The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

This is the true story of Stephane Breitwieser and Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus who stole over 300 pieces of art from museums and churches (mostly museums) all over Europe in the late 1990s - early 2000s. They stole for the beauty of the art, not because they wanted to try to sell it for money. They actually had very little money, living with Stephane's mother and living off the wages earned by Anne-Catherine and money given to Stephane by his mother and grandparents. This is a unique story for so many reasons. First of all, Stephane's theft of art was definitely a compulsion. Once he locked in on a piece of art, he would take any risk to get it. Secondly, Anne-Catherine was a willing participant in these thefts, usually being the "look out" for Stephane as he was figuring out how to get the art out of its box, frame, etc. Thirdly, Stephane's mother most definitely turned a blind eye to what he was doing. He and Anne-Catherine hauled these 300+ works of art into HER home and upstairs to their bedroom and the attic. She never said anything about it.

Although I personally am not over interested in art - or art museums - I still enjoyed reading how Stephane managed to take each of these pieces without being caught. There are so many small museums all over Europe that it was so easy for them to travel around taking items since these small museums don't have the money for security measures, including guards. Plus, art displayed in museums are for people to come in and enjoy looking at. Art is "for the people." Stephane didn't take the most valuable or famous pieces of art; he took what caught his interest. He loved things made out of silver or ivory, and oil-based paintings.

Eventually Stephane's compulsion got the best of him and he was caught. It also took the different counties involved to join forces to zero in on "the couple" seen in museums before things went missing. Years in fact. Once they figured it out, and arrested Stephane, he spent some time in prison while they put a case together. Anne-Catherine and Stephane's mother were also charged. The reactions of these three people, as well as Stephane's father who decided to re-enter Stephane's life at this point, was interesting and curious. Can you say deeply dysfunctional people? Anne-Catherine decided that silence was the best action; Stephane's mother went with denial and destruction; Stephane's father decided that his son was a bit too much for him after all; Stephane was simply a thief. An interesting character-study read.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin

The main character of this book, Joseph, reminded me of a hardened Forrest Gump. Everything he touched turned to gold, even though his life was hard. Just like Forrest, he wasn't trying to make money, it just happened. Again and again and again. Also, both Joseph and Forrest traveled extensively in an attempt to flee from their emotional pain. They both were significantly impacted by serving in a war. Finally, they both truly loved one girl from their childhood. Even though both stories included hardship and pain, they ultimately give off a "feel good vibe."

Charles Martin has a easy writing style that is engaging and entertaining. He throws a couple of curveballs at the reader, but he also leaves some hints that all is not what it seems. There was one event that I was genuinely surprised about, but other than that, I could see what was coming based on Joseph's thoughts. As for the story itself, Joseph is in his 60's and has isolated himself from the rest of the world. He lives in a cabin in the woods. He has a dog, Roscoe, that runs free, but always returns to Joseph. He is wealthy, but you wouldn't know it by his lifestyle. One night he hears someone yelling/crying/distraught. He and Roscoe check it out and find a young girl in the water while her mother and brother are standing on the ridge above in helplessness. Joseph saves the girl and brings them all back to his cabin. He finds out they are running from a Mexican drug lord they have been living with the last five years. Joseph quickly takes care of him. Then he makes the decision to help this family get to her brother's home in Florida.

Meanwhile, Joseph's childhood love, Allie, has just found out that her husband, Jake, who is an over-the-road trucker (who spends months away from her during the year) has just died in a fiery single vehicle (semi-truck) crash while coming home to her. She is distraught. Life is not going well for her. She lost her family's restaurant (due to debt) and now her husband. She has nothing left, from her perspective.

Wouldn't you know, Joseph happens to drive past Jake's accident - and he knows it was Allie's husband, even though he hadn't seem Allie in many, many years. He seeks Allie out and finds out her restaurant is closed. Joseph and Allie also re-connect with Bobby, Joseph's brother and Allie's first husband. Old home week.

While I enjoyed this book, it was a little too "pat" for me. Each character goes through adversity, pain and suffering, but you just know that it's all going to turn out fine. Secrets are revealed; love is rekindled; families are reunited; people are finally unburdened by their past and can be happy.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

This is certainly a cautionary tale. So many people put themselves and their families, including children, out there in our social media world, and many of them seem authentic. But that doesn't mean what they are presenting is authentic. I believe that people get so wrapped up in making "content" that they lose who they are and what is important in the real world. They try to hang on to a certain persona, and it's this persona that makes them successful financially. It's like going down a rabbit hole however.

Natalie Heller Mills presents herself as a tradwife to the world. Her family lives on a farm with chickens, dairy cows and horses. She bakes her own bread and follows a traditional role of a 1950s housewife. Her social media presence hits it big when one person (a male) mentions her in one of his own videos as someone who is doing everything right in this crazy world we live in. She gets thousands of followers immediately after this - which ultimately generates a nice monthly income for her and her growing family. The problem with this is that her and her husband are not living the life they present. They have help on the farm, two nannies to take care of their children (thankfully!), and eventually a producer to help Natalie with filming her content. Their marriage is deeply unhappy; Natalie doesn't even seem to like the children; and her husband, Caleb, is certainly opposed to work! But, to keep up appearances, they keep having children (and not necessarily in the way most married people do!) and they are funded for years by Caleb's wealthy (and politically-focused) father.

One day Natalie finds herself living on the same farm but without all the hidden luxury items, different children, and a not-gentle Caleb. She doesn't know why she is there and wonders if she if being filmed (think The Truman Show). She keeps wanting to go home. Her oldest child, Mary, who is only 10 or so, takes care of her, the younger children, and the house. It's crazy. The reader doesn't really know what's going on either - and I won't spoil it here. It's certainly an interesting and unique twist though!

