#bluestockingreviews

[lharvey250]

All The Ways We Said Goodbye

A magnificent hotel, an intricately woven plot, three strong women characters written by three eloquent authors.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

France, 1914. Aurelie is at her family’s ancestral home, when the Germans move in and begin using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows one of the German officers, Maximilian Von Sternburg. Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into a love, that will shatter them both.

France, 1942. Daisy was raised by her indomitable grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz. She continues to live in Paris with her two children and her husband Pierre, who becomes a Nazi collaborator after France falls to Hitler. Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger, who creates identity papers for the resistance and for Jewish refugees. As Daisy is drawn deeper into the underground network, she uncovers secret information, and commit the ultimate betrayal.

France, 1964. Babs was haunted by a mysterious woman known by her husband, Kit, as La Fleur. After Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at Bab’s door. He was hired to find the Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” Curious to know more about La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in his search, a journey of discovery that that takes them to Paris and the Ritz—and to unexpected places of the heart….

REVIEW

Three strong women characters, three eloquent women authors, an intricately woven story and a magnificent hotel. What could be better? The writing was superb and the story was mesmerizing. I enjoyed following the alternating chapters of Aurelie, Daisy and Babs and discerning their role in the story and their connections to one another.

One of my favorite parts of this beguiling story was the transitions between chapters which take place decades apart. While perhaps just a little thing, I very much looked forward to these skillfully-crafted transitions which referenced to an item, for example, a scarf, at the conclusion of one chapter and then picks up on a scarf reference in the opening scene of the next chapter. This simple connection between the chapters captivated me. The attention to details such as this, makes this a treasure of a book,. If you like historical fiction, strong women characters, and a little romance thrown in this is the book for you.

I also appreciated the reference to the Scarlet Pimpernel and to the French Revolution.

Thanks to authors Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig for a delightful experience. I listened to the audible version of the book and felt the narrators also helped bring the story to life.

Publisher William Morrow

Published January 14, 2020

Narrated Helen Sadler, Nicola Barber, Saskatchewan Maarleveld

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

Summit Lake

Summit Lake is suspenseful and entertaining and a perfect blend of characters, setting and story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Becca Eckersley is a first-year law student at George Washington University and the daughter of a powerful attorney. She was brutally murdered at Summit Lake, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina while studying for her final exams. Since this is the first ever murder in this town, residents are concerned as well as reeling with grief. Additional police have been brought in, and all seem baffled. They have revealed very little of their investigation.

At first, investigative reporter Kelsey Castle thinks of the Summit Lake assignment as a fluff piece. But the savagery of the crime, and the efforts to keep it quiet hint at something far more sinister than a random act by a stranger. As Kelsey digs deeper, despite danger and warnings, she feels a growing connection to the dead girl. And the more she learns about Becca‘s friendships, her love life, and her secrets, the more convinced she becomes that walking in Becca’s footsteps could help lead her out of her own dark past.

“No suspects. No person of interest. Just a girl that was alive one day and dead the next.”

REVIEW

It’s a haunting story of both a murdered law school student, and the reporter assigned to cover her story. I loved the well-crafted alternating storylines detailing both Becca‘s life prior to her murder and Kelsey‘s investigation after Becca’s murder. The chapter headings made the parallel story very easy to follow and the writing was clear and enjoyable.

Reading about Becca‘s life prior to her murder we are introduced to her many college friends and relationship she forged, which opens the door to plenty of potential suspects. We also get to know Kelsey as she investigates Becca‘s murder and realize she is just back to work after some time off after her own traumatic event.

The big question is who killed Becca Eckersley. There are lots of twists and turns along the way of Kelsey’s investigation, many of which will have you gasping, some might even make you mad. I loved both Becca and Kelsey’s characters, but particularly loved Kelsey’s need and determination to find the key to unlock the mystery of Becca’s death. She wasn’t afraid to break some rules to get the job done. A strong woman and a courageous character!

Summit Lake was suspenseful and entertaining and a perfect blend of characters, setting and story. It’s a haunting tale that will stay with you long after the killer is found.

