The best laid plans, etc., etc. I was hoping I could start doing regular reviews. But...nope. So I'm going to use the same format I used 5 weeks ago. I've got 8 books to rate and sort of review.
Boardwalk Summer - Meredith Jaeger - 3.0 - liked it - and Meredith is coming to the RBC on Sunday afternoon, December 9, at 4:30
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann - 3.0 - read it for the Books, Inc. 4th Thursday Night Book Club at The Pruneyard - non-fiction - story of the Osage Indians and oil and the fledgling FBI in the first 3 decades of the 20th century - interesting but dry
The Dream Daughter - Diane Chamberlain - 4.0 - my 1st Chamberlain was a very good 3.5 - this was even better - loved it
Laying Pipe - Kate Allure - 3.0 - this is a VERY sexy romance (get it?) - local author - always fun
Beautiful Exiles - Meg Waite Clayton - 3.0 - the story of Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gelhorn - pretty illuminating and informative
How to Walk Away - Kathleen Center - 3.75 - I obviously liked this a whole lot - a tragic accident followed by self-discovery - maybe there's even some unexpected romance - you'll have to read it to find out
The Masterpiece - Fiona Davis - 3.25 - this is one that I saw had a lot of buzz - it was good - there's nothing wrong with a 3.25
Before We Were Yours - Lisa Wingate - 3.75 - historical fiction about a very unethical adoption agency in Tennessee in the late 30s - very educational and a really strong story of family
My next post will definitely be something other than mini-mini-reviews. I just don't know what it will be yet. Stay tuned. We'll find out together!
Monday, November 5, 2018
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Powell's Bookstore - Portland, Oregon
If you have not been to Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon, PUT IT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST! I've got a bunch of pictures, but they don't do the store justice. It covers an entire block, bordered by 4 streets! There are about 10 different bookstores, all connected. It's unbelievable. As Joni said, it's The Book Louvre!
On 2 of the pictures, you will see 3 books behind glass. These are all from the Rare Books Room. And if you look close, you will see prices of $5,000, $5,000, and $8,000 (unfortunately, I cut off the $8,000 number). In addition, the employee in the room told me that they have a book from Lewis and Clark's expedition that is priced at $350,000!!! Unfortunately, they don't keep that one in the room.
Take a look and enjoy.
On 2 of the pictures, you will see 3 books behind glass. These are all from the Rare Books Room. And if you look close, you will see prices of $5,000, $5,000, and $8,000 (unfortunately, I cut off the $8,000 number). In addition, the employee in the room told me that they have a book from Lewis and Clark's expedition that is priced at $350,000!!! Unfortunately, they don't keep that one in the room.
Take a look and enjoy.
the front lobby of the store
25 books you must read - lobby
this speaks for itself - lobby
1 of the individual rooms
another one
and another...