Natalie is not a likeable woman. From beginning to end, she is not a nice person. We know this to be true because we can "hear" what she is actually thinking - and not just what she is saying out loud to others. Even though I didn't like Natalie, I thought the book was really well-written and the plot twist is clever.

Wendy's Rating: ****

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

I really loved this story. It's the author's debut novel. It's fast-paced, mysterious, troubling, and heartwarming. The key element that ties this story together is the best-friends relationship between Benny and Joy. They have never been romantically involved, but they love each other deeply. Benny suggests that they do a podcast together called This Story Might Save Your Life. They talk about a different survival story each week, but it's not scripted. They talk off-the-cuff and they are funny and weird and charming. The podcast is highly successful and they become well-known public figures. Everyone loves them.

Because Benny and Joy are simply friends, they each marry someone else. Benny marries Luna, an attorney. Joy marries Xander, who manages Benny and Joy's "business": their episode filming, touring schedule, advertising, etc. Eventually, Xander hires his sister, Mallory, to help with the work load. Xander also manages Joy's illness. Joy has severe narcolepsy. He is kind, supportive, caring, and really caters to her every need. He organizes her medications and makes sure she takes them, is accommodating when she needs to rest, and protects her from a stalker who calls themself Joy's "Number One Fan".

Unfortunately, some significant stressors enter their lives. One of the products they support on their podcast ends up being toxic and sends people to the hospital; Joy gets pregnant, which is tricky because of her narcolepsy; Benny & Luna's marriage starts to crumble; Joy's stalker ramps up the number of pictures of Joy (some very private) that they post on social media; and there is growing friction between Benny and Xander. Then things get worse!

One morning Benny shows up to film a podcast episode and Joy & Xander are gone. There is no sign of either one of them, but there is a broken window. The police are called. Benny ends up calling Luna because even though they are divorced, she is an attorney. Benny's sister, Sarah arrives to support Benny. Mallory is joined by her wife, Quinn. Benny is arrested for murder. It's a wild ride! I honestly had no idea where is was all going to end. As much as I loved this book, I struggled a bit with a small section of the ending. That's why I have to knock down my rating by 1/2 star. Maybe other readers won't be bothered by it at all though.

Wendy's Rating: ****1/2

The Crossing by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #18. Harry was finally pushed out of the LAPD. It was only a matter of time. Retirement doesn't really set well with him however, especially since his daughter will be leaving for college soon. He is also single again. So, too much time on his hands. When Harry's half-brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller (the Lincoln Lawyer) contacts him and asks for a meeting, Harry goes but immediately shuts down Mickey's suggestion that Harry work as his investigator on a case. Harry wants nothing to do with the "defense" side of a court case. His entire career has been gathering evidence to put the guilty behind bars. He sees working for the defense as a betrayal of who he is and what he stands for. Mickey tries to convince Harry that his client is actually innocent of the crime, and that he needs Harry's help to find out what actually happened. Eventually, this gets Harry on board (begrudgingly).

What I love about these books is the way the stories unfold. In this case, Harry has no idea what is happening "behind the scenes" of this particular event (the brutal murder of a woman in her bed) - and has no idea that it's connected to a few other events, which seem random. I love how Harry processes information and takes one step at a time to try to find an answer to any question he has, or an explanation for his gut feelings about a person or situation. He may not want to work for the defense, but he certainly wants to discover the truth.

Harry is waiting for his renewed PI license and I am excited for him to be working on his own - without the constraints of the police department! Even I am tired of the politics tied to working for the LAPD. Ha! Time for Harry to cut his ties. One person I really like though is his last partner, Lucy Soto. She is already taking risks when it comes to her actions to help Harry, but I really like her for it! I think they make a great team. I hope she continues to be a presence in his life.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I love books and movies about ice skating - and I watched every minute of the ice skating events in the Winter Olympics earlier this year. I had a difficult time adjusting to what I thought the book was going to be like vs what it actually was. The blurb on the inside cover made it seem like the story was about a young couple, with tragic childhoods, coming together to take the ice dancing world by storm with their best-friend relationship, unique style, and passion for skating (and each other) propelling them to the Olympics. Not exactly. I wish it had been that.

First of all, most of the relationships in the book were toxic on some level, especially the two main characters, Katarina & Heath. Katarina is consumed by winning at any cost. She doesn't really seem to care about who she hurts along the way. It doesn't even seem like Heath wants to skate. He is only skating because he loves (and is highly dependent on) Katarina. So how do these two make it to the Olympics?? Well, it's a long, hard story, that's for sure. I don't mind reading about a few bumps along the road to success, or relationship issues because of decisions made by one or both people, but most of the people in this book were untrustworthy at best, and icky at worst. I get that these competitive athletes/coaches/trainers have to be self-absorbed to make it to the top. But the entire story hopped from one toxic environment to another; one toxic person to another; one accident and/or distraction to another. The negative energy was never-ending! I kept waiting for something - anything - positive to happen!

I was expecting something "tragic" to tear Katarina & Heath apart - or deeply affect their relationship - but honestly, their entire relationship was unhealthy. They were selfish, needy, demanding, controlling, and sometimes downright cruel to each other. This was more of a Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding story (cruel actions to take a competitor down), when I was expecting a story about two broken people coming together because they both loved skating and each other more than anything. If you can look beyond the toxicity - or enjoy reading about that kind of thing - the writing style is engaging. I kept reading to see how it would all turn out, so I was invested in the story. 

