Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

So this is the third book in the Paradise trilogy set on the island of St. John. Irene (Russ' widow), Baker & Cash (Russ' sons) and Floyd (Russ' grandson) all plan to stay on St. John even through they have lost Russ' multi-million dollar villa and have no place to live. Of course they have lost their home in Iowa City as well, so it's not like anyone has a home to return to. Pretty much all of their assets have been seized since everything was purchased with money obtained illegally. (I did wonder about the life insurance money that Irene was supposed to receive after Russ' death. Wasn't that like $3 million? Why doesn't Irene get it? They never mention it in this book, which I found odd.) 

We find out that Russ was set up as the "fall guy" for all of the illegal dealings, which doesn't bode well for the Steeles. So the mastermind behind it all, Todd Croft, who is also the man who arranged for his partners (Russ & Stephen), as well as Rosie who happened to be along for the ride, to be killed on their helicopter ride on January 1st, has managed to escape the authorities and responsibility for it all. He had the forethought to set up Russell Steele as the scapegoat. An accomplished white collar criminal. What Todd didn't bank on, or predict, is his wife producing evidence against him. Ha!

Of course this book also focused on new relationships. Miraculously, both Irene and Baker fell in love, nearly at first sight, upon their original arrival on St. John after Russ' death. Although there were some rocky moments in each of their new relationships, (Ayer's brief engagement with Mick put a damper on things for Baker; Irene reading Rosie's diaries about her relationship with Russ put a damper on Irene's developing relationship with Hank, Rosie's step-father) they both stayed true to their original feelings. Cash I guess stuck to his instincts, which I questioned a few times. I am not sure he ended up with his "true love" at the end, but he seems to have an incredibly forgiving heart which isn't all bad I guess. He needs to keep in mind Ayer's motto though: "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." I would not trust Tilda after what she did to him. But, apparently, he decided to give her a second chance.

This author writes "happy ending" books and this trilogy was no exception. It's nice to read books with happy endings though when there is so much discord and conflict in the real world. It was an entertaining ride.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The setting of this story is intriguing enough, without the added mystery surrounding each of the main characters. The families and friends of handsome and charming Will Slater (up and coming television star) and beautiful and intelligent Jules Keegan (magazine publisher) gather together on a remote Irish island to celebrate Will & Jules' wedding. The island itself is "spooky", with an old graveyard front and center, the dangerous peat bogs surrounding the property, the cliffs, and the icy cold surf crashing against the rocks. Then, throw in a furocious storm and you have a setting that I would not want to be a part of, especially at night when the power goes out.

Each of the main characters has a secret. None of them feel safe sharing their secret with their loved ones, since it would reflect badly on them. (So they believe). The author does a nice job of telling everyone's story while weaving all of the individual stories into one big one. There are feelings of arrogance, shame, disgust, love, pride, distrust - but the underlying characteristic that most of the characters feel is insecurity. Most of the characters' actions, or lack of action, comes down to feelings of insecurity. They are not good enough; they are a disappointment; they are not smart enough, or attractive enough. This is a story of all the different ways people handle themselves to make them "feel better".

Most of the characters were difficult to like. Some I felt sorry for, like Olivia and Hannah, and they are the two I probably liked the most. Will & Johnno's school friends were a bunch of obnoxious jerks, and their deeds were painful to read about at times. They were a bunch of overgrown schoolboys acting incredibly immature, even though in their own private lives they all had accomplished careers. Which makes their actions even worse, in my opinion.

So, someone dies after the wedding ceremony, in the darkness of the stormy night, outside the Marquee where the wedding festivities are going on. By the end of the book, all the secrets have been revealed and there are plenty of suspects that seem ready to commit murder. I don't want to spoil this journey, so I won't say anything more except I was surprised by the ending. That's all you can ask for.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley

I think I have to add Lucinda Riley to my favorite author list. This is the third book of The Seven Sister series and I absolutely loved it. Every book I read in the series I seem to love even more than the last one - and I am certainly reading them faster, even though they each have nearly 500 pages. This one I could not put it down until 3:30am, and then I got up and finished it that same morning. What a great storyteller! And I love the blend of historical figures and fictional characters.

The Shadow Sister is about the third sister, Asterope, also known as Star. She is extremely close to the fourth sister, CeCe. Too close. Star has lived her life in CeCe's shadow, thus the name. ;) CeCe and Star have always traveled together. Money appears to be tight for them since at the beginning of the book they are both 27 years old and living in a cracker box apartment, sharing the same bedroom. CeCe realizes that Star is getting tired of traveling the world and would like to settle someone. So CeCe buys a very nice apartment in London for them to live in, but still sharing the same bedroom. Star is being smothered and tries to figure out how to extricate herself from her co-dependent relationship with CeCe.

An extremely reluctant Star finally reads the letter her adoptive father (Pa Salt) left her at his death, which gives her clues about her birth family. The letter leads her to a book store that sells old, rare and expensive books. She becomes friends with the owner, Orlando, who is a kind but very unique individual. He offers her a job, which she accepts, and then she quickly gets involved with his family members (cousin Marguerite, nephew Rory, brother Mouse). 

Star's ancestral connection is Flora MacNichol, a strong and independent woman who lived in England 100 years earlier. Flora becomes friends with Beatrix Potter (author of children's books) and actually lives with socialite Alice Keppel and her family for awhile in London. (Alice was the mistress of King Edward VII.) Flora and Star both make sacrifices for their sisters' happiness over their own. They both uncover secrets about their parentage, which sends their lives in a different direction than they expected. Both women fall in love, but love is complicated and sometimes messy.

Again, Lucinda Riley is a superb storyteller. She is detailed in her historical facts and her fictional characters are well developed. I am happy that I still get to read four more books in this series. I know there is an underlying storyline throughout all the books, which intrigues me, but I also enjoy learning about each of the sisters, their personal lives and their heritage.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Games by Carol Gorman

This book was written for kids between the ages of 8-12 years old. It's "a tale of two bullies". As a parent myself, it was a rough read. Mick Sullivan is big for his age and looks like an athlete. He does not want to be an athlete however. He is a reader and claims the library is his "second home". His father does not appreciate this quality and tries regularly to get Mick interested in sports. He wants him to be tough and encourages Mick to stick up for himself. Mick's father is an alcoholic who will go on 2-3 day benders. His parents have been married for 14 years and they are all miserable. Both Mick and his mother enable their dad/husband and his drinking. Mick is one of the bullies.

Boot Quinn is small for his age. I suspect he has a learning disability because school is difficult for him. He has a difficult time reading and understanding what words mean. Boot has zero support at home. Boot's father is a bully himself. Boot's older brother, Ethan, pretty much just thinks about himself. Their dinners seem to consist of pizza brought home by dad or macaroni & cheese prepared by Boot. Ethan brings home dinner for himself only. Boot is expected to be tough. He suffers beatings from his father. Boot is the second bully.

So these two 8th graders like the same girl, Tabitha Slater, who increasingly encourages them to fight. (It turns out she has an ulterior motive.) She seems to prefer Mick over Boot, but she is nice and attentive to each of them, which makes their fighting worse. (Which is what Tabitha actually wanted.)

There is a new principal at the school. He decides that one way to solve the fighting between Mick & Boot is to have them play games each day in a room off the principal's office. Interesting concept. Most of the book is Mick & Boot upping the ante - and it's painful what they do to each other. I spent some time wondering what the final message would be, because the whole "game thing" didn't seem to be working. In the end, it's knowledge obtained through various sources (friends, a book, a store owner, a parent) that unite the boys. It's not a solid friendship by any means, but they call a truce and seem to be willing to abide by it.

This isn't exactly a "feel good" book. Both family situations are horrible. Mick's mother finally makes a solid plan to leave Mick's dad (with Mick). That's one step in the right direction. Both families have a long way to go though!