Author Charlie Donlea skillfully transports us to the beautiful scenery in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the stilt houses on Summit Lake. This was Donlea’s debut novel in 2016. His subsequent novels include The Girl Who Was Taken, (2017) Don’t Believe It (2018) and Some Choose Darkness (2018). All are fabulous! I listen to Summit Lake on Audible and enjoyed the narration.

Publisher Kensington/Brilliance Audio

Published January 26, 2016

Narrated Shannon McManus

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

Girls Like Us

Cristina Alger

A dramatic and tension-filled crime thriller with a delightfully strong and courageous female protagonist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn’t been home for ten years. It’s a place she had no desire to see again. Her mother had been brutally murdered there when she was only seven. She and her father never had a particularly close relationship. And now her father, a thirty-year homicide police officer, is killed in a motorcycle accident. She returns to Suffolk County on Long Island, New York to scatter his ashes and sell his house.

While she is there, her father‘s partner, Lee Davis asks Nell for help on the investigation of the murders of two young Hispanic women. It’s the case her father was working on when he died As Nell investigates, she discovers that her father had all the traits they were looking for in the murder suspect. He was tall, left-handed and drove a red truck. His truck had might even had been seen sitting outside one of the victims house just before she disappeared. Could his friends on the police force be covering his tracks. Did her father perhaps kill himself over his guilt or was something else going on here?

REVIEW

GIRLS LIKE US is a irresistible crime thriller with a strong, vulnerable and relatable protagonist. Nell’s courage and persistence drives the plot of this dramatic story. I was hooked when Nell climbs on board Glenn Dorsey’s fishing boat with a cooler of Guinness and an urn. The plot is tightly woven and packed full of tension and mystery. Suffolk County on Long Island seems like the perfect setting for this gray novel.

My favorite part of the novel was Nell’s character, particularly her objectivity and need for answers. I loved how the story is told from her perspective. While I didn’t like the frequency of Nell’s flash backs to her childhood, I did appreciate how they greatly informed the backstory of her relationship with her father. In a sense this is a story about how our past, our childhood, make us who we are today. If you like crime mysteries you have to put this one on your reading list.

Author Cristina Alger is a lifelong New Yorker. She graduated from Harvard University and NYU Law School. She worked as a financial analyst and a corporate attorney before becoming a writer. Her third novel The Banker’s Wife (2018) was a USA Today bestseller and was one of my favorite books of 2018.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher G. P. Putnams’s Sons

Published July 2, 2019

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

I’m Fine and Neither Are You

A totally realistic and relatable story as women today struggle to reach perfection in their life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all—and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.

Then a shocking tragedy reveals that Jenny’s life is far from perfect. Reeling, Penelope vows to stop keeping the peace and finally deal with the issues in her relationship. So she and Sanjay agree to a radical proposal: both will write a list of changes they want each other to make—then commit to complete and total honesty.

What seems like a smart idea quickly spirals out of control, revealing new rifts and even deeper secrets. As Penelope stares down the possible implosion of her marriage, she must ask herself: When it comes to love, is honesty really the best policy?

REVIEW

Any woman who is juggling career, marriage and family will totally relate to this poignant story of real life, love and loss. I’m Fine and Neither are You is a touching chronicle of Penelope’s re-evaluation of her life. The story is totally relatable and very realistic, as women today strive for perfection.

My favorite part was the concept of creating a short list of changes that Sanjay and Penelope wanted the other to make. This naturally forms the basis of hurt feelings, but much introspection for Penelope. Camille Pagán’s writing was smooth, fast-paced and easy to read, and offers tremendous insight into juggling the demands of life and the price of perfection.

When Pagán is not at her computer writing, she is reading a book, running after her two kids and their nutty dog, or planning her next trip (most likely to Puerto Rico, where her husband was born and raised). Camille and her family live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has written four other novels, most recently Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties. Thanks to Camille Pagán for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Lake Union

Published April, 1, 2019

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

Pieces of Her

A Tension-filled Roller Coaster Ride Unveiling the Dangerous Secrets of a Mother’s Past

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Andrea (Andy) Oliver thought she knew her mother well. Laura is a speech pathologist who has spent her entire life in Bell Isle, Georgia living a quiet life. At least that’s what Andrea thought. A trip to the mall for Andrea‘s 31st birthday lunch changed everything when gunfire explodes in the Rise-n-Dine cafe. Andrea sees a different side of her mother she had never seen before. Laura courageously confronts the gunman and is able to bring the shooting spree to an end.