Wendy's Rating: ***1/2

A World of Hurt by Mindy Mejia

This book picks up where the first one, To Catch A Storm, left off. Max Summerlin brought down the majority of a drug trafficking ring, but not everyone involved. They have the drugs, but not the money. They don't know who paid the money for the drugs either. What they do know is that the buyer didn't get his product. When the DEA asks Max to join the task force to finish the job, Max is ready to go. When he agrees, he doesn't realize that his job will be to keep an eye on Kara Johnson, the girlfriend of his best friend's (Jonah's) deceased niece. Kara worked for Sam, the "drug lord". When Kara met Celina (Jonah's niece) and fell in love with her, Celina convinced her to make a positive change in her life by going undercover to help take Sam and his drug operation down. Sam ended up murdering Celina.

Max deals with chronic pain (from being shot twice) and an unhappy wife. Kara is still grieving Celina's loss, chronic guilt, and the inability to feel physical pain. They are quite the duo. Their partnership initially doesn't go that well. Kara is always running off and doing her thing. They don't trust each other. Actually, Kara doesn't trust anyone. While working with the DEA task force, Kara lives with Phyllis, who used to run the thrift store (and money-laundering operation) for Sam. When Phyllis retired from the job, Kara had taken over. (By-the-way, Kara only agrees to work with the task force because the other option was to be sent to prison.) Phyllis is pretty much a crabby old woman with a poisonous garden, but she lets Kara rent a room.

There is a lot of action that involves a lot of different people. Sometimes it's difficult to keep everyone straight. There are still people connected to Sam running around; there is the DEA team; there is the police department. Everyone seems to have their own agenda. Max and Kara keep getting injured. Kara goes to her "private doctor" whenever she needs advance medical care (like to set a broken leg). This doctor is a veterinarian who lives out in the boondocks. She is not very personable, but Kara is taken with her. The feeling is mutual.

Eventually, it seems like all parties have the same goal: follow the money. They do not necessarily work together on it though. This means more threats and more deaths, but still, no one knows who the original buyer of the drugs was. They find out in the end though! I won't spoil it here. ;)

One thing I really loved is that since this was set in 2020, the author incorporated the Covid-19 pandemic - and all that it entailed - into the story. This is as is should be. I recently read another book set in 2020 and the pandemic wasn't even mentioned. It bothered me the entire time! Something as huge as a worldwide pandemic should always be included if you are going to write a story set in 2020-2021.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Burning Room by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #17. Harry has a new partner. Her name is Lucia Soto and she is a 28-year old Mexican American who speaks Spanish and English. She has been on the police force for under five years, but the department decided to make some changes in assigning partners by putting together an experienced detective with a newbie. So Harry was assigned to Lucia "Lucy" Soto. She is my favorite partner of Harry's by far! She is intelligent and works as hard as Harry does. Finally, Harry doesn't have to do everything to keep the momentum going on their assigned cases. Harry is still working in the Open-Unsolved Unit. He only has one year left on his DROP contract, so his time is running out. His daughter, Maddie, is now 17 years old.

Harry and Lucy are assigned a unique case because the cold-case victim just died, ten years after the original event. Orlando Merced was a member of a mariachi band that was waiting for a job in a plaza when a seemingly random gunshot from across the plaza hit him, permanently paralyzing him. The bullet was still lodged near his spine at his death because it could not be surgically removed at the time of the shooting. Now that Merced was dead, the bullet could be removed. It was Harry's job to determine who the shooter was, hopefully by tracking down the gun used, now that they had access to the bullet.

As with everything that Harry has his hands in, nothing is as simply as it seems and everything is attached to a political figure. In addition to this, Lucy is investigating a unsolved case on the side (very Harry-like), which Harry discovers by accident. He agrees to help her. This case involves a fire that was set in the unlicensed daycare that Lucy had attended as a young child. Lucy survived the fire, but her friends and caregivers at the daycare did not. It was never determined how the fire started - or who may have started it. Harry figures out a way to get access to the case notes of the daycare fire by linking it to their current case. Only Harry.

Harry does what he needs to do to solve both cases, but he puts his job (and by association, Lucy's job) at risk. This book ends differently than I expected for sure! I am wondering what's next for Harry Bosch. The author usually jumps a number of years between books and with Harry only having one year left on his contract, I am anxious to see what's in store for Harry in the next book.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

This is book three of the Shatter Me trilogy. I absolutely loved it. Juliette has just been shot by Anderson, saved by Warner, and brought back to base by Warner. No one knows she is alive. Warner tells her that everyone from Omega Point is dead. They lost the battle and Anderson destroyed Omega Point. Obviously, Juliette is devastated. She wants Warner to show her so she can see it for herself. He agrees to take her to Omega Point after making a plan.

It wouldn't be much of a book if everyone associated with Omega Point had actually died of course. The main characters are still living and Juliette runs into Kenji when she's at Omega Point. Kenji's special power (being invisible) is incredibly helpful throughout these three books, by-the-way! Anyway, the survivors of Omega Point have re-assembled themselves back at Adam & James' initial home. Needless to say, it does NOT go over well when Juliette & Warner visit the old gang. We definitely see a different side to Adam. Adam detests Warner and shows his spitefulness with every word and every action. He is quite difficult to like - and it gets easier and easier to intensely dislike!

Because of his love for Juliette, Warner is willing to provide shelter for the survivors at his own base (so they have shelter and food), but this suggestion isn't well-received initially. It takes a lot of persuasion by Juliette (and honestly Kenji) for most of the survivors to agree to move to base, leaving behind Adam & James. My fondness for Kenji has grown exponentially since the beginning of this trilogy. He becomes Juliette's best friend and it's his loyalty to her that helps Juliette present Warner to the group as someone different than they all believed him to be. Everyone needs a best friend like that.

