My Life as a Bibliophile
It must be Christmas! Imagine my surprise when I found a box of books by the door when I arrived home from work. Since I was unable to attend BookExpo/BookCon, Flatiron Books was kind enough to send me these ARCs. I have already added them to my shelves at GoodReads and Library Thing. It was extra exciting to note that all six books had awesome reviews. I am eager to get started reading.
Hannah’s Moon is the last book in the American Journey series. Do not worry if you have not read any of the other books in the series, because this one can be read as a stand-alone and you will not feel lost. In fact, I have only read one other in the series, September Sky, which is the first one. The entire series is based on a sci-fi, time travel theme. Expect also to get a little romance, suspense and WWII history with this one.
Claire Rasmussen wants nothing more than to have a child. After numerous attempts with the last one ending in a still birth she and Ron, her husband, decide to adopt. They soon discover that in 2017 this route is difficult and a very long process. Fortunately for them, a distant relative enters into the picture. Professor Bell, a relative of Claire’s, does have a solution and offers to send them back to 1945 where adoptions are much quicker and red tape a lot less. Continue reading “Hannah’s Moon by John A. Heldt”
I almost don’t know where to begin because The Radium Girls is a tragic story. It is probably one of the most difficult books, emotionally, I have ever read. It is the true story of the young women who worked in factories that applied a luminous Radium paint onto watch dials so they would glow. Of course, the women did not know it was dangerous and their employers went out of their way to make sure they remained ignorant of the facts. Their struggle to get answers about why they were so sick and get justice once they discovered it was caused by the Radium is inspiring.
For these “girls”, some as young as fourteen, it was a dream of a job. The pay was excellent and to be working with the wondrous new element Radium, that almost every day some new benefit was found, was an added benefit. You were indeed lucky to be hired on to work in the painting studio. The Radium dust settled in the women’s hair and clothes causing them to glow. Everyone wanted to be one of the alluring luminous Radium girls. Even some privileged girls would work for a short period of time to experience it. Continue reading “The Radium Girls by Kate Moore”
All the King’s Soldiers is set in 1940 Lisbon shortly after the German invasion of France. There is a large network of spies, of multiple nationalities, in and around Lisbon, given that Portugal has decided to remain neutral.
The story opens with the murder of Taylor Hartridge, a British spy, in a small town just outside of Lisbon. It is thought he was killed for the contents of his safe. It is believed the safe contained the German invasion plans for Great Britain, a very valuable commodity and definitely one to kill for. Continue reading “All the King’s Soliders by John Anthony Miller”
The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson is the perfect example of why I accept requests for reviews and read authors that are new to me and/or debut authors. More than once I have found, as is the case here, a great story and fell in love with another author that I might have never known about.
Ms. Halverson has done a remarkable job with her debut novel. The plot was well thought out and the scenes were true to the period. The characters are beautifully drawn and her descriptive prose was spot on. I love it when the author describes a scene so well I feel like I am watching through my own eyes. Continue reading “The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson”
The Bedlam Stacks is the first book I have read by Natasha Pulley. It is one of those books that gets under your skin. It is a slow build up and then you reach a point that you must finish reading or die trying. When the end comes you just let out a breath you did not even know you were holding. I know it is only March, but I suspect this book will end up being one of my favorites this year.
The story is about Merrick Tremayne who is currently at home in Cornwall convalescing after a tragic accident that almost cost him his leg. He has been contemplating what jobs a cripple can do and his current prospects don’t look so good. When Merrick starts seeing a garden statue move and a tree explode his brother thinks Merrick might be going mad like their mother. To Merrick’s dismay his brother is now insisting he take a position as a parson or be committed. Fortunately for Merrick, Clem, an old friend, drops by and convinces Merrick that he is well enough to make a journey with him to Peru for the East India Company, Merrick’s employer before his accident. Continue reading “The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley”
This is Elizabeth (Bethy) and Emily Rooth’s tragic story. They are identical twins and according to Elizabeth they have lived as if they were conjoined twins that were never separated. “Mother” was very abusive. She would keep them locked in their bedroom and would disappear sometimes for days. As they grow older Mother started bringing home special friends, male friends, and the abuse escalated to an unimaginable level.
One day the girls accidentally start a fire in the kitchen. When help arrives they are discovered and removed. The Rooths, a loving couple who could not have children, adopt them. Despite the Rooth’s best efforts there were some scars that their love could not erase.
Ms. Berry, the author, did an outstanding job of putting a face to the disease of mental illness. I expected no less since she is a clinical psychologist. The twins’ story is raw and emotional and Berry has given us a unique glimpse into the mind of someone who has experienced traumatic events. The entire story is fiction, but it is so well written it feels like it could be nonfiction.
