Doan

Tasha Alexander

Stephanie Dray

Gail Tsukiyama

Beverly Jenkins

Alka Joshi

Maryles Casto

Lucy Leonelli

28 out of 61 - 46% 

3.5s and up for 2021

Here is the list of books that are 3.5 and up for 2021, IMHO:

4.25 - 

The Clover Girls - Viola Shipman (yes, I know that 4.0 is supposed to be my highest rating)

4.0+ -

The Rose Code - Kate Quinn (see the 4.25 above)

4.0 - 

Three Words for Good-Bye - Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

Peeps - Erin Gordon

The Women of Chateau Lafayette - Stephanie Dray

The Pilot's Daughter - Meredith Jaeger

3.75 -

The Lost and Found Bookshop - Susan Wiggs

The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah

The Storyteller's Secret - Sejal Badani

Lilac Girls - Martha Hall Kelly

The Forest of Vanishing Stars - Kristin Harmel

The Samurai's Garden - Gail Tsukiyama

What the Lady Wants - Renee Rosen

The Other Einstein - Marie Benedict

A Year in the Life - Lucy Leonelli

3.625 -

The Younger Wife - Sally Hepworth (yes, I know that this is an odd rating)

3.5 -

Posing Naked - Betty Auchard

Have You Seen Luis Vellez? - Catherine Ryan Hyde

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah

Faye, Faraway - Helen Fisher

The Nature of Fragile Things - Susan Meissner

We Came Here to Forget - Andrea Dunlop

How to Save a Life - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

The People We Keep - Allison Larkin

The World Played Chess - Robert Dugoni

The Henna Artist - Alka Joshi

Heard It in a Love Song - Tracey Garvis Graves

Shattered - C. Lee McKenzie

I've got 2 other 3.5s that I read for my job as a professional reviewer for a publicist.  The reason I am listing these separately is that they are not novels.  One is inspirational, and the other is historical:

4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom - Bob Boylan

100 of the Worst Ideas in History - Michael Smith & Eric Kasum

Get reading, people!

Books in 2021

Here is the list of books read for 2021.  Coincidentally I read the same number of books in 2021 that I read in 2020 - 61.  My page count is lower, though.  I went from 20,500 to approx. 19,000.  No complaints here.  And...voila:

Posing Naked - Betty Auchard - 3.5

Bad Love Beyond - Kevin Schewe - 3.0

Have You Seen Luis Velez? - Catherine Ryan Hyde - 3.5

The Lost and Found Bookshop - Susan Wiggs - 3.75

Before She Disappeared - Lisa Gardner - 3.25

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah - 3.5

Faye, Faraway - Helen Fisher - 3.5

The Nature of Fragile Things - Susan Meissner - 3.5

Radio Underground - Alison Littman - 3.0

We Came Here to Forget - Andrea Dunlop - 3.5

4 Ideas with Actionable Wisdom - Bob Boylan - 3.5

Retirement:  Your New Adventure! - Bob Boylan - 3.0

The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah - 3.75

Win - Harlan Coben - 3.0

The Fellowship of the Flames - A.R. Silverberry

How to Save a Life - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke - 3.5

The Storyteller’s Secret - Sejal Badani - 3.75

Transcendant Kingdom - Yaa Gyasi - 2.75

The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides - 3.25

Heads You Win - Jeffrey Archer - 3.25

Three Words for Goodbye - Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb - 4.0

The People We Keep - Allison Larkin - 3.5 

The Nickel Boys - Colin Whitehead - 2.75

Peeps - Erin Gordon - 4.0

100 Worst Ideas In History - Eric Kasum & Michael N. Smith - 3.5

The Rose Code - Kate Quinn - 4.0+

Resetting Healthcare - Sanjay Prasad - 3.25

Pigeon-Blood Red - Ed Duncan - 2.5

Finding Tessa - Jaime Lynn Hendricks - 3.25

Lilac Girls - Martha Hall Kelly - 3.75

Bad Love Medicine - Kevin Schewe - 3.0

The Last Shadow Warrior - Sam Subity - 3.25

The Unwilling - John Hart - 3.25

Conspiracy U - Scott A. Shay

The Tear of Tybaleth - A.R. Silverberry - 3.0

The Forest of Vanishing Stars - Kristin Harmel - 3.75

A Summer Classic, The Bew White Story - Christopher Taunton - 2.75

Dreaming in Provence - Jennifer Skully - 3.25

Lady Sunshine - Amy Mason Doan - 3.0

In the Shadow of Vesuvius - Tasha Alexander - 3.0

The Women of Chateau Lafayette - Stephanie Dray - 4.0

The Samurai’s Garden - Gail Tsukiyama - 3.75

What the Lady Wants - Renee Rosen - 3.75

In the Event of Contact - Ethel Rohan - 2.5

The Clover Girls - Viola Shipman - 4.25

Women of the Silk - Gail Tsukiyama - 3.0

Wishing in Rome - Jennifer Skully

The Taming of Jessi Rose - Beverly Jenkins - 3.25

The Other Einstein - Marie Benedict - 3.75

Last Call - Sheldon Siegel

The World Played Chess - Robert Dugoni - 3.5

The Younger Wife - Sally Hepworth - 3.625

The Wickett Sisters - Stephen Houser

Shadow House - A.R. Silverberry

The Henna Artist - Alka Goshi - 3.5

Heard it in a Love Song - Tracey Garvis Graves - 3.5

Shattered - C. Lee McKenzie - 3.5

The Answer to His Prayers - Ellen Kirshman - 3.0

A Hole in the Clouds - Maryles Casto - 3.25

A Year in the Life - Lucy Leonelli - 3.75

The Pilot’s Daughter - Meredith Jaeger - 4.0

61 books