March Books

 Red River Road by Anna Downes -- Katy is in a van looking for her sister Phoebe who was traveling through Western Australia and seemed to have disappeared. She meets Beth who ends up tagging along for the ride and helps her locate her sister. Pretty good story. Deals with the issue of women traveling and how often men or intimate partners make them feel unsafe. 

Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh -- this is a novel based on the memoir of Alice Marble, a tennis star from the 1930s. Pretty interesting lady!

Written in the Waters by Tara Roberts -- "A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging;" the author travels with groups to places where slave ships were wrecked. She also went to a few other places like Benin and Togo to find out more about her own heritage. Pretty interesting. 

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia -- Stephanie, a successful lady in theTV industry, is leaving Madison for yet another conference. And she is not happy about it. Just because she's the single lady, she most always has to be the one who travels.  Jasmine is fleeing an abusive boyfriend. They meet on the plane to Denver.  Their friends and acquaintances back home wonder when neither shows up to their destinations and they receive odd text messages. A pretty good thriller type book! 

 

Melania by Melania Trump (or her ghostwriter?) -- I say that about the authorship because there are no acknowledgments at all. Well there is a page for photo credits at the very end of the book, but the book ends with a letter to the American people after the assassination attempt on her husband's life. I usually enjoy memoirs from immigrants and I put this one on hold several weeks back when I saw it on my library's online catalog. It was just 181 pages of text with a nice chunk of pictures in the middle. I enjoyed seeing Melania's mother, father, and sister as well as Melania as a baby and child up to her modeling days and as a mother and First Lady.  My favorite part to read was probably when she took trips as FLOTUS, and her times with children and leaders/partners of other countries.  She took a rosary to Pope Francis hoping he would bless it for her (he did.) 

She talked about her modeling career as she lived in Milan and Paris before coming to New York City where, of course, she met her future husband.  She told how she and Donald bonded over favorite musicians and movies.  She told about her Be Best campaign and why she wore that jacket; about the media being out for her family, touched on the impeachment trials with no depth, but just that political enemies were out to get her husband.  I didn't realize she had renovated so many areas while living at the White House, but that is something she enjoys doing. She talked of how she sometimes disagrees with her husband on his political stances, but how she discusses these things with him in private. She has a strong pro-choice position regarding abortion. She also thought the FBI raid on her house was like something people in her former Communist country would do.  She also discussed her posing nude for some French magazine since those photos were brought up at some point in the last several years.  (Europeans are OK with nudity so it's nothing shameful for her to have done. No big deal except to some Americans. Yawn.)  

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto -- I saw this one on Myrna's blog  and decided to read it. Very cute story about Vera who found a dead body in her tea shop. Knowing the murderer often comes back to the scene of the crime, she collects the four strangers who show up outside her tea shop and seeks to solve the mystery - because, of course, the police don't investigate properly in her opinion.She's quite a lady! 

The Dressmakers of London by Julia Kelly -- When Isabelle's mom dies, she is shocked to find out her mom left the dress shop to both herself and her sister Sylvia who abandoned them after her marriage to Hugo. Sylvia tries to show that she's changed, and runs the dress shop when Izzie is conscripted into helping England in their fight against the Nazis.  

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark -- Kat is a journalist who has been tracking Meg for years. Meg is a con artist who is finally back where she grew up. She came to settle a score against a man who left her and her mom homeless. Pretty good story.

The Crash by Freida McFadden -- Tegan is eight months pregnant and going to visit her brother at the ski place he works at when she hits a tree during a blizzard. Her ankle is most-certainly broken and she has no idea what to do.  A local man Hank helps her, but Tegan gets weird vibes from him and is scared that he'll hurt her. Instead he takes her to his house where his wife Polly, a nurse, helps her. But when Tegan is convinced to stay in the hospital bed IN THE BASEMENT, and then it seems to take forever for their road to be cleared...well, it's just bad times for Tegan. 

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn -- Elinor grew up as a privileged daughter of a man who made his fortune in cotton, yet she and her dad are surprised when they get an invitation to a ball where "their kind" aren't usually welcomed. There she meets Frederick who quickly sweeps her off her feet. A quick wedding follows and Elinor finds out fast that she was chosen due to her father's fortune. (Those titled folk often need money to keep up the family's crumbling estate afterall.)  When Elinor has a chance to travel on the Titanic, she's excited about this adventure and being able to see her father again plus spend time with her little boy. At home he's off with the Nanny for most of the day, and she wants to be a mother to him herself. Yet...we know what happens on the Titanic. Good story! 

A Right Worthy Woman by Ruth P. Watson -- A novel about Maggie Lena Walker, "the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States, whose actions transformed her community of Jackson Ward into Virginia's Black Wall Street."   I admire her determination and hard work! 