and another
rare book in the Rare Book Room
and 2 more
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Catch-Up
Next Thursday is 3 MONTHS SINCE MY LAST POST! Have I lost interest? Nope. Did I stop reading? Nope. Did I forget how to write? Perhaps. So how do I catch up in one post? I can't. But here's what I can do. I'm going to list the books I've read in the last 3 months along with my ratings. I will probably even add a comment or 2 for each book. And I probably will do full reviews on a couple of them down the road. Without any more palaver, here they are:
There, There - Tommy Orange - 2.5 - lots of buzz - didn't do it for me
Three Days Missing - Kimberly Belle - 3.5 - I like all of Kimberly's books
Paris Metro - Wendell Steavenson - 2.5 - this was given to me, and I felt I should read it -
it was okay
Strained Relations - Marcia Stein - 2.5 - essays on how to deal with teenagers -
RBC author on 11/28
The Life Lucy Knew - Karma Brown - 3.5 - I've read all 4 of her very good books -
3-3.5s & 1-3.75 - next one will be in 2020
Slave - Jabali Smith - 3.0 - given to me by RBC member - could be a possible RBC author -
rough memoir
Things You Won't Say - Sarah Pekkanen - 3.25 - recommended by my East Coast guru,
Melissa - didn't like it as much as she did - but still good
Everything We Give - Kerry Lonsdale - 3rd in a trilogy - liked the 1st 2 more -
RBC author - coming back next August with a standalone
The Other Woman - Daniel Silva - 3.0 - 18 in the series - this is maybe my least favorite
The Exes Revenge - Jo Jakeman - 3.0 - got this as an ARC from the publisher - decent
Limelight - Amy Poeppel - 3.75 - another rec from Melissa - and a darn good one
Short Hair Detention - Channy Chhi Laux - 2.25 - tough life but book didn't grab me
emotionally - her appearance at the RBC was very emotional
Ghosted - Rosie Walsh - 3.5 - Melissa again - and good again
The All-Girls Filling Station's Last Reunion - Fannie Flagg - 3.5 - friend of mine asked why she
always read my suggestions and I never read hers - so I did - liked it a whole lot
The Daisy Children - Sofia Grant - 3.25 - pseudonym of Sophia Littlefield - I'm hoping she will
be an RBC author - I'm not optimistic
The Stolen Marriage - Diane Chamberlain - 3.5 - not only recommended by Melissa - but she
also sent me a copy - Chamberlain has written 24 books - this is my 1st - not my last
When the Lights Go Out - Mary Kubica - 3.0 - highly rated but was just decent
As you can see, my TBR pile has gotten out of control again.
There, There - Tommy Orange - 2.5 - lots of buzz - didn't do it for me
Three Days Missing - Kimberly Belle - 3.5 - I like all of Kimberly's books
Paris Metro - Wendell Steavenson - 2.5 - this was given to me, and I felt I should read it -
it was okay
Strained Relations - Marcia Stein - 2.5 - essays on how to deal with teenagers -
RBC author on 11/28
The Life Lucy Knew - Karma Brown - 3.5 - I've read all 4 of her very good books -
3-3.5s & 1-3.75 - next one will be in 2020
Slave - Jabali Smith - 3.0 - given to me by RBC member - could be a possible RBC author -
rough memoir
Things You Won't Say - Sarah Pekkanen - 3.25 - recommended by my East Coast guru,
Melissa - didn't like it as much as she did - but still good
Everything We Give - Kerry Lonsdale - 3rd in a trilogy - liked the 1st 2 more -
RBC author - coming back next August with a standalone
The Other Woman - Daniel Silva - 3.0 - 18 in the series - this is maybe my least favorite
The Exes Revenge - Jo Jakeman - 3.0 - got this as an ARC from the publisher - decent
Limelight - Amy Poeppel - 3.75 - another rec from Melissa - and a darn good one
Short Hair Detention - Channy Chhi Laux - 2.25 - tough life but book didn't grab me
emotionally - her appearance at the RBC was very emotional
Ghosted - Rosie Walsh - 3.5 - Melissa again - and good again
The All-Girls Filling Station's Last Reunion - Fannie Flagg - 3.5 - friend of mine asked why she
always read my suggestions and I never read hers - so I did - liked it a whole lot
The Daisy Children - Sofia Grant - 3.25 - pseudonym of Sophia Littlefield - I'm hoping she will
be an RBC author - I'm not optimistic
The Stolen Marriage - Diane Chamberlain - 3.5 - not only recommended by Melissa - but she
also sent me a copy - Chamberlain has written 24 books - this is my 1st - not my last
When the Lights Go Out - Mary Kubica - 3.0 - highly rated but was just decent
As you can see, my TBR pile has gotten out of control again.