This is finally the part of the story when Juliette steps up to be the person she needs to be in order to take down The Reestablishment. She is the only one who can truly lead them to victory and take down Anderson. Warner gets her to understand that she needs to be strong physically as well and he starts training her in other ways. She has a lot better understanding of her own powers, as well as Adam's and Warner's - still the only two people that can touch her bare skin.

This story has an incredibly satisfying ending. The book is fast-paced and I read it in one day. There was no way I was putting it down!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

This is book two of the Shatter Me trilogy. It took me a minute to get back into the story since it had been a few months since I read Shatter Me. Once I familiarized myself with Juliette, Adam, and Kenji however, I was so engaged with the story that I read the entire book that day.

Juliette is living at Omega Point with the rest of the underground members who are fighting against The Reestablishment. This underground movement is led by Castle. Most of the people living there have special powers. Some, like Adam and Juliette, are still researching their powers to understand them better. Juliette is living with two healers, Sonya and Sara, but she hasn't made an effort to get to know them or anyone else living at Omega Point. She hasn't adapted to her new environment because she hasn't even tried to. She is still wrapped up in Adam, who can still touch her but seems to be hiding something from Juliette that he doesn't want to talk to her about.

Meanwhile, Juliette really starts to understand Kenji's role at Omega Point. He is one of the key people running Omega Point - and he is very close to Castle. Juliette's childishness (because after awhile, that's what it boils down to!) keeps pulling him away from his own responsibilities. When Kenji finally puts her in her place (a "come to Jesus" talk that was long overdue), I was incredibly satisfied. Once Juliette starts putting some effort into her training, she's allowed to leave Omega Point to help steal supplies with some other trusted members of the underground. She happens to see Warner and catches him doing something incredibly kind. This throws her for a loop.

Things get really interesting (and fast-paced) when Juliette meets Warner's father (Anderson) and ends up shooting him. Kenji makes the decision to take Warner hostage and they bring him back to Omega Point. Adam reveals something deeply personal about himself, which adds another element to everything happening. On top of all that, Juliette's relationship with Adam is strained (to say the least) and her relationship with Warner continues to develop. 

Castle makes the decision to engage in a battle against The Reestablishment (Anderson and his Army) even though Warner has told Juliette that it's a bad idea and they will lose. They do it anyways and Juliette ends up getting shot. I really loved this installment of this series.

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Black Box by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #16. Harry is still working for the Open-Unsolved Unit and he still has the same partner as the last book, David Chu. Surprise! He is even seeing the same woman, Hannah, which is even a bigger surprise! Of course he has a new boss, Lieutenant O'Toole, who doesn't like Harry. No surprise there. Harry always seems to get on the bad side of the powers that be. Harry is working on the 20-year old unsolved murder case of a journalist and photographer, Anneke Jespersen, who was found shot to death in an alley during the 1992 riots in South Central California.

Anneke was a freelance Danish journalist from Copenhagen with no assigned newspaper office, so no one seemed to know what she was doing in California. Her brother thought she was following a story in the United States, but wasn't sure what it was. Harry eventually finds out that she was searching for some "war criminals". Harry finds the gun that was used to kill her but O'Toole wants Harry to move on to another case and as soon as Harry refuses, his job is in jeopardy (again). Harry is always racing against the clock.

Harry always seems to find a trail to follow - and always seems to find someone to help him get whatever information he needs to continue along the trail, which is what makes these books so entertaining. You have to admire a man who never gives up; who always speaks for the dead. 

Harry continues to grow as a partner (work and personal), a father, and really as an individual. It's refreshing that he is starting to have some self-awareness that his words and his actions affect other people in his life. I think Harry is finally growing up! As most stories in this series, the leads Harry follows move him forward in unexpected directions. Harry eventually finds the "black box" (think of the black box on an airplane) that exposes the truth about Anneke's murder.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

This book is considered Teen Fiction, but I think it was beautifully written and an engaging read for adults. First of all, adult women would have a deeper understanding of the story's message than a teenager would. I would guess that most adult women have had personal experiences of living in a male-dominated family/friend-group/work-team/community. I certainly have my share of experiences - along with the guilt I felt when trying to make choices about my own life. Trying to live my life with more autonomy.

Ultimately, this story is about women being held captive in a male-dominated society. The Grace Year refers to the year that a girl turns 16 years old. Each year, all girls who are 16 years old are taken on a two day journey into the woods and left in an encampment to fend for themselves for one year. They are considered "prey" to the poachers that roam the woods trying to capture them and skin them for their "hides" and body parts. The poachers turn in their victims for money, which in turn allows them to care for their families for another year. The poachers believe that the girls will curse them (which will result in the death of their families) if they are not killed, so they believe they are saving their own families. The girls are told they have to release their "magic" during this year so they can return to their community (and some, their new husbands) at the end of the year as purified women, free from their magic. If they don't return alive - or their body isn't returned - then a younger sister of the missing girl is sent to live in the outskirts of the community. Eventually these young girls will work as prostitutes.

Tierney James, preparing for her Grace Year, is already rejecting her role in the community. She never wants to be a wife. When/if she returns from her Grace Year, she plans to work hard labor in the fields rather than be someone's wife. Unfortunately, that option is taken from her when she is given a veil at the veiling ceremony before the girls (33 this Grace Year) are sent into the woods. It's very unexpected since she's not considered "wife material". It's her best childhood friend, Michael, who surprisingly gives her the veil. Tierney is very angry with him, since he knows how desperately she wants to be "free".