This is a fast paced book with masterful twists. It is dark and it hooks you in the first few pages; so be prepared, once you start reading you will not be able to stop until the end. Be aware that some of the subjects presented in the book, such as child abuse, self-harm, and rape, may not be for every reader.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
As an avid reader and fan of fantasy, I have been wanting to read The Invisible Library for over a year. Even after I received a copy, it was in my TBR pile for months. Now that I am finished reading, I am berating myself for taking so long. It was a great story and wonderful start to a new series.
Ms. Cogman has that rare ability to transport the reader to the place and time of her choosing. In this case it is a library that resides between dimensions. The librarians who staff this particular library are there for life and their mission is to collect and preserve rare books from all dimensions. The main character Irene is a junior librarian that has been tasked with finding a book of Grimm fairy tales in an alternate London. Assigned to her is Kai, a librarian in training, who is somewhat of a mystery. In this alternate London magic and the forces of chaos abound. Worlds with chaos are extremely dangerous, leaving Irene to wonder why Kai would be assigned to her for this dangerous mission.
When they arrive in the alternate world, they discover the book they are sent to retrieve has been stolen from the vampire that recently acquired it. Now they must unravel the mystery of its disappearance. Along the way, they meet Vale, a detective reminiscent of Sherlock Homes, minus the Watson, who assists them. They also meet some not so helpful and downright dangerous people. Including another librarian that is trying to be the first to the book in order to scoop Irene.
A great adventure. The plot moved along quickly and had lots of surprises which kept our heroin on her toes. I also enjoyed how Irene’s mind worked and how she kept questioning things in her quest to find the missing book. It gave validity to the story.
The only thing I wanted, that I did not get, is a little more information about The Library itself and some of the characters. There are several bites of information that are hinted at but not fully revealed. It left me craving more. This has set the stage for further development in the series of both the characters and The Library. In addition, the alternate dimensions concept is teeming with infinite possibilities for future stories. My head is spinning just thinking about all the possible missions for the field librarians. In short, I look forward to discovering more about Irene and Kai and reading about their exciting adventures for the The Library.
Never Let You Go is an engaging thriller written by Chevy Stevens. The plot is well thought out and had me totally vested, which kept me turning pages well into the early morning hours. The character develop was excellent also. I especially liked getting into Lindsey’s head a little to understand how an abusive relationship starts and then escalates. How the mental abuse wears a person down and they begin to question everything and are so afraid to seek help.
In the story we meet Lindsey and her daughter Sophie who live in a remote part of Canada’s Pacific Coast accessible only by boat. They escaped there after Andrew, Lindsey’s ex-husband, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a woman one night while drinking and driving. They have been carefully building their new lives. Lindsey now has a successful cleaning business with a few employees. She is finally feeling like her life is nearing normal. Sophie is a gifted artist and is finishing high school with plans to attend college.
Then strange things start happening shorty after Andrew’s release from prison. For example, Lindsey finds her keys and phone placed just so on her purse when she is at a client’s house cleaning. This is something she never does, but Andrew always berated her about losing them. How could Andrew have found her… and so quickly? Deep down Lindsey knew this day would come. Andrew is never going to let her go. She is his and he will go to any length to keep her. At least that is the logical conclusion given Andrew’s history.
Even though I figured out Andrew’s role or lack thereof as the case may be, I was still truly surprised by the ending. A great story and it was intense. If you love thrillers, you have to read this book and you will devour it.
Please note, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through a Shelf Awareness giveaway.
I so wanted to read this book before I saw the movie and I am so glad I did. The movie will never be able to cover the breadth and depth of this book. Ms. Shetterly did a fantastic job of telling the stories of these brilliant African-American women who worked so hard behind the scenes at the NACA during World War II then later at NASA. Kudos to her for finally shining the light on these women and their important contribution to our nation.
I am old enough to remember the Apollo missions and all I ever saw from the media was white men. I find it appalling that it took a World War, and the corresponding male labor shortage, for women of color, or women of any color, to even be considered for a job as a computer. Computer being the human kind before even the behemoth electronic kind that filled rooms. Then they were sequestered and segregated. As was pointed out in the book, “People of color had to work twice as hard for one half the pay.” Despite all the things against them, these amazing women rose to the challenge. They worked alongside the engineers (white men) and crunched numbers thus contributing to the war effort and later to the space race that culminated with putting a man on the moon.
In summary, Hidden Figures is a remarkable and amazing story and Ms. Shetterly told it so eloquently. I sometimes find non-fiction a little on the dry side; not so in this case, the story is very readable. Being a lover of useful, and not-so-useful knowledge, I loved the tidbits of historical/scientific information (the focus is on the individuals’ stories) that were scattered throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to just about everyone, especially anyone who enjoys history, specifically womens’, and/or science.
Just so you know, I received a copy of this book for Christmas from my wonderful husband. Thank You!