Laura had been trying to bury her dangerous past, hoping no one would find her. But after the incident at the mall, she know it’s inevitable. Her face is all over the television news broadcasts. and now her past is rushing to catch up with her. Laura sends Andrea away, to keep her safe. But Andrea’s harrowing journey is anything but safe.

“Love doesn’t keep you in a constant state of turmoil. It gives you peace.”

REVIEW

Loved it! Unbelievably, this is the first Karin Slaughter book I have read. Oh my goodness, it was so good! The story was fascinating and the characters were well-developed. Reading this is like the wildest roller coaster ride you can imagine. Your adrenaline is pulsing and keeps you turning pages.

Slaughter’s writing is smooth, smart and tension-filled. She has expertly woven the past with the present. You’ll be fascinated by both Andy’s road trip as she tries to figure out the pieces of her mother’s past, as well as Laura’s mysterious backstory from the 1980’s. My favorite part was Laura’s stand-off with the shooter at the Rise-n-Dine. I was so impressed by her calmness, and how she was willing to give up her life to protect her daughter. And we won’t even mention her skill with a knife. We should all be lucky enough to have mothers like that.

Looks like I’ll be reading a lot more Karin Slaughter in the near future. If you haven’t read this, do it, do it now! Slaughter is a NYT best selling author and has penned nineteen novels including Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. She is a native of Georgia and lives in Atlanta. Three of her novels, Pieces of Her, The Good Daughter and Cop Town are in development for film or television. I listened to PIECES OF HER on Audible and found the narration fabulous, just like the rest of the book.

“Tears had rolled down his cheeks, one long drip after another, like condensation on the side of a glass.”

Publisher William Morrow/Blackstone Audio

Published August 21, 2018

Narrated Kathleen Early

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

Becoming Mrs. Lewis

The Improbable Love Story Between Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis

“What in the world would ever become of us if we should ever grow brave.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Joy Davidman is a writer and poet living in Ossining NY in 1946. She is locked in a loveless marriage with her alcoholic husband, Bill Gresham, and their two young sons. In a moment of desperation, she says a prayer to a God she doesn’t believe in and has an overwhelming experience that causes her to want to find out more about Christianity. She writes to Christian apologist C. S. Lewis with questions about God. Lewis responds, beginning a long-term correspondence between the two. Joy finds friendship, solace and wisdom in the letters she receives. By 1952, her husband is both unfaithful and abusive, but Joy can find no way out. Her health is suffering from the stress, and she is under doctors orders to rest. She heads to England for six months, where she meets Lewis for the first time. She falls in love with both England and Lewis, but ultimately must return to the US. There, she is fully committed to divorcing her husband, and returning to England with her two sons. Once she returns to England, Joy is ever hopeful her platonic relationship with Jack, will be transformed into something more.

“You tolerate what you must when it becomes your reality.“

“God might not fix things for me, but he would be with me in whatever waited ahead, that was clear.”

REVIEW

BECOMING MRS. LEWIS is a fascinating historical love story of two literary giants. Joy was a intelligent and strong woman with a voice far ahead of her time. Patti Callahan Henry has recreated the exquisite details of the improbable friendship and ultimate romance between two people a world apart geographically, spiritually, and emotionally.

I particularly loved Henry’s vivid descriptions of Lewis’s home, The Kilns, as well as the depictions of the joy-filled times the two shared together, going for walks or sitting in front of the fireplace sharing stories. While this is a work of historical fiction, readers of C. S. Lewis will absolutely love a glimpse at the personal surroundings, thoughts and feelings of the man behind the beloved characters of Aslan and Wormwood.

Henry’s writing is evocative and masterful. She was inspired to write the story because of her love for the fascinating works of C. S. Lewis. Once she read Lewis’s A Grief Observed, she was committed to finding out more about the women he loved so fiercely he called her “his whole world.” Henry researched Joy’s writing and traveled to the Wade Center at Wheaton College where Joy’s papers are kept alongside C.S. Lewis’s. BECOMING MRS. LEWIS is her fourteenth novel.