The girls in the encampment are their own worst enemy. It's frightening how they turn on each other. This story is frightening, fast-paced, engaging, mysterious, and full of both horror and hope. Yes, the ending is a bit ambiguous, but either way you interpret what happens, Tierney is the spearhead of the revolution, much like Katniss in the Hunger Games. I really loved it!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

Apparently this author has written 8 books, but this is the first I have read of hers. I have to say that I am impressed. This is a well-crafted story that had me second-guessing my first impressions of each character. There are a few different narrators (Camille, Aubrey, Hank, and Ben) and each of them has a story to tell from their perspective. We just never really know the life that someone else is living. I would be sympathetic to one person, and then suddenly understand why that one person felt the way they did because they didn't realize why the other person(s) made the decision(s) they did. People that I was suspicious of ended up being people that were trustworthy. This was written in a natural style that was completely believable - and not in a "gotcha" kind of way. We are each a product of our environment and the decisions we make, and the decisions we make are tied to our history and the decisions made by others.

Camille and Ben are married, but don't have any children. They are wealthy, thanks to Ben's law practice, and honestly, Camille's wealthy parents. It takes money to make money and all that. Camille resents how much time Ben spends working and Ben resents how much money Camille spends. Neither seems to trust the other. Ben tracks Camille's every move. Camille suspects that Ben is having an affair. Camille can't divorce Ben because of an iron-clad prenup, unless she can prove that he is having an affair - or has done something that is illegal.

Aubrey works at a bar and is wanting to reopen an investigation into what really happened the night her parents were tragically killed in a hit-and-run car accident that happened 10 years earlier. The man that was charged with driving the vehicle that night (Paul) has been writing Aubrey from prison, telling her that he is innocent, and wanting her to visit him in prison in light of some proof of his innocence that he recently became aware of. Aubrey lives with four other people, all who operate on a thin line between legal and illegal.

Hank is Ben's partner in his law firm. Hank is incredibly loyal to Ben and Camille. When Ben is found murdered in his home by Camille, he steps in immediately to protect Camille. Each person shares some truth with different people, but no one knows that full truth about anything. Each person makes decisions on what they know, but wondering about what they don't know. Like I said before, it's a well-crafted plot. It was a great read.

Wendy's Rating: *****

A Good Animal by Sara Mauer

In general, I love coming-of-age stories. This book was no exception, especially because I really loved the main character, 17-year old Everett Lindt. Everett lives with his parents, his younger brother, Jay (12) and his younger sister, Katie (7). They live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan outside Sault Ste. Marie. Everett's family lives on a sheep farm, where the Lindts have lived for generations. They breed "show lambs". They have 60 ewes and one ram and generally end up with roughly 60 surviving lambs each season. They sell the show lambs to other people (to show) and keep some for themselves to show. Everett trains his lamb to stand correctly and feeds it quality food to fatten it up, with the intention of winning the grand champion heavyweight plaque. If your sheep is chosen as grand champion, it will bring the best price (because it has the best cuts of meat). Having a Lindt lamb chosen as grand champion, or even reserve champion (2nd place), is good for the Lindt family and their reputation for sheep breeding as well. Unfortunately, the sheep show doesn't result in a win for Everett. His sheep actually wins 3rd place (which means nothing to him & his dad). The grand champion and reserve champion are two lambs owned by sisters, whose family decided to buy their lambs from a different state instead of from the Lindts. Their lambs are "leaner", meaning they will provide leaner cuts of meat. Everett tries to convince his dad that times are changing and that people want to buy leaner meat, not fatter meat (which presumably has more flavor). They have a stand-off about it and Everett decides he needs to buy his own ram and start breeding his own lambs.

Meanwhile, Everett falls for the new girl in town, Mary, who initially turns him down for even a date. Everett's best friend is Charlie and they have been best friends since they were 5 years old. Charlie's family owns a hog farm. Everett and Charlie do everything together. They fish, they work, they go to school together. This is the summer of change however. Charlie gets a girlfriend, which impacts his relationship with Everett. Everett learns some hard lessons about buying and owning his own sheep. He struggles with feelings he has (insecurities) about his own value in his family. (His parents got married young because they got pregnant with him. His dad makes comments like, "Don't make the same mistakes I did", which results in Everett feeling like a "mistake".) He struggles with supporting his little sister as she learns that the lamb she bottle-fed, raised and loves will be sold for slaughter. He does end up in a relationship with Mary and has to learn how to navigate the complexities of loving a girl who can't wait to leave Sault Ste. Marie while his future is sheep farming, which is deeply embedded in his soul.

Everett makes mistakes, learns to stand up for himself, loves deeply, and always tries to do the right thing, even if it's not what he wants. He warmed my heart.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

I don't often quote the Bible, but this story brings to mind the following verse: 1 Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (King James Version) This is a story of two people who make one decision after another that leads to their ultimate destruction. In the first few pages of the book, we find out that the narrator, Erin, is burying her husband Mark, shortly after their married life has begun, so I'm not spoiling anything there. After this curious introduction, Erin reverts to the "beginning" of the story - or three months previously (two months before their marriage.)

Erin is a documentary filmmaker and Mark is an investment banker. Mark proposed marriage, and Erin accepted, after they had been together a number of years already. Erin comments that she was surprised when Mark proposed because she hadn't really been thinking about marriage, although she loved him more than anything and they both wanted children. This was curious to me. Some of the things that Erin thinks about, or considers doing, in this book made me wonder if she truly loved Mark or simply liked the idea of loving Mark. Anyway, Mark loses his job suddenly (with no severance package) and this sends him into a tailspin. Their extravagant wedding plans need to be curtailed. Erin is upset initially, but she concedes after they have a talk and Mark explains how much pressure he feels being the "breadwinner" while she does her filmmaking. He is actually quite mean to Erin in this conversation, which is shocking, but she just "accepts it". Oh, and Mark chops off a week of their honeymoon without even talking to her about it! Erin again talks herself out of being upset about this.