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

Book two of the trilogy set on St. John in the Caribbean. The Steele family has made some significant changes in their lives - all of them. Irene quits her job and leaves her dream home in Iowa City to move to St. John to live in the multi-million dollar home that Russell bought to live in with his mistress, Rosie. Baker's wife leaves him for a woman and both the women (doctors) are offered positions in Ohio so they leave Baker & Floyd in Houston. Baker decides to also move to St. John to live in his father's home there. He does not mention this to his mother or brother. Just shows up. Cash, who has run his businesses into the ground in Colorado and doesn't seem to have anything definitive to DO, decides to move to St. John to live in his father's home. So, suddenly, we have a woman and her two adult sons and one grandchild living under the same roof in St. John. Realistic? Well probably not, but weird things happen after a traumatic event. Hearing about Russell's death in a helicopter crash; finding out about his mistress Rosie; discovering Russell had a daughter with Rosie named Maia; seeing the 9-bedroom home that he purchased for visiting his second family; and acknowledging that Russell's hidden life was steeped in unlawful business activities; well, that qualifies as a traumatic event. People make impulsive, bold decisions for much less change in their lives than the Steele family is going through.

All three Steeles fall in love pretty darn quickly on St. John, emphasizing that they were actually unhappy in their old lives, although they didn't really know it. I am definitely glad that Cash has moved on from Ayers. I don't understand why these two very different brothers are attracted to the same women. Now I just wish that Ayers would stop messing with Baker if she continues to have feelings for Mick. Yes, Ayers breaks up with Mick again (a couple of times in this book alone!), but if I were Baker, I would feel like "second choice" in that triangle. Not a good feeling.

So, we don't really find out too much more about Russell and Todd Croft in this book, other than they were committing real estate fraud and laundering money. I am thinking that it's a good thing that Russell took out another life insurance policy before his death since all of his possessions (St. John home, Iowa City home) will be taken from Irene soon. I don't think this family could survive on their current earnings alone! (Irene working on a fishing boat with Huck and Cash working on a snorkeling/tour boat with Ayers. Only Baker continues to do his same job on St. John.) I am curious as to where they will all end up living in the third book.

So, are Russell & Rosie still alive?? Are they in hiding? I am intrigued by this concept. No one saw their bodies. Russell was "cremated" before Irene, Baker & Cash even arrived on St. John after hearing about his death. If he is, how will Russell excavate himself from his culpability in his substantial financial crimes? How would this affect the growing relationships between Irene & Huck; Baker & Ayers; Cash & Tilda?

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley

This is the second book (of seven) of The Seven Sister series. The second sister, Alcyone, called Ally, is an accomplished sailor (as in racing sailboats/yachts) and she spends her time on the sea, part of one crew or another. As a side note, but a significant one, she is also an accomplished flautist. She chose sailing over the flute, however, for her livelihood. Her passion for the sea was shared by her father, Pa Salt, who had adopted her and her five sisters when they were babies. She is taking a break from training for her next race on a boat with the love of her life and fellow sailor, Theo, when she receives the news that Pa Salt has died. She returns to her homestead, Atlantis, along with her five sisters.

At Atlantis, each sister receives a letter from Pa Salt with clues about her birthplace and/or birth parents. He gives them the coordinates on a globe as to where their particular "story" began. Ally doesn't show much curiosity about her history until Theo tragically dies in a sailing accident. Not having her own home (other than Atlantis) because she was always on the sea, she decides to fly to Norway, the county of her birth.

As in the first book (about the oldest sister, Maia), the story goes back in time from 2007, the year of Pa Salt's death. Ally's story starts in Telemark, Norway in August 1875. In 1875 we meet Anna Landvik, a young girl from a farming family with a beautiful singing voice. She is "discovered" by Herr Franz Bayer, a professor at the University of Christiania, a pianist and a music teacher who seeks out young musical talent. Anna leaves her home (and a fiancé, Lars) to return to Christiania with Herr Bayer so that he can train her to be a professional singer. Herr Bayer arranges for Anna to be the "ghost voice" for the female lead in the premiere of the stage production of Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. The music was written by Edvard Grieg. 

These books are based on historical facts and events, even though some of the people are fictional, like Anna herself. (Although they did indeed use a "ghost voice" for the lead in the premiere of Peer Gynt in Christiania in 1875). This story is well researched and well written. The combination of historical people and fictional people just make the story all the more engaging. Anna's story moves along, alternating with Ally's story in 2007. Eventually their connection unfolds in the most absorbing way. I can't express enough how much I love these books. The author shares Anna's life in depth to such a degree that it would take too long to explain in this blog post. We also find out a lot about the generations between Anna and Ally. Absolutely fascinating.

I am waiting for the third book in the series to arrive. If it's anything like the first two books, I will devour it as well.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

This is the first book of a trilogy. I wasn't sure how Hilderbrand could drag out one of her stories into three different books, to be honest. Now that I have read the first book, I can certainly see what (hopefully) the second book will be about at least. There are a lot of unanswered questions that left us hanging! This book introduces us to the Steele family: Irene, Baker (Anna & Floyd), Cash, and to some extent, Russ (in memoriam). We are also introduced to Rosie (in memoriam), Rosie's best friend Ayers , Rosie's daughter Maia and Rosie's stepfather Huck. Russ had a secret life with Rosie, which his family discovers upon his death in a helicopter crash (with Rosie) on the island of St. Johns.

When Irene and her sons, Baker & Cash, arrived on St. John's, Russ' body had already been recovered and cremated. What?? Apparently, Russ' boss gave his approval for the cremation. Well that is the number one clue that something fishy is going on. That would always fall to the next of kin, which would be his wife of 35 years, Irene! Then, as they try to figure out the details of the helicopter crash, and what Russ & Rosie were doing, all the phone numbers they called were "out of service". Russ' Villa (worth roughly $15 million!) has been wiped clean of all personal items. And how did Russ buy a Villa on St. Johns for $15 million? Well, no one knows what he did for a living, including his wife and sons.

Irene connects with Huck, in an attempt to find out information about Rosie. Irene actually tells Huck she was Russ' wife though, so he knows what he is getting into. Both Baker & Cash connect with Ayers, but they both omit telling Ayers who they are (Russ' sons) and they both fall in love with Ayers. Well, Ayers is definitely upset when she discovers the truth about who everyone is. She returns to her former, cheating boyfriend, even though she has developed feelings for Baker. Irene has also developed feelings for Huck. Apparently, Russ developed feelings for Rosie after spending one weekend with her. So, the "love at first sight" theme runs rampant in this book!

So hopefully we find out more about Russ' business dealings and his mysterious, unreachable boss in book two. It was suggested that the helicopter did not necessarily crash due to bad weather as reported. On to book two....

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that there was a prequel to the Hunger Games, my favorite trilogy of all time. I wasn't even worried about not liking it after finding out it was about the future President Snow. I love delving into people's backgrounds to see why they turned out the way they did. Coriolanus Snow was only 18 years old at the beginning of this story. He lived in the Capitol. The Snows were a prestigious family in the Capitol, although they had fallen on hard times financially, which Coriolanus tried to keep secret. This was the year of the 10th Hunger Games. Select students were going to be chosen to mentor the children at the Games. It was interesting to read how undeveloped the Games were. It was nothing like what Katniss & Peeta experienced. That alone was fascinating to me. Some of the later developments evolved from early ideas suggested by Snow and his classmates.

Snow was "lucky" enough to be chosen as a mentor, but he was assigned the female tribute of District 12. This upset him greatly because District 12 was the lowest of the low, as we know. But as luck would have it, his tribute Lucy Gray had an electric personality. She was an entertainer (the exact opposite of Katniss!) and could really engage those watching her. Coriolanus falls in love with her, and she loved him too it seemed, but for obvious reasons it would be very difficult for them to be together. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray "put on a show" for the people watching the Games similar to Katniss and Peeta. (Although we find out that not many people in the districts even watched the Games back then. The Capitol had to make it mandatory viewing, basically.) Snow actually came up with the idea of people in the Capitol sending "gifts" to the tributes they liked. These early tributes were not taken care of. They were held in a cage and pretty much starved. Many of these tributes died before they even reached the arena designated for the Games. Again, it was interesting how different the Games were in this story.

Snow needs Lucy Gray to win the Games so that he can win a spot (basically a scholarship) to study at the University. Since he had no money, the only way he could continue his education was for his tribute to win the Hunger Games. He also wanted her to win because he loved her and didn't want her to die. He "helped" her win, and his assistance was discovered. He was sent to District 12 to train as a Peacemaker instead of winning the University placement. Snow actually took this better than I thought he would, mostly because he was going to Lucy Gray's district. But even his stint as a Peacemaker was different than it seemed.