“We can’t just surrender to our every desire. Man must have his principles and live by them regardless. Our nature must must be controlled or it can ruin our lives.”

Publisher Thomas Nelson

Published October 2, 2018

Narrated Lauren Woodward

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

The Beautiful Strangers

The Beautiful Strangers is as delightful as a warm chocolate chip cookie

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

The luxury beachfront Hotel Del Coronado becomes the mecca for two women sixty years apart. In 1928, a woman died tragically on the hotel steps leading to the beach and she still haunts the hotel today. Not many know her story. In 1958, Kate Morgan works in her family’s failing San Francisco restaurant and she’s looking for a way out. Kate’s grandfather, suffering from dementia, begs his granddaughter to go to San Diego and find “the beautiful stranger.” Kate, risking her family’s wrath makes the perilous and expensive journey. The search takes her to the hotel were filming is underway for the movie Some Like it Hot. For Kate, a movie lover, this is a dream come true. She is offered a position at the hotel and even finds romance along the way. Remembering her grandfather’s plea, Kate searches for the beautiful stranger and finds much more than she ever imagined.

REVIEW

A beautiful historical fiction story with a beautiful setting at the glamorous Hotel Del Coronado. The story was as delightful as a warm chocolate chip cookie. THE BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS is a just perfect blend of characters, setting and story. Everything fits.

I particularly loved the overlay of the stories of the two women at the hotel and the unique way author Camille Di Maio told the story. The portion of the story told by the beautiful stranger added great depth and value to the book. Di Maio’s writing was smooth and her descriptions were vivid. One of my favorite parts was when Kate first met Sean at the Coronado ferry. I think fell in love with Sean when he grabbed Kate’s hand on the ferry and took her to feed the seagulls. Just what she needed, what a guy!

Camille Di Maio lives in San Antonio, Texas and her other books include The Memory of Us (2016), Before the Rain Falls (2017) and The Way of Beauty (2018) Thanks to Netgalley, Camille Di Maio and Lake Union Publishing for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Lake Union Publishing

Published March 5, 2019

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

House Arrest

A gripping and timely political thriller that is skillfully crafted to keep you on the edge of your seat.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

This is the thirteenth book in Mike Lawson’s delightful Joe Demarco series, where Joe is a fixer for the long-term and powerful Congressman John Mahoney. In HOUSE ARREST Joe is arrested in the aftermath of the murder of Representative Lyle Canton, House Majority Whip and political enemy of John Mahoney. But DeMarco is being framed. Locked up in the Alexandria jail, DeMarco calls his enigmatic friend Emma, an ex-DIA agent to find the true killer. Emma investigation leads to Sebastian Spear, a ruthless CEO of the multi-billion-dollar Spear Industries. Spear motive for killing Canton was Canton’s wife, Jean. Jean had been the love of Spear’s life in high school many years ago and they had recently renewed their friendship. But now Jean was dead, killed in a car crash while driving drunk. Spear blames Canton for the accident. But the case against DeMarco is airtight. All the evidence points directly to him. Can Emma use her cunning and connections to prove DeMarco was innocent before its to late

REVIEW

I love this series and this is one of MIKE LAWSON’s best! DeMarco is in deep trouble by no fault of his own this time. The story was fast and gripping. And of course the strong and super intelligent Emma comes to the rescue! I love Emma’s character. I love Joe’s character also, but it’s always nice when a woman comes in to save the day. And it’s a book written by a man. Thank you Mike Lawson for writing a strong woman character in this series.

His writing seem effortless and it is totally enthralling. Lawson has published 16 novels, 13 starring Joe DeMarco, and three books in his Kay Hamilton series. He has won The Friend of Mystery award twice and he is a five time nominee for the Barry award. He is a renowned fly fisherman, guide, fly tier, and founder of the Henry's Fork Anglers fly shop. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Atlantic Monthly Press

Published February 5, 2019

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

No Exit

A relentlessly scary thriller with an unlikely heroine.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

A little girl is locked in a stranger’s van in the middle of a blizzard. No help for miles around. What would you do? Darby Thorne is a college student stranded at the Colorado mountain rest stop in the middle of a blizzard. She’s on her way home to see her sick mother. She’ll have to spend the night at the rest stop with four complete strangers. Then she stumbles across a little girl locked inside one of their cars. There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. Darby can’t even imagine which one of the travelers is the kidnapper or how she could possibly help this little girl. If only there was someone she could trust for help.