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
The 6-Month Report, Y'all + A Mini-Review
Hello, people. Here's the mid-season report:
35 books read (4 DNF - did not finish):
4.0+ - 1 - yep - The Sweetness of Forgetting - Kristin Harmel
4.0 - 3 - 2 more by Harmel - The Room on Rue Amelie & The Life
Intended - she is crazy good
1 - I can't tell you about this one because it's in ARC form - it
will hopefully be published later this year
3.75 - 2
3.625 - 2 (feel free to make fun of this rating)
3.5 - 4
3.25 - 8
3.0 - 10
2.75 - 1
2.5 - 3
2.25 - 1
Local authors - 13
Fiction - 30
Non-Fiction - 5
Bardwell's Folly, a love story, by Sandra Hutchison:
Young Dori Bardwell's father was the white southern author who wrote THE book about slavery, built a replica of a plantation house in a small New England town, and then flew most of his large family into the sea. She's preoccupied with keeping food on the table, protecting her father's last, unfinished manuscript from a media baron, and figuring out whether her ex is messing with her or just trying to get her attention again.
But when her thoughtless racial joke goes viral, it launches her and a new African American friend on a journey into her Southern heritage that might just lead her right back to where she started.
I liked this a lot. Of course it didn't hurt that a big part of the book is about books and manuscripts. But aside from that, I got caught up in the story and made an emotional connection with Dori. In fact, there is a scene that takes place at her work where I wrote "Not right!" I obviously didn't like the way she was treated. And there is another passage that lists quotes on a Twitter page that led me to comment "Ouch." These are, of course, in addition to emotional reactions I had in several other places in the book. So, all in all, I liked the story, the writing, and my connection to the protagonist. I intend to get my hands (and eyes) on her other 2 books - The Awful Mess and the Ribs and Thigh Bones of Desire.
One small note: On page 50 Dori says: "...she's always been one to stop and smell the flowers." This brought a smile to my face because I couldn't help but think about the children's classic Ferdinand. I can't explain, nor is there actually a medical explanation, for how my mind works sometimes.
35 books read (4 DNF - did not finish):
4.0+ - 1 - yep - The Sweetness of Forgetting - Kristin Harmel
4.0 - 3 - 2 more by Harmel - The Room on Rue Amelie & The Life
Intended - she is crazy good
1 - I can't tell you about this one because it's in ARC form - it
will hopefully be published later this year
3.75 - 2
3.625 - 2 (feel free to make fun of this rating)
3.5 - 4
3.25 - 8
3.0 - 10
2.75 - 1
2.5 - 3
2.25 - 1
Local authors - 13
Fiction - 30
Non-Fiction - 5
Bardwell's Folly, a love story, by Sandra Hutchison:
Young Dori Bardwell's father was the white southern author who wrote THE book about slavery, built a replica of a plantation house in a small New England town, and then flew most of his large family into the sea. She's preoccupied with keeping food on the table, protecting her father's last, unfinished manuscript from a media baron, and figuring out whether her ex is messing with her or just trying to get her attention again.
But when her thoughtless racial joke goes viral, it launches her and a new African American friend on a journey into her Southern heritage that might just lead her right back to where she started.
I liked this a lot. Of course it didn't hurt that a big part of the book is about books and manuscripts. But aside from that, I got caught up in the story and made an emotional connection with Dori. In fact, there is a scene that takes place at her work where I wrote "Not right!" I obviously didn't like the way she was treated. And there is another passage that lists quotes on a Twitter page that led me to comment "Ouch." These are, of course, in addition to emotional reactions I had in several other places in the book. So, all in all, I liked the story, the writing, and my connection to the protagonist. I intend to get my hands (and eyes) on her other 2 books - The Awful Mess and the Ribs and Thigh Bones of Desire.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
A Coupla More Reviews
Ya know, there just aren't that many Ken Folletts around these days. He is, of course, the master at making the 3rd book in his trilogies (see Edge of Eternity - haven't read A Column of Fire yet) as, or almost as, good as the 1st 2. Well, kudos to JoJo Moyes. Still Me, the sequel to Me Before You (4/4) and After You (3.75/4), falls right into place with 1 & 2. I gave this one a 3.75/4. I mean, c'mon, 11.5/12? That's crazy good.