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova -- Olivia is living alone on Nantucket after a separation from her husband. Their son was diagnosed with autism at age 3, and the doctor asked then about their marriage. An odd question.... then again, maybe not. Meanwhile Beth finds out in a cruel way about her husband's infidelity and tries to figure out what to do. Meanwhile she starts writing a novel about a boy with autism. 

The Note by Alafair Burke -- Three friends are on a girls' weekend when a prank goes awry. Next thing they know May, Kelsey, and Lauren are questioned by a lead detective about a wealthy young man who is missing. Yikes! 

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig -- This book is a "novel of Hamilton, Burr, and America's First Murder Trial."  In it you meet people with names like Brockholst Livingston, Cadwallader Colden, Buthrong Anderson, and the murder victim herself, Elma, short for Gulielma Sands. 

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering -- This book follows Lucy and Stephen who met when both were in college at Baird. Stephen has a strong hold on Lucy, and this book was rather annoying due to their toxic relationship....whew.

 A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner -- This book follows the story of Melanie Cole who was blacklisted as a Communist simply because she dated a certain actor. Meanwhile Eva, the immigrant who helps at her house, has secrets that could make things worse for Melanie if they are uncovered. And then there are Elwood and June next door. They've seen June several times lately, but where in Elwood? 

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson -- A novella about a young American student who went to England to study. Ashley was thrilled to be invited to Emma's country estate to spend the Christmas holiday. While there she hears about a murder and how her friend's twin brother is a suspect. 

February Books

 Dead Connection by Alafair Burke -- This book was just OK. It featured a rookie detective Ellie Hatcher who was chosen to help Flann McIlroy when women were murdered in New York City. Ties are made to a dating service which is one aspect Ellie and Flann investigate.

The Umbrella Lady by V.C. Andrews --  After her mom dies in a house fire, Saffron and her dad are at the train station. He leaves her there to color while he buys supplies, but he never returns. Instead an older lady appears and convinces Saffron to eat and sleep at her house. Time passes and Saffron is still with this lady, dubbed the umbrella lady because she carries an umbrella with her every time she leaves home. This book was a bit odd, but came together in an OK way so maybe I'll read the next book about Saffron since I saw her story continues.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova -- Alice Howland is a professor and research scientist at Harvard. When she starts having some memory issues around the time of her fiftieth birthday, she decides to ask her doctor if this is normal - menopausal behavior perhaps? What follows is a case of Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease and how she and her family deal with this diagnosis. Good book, and I like that it is told from the perspective of Alice. I've recommended this book to my family and a friend, and have thought of it several times since I read it. 

Past Perfect by Susan Isaacs -- Katie worked for a couple of years with the CIA, but she was fired without any explanation. Fifteen years later, she still wants to know what happened. When a former coworker calls saying she has the answer and will call back tomorrow, Katie is ready for answers. Only her former coworker never calls and Katie cannot locate her. Pretty good story. The author is a rather amusing lady which I like at times, but also sometimes comedy in books distracts from the story for me.  

The English American by Alison Larkin -- Twenty-eight years ago Pippa was adopted by British parents from a young mother in the United States. When she finally gets around to wanting to find out where she came from, she is able to get in touch with Billie, a Georgian living in New York. She's invited to visit her birth mother, and what follows is an adventure of where she gets her hands, her laugh, her artistic and messy traits.  One of my favorite parts are the comments about what Pippa finds so different in the US. For instance telling folks "I love you," or the easy talk of God or money make her squirm. Many times she bit back her honest thoughts and credited this to her British upbringing of being polite no matter what. 

The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen -- Again I cannot remember all the details from past books in this series - On Devonshire Shores - but this one is mostly about Claire's return to England to be near her mom and sisters. She was disowned by her father after running off with a guy who said he'd marry her, but after that broken relationship, she was living in Scotland with an elderly family member. After Aunt Mercer dies, she returns and becomes a partner in a boarding house. William Howland is a widower with a young child named Mira. Pretty good story. 

Out of the Rain by V.C. Andrews -- This is the sequel to the book mentioned above about Saffron. After the death of Mazy, the umbrella lady, Saffron decides to look for the father who never returned for her. Her father is stunned to see Saffron show up in his yard, and hurriedly instructs her where to go and urges her to go along with his story before she comes to live with him, his wife, Ava, and their two children Karen and Garson. Saffron goes to a private school and gets used to living with "Uncle Derick"'s family though it's hard to keep her story straight. Interesting story and what a father! 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson -- Ernie aka Ern is with his family at a must-be-there family reunion because his brother Michael is being released from prison, and it was imperative that everyone be at this event to welcome him. Ern is the narrator of this story and adds a lot of commentary and editor's notes as well as telling the Dear Reader where to find all the murders throughout this book. Ha!  I heard about this book from Myrna so I decided to read it. 