“Sometime God puts people exactly where they need to be. Even when they don’t know it.”

REVIEW

My heart was in my throat the entire book! Relentlessly scary, and full of shocking twists and turns. I listened to NO EXIT on Audible and there was no way I could listen to it at night...way to scary. The story was great, very believable and the writing was absolutely riveting.

My favorite part of the book was Darby’s character. She doesn’t want to get involved. But if not her who? She was just a college sophomore, who is put in a situation, where she has no choice but to react. She came to life in the book for me because she had to make some hard choices. She made some mistakes, she made some sacrifices, but she did the best she could. Fabulous character.

NO EXIT would make a thrilling movie and I just discovered that the movie rights were purchased by 20th Century Fox in late 2017. So maybe it will be soon. Read the book and let me know who should play Darby. No Exit is TAYLOR ADAMS third novel. Others include Eyeshot (2014) and Our Last Night (2015)

“The difference between a hero and a victim? Timing.”

Publisher Brilliance Audio

Published February 20, 2018

Narrated Sarah Naughton

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

An Anonymous Girl

A compelling psychological suspense novel that draws you in with a survey on ethics and morality and keeps you on the edge of your seat as the survey turns into a dangerous experiment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

When Jessica Farris, a striving make-up artist, signs up for a psychological study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money and leave. But the questions are about morality and ethics and quickly become intense and invasive. “Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?” is only the first of many she has been instructed to answer honestly. She does and then she is invited back for more. Jesse accepts because really needs the money to make ends meet. Eventually Jesse meets with Dr. Shields directly, and Jesse therapeutically shares some of her deepest secrets with her. Next their sessions become outings where Jesse is told what to wear and how to act. She begins to feel as though she may have told Dr. Shields to much. Dr. Shields seems knows exactly what she’s thinking and what she’s hiding. As Jessie‘s paranoia grows it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields experiments. Caught in the web of deceit and jealousy, Jesse quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. AN ANONYMOUS GIRL was written by the authors of the bestselling thriller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

REVIEW

This book took my breath away. My heart was racing when I closed the back cover. It’ a perfect book to read in the winter while next to a warm fire and covered in a soft cuddly blanket. You are going to need the comfort, because it gets crazy.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL is a haunting tale, where Dr. Shields is always two plays ahead of Jesse in a game of chess. Jesse frustration and angst was palpable. You can’t help but cheer for her, and hope she wins.

The story was skillful crafted and carefully plotted. It was totally enthralling and hard to put down. Chapters narration alternates between Jessica and Dr. Shields. point of view. The writing was superbly detailed with descriptions of settings, clothing, and dialog. The main characters were intriguing from the very first page. I loved Jess and her vulnerabilities, which is what propel this story and made it so good. It a dark and suspenseful story of love and betrayal, and ethics, morality and obsession. Put this on your 2019 reading list now.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher St. Martin’s Press

Published January 5, 2019

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

This Is Me

A special book about a honest and strong women who has overcome many difficulties and has finally gotten her big break.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Author Chrissy Metz is best known for her role as Kate Pearson in the television series This is Us. Audiences relate to her character’s honesty and difficulties. Her performance in the show has earned her two Golden Globe award nominations and an Emmy nominations for best supporting actress. This Is Me: loving the person you are today is her interesting and inspiring life story, part memoir and part self-help.

Chrissy’s father disappeared one day leaving her mother on her own to raise three young children. Her mother eventually remarried, but her stepfather was never satisfied with anything Chrissy did. Eventually Chrissy headed to Los Angles where she worked as an agent for many years before getting her big break.

“We all have a purpose,” she said “Some people are the tall oak trees, and some people are the beautiful bushes. But everyone has a purpose. There is nobody here on earth who doesn’t have a path or a purpose. An innate destiny. Every human being who comes, comes called.”