You don't need the blurb. It's all about Louisa, of course. The big change from the 1st 2 is that it takes place mostly in New York. Other than that, it's Louisa, Louisa, and more Louisa. And she is a great character. But what I really like about Moyes' writing is how she combines humor with poignancy with chills with cheers effortlessly. I laughed 4 different times on page 47, got emotional on page 54, and had a big smile on page 57. And when it came to the final scene, I put my hand over the whole page and dropped it line by line. I did NOT want to know what happened ahead of time (unlike Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally!).
If you haven't read any of this series, I would strongly recommend that you remedy that flaw in your literary character. If you've read 1 & 2 but not 3, you might want to get your hands on it pretty soon (if you don't want to buy a hardcover, then maybe it's available in your local library - or I can loan it to you). I will definitely read anything that Moyes writes.
This brings me to my 2nd review. The book is called the recipe box, and it is written by Viola Shipman. I call this book a Melissa Special. Can you figure out why? Yep. It's because it's another recommendation from my recommending guru, Melissa (clever moniker, no?). I liked it a lot. And this time I will give you a synopsis.
Growing up in northern Michigan, Sam felt trapped by her family's orchard and pie shop, where generations before her have lived and run the business. She left with dreams of becoming a classically trained pastry chef and making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star's New York bakery is not what Sam imagined, and she returns home to take inventory.
One beloved flour-flecked, ink-smeared family recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family's history, and her passion for food through their treasured recipe box. As Sam discovers what matters most in her life, she opens her heart to a man she left behind but who now might be the key to her happiness.
In the last 12 months, I've read several food-related books. And I've liked them all. This one certainly fit right in there. I liked the story. I liked the recipes. I liked the characters. I liked the emotional connection I made with just about all of them (there were definitely some tears, chills, and even nervousness). And I liked Viola's writing. (BTW, did you know that Viola Shipman is actually a man? I didn't either, until I read the bio on the back flap.) Here are a couple of examples showing how the author painted such strong visuals:
"In the near distance, the cornfields seemed to move as if they were doing the wave at a football game..."
"Sam slowed in traffic, her head bobbing left and right like one of those dogs people put in their back windows..."
The only criticism I have, and it's a pretty small one, is that especially in the first part of the book there was too much repetition of certain words. It kind of distracted me (not a difficult feat). But it got better as the book went along, and I ended up forgetting about it. Do you remember the story about the Christopher Reich book I read in which the author said "Just then" about every 10th page? It drove me nuts to the point where I felt I had to message him. He acknowledged me politely (we all know what he told his family and friends). This one was not nearly as bad. And if these are not the kinds of things in books that you notice, then it will be no problem for you.
Despite my Scrooge-like, Bah Humbug comment, I liked this a lot and gave it a 3.5/4.
You don't need the blurb. It's all about Louisa, of course. The big change from the 1st 2 is that it takes place mostly in New York. Other than that, it's Louisa, Louisa, and more Louisa. And she is a great character. But what I really like about Moyes' writing is how she combines humor with poignancy with chills with cheers effortlessly. I laughed 4 different times on page 47, got emotional on page 54, and had a big smile on page 57. And when it came to the final scene, I put my hand over the whole page and dropped it line by line. I did NOT want to know what happened ahead of time (unlike Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally!).
If you haven't read any of this series, I would strongly recommend that you remedy that flaw in your literary character. If you've read 1 & 2 but not 3, you might want to get your hands on it pretty soon (if you don't want to buy a hardcover, then maybe it's available in your local library - or I can loan it to you). I will definitely read anything that Moyes writes.
This brings me to my 2nd review. The book is called the recipe box, and it is written by Viola Shipman. I call this book a Melissa Special. Can you figure out why? Yep. It's because it's another recommendation from my recommending guru, Melissa (clever moniker, no?). I liked it a lot. And this time I will give you a synopsis.