Lucy Gray was a singer in the Covey, who happened to live in District 12. She was technically not a "part" of District 12. Lucy sings ballads throughout this story, which reveals some of her personal history. "Lucy Gray" was a William Wordsworth poem written in 1799. What happens to Lucy Gray of this story is unknown. She disappears. In the poem "Lucy Gray" she is a child who dies but still roams the earth because of her connection with nature. I am not actually sure what happened between Lucy Gray and Coriolanus at the end of this story. Seriously. Did she betray him? Did she die? Did she run away? I'm not sure this ambiguity will be cleared up, even if Suzanne Collins decides to write another book about Coriolanus Snow. Bummer. :( In my opinion there is A LOT more story between Snow's teenage years and Katniss' years in the Hunger Games. I sure hope Collins decides to add more to this story.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

This is a wonderful story! I was completely intrigued by both storylines, one set in 2007 and the other in the late 1920's. Maia lives in Switzerland, where she was raised with her five sisters, by her adoptive father ("Pa Salt") and her primary caregiver, Marina ("Ma"). She is the oldest sister, but the only one that still lives at their homestead, called Atlantis. She had fallen in love 14 years previously when she was away at school, but was basically "discarded" by her love and she returned home, afraid to venture out of her comfort zone again. 

Pa Salt had adopted each of his daughters, but none of them knew anything about their birth parents or birthplace. Pa Salt's death brings the sisters back to Atlantis and in his will, he leaves each of the girls a clue about where they came from, should they choose to pursue their individual quests to discover the truth about their past. Maia chooses to do this and leaves Atlantis to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is a translator and she had just translated a book for a Brazilian author into French. She decides that she could meet with the author while in Brazil trying to find information about her birth parents. Floriano ends up being very useful, as a tour guide, driver and research assistant. Of course it doesn't hurt that he is gorgeous and kind and falls in love with her. ;)

Maia's discoveries lead her to the story of her great grandmother, Izabela, who was the only daughter of a self-made millionaire who made his money (initially) with Brazilian coffee beans. Izabela's family has the money, but they were "outsiders". Izabela's father wanted his beautiful daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Enter Gustavo Aires Cabral. The Aires Cabral family had fallen on hard times financially, but Gustavo had the pedigree to introduce Izabela's family into high society. So, an arranged marriage was made, at least for Maia. Gustavo actually loved Maia. Maia was loyal to her parents and would do whatever she needed to do to support them. Thanks to her best friend Maria Elisa da Silva Costa however, she gets invited to join Maria Elisa's family when they travel to Europe. Gustavo wants Maia to fall in love with him and he suggests that she go to Europe with the da Silva Costa family and then when she returns, they will marry.

This trip to Europe, specifically Paris, changes Maia's life forever. She falls in love with a sculptor and has to choose to either stay in Paris with him (Laurent), who is a talented, but poor artist, or return to Rio de Janeiro and marry Gustavo and secure her family's place in Brazilian society.

This is a very brief summary of this story! There is a lot of depth in each character and many details about the art world, the financial world and of course personal emotions involved in the telling of the lives of these two women. I didn't want the book to end! Although some questions are answered about Maia's birth family, some were left unaddressed. The next book in this series is about one of the other sisters, but I hope somewhere in the next six books I get the answers to my remaining questions. It will be difficult for me to switch gears to read about another sister, but I have already ordered the next book.

Wendy's Rating: *****

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

I have always loved this author. He brings Native American culture into his stories, no matter what the time period is, which is interesting. Usually his stories are set in Minnesota, but I liked that he ventured farther afield in this book. Odie reminded me of Huckleberry Finn, which I believe was the author's intention. Instead of going down a river on a raft with a black man though, Odie takes to the Minnesota River, and then the Mississippi River, in a canoe with a mute Souix Indian teenager (Mose), Odie's older brother (Albert) and a young girl (Emmy) that they rescued from the Indian School they all lived at. These four kids were certainly resourceful. They each had different skills which helped them on their journey.

Mose was strong and an extremely hard worker. Albert was a genius when it came to machines/engineering. Odie was a quick thinker and was able to talk his way in and out of difficult situations. (He was a talented liar too.) Emmy's special gift was fascinating. I didn't understand at first why no one thought her "fits" were epileptic seizures. From the very beginning though I wondered why she always seemed to have a "message" to share with others after her "fit". I also wondered why she seemed to know who was dangerous and who could be trusted. She told Odie to hide two $5 bills in his boot very early on, and yet he actually didn't need to use them until nearly the end of their journey. The only reason why I trusted Sister Eve is because Emmy did! Otherwise I would have figured her for a fraud and worried about them being in danger the entire time they were with her.

I wasn't sure how four children could escape being sent to live in a Children's Home - or sent back to the Indian School - or sent to live in an Orphanage, once they were finally "caught" in St. Louis. But I guess the 1930's were definitely different times. Children were treated as adults by the time they were 14 years old back then! At the end, the only thing I questioned is Emmy being allowed to stay with Sister Eve. They are not related at all, and Emmy was so young. It seemed like she got to choose who she lived with, which is odd even for 1932. No social worker check-ins back then! I didn't think that Odie should be held responsible for the death of DiMarco, so I'm glad that he wasn't. Good riddance to a horrible man. I did wonder about Odie shooting Jack though. I guess we need to thank Emmy for getting Odie out of that mess. I was really glad that Jack didn't kill his wife, daughter and best friend! I was worried about those fresher graves on his property! (Along with his anger management issues of course).

I had no idea how this book would end! I was surprised by Odie's parentage for sure. (That was the biggest "reveal" of the story.) The four of them each seemed to know what was best for themselves though and their decisions seemed realistic based on their age/talents. (And Emmy needed Sister Eve to guide her with her special gift).

I will continue to read whatever this author writes!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

For whatever reason, I had a hard time getting into this book initially. I like "beach reads" and I like this author, but some of the characters annoyed me! I should have given them more time for "growth" before condemning their character(s) though I guess. ;) 

I completely understand how awful it would be for your son to go to Vietnam, but Kate just seemed over-the-top. She was disregarding her husband and the rest of her family, and totally absorbed with trying to get her son home. Her drinking was out of control, to the point that her husband refused to come visit her on Nantucket for awhile. Of course her son wanted to go to Vietnam, but she didn't seem to care about that. And then her anger towards Bill Crimmins seemed so unwarranted. I can't imagine it would be normal to have enough sway with the military to send a man home to America simply because his mother wanted it! Seriously.

And then Blair irritated me because all she could do was complain about being pregnant. She chose to marry her former boyfriend's brother (Angus), and then whined about everything. It's normal to feel neglected when you change your life for your husband and then he is too busy at work to be supportive. I understand that. But it just seems like Blair was about Blair and no one else. I actually liked when she realized that Joey (Angus' brother) didn't actually have some profound love for her; he just wanted to get back at his brother for marrying his girlfriend. That was a wake-up call that Blair needed. I didn't think that Angus was having an affair with Trixie. If Angus had just communicated with Blair in the first place, it would have saved Blair a lot of anguish. I did feel bad for her about that.

Kirby seemed like an intelligent, spirited young woman of the times. I thought she was brave to go to Martha's Vineyard on her own; find a place to live; find a place to work; continue her activism; date a black man; stand up to her friend's abusive boyfriend. Even her disillusionment with Ted Kennedy seemed to signal a mature young woman who thinks for herself.

Jessie went through the growing pains of becoming a teenager: falling "in love" with someone older than her and being devastated when he introduces his new girlfriend; getting her first bra; learning a deep, dark secret from her mother and then deciding on her own to not share it with anyone else out of respect for everyone else, including her own father; reporting the tennis instructor's inappropriate touching; fighting for her Jewish heritage; apologizing to her grandmother for stealing. 

In the end, the family reunites on Nantucket, except for Tiger who is still in Vietnam and loving the military. There actually is a lot of growth in both Kate and Blair by the end of the book. Despite the slow start (for me), I liked the book a lot once some of the characters realized that the world does not revolve around them!