REVIEW

I have binge watched every This Is Us episode there is. There is something special about that series, and there is something special about this book as well. Listening to Metz share her life story was informative and touching. Did you know she is from Gainesville, Florida? I had no idea she lived so close to me! I also didn’t know that she married (and later divorced) a man she met online, or that her stepfather verbally and physically abused her. It’s because of her life challenges, and difficulties that she is able to deliver a compelling book that is the story of how Chrissy Metz grew up and ultimately became Kate Pearson. Her tips on self-confidence and self-esteem are nice, like icing on a cake. She reminds us to be appreciative of who we are, find our gifts, and pursue our dreams. Only a strong, courageous and loving woman can be so positive given her past experiences. Chrissy Metz is amazing!

“There is something that happens when you are grateful. You continue to receive blessings.”

Publisher Dey Street Books

Published March 27, 2018

Narrated Chrissy Metz

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

Unsheltered

A masterfully written dual timeline narrative, with unique and well drawn characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Unsheltered is a story of two families, who lived near the corner of Sixth and Plum in Vineland, New Jersey over 140 years apart. Both families are struggling with financial, political and social issues of their times.

It’s 2016 and Willa Knox and her husband are in their 50’s and nearing retirement. They have worked hard, followed all the rules and have nothing to show for it, but debts and a house that is falling apart. Willa’s magazine has folded and her husband’s college where he teaches has closed. In their dilapidated home, is Willa’s politically conservative father-in-law, Nick; her free-spirited adult daughter, Tig; and her unemployed Ivy League educated son, Zeke; who recently experienced a tragic loss.

In 1870’s, Thatcher Greenwood is a high school science teacher with a passion for investigation. He finds himself in hot water when he attempts to teach the work just published by Charles Darwin. His young bride and social-climbing mother-in-law bristle at the risk of scandal, and dismiss his worries that their house is unsound. Thatcher’s friendship with a woman scientist, Mary Treat, and a renegade newspaper editor that threaten to draw him into a vendetta with the town’s most powerful men.

“I suppose it is in our nature,” she said finally. “when men fear the loss of what they know, they will follow any tyrant who promises to restore the old order.”

REVIEW

A creatively layered narrative of two families living in Vineland New Jersey well over a century apart. Both families struggling with the foundation of a dilapidated house, as well as the foundation of values of the time.

The 2016 storyline brings Trump’s election into play, as well as Obamacare, global warming and racism. The 1870’s story has it own similar tyrant. Charles Landis, a real estate developer and founder of Vineland, also wants to control the narrative of the press. When he is unable to do so, the newspaper editor is shot in the middle of Vineland’s main street. Other issues brought to light in the 1870’s storyline were the role of women, women’s right to vote, and the teaching of creationism versus evolution.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Thatcher meets Mary Treat for first time, and finds her with her finger in a Venus flytrap hoping to determine the plant’s effect on human skin. I was not familiar with Mary Treat and enjoyed learning about this self-taught scientist. I also enjoyed learning about the creation of Charles Landis’s utopian community in Vineland.

UNSHELTERED was interesting and entertaining, but it was author Barbara Kingsolver‘s writing that carried the book. It was masterfully written and the characters were extremely well drawn and diverse.

“His confidence was enviable and maddening. Most of the time she didn’t want him to solve or contradict her worries, she just needed him to listen and agree with her on the awfulness at hand. This was a principle of marriage she’d explained many times.”

Publisher Harper Collins/Harper Audio

Published October 16, 2018

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

The Library Book

Library and book lovers will find this expertly delivered book enlightening.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Central Library. The patrons and staff that had been cleared out of the building soon realize this was not the usual fire alarm. This fire was intense and disastrous. It reached 2,000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished it had consume 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. Investigators descended on the scene immediately, but more than 30 years later the mystery remains: did someone purposely set fire to the library, and if so, who? Librarians remember seeing a blond young man who was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be, a closed section of the library. But since all evidence was consumed the investigators found it very difficult to prove arson.

“Usually, fire is red and orange and yellow and black. The fire in the library was colorless. You could look right through it, as if it were a sheet of glass. Where the flame had any color, it was pale blue. It was so hot that it appeared icy.”