Growing up in northern Michigan, Sam felt trapped by her family's orchard and pie shop, where generations before her have lived and run the business. She left with dreams of becoming a classically trained pastry chef and making her own mark in the world. But life as an overworked, undervalued sous chef at a reality star's New York bakery is not what Sam imagined, and she returns home to take inventory.
One beloved flour-flecked, ink-smeared family recipe at a time, Sam begins to learn about and understand the women in her life, her family's history, and her passion for food through their treasured recipe box. As Sam discovers what matters most in her life, she opens her heart to a man she left behind but who now might be the key to her happiness.
In the last 12 months, I've read several food-related books. And I've liked them all. This one certainly fit right in there. I liked the story. I liked the recipes. I liked the characters. I liked the emotional connection I made with just about all of them (there were definitely some tears, chills, and even nervousness). And I liked Viola's writing. (BTW, did you know that Viola Shipman is actually a man? I didn't either, until I read the bio on the back flap.) Here are a couple of examples showing how the author painted such strong visuals:
"In the near distance, the cornfields seemed to move as if they were doing the wave at a football game..."
"Sam slowed in traffic, her head bobbing left and right like one of those dogs people put in their back windows..."
The only criticism I have, and it's a pretty small one, is that especially in the first part of the book there was too much repetition of certain words. It kind of distracted me (not a difficult feat). But it got better as the book went along, and I ended up forgetting about it. Do you remember the story about the Christopher Reich book I read in which the author said "Just then" about every 10th page? It drove me nuts to the point where I felt I had to message him. He acknowledged me politely (we all know what he told his family and friends). This one was not nearly as bad. And if these are not the kinds of things in books that you notice, then it will be no problem for you.
Despite my Scrooge-like, Bah Humbug comment, I liked this a lot and gave it a 3.5/4.
Friday, May 25, 2018
Tidbits
It's time for a few notes of interest (sez me):
1. Cara Black's 18th book in the Aimee Leduc series, Murder on the Left Bank, will be coming out on June 19.
2. The Woman in the Window (which I liked quite a bit), by A.J. Finn, is going to be a movie. I don't know any of the details yet.
3. Meg Waite Clayton will launch her latest book, Beautiful Exiles, on July 31 at Books, Inc. Palo Alto. This is the story of the real-life relationship between Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway, in 1936.
4. #5 in the Maverick Billionaires, Wild in Love (which I loved), is live. I think you all know that this is definitely one of my very favorite romance series. And Jennifer Skully and Bella Andre are not done! I was very excited to learn that there will be more books after this one. That is good news indeed.
5. The Goldfinch (which I stopped reading on Page 19!) is being made into a movie. And Nicole Kidman will be the star.
6. We had 2 literary superstars pass away in the last week: Tom Wolfe at 88, and Philip Roth 85.
7. The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, is going to be a movie. It will star Milo Ventimiglia (from This Is Us), Amanda Seyfried, and Kevin Costner (as the voice of Enzo). Patrick Dempsey will be the director. This is a book I never expected to read because it has a picture of a dog on the front cover. And as you all know by now, I'm not a big pet guy. But I humbly report that I liked this a whole lot. Thanks to Rich and Leslie, who "made" me read it.
8. Books, Inc. in the The Pruneyard is opening tomorrow, Saturday, May 26! That is great news. Congrats to Margie and the rest of the Books, Inc. team.
1. Cara Black's 18th book in the Aimee Leduc series, Murder on the Left Bank, will be coming out on June 19.
2. The Woman in the Window (which I liked quite a bit), by A.J. Finn, is going to be a movie. I don't know any of the details yet.
3. Meg Waite Clayton will launch her latest book, Beautiful Exiles, on July 31 at Books, Inc. Palo Alto. This is the story of the real-life relationship between Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway, in 1936.
4. #5 in the Maverick Billionaires, Wild in Love (which I loved), is live. I think you all know that this is definitely one of my very favorite romance series. And Jennifer Skully and Bella Andre are not done! I was very excited to learn that there will be more books after this one. That is good news indeed.