Wendy's Rating: ****

Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller

This isn't my kind of book. I had a difficult time maintaining interest in the beginning; in the middle, I spent my time dreading what was going to potentially happen (I was right!); and the end....well, it was ambiguous at best. It reminded me of No Country of Old Men, which I realize was a hugely popular book and movie, but I didn't care for it.

Sheldon Horowitz (aka "Donny") is an elderly man who moves to Norway to live with his granddaughter, Rhea, and her Norwegian husband, Lars. His only child, a son (father to Rhea) is dead (in the Vietnam War) and his wife has recently passed away. So Rhea & Lars are the only family members he has left. He suffers from dementia and no one seems to know who is really was in his past. Was he a sniper in the Korean War, or was he a clerk?

Sheldon witnesses the murder of a woman in Rhea & Lars' apartment. He is hiding in the closet with the woman's young son ("Paul"), who doesn't speak English or Norwegian or apparently German. The woman and her son live in the upstairs apartment and the man who murdered her is the father of the boy, who is a product of rape by the man in their own war-torn country. Basically, the man, Enver, wants his son and he plans to return with him to their own country.

Sheldon takes "Paul" and runs for his safety. Sheldon then pretty much becomes "Donny" again, the sniper he was in the Korean War. He "talks" to his dead buddies; he talks a lot about being Jewish; he makes a plan to save Paul, Rhea & Lars. There are two police officers, Sigrid and Petter, who are also trying to find and save the boy.

That's the premise of the book. The jacket cover states that this book is, "A luminous novel, a police thriller, and the funniest book about war crimes and dementia you are likely to read." Really?? I guess I have a completely different sense of humor then. And it's definitely NOT what I would call a "police thriller". I am rating it a tad higher than I want only because it was well-written.

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

Martyred by Alisha Perkins

Yikes. I could hardly read this book. I forced myself again and again to pick it up and finish it. No book left behind and all that.... ;) At one point I looked to see if it was self-published because I couldn't believe that a company would publish it. But nope, it was indeed published by Eliezer Tristan Publishing. A friend, perhaps?

Anyway. The whole thing was ridiculous. These three women were full of themselves. All three were wealthy, beautiful and intelligent and yet they woke up every single day throwing themselves a pity party. It was pathetic. Oh poor me. They were also hypocritical. It drove me nuts. Eliza lives on a farm and has a wonderful husband who respects her and supports her. She has two wonderful daughters. Her husband owns a baseball team. He is loving and faithful. You can see why Eliza would be so unhappy, right? Then Camille, who is the anchor on a major news network. She is the star of the show. She is beautiful and well-respected. She is going places. Her husband doesn't want to have sex anymore and seems disinterested in her and their marriage. Camille, have you thought about ASKING him what's wrong?? Have you thought about having a discussion about your feelings and your marriage?? Of course not. He doesn't want to have sex, so you MUST get divorced. Finally, there is Vera. Vera is....wait for it....successful & wealthy & beautiful. She is lesbian with a beautiful loving girlfriend. But her girlfriend wants to have a child and Vera doesn't. So, their relationship if over for Vera. Plus, she discovers that she has "fallen out of love". This is what is wrong with the world today! Oh, it's too hard, so I am going to quit. Seriously.

Aside from the annoying characters, the writing was cliched to no end. The cliches just went on and on and on. And it was repetitive. Foreshadowing? Sure. Let's hear 8 times how much Eliza hates germs and brings her own high quality sheets whenever she stays in a hotel because of the nastiness of hotels rooms, even a Penthouse Suite. Blah, blah, blah. Having her own sheets comes in handy at the end of the book. Wink, wink. They attend this big event at a big, expensive hotel and they all get totally wasted. They would have to be wasted because of the amount of alcohol consumed in a 18 hour period! Bottles & bottles of champagne, shots, drinks, sips, gulps. Honestly. It was insane. Then there is the reckless flirtation to "get ahead". Really?? Isn't this what these woman are "protesting about" - being used and abused and being held back by men??

Oh, and the BIG EVENT of this chaos of a story. Are you serious?? Feeling proud about killing a man and feeding him to the pigs and getting away with it? I just can't..... It's so beyond ridiculous. This is the worst book I have read in a really long time.

So, after forcing myself to finish the book, I read the Acknowledgements. Just because I always do. It came as NO surprise that Alisha's first sentence is, "I never went to school for writing." Well, there you have it.

Wendy's Rating: *

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin

Never in my life have I played into the "boys will be boys" mantra. Not before I had three sons, and certainly not after I had them. I am all about human decency and kindness. In this story, Nina's son, Finch (named after Atticus Finch) is accused of taking a disturbing picture of Lyla, a classmate at the prestigious Windsor Academy. Finch is wealthy; Lyla, being raised by her single father, is there on a scholarship. Lyla is passed out in the picture, laying on Finch's best friend Beau's bed. Her breast is exposed and she is holding a green Uno card. ("Green card") Lyla's mother is Brazilian. The picture is sent to Finch & Beau's friends via Snapchat. And then of course, everyone else sees it, including all the parents involved.

What is interesting is all of the different reactions. Kirk, Finch's dad, was mostly concerned how this act may affect Finch's recent acceptance to Princeton. Nina was appalled because of the act itself. "You took a photo of a half-naked girl who was passed out, and then made a racist joke about her." Finch doesn't think it's that big of deal and stated that he didn't even think Lyla would be mad about it. Lyla begged her dad, Tom, to just let it go. Basically, "this happens all the time to people" so don't make a big deal of it please. Tom was furious about the picture and reported it to the headmaster at Windsor Academy. The Academy has a Honor Code that the students are expected to follow.

One complication is that Lyla has always had a crush on Finch. Finch decides to use this to his advantage. Then Finch throws his girlfriend Polly under the bus, so to speak, and reports that Polly took the picture because she was jealous. As things unfold, Nina questions Kirk & Finch's characters and her relationship with Kirk. She realizes that her husband is not an honorable man and she has "allowed" her son to become just like his father.

We find out what happens to everyone in an Epilogue written by Lyla, ten years after the actual event happened. No one actually "changes" from the experience. The honorable are still honorable. The less honorable are still waiting for karma to strike them. Lyla, Nina & Tom are the true "success stories" in this book because they do the right thing, no matter the cost. Finch is the only question mark. He seems to finally be truly sorry at the end, but we don't really know what he is sorry about.....

Wendy's Rating: ****

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

This was a book selected by my book club and since I couldn't attend the night the selections were made, I saw the title and assumed it was a book about Patsy Cline. Ha! Imagine my surprise when I actually opened it up and started reading!

Patsy is actually about a young Jamaican woman who manages to get a Visa to visit the United States. She does not plan to return to Jamaica however, since she is in love with her best friend from Jamaica, Cicely, who left for the United States earlier and ended up marrying a man to get her green card. Patsy leaves behind her mother, who is a religious fanatic, and her five year old daughter, Tru. Patsy convinces Tru's father Roy, a police officer who actually loved Patsy but is married to Marva and has three sons, to take care of Tru. Marva really wants a daughter, so she seems to accept this new arrangement, even though Roy doesn't really give her a choice. For the most part, Marva initially seems to shine in her roll as a mother to Tru, but things eventually sour because Tru isn't having it. Tru wants her mother and won't accept her new "family". I actually felt sorry for Marva more than once. Tru won't accept her and Roy is a womanizer. Marva also gets pregnant a few more times, still trying for a daughter, but after a two or three stillbirths, she ends up giving birth to twin boys. 

As a mother myself, it's hard to understand how a mother could leave her five year old, with no intention of returning or sending for her later on. Patsy also doesn't communicate with anyone in Jamaica for 10 years, other than a late Christmas card to Tru the year she left Jamaica. But Patsy's life in Jamaica was not easy. Her father dies. She is sexually abused by her "step-father"; her mother is a religious fanatic; she lives in poverty; her & Cicely are attacked one day by a man, but are rescued by Roy, who ends up getting her pregnant. This is Patsy's second pregnancy, but not a lot of details are shared about her first one, other than she didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth and the baby died. Patsy doesn't feel like she has had any control over her life and she longs to escape it by following her true love (Cicely) to America.