REVIEW

Susan Orlean skillfully transports us to the library stacks where we can still smell the smoke and feel the intense heat from the flames. THE LIBRARY BOOK showcases the history of the building as well as many of the notable past and current librarians who have help make the library vital and relevant. New York Times best-selling author SUSAN ORLEAN’s detailed research is evident in the stories about the library, it’s history and it’s past champions. The writing was smart and all library and book lovers will find this one enlightening. One of my favorite parts was when, as part of her research, Orlean decides to burn a book. As a book lover she found this to be a difficult task. She profoundly states:

“The pages burned so fast that they barely crackled; the sound was soft, like a sizzle, or the crinkly light sound of water spraying out of a shower. As soon as it was over, I felt like I just jumped out of an airplane, which is perhaps the natural reaction to doing something I’d resisted so mightily—there was the elation at overriding my own instincts, elation at the fluid beauty of fire, and terrible fright at the seductiveness of it and the realization of how fast a thing full of human stories can be made to disappear.”

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Simon & Schuster

Published October 16, 2018

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

News of the World

A beautifully written story of courage and the endearing bond developed between two memorable characters

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

In the aftermath of the Civil War Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. The Captain enjoys his rambling solitary existence. In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan, Johanna to her relatives in San Antonio. Johanna‘s parents and sister had been killed by a band of Kiowa four years earlier. Johanna was spared and the Kiowa raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. Army, the 10-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

The Captain and Johanna set off on a four hundred mile journey south through unsettled territory and dangerous terrain. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, and refuses to act civilized. Yet as the miles pass the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond that marks the difference between life and death. Arriving in San Antonio, Joanna’s family reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The Captain must hand Joanna over to an aunt and uncle who view her as an unwanted burden. Captain Kidd is heartbroken about having to abandon this girl to her uncaring relatives.

“Maybe life is just carrying news. Surviving to carry the news. Maybe we have just one message, and it is delivered to us when we are born and we are never sure what it says; it may have nothing to do with us personally but it must be carried by hand through a life, all the way, and at the end handed over, sealed.”

REVIEW

NEWS OF THE WORLD is an unforgettable historical fiction novel of courage and responsibility. It’s full of suspense and danger as the Captain and Johanna journey onward. A respectful and dignified emotional bond develops between these two valiant travelers as they learn to depend on each other to survive.

The Captain had to reacquaint Johanna with civilized behavior—language, manners and morals—and he did so with the utmost patience and understanding. One of my favorite lines was when Johanna was about to collect a White man’s scalp, the Captain had to explain to her that this “is considered impolite and simply isn’t done.” The novel showcases these two well-drawn characters with which you can’t help but become enamored. The writing is both affecting and thought-provoking. The setting, characters and story blend perfectly to transport you to another place and time.

One of the most fascinating parts of the book was learning about the traveling News Readers and the importance of the news in the post civil war era. In his travels, Captain Kidd would gather newspapers and carefully select the news from far away places that he would read to inform and entertain his paying audiences.

The National Book Award for Fiction and the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction were just two of the several awards author PAULETTE JILES received for NEWS OF THE WORLD in 2016. JILES Lives in San Antonio, Texas and is a poet and memoirist. Her best-selling novels included Enemy Women and Stormy Weather.

“Life was not safe and nothing could make it so, neither fashionable dresses nor bank accounts. The baseline of human life was courage.”

Publisher William Morrow

Published October 4, 2016

Narrator Grover Gardner

Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

Before and Again Barbara Delinsky A gripping and emotional tale of a woman’s heartbreak, recovery and self-realization.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ SUMMARY MacKenzie Cooper was using her phone’s GPS, desperately trying to find the home of her five-year-old daughter’s friend. It was a narrow, dark and wooded road. She looked at her phone again for just a second. She didn’t see the stop sign, it blended with the fall foliage. A large van hit her hard. The accident killed her daughter, and the aftermath destroyed her relationship with her husband, family and friends. To escape the unrelenting pressure, she changed her name to Maggie Reid and moved to Devon, Vermont. There, she built a new life, made new friends and now has a job working as a make-artist at the local spa. She particularly loves helping clients hide visible signs of injuries and illness. She enjoys anonymity in the town, and her goal is to stay under the radar and make it though her remaining months of probation. But many people in this quaint town have stories of their own. When a friend’s teenage son is arrested for hacking a journalist’s computer and the national media turn their spotlight on the Devon, Maggie struggles with whether to become involved. She know better than most, the importance of friendships during trying times. But she also knows that if she becomes involved, her heartbreaking past will be revealed.