When they find "something in the water" on their honeymoon (I won't reveal what it is here), they work together to decide what to do about it. At this point, they really do seem to be a solid couple who genuinely love each other. They are excited to start trying to have a baby and Erin has already gone off the pill. They share a strong intimacy. They enjoy each other's company. But then Erin starts making decisions on her own - and Mark isn't crazy about her impulsiveness. But they always seem to talk it through and develop a new plan. Soon enough however, their love of money rears its ugly head and it becomes the thing that controls their actions. I was intrigued by the story line and read the last 200 pages in one sitting. It's fast paced and I didn't know exactly how it would end, but the end definitely through me for a loop. I started to see where it was all headed, but honestly, I don't really understand why. We only have Erin's perspective, so we don't really know what other people are doing or thinking. But the ending doesn't make sense to me, based on the rest of the story. My opinion. I still enjoyed the book a lot.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I had really high expectations for this book. Maybe too high! The problem for me is that one of my favorite books of all time (and that's saying a lot!) is The Sparrow, written by Mary Doria Russell. The subject is similar: sending people to a newly discovered planet to contact an unknown species. It was such a powerful story to me - as well as the sequel, Children of God, and written so beautifully, that I kept comparing the stories in my mind. To be fair, I read The Sparrow over 20 years ago, and I should probably read it again to see if I still feel the same way. Certain memories get elevated in a person's mind, and maybe that's the case here.

Anyway, Project Hail Mary is certainly interesting and funny. The characters are engaging. Ryan Gosling will be an excellent Ryland Grace in the upcoming movie, which I will definitely see. I loved how the story unfolded. We don't know the full story of how Dr. Ryland Grace ended up on this mission of discovery in space - a mission which has no return - until the end of the book. The story alternates between the initial discovery of the "Petrova line" on earth and Grace's experience in space. The Petrova line appears to be made up of some sort of life form (that Grace names Astrophage) that seems to be eating the sun, or at least eating its energy output. The Astrophage is destroying the sun at an accelerated rate, which will destroy all life on earth in a short amount of time. In a very simplified explanation, the mission is to discover what Astrophage is, why it affects some planets but not others, figure out if it has a predator, and if it does, how can it be captured, contained, and used to save our sun, which in turn will save life on earth. Since this mission has no return, there are four pods on the ship that Grace can send back to earth with his discoveries.

This mission is expected to take four earth years just to arrive at their planetary destination (Tau Ceti). Ironically, the spaceship is fueled using Astrophage, since it's such a powerful energy that is continually multiplying. The scientists on the mission were put into a medical coma for the four years of travel. They were fed, and their muscles exercised, by robots during the four years. Upon arrival at (the atmosphere) of Tau Ceti, the scientists would wake up and investigate why the Astrophage weren't destroying it like they were other planets. One known delay was that when they woke up, they wouldn't have their memories of where they were or what they were supposed to do. Grace's memories came back over time, which is why we don't know what actually happened on earth since Grace wasn't even slated to go on the mission himself. He was just the "expert" on Astrophage on earth. 

Grace eventually discovers an unknown species from another planet that is also investigating the Petrova line in order to try and save its own planet. "Rocky" becomes Grace's friend in space. They end up working together to try to save both of their homes.

As much as I did enjoy this book, I found some of the "science" of it all a tad boring. It's actually quite scientific at times, which really isn't in my wheelhouse, so to speak. Other than that, it's quite entertaining.

Wendy's Rating: ****

The Drop by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #15. Harry is back in the Open-Unsolved Unit. Harry's partner is David Chu. Harry & Chu handle the "special cases". They are handed one that the Lieutenant (Gail Duvall) wants investigated quietly. Apparently, the recently-tested DNA on this cold case comes from a "suspect" that was only eight years old at the time of the murder. If the original investigators messed up by submitting the wrong DNA to the lab (or the lab mislabeled or mis-handled it), it would look bad for the department and then all other cases would be suspect. That's why Duvall wants Harry to look into it. 

Then, Harry is suddenly assigned a new case, on the order of his nemesis: Councilman Irvin Irving. Irving's son was found dead after he jumped (or was dropped) off the balcony of the top floor of the Chateau Marmont on the Sunset Strip. The original cause of death was determined to be suicide, but Irving doesn't believe it and that's why he wants Harry to investigate his son's death. He doesn't like Harry (and Harry certainly doesn't like him!), but he knows Harry won't stop until he uncovers the truth. Obviously, this new case has to be Harry's priority, but he keeps working on the cold case in the background, having Chu do some of the legwork.

It would be very difficult to be Harry's partner. Harry is always doing his own thing and keeping details he discovers close to the cuff. Chu, like most of Harry's partners over the years, doesn't like Harry's style and wants a new partner. Harry has a tough time trusting his partners too. But to be fair, his partners have not always turned out to be trustworthy, including Chu. Sometimes people make stupid decisions, not understanding what the potential consequences could be.

On the home front, Harry's daughter, Maddie, is growing up. He actually talks through some of the details of his cases with her. She is observant and always shares her opinions with him. She wants to follow in his footsteps. Harry also becomes instantly infatuated with the psychotherapist (Hannah) of the young sex offender he is investigating on the cold case. He jumps into a relationship - and then of course has regrets. He really doesn't do anything slowly or halfway!

The title of this book has a double meaning. Irving believes his son was "dropped" from his hotel balcony - and Harry finds out they are giving him 39 more months to work for them. He had applied for an extension on his DROP. He had asked for five years, the maximum, and received three and a quarter years. What will Harry do then??