Of course, things don't happen the way she thinks it will. It never does. Patsy struggles in America as well, especially since she isn't in America legally. Jobs are hard to come by without papers, so after a couple menial jobs, she end up as a nanny taking care of white people's children. This is ironic of course, since she abandons her own child. Her relationship with Cicely doesn't pan out either, since Cicely chooses to stay with her abusive husband rather than resume her relationship with Patsy.

Tru also finds her own path in Jamaica. She is smart. She is talented athletically. Her father, Roy, is one of her biggest fans. Since Roy is a police officer, she is protected. She has serious abandonment issues however, which isn't surprising. After 10 years apart, Patsy and Tru finally re-connect. They are both able to start making a life for themselves despite everything they have been through. It seems like Tru is finally able to accept her father's family as her own as well.

The most difficult part of reading this book was the Jamaican dialect. I am usually a pretty fast reader, but every time I came to a part where a character spoke in patois, the dialect spoken by Patsy and her family and friends, I pretty much stopped dead in my tracks. I also read every word of a book (I don't skim), so this really slowed me down. Although things start looking up at the end of the book, it's rather a sad read.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Dreams of Falling by Karen White

I am a fan of Karen White. Her books are set in the southern US; they are romantic; they are sad; the stories usually include discovery of long-lost secrets, forgiveness and redemption. This story was no different.

In the 1950s, Margaret, Bitty and Ceecee were best friends. Margaret was the wealthy, beautiful one who attracted all the attention while Bitty and Ceecee were her "sidekicks".  Margaret was used to getting her way, which did not serve her well after she makes some poor choices. People who never experience hardship in their lives don't have the willpower to trudge through and make tough choices when things go poorly. She gives up on her life way to easily and quickly, taking down her best friends in the process. Ceecee was the strongest of the three, but her character was also flawed because inside she was constantly fighting her jealousy of Margaret. Ceecee ended up having a very supportive and understanding mother though, which helped her through the difficult years. Bitty was more of a peripheral friend, always watching from the sidelines, smoking her cigarettes and eating her tootsie rolls. The reader learns pretty quickly that Margaret dies young and Ceecee raises Margaret's daughter, Ivy.

The second story is set in 2010 and the main character is Larkin, Ivy's daughter (Margaret's granddaughter), who left their hometown nine years previously because of an "incident" that happened at the end of her senior year of high school, which isn't really explained until near the end of the book. She returns only because her mother, Ivy, suffers a terrible accident. She is four sizes smaller than when she left, and as beautiful as her grandmother Margaret. She's also messed up. She was also raised, for the most part, by Ceecee and Ceecee had always treated her like she was the best thing since sliced bread. This also did not serve Larkin well since she could not face or address anything at all that was unpleasant or challenging. She would just run away from it. Ivy was comatose the entire story, so even though she was a "central" character, and we get to hear her thoughts while in a coma, she wasn't a main character.

Uneven love in a relationship always causes pain. Ivy seemed to spend her entire adult life pining after her first love, Ellis, instead of investing in her husband and daughter. And then Larkin returns after nine years and continues to be infatuated with her old high school crush, who is a womanizing jerk. So we have three generations of women who cannot adapt to changes in their lives that were completely out of their control. Margaret lost the love of her life in the war and spends the rest of her (short) life miserable and making others miserable with her. Ivy spends her life loving Ellis, who also died, instead of loving her kind, supportive and understanding husband and their daughter, Larkin. So of course, Larkin, not having good role models at all, pines after a complete jerk instead of seeing true love standing right in front of her. It was incredibly annoying!!

But Larkin redeems herself (and her family somewhat) in the end, even though the road wasn't pretty getting there. Secrets are revealed by a number of people, which enables Larkin to stop running away from her life.

Wendy's Rating: ****

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

I really like this author. This is the third book I have read by her and I love how fast-paced they are. The setting of this story is actually creepy, to start things off. Leonora (aka Nora, Lee and Leo) Shaw joins a good friend, Nina, at an old friend's bachelorette party, or as the British call it, a "Hen" party. Nora has not seen their mutual friend, Clare, for ten years, since she was 16 years old and still in school. Nina, who is a doctor, has not seen Clare for three years. They are both invited to Clare's hen party regardless. Nora is confused by this invite, especially since she was not invited to Clare's wedding. (Nina was). She doesn't really want to go, but Nina tells Nora that they can go together.

So the setting is a "glass house" deep in the woods. Since it's isolated from other homes and has a long, unpaved driveway, it's the perfect setting for mayhem and murder. At night, the woods get extremely dark and the guests at the hen party feel like they are "on stage" at night when the lights are on in the house. Throw in fresh-fallen snow (it's November); mysterious footsteps in the early morning hours before anyone is (presumably) awake; a gun loaded with blanks hanging on the wall; a Ouija board;  a party activity shooting clay pigeons at a shooting range; drugs and alcohol; sarcastic wit; cruel jabs; secrets; old unresolved feelings between some of the guests; and you have a nice set-up for a scary story.

Nora has never been able to move on from an event that happened when she was 16 (the last time she saw Clare), so Nora spends a lot of time regretting coming to the party. In fact, one of the other guests, Melanie, leaves the party early. No one can get service on their cell phones and the landline service gets cut off after the first night. Melanie, being a new mother, can't handle not being in touch with her husband and baby and leaves after one night. Lucky her. The rest are "stuck" there with Clare's seemingly disturbed best friend and maid of honor, Flo.

The weekend ends with a death, although whether it's an accident or murder is not clear at first. Nora also loses her memory surrounding the events of their final night due to a head injury after being involved in a car crash, which she can't remember either.

There is foreshadowing and clues thrown in throughout the story. I definitely picked up on most of them, which Nora did not. I guess she was too emotionally involved. ;) It was a good read.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The September Society by Charles Finch

This is the second book of this series with Detective Charles Lenox. Lenox lives in London and it's 1866. His best friend, and love of his life, Lady Jane, lives next door to him. This is actually the book where Lenox acknowledges that he loves Lady Jane as more than a friend and that he wants her to be his wife. It takes him the entire book to get his nerve up to express his feelings to her though. ;)

What I love about Lenox is that he is not easily rattled in his detective work. He seems to take everything in stride. He gets woken up at 4am and he simply gets up, gets dressed, and goes downstairs to meet his unexpected visitor. In this case, it's Lady Annabelle Payson. Her son George has gone missing at Oxford. Lady Annabelle had also discovered George's cat, dead, in his room. I find it interesting that Lady Annabelle doesn't involve the police in this matter - and neither does Lenox. He simply takes a train to Oxford, his old stomping grounds, to see what he can discover. I am not sure if this is the way things were actually handled in the 1800's in London, or if it just makes these stories more interesting.... Of course the police (Scotland Yard) is eventually called in after George's dead body is discovered in one of the college's courtyards. 

Lenox is a man of clues and lists. He simply writes down each clue and studies it. He has a couple of helpers in his sleuthing. His butler, Graham, helps him by questioning servants and other people of his similar "station" in life. Servants know a lot about what goes on around them! Graham is Lenox' "Holmes" so to speak. We also get introduced to a new helper in this book. His name is Dallington. He is the third (screw-up) son of a prominent family. He comes to Lenox to ask him if he can be Lenox' detective apprentice. Dallington has decided that being a detective is what he is called to do. Lenox likes Dallington, despite his drinking and womanizing, and agrees to this new arrangement. There is also Lenox' best friend, Thomas, who is a doctor (and alcoholic) who always assists with the medical issues surrounding each death. So, Lenox is building a solid team.

Lenox is also extremely interested in politics and has always wanted to be a part of the London Parliament, like his older brother. I am not exactly knowledgeable about the 1860's British government, but it is discussed quite a bit in these books. I read it all, but the political activities and parties that are important to Lenox don't really sink into my brain. Ha!

Anyway, Lenox' mission in this book is to find two missing young men, George Payson and his best friend, Bill Dabney, and then figure out how their disappearance connects to a military "club" called The September Society. These current events also connect to a previous death of an officer in the military (murder? suicide?) from 19 years ago. Lenox is successful in this mission. ;)

Wendy's Rating: ****

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

I love reading memoirs, but this was a difficult read for me. I am always incredibly disturbed by all the abuse that goes on in our world: abuse of children, abuse of minorities, abuse of animals, abuse of the disabled, abuse of power. My heart breaks for those most vulnerable in our society when they have no one to protect them or stand up and fight for them. Enter Bryan Stevenson. This man has dedicated his career - and his life - to being the voice for those that have no voice due to a miscarriage of justice. This is a very powerful read - written by a man who puts his money where his mouth is. He walks the walk, despite the pain that it causes him. 