REVIEW Everything can change in the blink of an eye. We hear it all the time. But for Maggie it really happened. It was an accident, but her world turned upside down. Her daughter died, her husband divorced her, her parents would not speak to her and her friends abandoned her. There is so much emotional pain at the start of this book that you are immediately drawn in and captured by the story. The story was in a word: masterful. It takes you from agonizing heartbreak and grief, down a road of carefully constructed recovery, toward a decision of life altering consequences. The writing is engaging and easy to read. You are easily transported to Devon, Vermont though vivid descriptions of the cold weather, the local shops and restaurants, and the encircling woods. The cast of characters are diverse and perfect and their underlying stories are entertaining. This 416 page book is easily devoured in no time, because once you start you can’t put it down. BARBARA DELINSKY, the best at strong women characters, writes about everyday people facing major challenges. She has written over 22 bestsellers and BEFORE and AGAIN is sure to be another. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publisher St. Martin’s Press. Publication Date June 26, 2018.

For more reviews: www.bluestockingreviews.com

[lharvey250]

American Princess The Love Story of Megan Markel and Prince Harry Leslie Carroll

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️ PUBLISHER William Morrow Paperbacks PUBLISHED April 24, 2018

A fascinating and enlightening book bound with delicious details about the newest American princess and her devious prince charming

SUMMARY Prince Harry has been one of the most eligible bachelor in the world for many years. He’s a rebel, a rule-breaker, a soldier and a prince, who at the age of 33 has finally decided to settle down. The woman he has chosen to marry however, is a commoner and a professional actress. But there’s more, she’s divorced, she’s biracial, and Megan Markle is not even British. An America Princess illuminates the lives of Harry and Meghan leading up the announcement of their engagement. It identifies their similarities and their differences, but most of all it reflects the love they feel for one another, despite, or perhaps because of their differences. The book concludes with speculation on the wedding fanfare and what this marriage may mean to future generations.

“Yes, Megan Markel is different from every royal bride in the history of the British monarchy. A biracial, childless divorcée, in her mid-thirties, she is a college graduate with a double degree; and a self-described self-sufficient go-getter…. But Meghan Markle is something else that no other royal bride has ever been. She is a standard bearer for all young women who have been told it’s impossible to “have it all.”

REVIEW As a royal-watcher, this is a fabulous must read prior to the big wedding day on May 19th 2018. Just a few fun facts derived from the book:

Meghan and Harry are 17th cousins. Both Meghan and Harry’s parents are divorced. Meghan and Harry both went to private parochial schools. Harry and Meghan met in London July 2016 on a blind date. Meghan and Harry are both passionate about social justice.

Megan and Harry are breaking so many royal traditions that it’s impossible to keep count. The author, Leslie Carroll does a fabulous job of explaining royal protocols, rules and traditions. Carroll explains about the first time that Meghan and Harry openly broke royal protocol. They did so by being openly affectionate, having their arms around each other waist, during their first official royal engagement, on World AIDS Day on December 1, 2017. Even the queen has broken one of her own previous inviolable traditions by allowing Meghan to be the first royal fiancée ever to be permitted to participate in the family’s Christmas celebration and to attend church with them on Christmas morning in 2017.

Carroll’s writing is clear and easy to read, and the story of course, is what makes the book. The chapters alternate between the lives of Meghan and Harry. I did not enjoy reading once again, about the maddening end to the the marriage between Harry’s parents and the subsequent death of Princess Diana, but it is after all, a huge part of what makes Harry who he is. At times the story seems to meander down small rabbit trails, but when doing so, was always providing good background information. American Princess is recommend to royal-watchers, and anyone interested in knowing a little more about Harry and Meghan.

Leslie CarrolI is considered to be one of America’s experts on European royalty and is a frequent media presence whenever the House of Windsor marks a milestone. The Chicago Tribune has described her historical nonfiction as “an irresistible combination of People magazine and the History Channel.”

Thanks to LibraryThing, William Morrow and Leslie Carroll for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.