5. The Goldfinch (which I stopped reading on Page 19!) is being made into a movie. And Nicole Kidman will be the star.
6. We had 2 literary superstars pass away in the last week: Tom Wolfe at 88, and Philip Roth 85.
7. The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, is going to be a movie. It will star Milo Ventimiglia (from This Is Us), Amanda Seyfried, and Kevin Costner (as the voice of Enzo). Patrick Dempsey will be the director. This is a book I never expected to read because it has a picture of a dog on the front cover. And as you all know by now, I'm not a big pet guy. But I humbly report that I liked this a whole lot. Thanks to Rich and Leslie, who "made" me read it.
8. Books, Inc. in the The Pruneyard is opening tomorrow, Saturday, May 26! That is great news. Congrats to Margie and the rest of the Books, Inc. team.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Some More Mini-Reviews
Well, once again I find myself behind on reviews. And in order to catch up, I've got a couple of quick takes on nationally popular books/authors.
First, there is John Hart's latest, The Hush. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while (I understand your reluctance to identify yourselves!) know that, as Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman, I am a "big, huge" fan of his books. I think his last 3 were 4.0, 4.0, 3.75 (and I liked his 1st 2 too). So I was obviously very excited about reading The Hush. How was it? Beats the heck out of me. I just didn't get it. I don't know what John was thinking. The story didn't make a lot of sense to me. There was tons of description that put me off immediately and that showed up throughout the book. And then there was some metaphysical stuff that I just couldn't wrap my arms around. For me it didn't connect with the rest of the book. Or maybe I just didn't care. Regardless, I'm giving it a 2.25/4. And only because I like John personally (he always responds to FB messages) and because I recognize what a good writer he is. Otherwise, uh, uh.
The Iron House - 4.09
Redemption Road - 4.08
The Hush - 3.64
It's obviously not just me.
My other short review is of A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window. I liked this one much better - 3.25/4. It came very highly rated from friends that I trust. It was a little Girl on the Train for me in that it was very well-written, but I didn't emotionally connect with the characters. In fact, it was very similar to Gone Girl because I didn't really get engaged until about half-way through. However, that was all compensated for (at least to some degree) by the fact that it was suspenseful and had a real shocker toward the end. We all know I'm not that adept (a classic understatement) at figuring out what's going to happen in a book. But I think this one shocked everybody. So it was good.
First, there is John Hart's latest, The Hush. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while (I understand your reluctance to identify yourselves!) know that, as Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman, I am a "big, huge" fan of his books. I think his last 3 were 4.0, 4.0, 3.75 (and I liked his 1st 2 too). So I was obviously very excited about reading The Hush. How was it? Beats the heck out of me. I just didn't get it. I don't know what John was thinking. The story didn't make a lot of sense to me. There was tons of description that put me off immediately and that showed up throughout the book. And then there was some metaphysical stuff that I just couldn't wrap my arms around. For me it didn't connect with the rest of the book. Or maybe I just didn't care. Regardless, I'm giving it a 2.25/4. And only because I like John personally (he always responds to FB messages) and because I recognize what a good writer he is. Otherwise, uh, uh.
P.S. John's ratings for his last 4 books on Goodreads out of a max 5:
The Last Child - 4.11The Iron House - 4.09
Redemption Road - 4.08
The Hush - 3.64
It's obviously not just me.
My other short review is of A.J. Finn's The Woman in the Window. I liked this one much better - 3.25/4. It came very highly rated from friends that I trust. It was a little Girl on the Train for me in that it was very well-written, but I didn't emotionally connect with the characters. In fact, it was very similar to Gone Girl because I didn't really get engaged until about half-way through. However, that was all compensated for (at least to some degree) by the fact that it was suspenseful and had a real shocker toward the end. We all know I'm not that adept (a classic understatement) at figuring out what's going to happen in a book. But I think this one shocked everybody. So it was good.
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