I am always astounded, and deeply impressed, that people like Bryan - and all the other lawyers, interns, researchers and other staff who work at Equal Justice Initiative, choose to make a difference in this world over money. Many of the lawyers working at EQJ came from Ivy League law schools. These intelligent and dedicated lawyers could be making a lot of money being corporate lawyers, tax attorneys, criminal lawyers, financial advisors, but instead they sign on to EQJ to work very long frustrating hours for minimal pay. This practice runs on donations. The EQJ does not charge a fee to represent any of their clients. Their clients are men, women and children who are on death row, or children who have been sent to prison with no hope of parole.

Bryan is against capital punishment in general, and he fights to make it unlawful, especially the inhumane ways it's been implemented. He also fights for the release of innocent people, people in prison who are disabled or mentally ill, people who are poor and children. He has gone before the Supreme Court five times (as of the writing of this book) and has brought about significant change nationwide, but particularly in Alabama and other states in the deep south where prejudices run deep against African Americans and other people of color.

I am humbled by this man. Bryan states that he learned from Walter McMillian, the innocent man he worked tirelessly to get released from Death Row, that "...mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven't earned it, who haven't even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion."
Just Mercy.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling continues to be one of my very favorite authors. She is an amazingly prolific writer whose character development is beyond comparison. I think I have said this before too, but the deeper she gets into her characters, the longer her novels are as well! Lethal White is quite long for a mystery novel at 647 pages (hardcover). I could easily have read another 600 pages about Cormoran and Robin though. Unfortunately, I have to wait until September 2020 for the next installment.

Lethal White Syndrome is an autosomal (non-sex chromosome) genetic disorder found mostly in the American Paint Horse. The foals appear normal at birth and they are white, or nearly all white, with blue eyes. But they have a nonfunctioning colon and will die within days of birth. Since it's a painful death, the foals are often humanely euthanized. So, what does this explanation, and title of the book, have to do with this story? Well, I have spent some time thinking about it, and I'm not entirely sure. Certainly horses are prevalent in the story since the man who hires Cormoran, Jasper Chiswell, has a wife who owns nine horses; a significant painting in the story is of a mare and her dead foal; the skeleton of a dead pony is discovered; a young child is presumably strangled by "the horse" and buried in the dell. 

While I was pondering the meaning of the title, I also wondered about the quotes that prefaced each chapter of the entire book. They were all quotes attributed to "Henrik Ibsen, Rosmersholm". So, I googled it since it was not familiar to me. Rosmersholm is actually a play written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was published in 1886. It is described as "one of Ibsen's most complex, subtle, multilayered and ambiguous plays...." It's a story about an ex-parson, Rosmer, a man of high ethical standards, and his housekeeper, a "free spirit". They are haunted by Rosmer's wife who died of suicide, due to the housekeeper's "subtle influence". These two people "contaminate" each other and the play ends in a double suicide.

So....keeping all of this in mind, Jasper Chiswell, who hires Cormoran because he is being blackmailed, ends up dead by presumed suicide. Cormoran and Robin believe it's murder, but it takes time to figure out who had both motive and the ability to pull it off. In addition to the murder mystery, Robin & Matthew's marriage is falling apart (after only one year); a pregnant Charlotte enters Cormoran's life again; Cormoran is involved with an incredibly lovely (and patient) woman named Lorelei; and then finally there are the unmentioned feelings between Cormoran and Robin. Seriously good storytelling!

J.K. Rowling is incredibly creative and intelligent. She is also British, so I enjoy reading her British terms and slang that I have no idea what they mean. Ha! As long as she is writing novels, no matter what the genre, I will be reading them.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Exile by Shannon Messenger

This is the second book of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. We still don't know who Sophie Foster's parents are/were, but we find out that she was "made" by the Black Swan group, which is why she has so many different abilities. She is asked to go to Exile with Alden (by Alden) because Alden receives a message suggesting that he should take Sophie when he goes to Exile to talk to Fintan, the Pyrokinetic, who is suspected of creating the Everblaze in the first book and attempting to destroy the human race. (In book one, Sophie was able to bottle the Everblaze, one of her many talents - therefore saving the human race). Alden goes into Fintan's mind to attempt to discover his secrets and who is behind the rebellion. Sophie is there to bring Alden "back" so his mind doesn't break in the process of breaking Fintan. Unfortunately, no one knows that Sophie herself has "malfunctioned", so not only can she not prevent Alden's mind from being broken, but she also enters Prentice's mind (who is also in Exile since his mind was broken by Alden previously) and although she discovers a "pocket" or "nook" of positive thoughts in his mind, she is not able to save him either.

Sophie spends a lot of this book in pain actually. She gets blinding headaches, especially around light and she has a difficult time sleeping. She seems afraid to go to Elwin with her concerns however, not that Elwin would have known she was "malfunctioning" anyway. They are all just trying to figure out "Sophie", one event at a time, including Sophie herself. She discovers more of her abilities, like teleporting though. And she discovers that she was "made" to be able to restore broken minds like Prentice's. She also finds an alicorn, named Silveny, an extremely rare glittery winged horse, which she is able to bring back to Havenfield in an attempt to protect and prepare her to enter the Sanctuary, where the only other alicorn (a male) lives. For some reason, Silveny and Sophie are able to transmit their words and feelings to each other internally.

In the first book, Sophie spends a lot of time with her best friend, Dex, while pining after Fitz. In this book, she is still pining after Fitz, and her best friend is still Dex, but she spends a lot of time with Fitz's best friend, Keefe, and Keefe is her main support after her adventure to Exile. I am not sure why that is. Keefe seems to have "a thing" for Sophie; along with Dex and Fitz. So I am not sure which direction Sophie's personal life is heading. She is only 13 years old though, so plenty of time (and books) to figure that out.

I am really enjoying this series. Although they are longer books (like Harry Potter), they read fast for adults. The writing style in engaging and the story is easy to follow.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts

This is Book 3 of the Chronicles of The One. Since I read Book 1 in 2018 and Book 2 in 2019, after I finished this book, I went back and read what I blogged about Books 1 and 2. The main characters from Book 1 that I missed in Book 2 returned for the final "chapter" of this trilogy, which I liked. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time remembering who they all were at first. That's what happens when you have to wait for each book to be published before reading. This third book doesn't disappoint. Yes, there are good people who die, but freedom isn't free.

Fallon Swift teams up with the New Hope founders (her mother Lana & friends), her father (Simon), brothers (Travis, Colin & Ethan), her mentor (Mallick) and the love of her life and his twin sister (Duncan & Tonia) to fight against all that's evil in the United States. Their goal is not just to destroy evil, but to rescue all the persecuted who are being held as prisoners. Many of the prisoners are raped, tortured and experimented on. Their goal is a more peaceful country where all humans and magical people can live in harmony. This is an admirable goal, which is ultimately achieved at great cost. One thing that I don't really understand (or don't remember) is why Fallon, Duncan and Tonia are so powerful together. I get the significance of the number "three" in magic, but what connects these three specifically?

As I mentioned in the earlier books, it surprised me again that Allegra & Petra don't really appear in the novel until the very end. They may be the "ultimate evil", but Fallon ends up only having one battle with each of them. She spends the rest of her time drawing up battle plans for taking New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, etc. back from the enemy, which includes the self-elected President.

So in the end, good wins over evil and love conquers all. There is nothing wrong with ending a trilogy like that! I very much enjoyed it.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

This book is considered youth fiction, but I really enjoyed it myself. I love the idea of the Native American Circle Justice. It was a much more effective way for Cole to change his life than prison would have done. He probably would have come out of prison angrier and more violent than he already was.

Cole is a 15 year old who caused serious injury to a classmate, Peter, by beating him up and smashing his head repeatedly into the concrete sidewalk. Cole was pulled off his classmate by others. Cole had so much anger inside of him and the only way he dealt with his feelings was through physical aggression. Cole's father was beaten as a child, so he in turn beat his own son, Cole. Cole then took that lesson and beat up others whenever he felt angry.

