Monday, February 28, 2022

The Magnolia Palace

 Fiction by Fiona Davis

Lillian Carter is an artists' model in 1919. Veronica Weber is a fashion model in 1966. Both girls are linked by the Henry Clay Frick House in New York.

This story is told in both times, and a missing diamond and a possible murder lie at the center of the tale. Real people are blended with fictional ones and the result is great historical fiction!

Friday, February 25, 2022

Poirot Investigates

 Short Story Fiction by Agatha Christie


This set of short stories was first published in 1924 and features classic detective Hercule Poirot. This version was offered free to members by audible.com recently and I happily accepted. Even though I don't love short stories, I do love Agatha Christie stories.

All eleven stories were very good and had surprising endings. The only complaint I have is the one I usually have about short stories: They're just TOO short!

I also listened to recently by Audible Originals: American Girl

I also read recently by this author: A Pocket Full of Rye

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

The Almost Sisters

 Fiction by Joshilyn Jackson

Leia Birch Briggs is an artist and author on the verge of some big success; she's just gotten a contract to write a prequel to her self-published graphic novel that had become a surprise hit. But she's experiencing some writer's block, she's unexpectedly pregnant, and Birchie, her beloved grandmother in Alabama, is losing her marbles. 

First things first, she's got to head to Alabama to try to force Birchie into assisted living, but of course the pregnancy and the writer's block go with her. In addition to that, Leia's stepsister Rachel is going through an unexpected crisis of her own.

This was a great story with an exciting plot and great characters; also it really gives you something to think about.


I also read recently by this author: A Grown-up Kind of Pretty

Friday, February 18, 2022

Sphere

 Fiction by Michael Crichton


This novel, published in 1987, is a classic Michael Crichton story, like Jurassic Park.

Psychologist Norman Johnson receives a call and heads out by military transport towards what he thinks will be an airplane crash recovery. He ends up in the middle of the ocean on a Navy vessel, and finds out that there's a suspected crashed spaceship at the bottom of the Pacific. From there he and a team will dive down deep to investigate the sunken vessel.

This was an exciting story that kept me guessing. The audio narrator was great as well.

I also read by this author: Congo

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

The Firekeeper's Daughter

 Fiction by Angeline Boulley


From the cover and the title, I thought this book would be a fantasy story. It's not.

It took me a while to get interested in the story for some reason; I kept picking it up and putting it back down. Maybe that was just because it wasn't what I expected, but it seemed to me it didn't get interesting until 3/4 of the way in. This is way longer than I usually give a book, by the way.

Anyways the story ended well, but I guess it wasn't completely my style.

Monday, February 14, 2022

Project Hail Mary

 Fiction by Andy Weir


In this book, Dr. Ryland Grace, an eighth grade science teacher, must save the planet earth from the greatest threat it has ever known. 

This book made the nerdiest part of me jump for joy. If you are a sci-fi geek, you MUST read it.


Friday, February 11, 2022

Never Look Back

 Fiction by Alison Gaylin

In 1976 twelve people were murdered by Gabriel LeRoy and April Cooper, a pair of high-schoolers who then died together in a fire. Over forty years later, true-crime podcaster Quentin Garrison is looking into the old case, because he has a source who thinks that April Cooper might still be alive.

The story is told from the perspective of several people in the present, and through a series of letters April had written to her "future child" back in 1976. There are several surprises.

I enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author.



Thursday, February 10, 2022

Soon

 Fiction by Lois Murphy


Nebulah is a little town in rural Australia where a haunted, deadly mist comes every night to stalk the residents. Nearly all have fled the area since the mist first appeared at the last winter solstice; at the beginning of this story only eleven people remain, which quickly dwindles to six. 

What is the mist? What will happen when the next winter solstice comes? And WHY don't these people want to leave this awful place? Who knows?

I hated this book. It had a terrible ending and never explained the mist at all. 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The People We Meet on Vacation

 Fiction by Emily Henry


Poppy and Alex met in college and take trips every summer to various places, but they are only good friends. Even though they spend every summer together and have absolutely no success in romances with other people, they never consider dating each other and they certainly aren't attracted to each other. Right?

This was a pretty good straight romance. The characters are fun and likeable enough to keep things engaging, even though there are no surprises.

Monday, February 7, 2022

Rock Paper Scissors

 Fiction by Alice Feeney


Adam and Amelia Wright take a weekend trip to Scotland in a last-ditch effort to save their marriage. The trip is to a historic chapel turned into a home, but it's miles from anywhere and there's a storm threatening to snow them in. Plus, there's someone else on the property they don't know about, someone who seems to have a hidden agenda...

This was a decent set up, and there was a really interesting twist in the middle of the story.  The ending, however, was sooooo unbelievable that I can't recommend this book.

Sunday, February 6, 2022

A Pocket Full of Rye

 Fiction by Agatha Christie


This classic Miss Marple mystery begins with the death of Rex Fortescue in his London office, "the king in his counting house." There is a great deal of contrivance involved, almost --but not quite!-- past believability. It's still a great story with an unexpected ending.


I also read recently by this author: They Came to Baghdad

Saturday, February 5, 2022

The Arrangement

 Fiction by Keirsten Modglin


Ainsley and Peter have been married long enough to feel like things have gotten a bit stale between them. So Ainsley proposes an Arrangement... They will each be allowed to sleep with other people, but only once a week, and only as long as it doesn't interfere with their family life. Peter acts reluctant to agree, but gradually the reader realizes he's been cheating on Ainsley all along. 

This was a strange book, and a lot of it seemed too far-fetched to me. Also I really didn't like Peter of Ainsley very much. 

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Razorblade Tears

 Fiction by S.A. Cosby


Tagline: A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.

Ike Randolph and his grown son Isiah have had a difficult relationship. Not only did Ike spend much of Isiah's childhood in prison, Ike has been less than supportive of his son as an adult. When Isiah and his husband Derek are murdered, Ike is devastated and wracked with guilt, mourning over the son he'd lost and could never reconcile with.

Derek's father Buddy Lee finds himself in a similar position, and both men decide to channel their mutual grief into vigilante rage when they realize the police aren't getting anywhere in the investigation into Isiah and Derek's deaths.

This was a good story, and much more character-driven and emotionally deep than the tagline makes it sound.



Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Falling

 Fiction by T.J. Newman


What if a terrorist kidnapped a pilot's family and held them hostage? In this story Bill Hoffman is piloting 143 people from LAX to JFK when he receives this message: crash the plane, or your family dies....

This was a very exciting thriller!