Free Food For Millionaires

Fiction by Min Jin Lee

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Casey Han is a Korean-American girl in New York City trying to remain true to herself, while being pulled in different directions by her traditional parents' and modern society's expectations.

This was a really good character story. I liked Casey and wanted things to work out well for her, and her sister and best friend too. It was a long book and held my attention well. I enjoyed it, although I was not completely happy with the ending.

I liked the other book I read by this author better (see below), maybe because it was historical.

I also read by this author: Pachincko

The Girl Next Door

Fiction by Patricia MacDonald

https://www.barnesandnoble.com
This was another exciting mystery thriller from Patricia MacDonald. (I'm going to be really sad when I get through all her books; I've already read almost twenty!)

Nina Avery is the youngest of three teenagers in suburban New Jersey in 1988, and she's got the usual types of worries of a girl her age: the crush she has on the boy next door, her new part in the school play, and her parents' constant fighting. Then her mother is murdered one night and her father blamed, but Nina just can't believe it's true.

Although her brothers reluctantly accept their father's guilt, Nina keeps believing that her father is innocent, even after his conviction. She vows to help him get back on his feet when he's finally paroled fifteen years after the murder, and brings him to her Manhattan apartment to live. But when Dad wants to go back to their old hometown and start trying to clear his name, Nina's not sure it's a good idea...

A great story!

I also read recently by this author: Secret Admirer

Jackdaws

Fiction by Ken Follett

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/

A great, fast read about women spies during World War 2!

I also read recently by this author: The Man From St Petersburg

The House Girl

Fiction by Tara Conklin

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is the story of two women separated by over 150 years.  Lina, a law associate in 2004 New York City, goes on a research quest to find Josephine, a house slave in 1852 Virginia. The similarities and differences between these characters really gives the reader something to think about.

It was a very good book!

Girl in the Rearview Mirror

Fiction by Kelsey Rae Dimberg

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

Finn Hunt works as a nanny for a rich and powerful Arizona family. She loves her young charge, four-year-old Amabel, and she feels like her glamorous employers really regard her as part of the family. But when trouble starts, she'll soon learn who is really in the family and who is out in the the cold.

This was a good thriller, although I wasn't completely happy with the ending.

The First Formic War Trilogy

Fiction by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/https://www.barnesandnoble.com

This is a science-fiction trilogy prequel to the novel Ender's Game, which I read many years ago, along with its sequels. It is not necessary to read any of the others to understand these books, however. (If you are interested in reading that series, I have the list in order on the post about Shadows in Flight).

This series stands alone as a story of a futuristic universe in which Earth is invaded by killer aliens.

Yes, that sounds campy, but it's actually a very good set of books, and it's quite serious. (In fact, I felt like the war stuff was a bit too realistically detailed sometimes.) The characters are good, and I do feel like the co-writer has stayed true to the original style.

Apparently there is another trilogy after this, still partially in the works, so I'll plan to read that as well.

I also read by this writing team: Invasive Procedures

Lessons From Lucy

Subtitled: The Simple Joys of An Old Happy Dog
Nonfiction by Dave Barry

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

Dave Barry is a humor writer, but in this book he tries to impart a little serious wisdom in the form of "lessons" he's "learned" from his dog. Fortunately, he doesn't get TOO serious...

The Lessons are pretty normal, non-earth-shattering stuff --enjoy the moment, make new friends, let go of your anger, et cetera-- but the good part of the book is the funny way Dave tells the stories.

I also read recently by this author: Insane City