Cole was given the choice of going to prison for his actions or participating in Circle Justice. Choosing Circle Justice would mean that Cole would be taken to a deserted island and dropped off to live by himself for one year. He would be given supplies and food, dropped off on a regular basis. Cole chose Circle Justice, thinking that he could escape his punishment once he was on the island.

What I love about this book is the multiple themes that are explored. Two significant ones are "Karma" (what you do to others, you do to yourself) and "Life is a Circle" (what goes around, comes around). These are important lessons for all pre-teens/teens. Who am I kidding. Adults too!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

This is Book 2 of the Artemis Fowl series. I still think this is a complex series for this age group (12-14). Sometimes it's hard to follow. The story jumps back and forth between humans Artemis & Butler; fairies Captain Holly Short & Commander Julius Root; the B'wa Kell goblins, who are being controlled by the traitor, the elf Cudgeon; Foaly, the centaur, who is being held captive by Cudgeon in the Inner Sanctum of the Koboi Labs; Opal Koboi, the pixie who loves Cudgeon but is expendable to him; the dwarf, Mulch, who faked his death in Book 1. And what does all of this have to do with Artemis rescuing his father from the Russian Mafiya in the Arctic Circle. Well, nothing.

Artemis asks Holly Short for help to rescue his father after he receives an email from a man that he believes is his father. His father had disappeared two years earlier. What's interesting is that almost the entire book is about Artemis & Holly (& Co) trying to find, and then fighting, the B'wa Kell - or really Cudgeon, who is trying to take over the world. Cudgeon sets up Foaly to be the "traitor". After this story line is wrapped up (Cudgeon caught; Foaly freed; goblins' memories erased), we finally get to Artemis rescuing his father.

Artemis' rescue attempt was clever (and risky), but it happens at the very end of the book. It's just not what I expected. I do like the developing relationship between Artemis & Holly. I like them better as partners than opponents. Since I am reading this series with my 12 year old son, I will continue reading. If I wasn't, I wouldn't pick up the next book. I am hoping I will get more invested as we read the next four books. (Fingers crossed)

Wendy's Rating: ***

The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins

This book falls into the "charming" category, so it's aptly named. Small town; quirky characters; predictable ending. The ending doesn't actually wrap everything up with a neat little bow, but it leads you to think that it is heading in that direction.

Grace Wheeler (10), a foster child filled with anger, and her sweet little sister Hannah (7), are taken in by Mrs. Giano (Mama G). Due to Grace's behavior at their previous foster homes, this is Grace's last chance before she is sent to a group home and separated from Hannah. Mama G's special talent of "knowing people" is demonstrated when she first meets the girls on her doorstep. She eyes Hannah with her arms crossed and then comments to her, "Lord, but  you are trouble, aren't you?" Of course this is confusing to Grace and their social worker since Hannah was always the "good girl". A foreshadowing of events to follow.

Years later, Grace is a successful professional in the finance business; Mama G has Alzheimer's/dementia; Hannah is dead; and Grace is leaving her career in Charlotte to move Mama G and Hannah's 8 year old daughter, Daisy, back to Mama G's home town of Dove Pond. The "book charmer" is Sarah Dove, the 7th daughter of the Dove family. She is the town librarian and books "talk" to her. She distributes books to people whenever she is told to by a particular book. The book that Sarah gives to Grace is Little Women.

Sarah believes that Grace will save the town, but Grace tells everyone that she only plans to stay for one year. So the challenge is set. In addition to the book charmer, there is the hunky next door neighbor who wants nothing to do with Grace and her family initially - and his dad's cat, who also has a significant role in the book. Like I said, it's charming and predictable. I enjoyed it.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Inside Out by Demi Moore

I have always loved Demi Moore movies, with A Few Good Men and Ghost being my favorites, but I didn't understand the whole Ashton Kutcher/Demi Moore thing. He just seemed so young for her. This book is truly an eye-opener that explains a lot. I love that she examines herself "inside out". Her childhood was challenging, to say the least. She had a complicated relationship with her mother; she didn't feel fully accepted by her "dad", especially after she discovers that he is not her birth father; she is never given the chance to develop relationships with others due to the number of times her family moved (escaping their creditors). It's fortunate that Demi was forced into rehab when filming St. Elmo's Fire. That was a turn of events that allowed her to have an incredibly successful movie career. More proof that sometimes it just takes one person with influence to turn someone's life around. Demi stayed clean and sober for 20 years after that. Unfortunately, while her binge drinking and cocaine use stopped, she turned to obsessive exercise and a eating disorder.

It's incredibly sad to me that someone so naturally beautiful and talented could have such low self-esteem. She can thank her parents for that. Demi's life is another example of how children will often go back to their parents, again and again, despite abuse and significant neglect. Children just always want to trust their parents, whether that's a smart thing to do or not. Demi's mother "sold her" for $500 to an older man for sex when she was 15. This scarred her for life. 

Her look into her three marriages was really interesting. Her marriage to Freddy Moore at 18 was short; she kept the name though! The way she described Bruce Willis, who she met when he was winning awards for Moonlighting (a show that I loved!) is totally convincing. I remember hearing an interview with him back then and he seemed so cocky and self-assured. It soured me a bit on him. Kudos to Demi for standing her own about continuing with her movie career. He wanted her to be a stay-at-home mom to support his career. In retrospect, she realizes that she was so independent and closed off from Bruce that it wasn't much of a marriage. I totally understand that, given her familial relationships. She only had herself to count on growing up. So then of course she did the opposite thing with Ashton. She opened herself up; made herself vulnerable. She traveled with Ashton and catered to him. He was her next obsession after she tired of the excessive exercising and calorie counting. Ashton's one-night stands just about killed her. Literally.

It took her three years after her near death experience and famous 911 call to repair her relationships with her daughters and Bruce. She has had a long, difficult journey to where she is today, both physically and emotionally. She is a survivor.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Lager Queen by J. Ryan Stradal

This story was certainly different than I was expecting. First of all, I was surprised that it took so long for Edith to reunite with Helen. I also thought that their reunion would be more "emotional". I had a really hard time with their passivity. It pretty much drove me nuts in fact! Edith's entire life was passive. Here these two sisters grow up together, only having each other after their parents die. Helen takes their inheritance for herself and her own goals. Edith does nothing. Helen becomes extremely wealthy and thinks about giving Edith her half of the original inheritance. But, Helen does nothing. Edith lives in poverty and allows Diana to steal their neighbors' property to sell online to keep Edith's car running so she can work her minimum wage jobs. (Ok, Edith obviously doesn't "allow" Diana to steal, but she is so passive, she is clueless about what Diana is doing.) I have a read a lot of "charming" books. I have even called them charming. On the jacket cover of this book it says, "In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved and delighted." Really? Not so much for me.

The character I was most impressed by was actually Diana. Her parents die unexpectedly and she has to go live with her grandmother Edith. Good old passive Edith. She is given a chance in a most unexpected way (the man she steals from gives her a job) and she runs with it. Diana is a hard worker, goal-oriented, relentless, loyal and when things don't go her way, she finds a different way. (Although I did get irritated with her when she was whining and complaining about being pregnant after trying so hard to get pregnant in the first place! She suffered how many miscarriages and when she was finally able to carry a baby full-term she complains about it?? I just don't get it.) Anyway, other than that, I was most impressed with Diana in the book. She even gives her Uncle Eugene a job after he FINALLY straightened up his act and started acting like a man instead of mooching off his passive mother.

I did like reading about the beer industry, being a craft beer lover myself. This story is more proof that you have to "roll with the times" in all industries. If you don't change your product over time, or diversify your product, your fortune will come tumbling down. And then Helen tries to "redeem" herself by giving Diana Edith's half of their inheritance. Too little too late Helen. And why give it to Diana? Edith is the one you cheated. Nope. Not charming.