Wendy's Rating: ****

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

One incredible talent that Fredrik Backman has when writing his stories is that he can make you fall in love with his flawed, unhappy, quirky, unbalanced, lonely, grumpy, but loyal characters. He also has an interesting way of telling a story. He doesn't tell this story in a linear fashion. He doesn't even introduce one of the main characters in the book until Chapter 17. Not only do the chapters rotate between the summer when the kids are 14 years old and 25 years later, but the story jumps around within these chapters. And yet, it's easy to follow, which is amazing. He just makes it flow.

This is a story of four friends: Joar, Ted, Ali, and "the artist". You don't find out the artist's actual name until the end of the book. They live in a town by the sea. They are all poor and they each come from disturbingly dysfunctional families. Their personalities are extremely different from each other. But they love each other - deeply. What's even more important is that they believe in each other. One of the messages in this book is that a person's life can veer off into a completely different direction just by one person saying to another, "You are good enough. I believe in you." It's a very powerful message.

Despite each of these kids having a family to go home to, at the heart of it, they only have each other. Joar's father is an extremely violent, abusive man who beats up on his wife and son relentlessly. Joar always returns home to try to protect his mother, who loves him deeply. Ted's father has been seriously ill with cancer for so many years that he doesn't really even know the man he used to be. His mother has a difficult time expressing love, and Ted's older brother beats up on him - and hangs with a really tough crowd. (Plus, Ted is gay, and all his family wants for him is to be a MAN.) The artist's mother is an addict and his dad works on the wharf with all the other tough men (like Joar's father). Ali moves around a lot with her father because he is always in debt and is always running from the people he owes money to.

We hear about the summer these kids are 14 through Ted (25 years later) telling Louisa. Louisa meets the artist (and through him, Ted) when she is 17 turning 18. Louisa has run away from her last foster home and runs into the artist in an alley behind a church. Louisa spray paints the walls of the church and the artist sees how talented she is. The artist believes in her the way Joar believed in him all those years ago.

Truly, this is a story of friendship, loyalty, and unconditional love. I laughed. I cried. I connected to these characters that lived lives so differently than my own. That's great storytelling.

Wendy's Rating: *****

Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel

This is one of those books that I simply had to "power through" for the first 125 pages. I'm one of those people who finish every book I start, hoping it will get better if I keep reading. I'm glad I didn't give up on this one. Quantum physics fascinates me at a superficial level. Meaning, I like reading about time travel, but I don't really want to read about the science of it. I'm also disinterested in art such as paintings & sculpture - unless it's tied to a good story. So, since two of the main characters (Noah & Maya, husband & wife) are a quantum physicist and an artist, I didn't think I could get through it! Fortunately, between pages 125-150, the story turned more personal in nature rather than scientific, and I finally got engaged.

Noah and Maya have been married for three years. Noah had previously been married to Eileen (they were together for 16 years) and they had a daughter who died suddenly at the age of 4. Noah and Eileen ended up divorcing after their daughter's death. Noah has never moved on from his daughter's death - or Eileen - even though he really seemed to love Maya. When he is offered an opportunity by a billionaire to work on a secret project in quantum physics, he jumps at the chance and Noah & Maya move to the project site in Texas. The project involves traveling back in time. Noah trains his mind to focus on a memory, blocking everything else from his mind, injecting himself with a "product", entering a "bath" naked and then reliving the memory. He practices by going back in time just a number of minutes. Once he gets the hang of it, he starts going back in time to see his daughter, Serena, before she dies. He eventually figures out that Klein (the billionaire) wants to prove causality and he is using Noah as a test subject.

This project, which consumes Noah, puts a significant strain on his marriage to Maya. She leaves him to return to Japan, her home country, to visit her parents and take a break from Noah and their marriage. Meanwhile, Noah calls Eileen and asks her to come to Texas so she can "see" Serena with him. These three individuals make discoveries about themselves and it's interesting to watch how they change the way they think about things - in the past, present, and future. These are highly intelligent characters, but they have to be reminded that people's minds are unreliable. Memories are faulty & inconsistent. Memories are not just an "event", but a collection of things. Eileen tells Noah, "That's what memories are like. Living things made up of your experience, plus my experience, plus Esther's experience. All of it happening at once, the truth of it somewhere in the middle, the objective truth not even important at all." Noah asks Eileen what is important and she responds, "That you heard me say what you needed to hear. I heard myself say what I needed to hear. That's the truth." Later on in the book, Maya's mother tells Maya, "You know, it is possible for two people to have two different memories and experiences of the same thing." Noah learns in the end that he was looking for the wrong thing. He was looking for a way to "reverse the irreversible, instead of finding the permanence."

One more interesting thing that was discussed in the book (between Noah and his daughter). Serena says that black holes are bad because they break light. Noah explains to her that being a "lightbreaker" isn't necessarily bad. He acknowledges that a black hole traps and breaks light, but when it breaks, something new develops out of it. Love this explanation, especially as it pertains to the message in this book.

Wendy's Rating for the first 125 pages: ***

Wendy's Rating for the rest of the book: ****

Last One Seen by Rebecca Kanner

Awww....writers and mental illnesses. What could go wrong? To really appreciate the layers of this story, you have to be familiar with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. I do, (since I work in the field), but even I wanted to shake Hannah to knock some sense into her. Hannah is a want-to-be writer who's biggest desire is to attend a graduate program to complete a creative writing MFA at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She gets accepted, but she doesn't get a stipend so she can't afford to go. She finds out that another applicant, Justine Updike (supposedly distantly related to John Updike) was offered a spot - and a stipend - but hasn't chosen what graduate program she will attend. (She was accepted into 10 different programs.) If Justine decides to go somewhere else, Hannah will get the stipend. BUT, Hannah is fascinated (obsessed) with Justine and wants them both to attend the program together. So Hannah figures out a way to earn the money after Justine chooses to attend Washington University. (I am extremely doubtful she could earn as much money as she did selling a trumped up health food product in that short of time, but that's how she does it.)

Hannah has been living with bipolar disorder - and was raised by a mother with borderline personality disorder. Both her mother and Justine treat Hannah horribly, but just as she craved whatever attention her mother could give her intermittently during her childhood, she craves Justine's attention. Justine is an awful person, but she is idolized by others in the program, including Hannah. Hannah's one true friend in the program is Claire, who tries very, very hard to help Hannah (reminding her to take her meds, not drink or do drugs, focus on something other than Justine), but Hannah manages to alienate her as well because of her behavior and poor choices. Then enter Eli, the handsome, mysterious, man who Hannah falls for after she sees him with Justine. Hannah cycles through manic episodes, blackmails the director of the creative writing program, gets accused of theft, driving under the influence, etc. Her life is a mess. Then someone is shot and killed with Hannah's gun. Hannah is not sure who did it since she experiences blackouts (due to drugs/alcohol she willingly or unknowingly ingests.)

This book is a rollercoaster ride. Since Hannah doesn't know what's real and not real, the reader doesn't really know either. Honestly, the only character in the book that I really liked was Claire! (And Luke, the bartender at Hannah's previous job before she moved to grad school.) Claire talks about "observer bias" in one of the groups' writer's workshops. She states, "We're all unreliable narrators...Everything that's written is just someone's perspective...We are distorted by observation...We filter everything through our own biases." I love that!

 It's hard to read about a person's downward spiral due to bad decisions and manipulations by others. The end is satisfying however.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen

This novel really hit home with me. I think anyone who has experienced a family member with Alzheimer's would find value in this story. Not only does it share one way an Alzheimer's diagnosis affects a person and their family/caregivers, but it also explores feelings of guilt that people hang on to deep into their lives, even if the reason they feel guilty was actually beyond their control. A quote from the book summarizes it really well. "'I was convinced it was my fault. Like I said, guilt is conniving. It befriends your ego and tries to convince you that everything's about you - the past, the future. But it's just not true. The only thing we ever have is the present, and we do the best we can with it.'"

Cricket is a 27 year old that is a lost soul. She quits her job suddenly after acknowledging that she simply can't do it anymore. She has been at her boss's beck and call for the last two years and it's far from meaningful to her. She is a college dropout who blames herself for the death of her (former) boyfriend when they were 16 years old. She is drifting through life. She hasn't been to her hometown for ten years, and there is a disconnect between her and her parents, as well as her sister, Nina, even though they all communicate with each other. Cricket & Nina's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and Nina has spent the last four years living with him and taking care of him. (Their parents divorced four months after the death of Cricket's boyfriend, so that just adds to Cricket's feelings of guilt. She blames herself for that too.)

Nina is offered a job of a lifetime in Sweden so she tells Cricket that they need to move their dad into a memory care home. Cricket has to return to her hometown in the Adirondacks to tour the options. Once there, Cricket makes the decision to stay and take care of their father on her own. Nina is definitely skeptical, to say the least. Nina is the responsible, disciplined, detail-oriented, controlled older sister. Cricket is the lost, free spirit. Since Nina only plans to stay in Sweden for a year, or possibly two, they both see this as an opportunity to allow their father to stay in his home a bit longer though. So, the plan is made.

This is a story about people's hearts "regenerating". "...[M]aybe our hearts don't ache because they're scarred or broken or because something is wrong. Maybe they ache because they are shape-shifting." Our hearts make us, "quake with change". "Not our final selves, or our best selves, or even our improved selves, but just our next selves." People don't need to be told what their future holds for them. They need to be told what their future could hold for them. Wonderful story.

Wendy's Rating: *****

9 Dragons by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch #14. So this book included some twists that I was most definitely not expecting!  Harry's life is messy. He has his strengths, but he can also be judgmental and pigheaded, which drives me crazy at times. He doesn't really do a lot of "perspective taking".  There are three substantial things that happen in this story that changes his life dramatically. I am thinking he will be forced to look at certain things differently going forward. Time will tell.

Bosch and his partner, Ferras, are sent to Fortune Liquors (located in a bad part of LA) to investigate the death of the owner. He is found shot to death behind the counter of his store. The murder is assumed to be a robbery gone wrong. After watching a couple of saved videos from the store camera, Bosch suspects that the owner, John Li was paying the triad, a Chinese custom of protection, and that it was the triad that had him killed. A detective, David Chu, from the Asian Gang Unit (AGU), is called in on the case as well. He speaks Chinese and acts as an interpreter for the Li family. John Li had a wife, a daughter (Mia) who lives with them and takes care of them, and a son (Robert) who owns and runs a second (nicer) Fortune Liquors store in a nicer area of LA.

As Harry digs deeper and deeper into this case, his frustration with Ferras builds. He wants Ferras to be "actively" committed to the job, rather than always wanting to stay behind and do the paperwork and other desk-related tasks. Ferras also has a wife and three young children he is responsible for. Harry just doesn't get Ferras' perspective on the job or life in general. Harry is also suspicious of detective Chu. Harry is suspicious of everyone involved with the case actually, which is par for the course with him. He definitely made me suspicious of everyone too! Anyway, his investigation leads to Hong Kong after he receives a video from someone who abducted his daughter, Maddie, who is now 13 years old and has spent the last six years living in Hong Kong with her mother. (Eleanor Wish, Harry's ex-wife) Harry connects with Eleanor (who I'm still not a fan of!) and her significant other, Sun Yee, to find Maddie. Harry suspects that a member of the triad who killed John Li is Maddie's abductor.

There are several twists and turns which are surprising. You never know what's going to happen in these stories. That's what I love about them!

Wendy's Rating: ****