Wendy's Rating: *** 

As Long As We Both Shall Live by Joann Chaney

This book flows along the same vein as Gone Girl. Some couples simply deserve each other, until death do them part. The couple in this book is Matt & Marie Evans. They have been married for 20+ years and have two daughters that are in college. They seem much more obsessed with each other however than their daughters. Neither one seems to have a relationship with their children - and their daughters seem to have moved on with their lives without much thought to their parents. I think this is odd, even after we get an inside glimpse of what their lives were like growing up. Their parents had shockingly disturbing "banter" between the two of them at the dinner table. "Family time". Ha! I think if there is a sequel to this story, it should be about the daughters because there is no way they could be well adjusted young adults. No way.

So, Marie "falls" off a cliff in a deserted area of Rocky Mountain National Park, presumably falling into the fast flowing Three Forks River to her death. Matt is brought in for questioning since they suspect that Matt murdered Marie by pushing her off the cliff. The police also discover that Matt's first wife died under suspicious circumstances over 20 years earlier. This is the foundation of the story. Imagine that the story builds like a roller coaster cart making it's way slowly up to the peak of the biggest drop - and then we are on our way: dropping and turning and twisting as the rest of the story unfolds. 

As a side story, one of the detectives assigned to the investigation, Loren, is being re-investigated for the past murder of his former partner - and potentially the former partner's wife and baby who disappeared at the time of the murder. Loren is a crude, ugly man, but is partnered up with the new detective in the department, a woman named Spengler. It's an odd partnership, but it works. They each bring something key to the table as they try to unravel what's going on with the Evans.

It's an entertaining read and the end is as it should be. Or is it?

Wendy's Rating: ****

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

It's been awhile since I have read historical fiction. Now I remember why I love it so much! This is an intensely readable story about the life of Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. This book provoked some strong feelings for me: admiration for Eliza for her strength, intelligence and loyalty; disgust for Aaron Burr; a strong distaste for Thomas Jefferson; intense disappointment in James Monroe; gratitude for George Washington & James Madison; and, deservedly, mixed feelings for Alexander Hamilton.

Now of course this was written from Eliza & Alexander's point of view as Federalists - and Jefferson and his "lackeys" were Republican - so obviously there were very strong, opposing feelings between the two parties. This book is also an excellent reminder that our nation's founders certainly had their issues, not unlike what our current political parties demonstrate on a daily basis. One positive difference today is that the opposing parties don't call each other out for duels of honor. 

There were three "comments" I flagged as I was reading. It's so like present day that it reminds me that things really don't ever change!!
1) In 1784, James Monroe commented, "We never accomplish anything in Congress. We couldn't pass Mr. Jefferson's Land Ordinance for admitting new states to the Union, because it bans slavery after the year 1800. We couldn't pass Mr. Jefferson's proposal to make the dollar a national currency. We can't agree on a site for our nation's capital - or even if we are a nation, or a collection of states." This sounds like every Board or Leadership meeting that I have ever been involved with!!
2) In 1799, Eliza ruminated how "....our political parties seemed often now on the verge of civil war; just last year, two congressmen had come to blows with cane and fire-iron tongs on the floor of the House of Representatives." Ha! Now they just fight each other on social media!
3) In 1801, after the Presidential election, Eliza commented, "For Jefferson was the president. And there was nothing to do but survive the outcome." and "I could only hope his gamble paid off - especially since Martha Washington called Jefferson's election 'the greatest misfortune our nation has ever experienced.' Oh, if she only knew what was in store for our nation in the future!

My heart broke for Eliza again and again for her losses and the betrayals she suffered. She outlived them all though! She lived to the age of 97, dying 50 years after Alexander! Her strength despite her numerous hardships was impressive. And while she suffered herself, she helped those around her in even more need.

I really loved this book!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Psychological thrillers are some of my favorite reads. The more books I read like this, the more I think I know what's really going on. I am pleasantly surprised whenever the story reveals something I wasn't expecting. I guess that's what makes them "thrillers". Ha! 

The main characters in this story are Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, and his patient, Alicia Berenson, an accomplished artist who was married to an accomplished photographer (Gabriel), before he was brutally murdered. As the story unfolds, the reader gets a glimpse into the childhoods of each of the main characters. There is significant abuse, accidental deaths, suicides, mental illnesses. Theo comments that the reason why he decided to become a psychotherapist is so that he can begin to understand his own issues.

Theo is intrigued by Alicia's loss of speech since her husband's murder. She is charged with his murder, but declared incompetent to stand trial and ends up in a locked psych ward. Theo finds a way to get a job at the facility where Alicia is living, and finagles his way into becoming her therapist.

Alicia doesn't speak a word, but we get to hear her voice - and about her life leading up to the murder - through her journal entries. Through her journal entries, we get some insight into other significant people in her life, that appear to have a negative impact on her life: Jean-Felix, who owns the gallery that shows Alicia's paintings; Paul, her cousin who comes to Alicia for money when he can't pay his substantial gambling debts; and Max, Gabriel's less than attractive brother who has strong feelings for Alicia himself. Before the murder, Alicia is absolutely convinced that she is being followed by a man - who also watches her house. No one believes this though, except Alicia.

So, there are twists and turns in the story as it moves toward the final revelation, which I am not going to reveal here. I will say that it's well worth the read!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Educated by Tara Westover

The strength and perseverance of some people continually amazes me. I work in a field where on a daily basis I see people struggle with their histories; their deeply dysfunctional families; physical, emotional, sexual abuse; their mental health; low self-esteem and paralyzing self-doubt. I read memoirs like this one and I am astounded by the dedication and sustained effort it takes to escape an abusive family. Not only did Tara Westover escape it, she thrived. How parents like hers could produce both mentally ill, abusive children and incredibly intelligent children who have the strength to escape their abusive families is of great interest to me. Of course it was also so frustrating how long it took for Tara to actually separate herself from her abusive family. No matter how old a "child" is, they want to be loved and accepted by their parents and siblings. Tara had a really difficult time disconnecting from the dysfunction. That was painful reading.

Tara could have easily fallen into the habits of her parents. Her father was controlling and abusive; her mother was eccentric. What's interesting is that her mother's eccentricities brought them fame and wealth. Tara's mother was incapable of protecting her children from the abuse they suffered from their father (mostly emotional abuse which resulted in physical harm) due to her unwavering support of her husband, and yet she was intelligent in her own right. There is a fine line between genius and mental illness. Many geniuses would be diagnosed with a mental illness (if they cared about being diagnosed!), so it's not surprising that Tara's parents had children who were mentally ill and some who were intelligent enough to separate themselves from it.

This wasn't always an easy read - due to my internal screaming at Tara to STOP going back to her family home and her abusive father and brother - but it was also a powerful read. There ARE people who can break the cycle of abuse.

Wendy's Rating: *****

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

I really enjoy reading British mysteries. This one is set in the 1800's (the Victorian era). Charles Lenox is independently wealthy, even though he is the younger brother and doesn't inherit his father's estate. He is very close to his older brother however, so there are no resentments about that. It would be difficult to not like his brother, Edmund. Charles, at age 40, discovers things about his brother in this book that he didn't even realize because Edmund is so modest about his influence and talents. All in all, a good solid family.

Then there is Lady Jane, who is a young widow. Lady Jane grew up with Charles and Edmund and now Lady Jane and Charles live next door to each other in London. They see each other nearly every day. They obviously have feelings for each other, but they spend too much time being "proper" to act on it. This is the first book of the series however, so I have to think that changes over time. ;) Another key character is Thomas, the brilliant doctor married to the beautiful Toto. Thomas has unfortunately succumbed to drink, but he is Charles' best friend and assists Charles in his sleuthing. I am hoping that Thomas can kick his drinking habit in future books, because I really like him!

Lady Jane's former servant, Prudence, is found dead and she asks Charles, the gentleman sleuth, to look into it. It's an apparent suicide that Charles quickly determines is murder. Charles' approach to investigation is "charming". He loves to sit by the fire with his tea while thinking about the murder. He trudges through London in boots that are inappropriate for the weather. He interviews his suspects either in high-end gentlemen clubs, of which he is a member of a dozen (easily) or in the scariest, poorest parts of London. He gets beaten up in an alley; gets thrown off by erroneous information; suspects the wrong person; suspects the wrong motive; but in the end, Charles outsmarts Inspector Exeter and solves the mystery - for which Inspector Exeter takes credit for.

This is a charming British murder mystery. What's not to like?!

Wendy's Rating: ****