We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin -- Meg was driving when her family was in an accident which led to her husband's death. They were being harassed by a group of skinheads trying to photograph them when Meg lost control of the vehicle. A few months later, Meg and her daughter Lily are confronted with a website that makes them believe they were targeted. This book took me a while to get into, but it ended up being pretty good though not my favorite from this author. 

My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero -- Another from Myrna's January book list, this is a Junior Biography in my library geared obviously to younger readers. Interesting story! I read it within a few hours on Valentine's Day and when I read the last chapter, I felt so so sad that this reality of Trump in office AGAIN was happening to the immigrant community. Andrew recently finished Wilmer Valderrama's book which I picked up for him at the library, and we talked about his story, how his family came to the US for a better life. Really wish people had more compassion in understanding why people move to countries. It's not that they dislike their homes (food, culture, language, family), but are often searching for better lives. And sometimes they are fleeing dangerous situations and can't apply through legal channels (like that is super-easy, quick, and cheap!). Like I've told some folks, You have to be desperate to come to the US where even the Christians*** hate you!   Since I wrote this, Andrew read this book while I still had it checked out. He enjoyed her stories and we've continued talking about Diane and Wilmer. 

***  I know not all Christians hate immigrants, but it seems many of them do. They only like the ones who come legally which, as I said earlier, is not cheap or easy or something folks always think to do when they are desperate. Also I called out "the Christians" because supposedly Jesus told us to love others. Like after loving God with all our hearts, we are supposed to love others.  Even our enemies! 

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James -- Kitty pretends to be a nurse and gets a job at a place where men who fought in the Great War are now recovering after madness sets in. She's desperate to escape home and thinks this place will be a good area to hide. She meets interesting patients and fellow nurses. Pretty good though her books always have a ghostly element that some people may not like. 

The Last Room On the Left by Leah Konen -- Kerry has signed up to be the caretaker for the month of February at this motel outside of the City, and she discovers the room she is supposed to be living in has the previous occupant's stuff all in it. Odd. This book alternates between Kerry and Siobhan's voices with a bit of Allison in the mix. A pretty good thriller about good friends, a murder, and more! 

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison -- Aubrey's husband disappeared five years ago when the two of them split up for their friends' separate parties. When Aubrey went to meet Josh later that evening, he never showed up. Five years later, he's finally declared dead by the courts, but Aubrey still wonders what happened. Meanwhile she runs into a man who reminds her so much of Josh, and she and Chase become close. Will she ever figure out what happened to her husband? 

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio -- Flora is headed to England to work as a nanny. Her assignment is to find a rare camellia and inform the man who hired her, but she starts enjoying her job with the children.  Meanwhile - in more recent times - Addison and Rex head to England from the US where Rex's family has a home - the place Flora lived decades ago. This was OK. 

The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopolous -- This book was highly recommended by Suzanne, so I looked to see if my library had it.  I put it on hold, and it was finally available this month.  I enjoyed learning more about how the presidents from JFK to Biden used the Sit Room. I was introduced to so many interesting people and some of my favorites were Gerald Ford's photographer, David Hume Kennerly, who piped up to offer a suggestion regarding the Cambodians capturing a ship even though he was supposed to be a "fly on the wall." (see page 80)  I also really enjoyed the backstory to the famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."  (At one point he thought of just letting President Reagan say it in German since speechwriter Peter Robinson got the idea after visiting with a group of Berliners (pg. 143). He was told by the chief speechwriter that an American President should always give his big lines in English...ha.)  I also noted how much I liked Brent Scowcroft and the tech wizard Gary Bresnahan who were mentioned several times as they served under several presidential administrations.  I love the stories of the Bush family - the first George and Barbara - and how they were "informal" compared to the Reagans. If it was a slow night, they even invited staffers to join them in eating popcorn and watching movies (pg. 170).  The pages about "please hold for the President" were pretty good and invite a chuckle, while the chapter about 9/11 brought tears to my eyes as I relived that day. It was interesting that although the Sit Room was to be evacuated, folks decided to stay so one man had them write down their names and SSNs - a "dead list" in case they died there. I love that "U.S. Navy detailees to the White House mess, which was adjacent to the Sit Room, also refused to leave." After being told that they were free to go, yet learning folks were staying in the Sit Room, one guy said, "You guys are gonna need to eat. What do you want?" (pg. 208)  

So many good backstories! 

I wrote the above when I was about 80% finished with the book and since then I read the chapter about the Trump presidency which was interesting!   I read quite a bit of that chapter to Andrew and thought about what advisors to Trump in his first term think about things now since it seems there is no one there to "take the phone away."  I guess time will tell.

The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner -- Meg's dad has promised to take her to Florence since she was a young girl. Years later, she finally gets the chance to visit the place where her beloved Nonna lived at one time. Unfortunately her father doesn't meet her at the airport, yet Meg finds a place to stay with Sofia, the lady writing a memoir. This book took me longer to read than it should have as I had a hard time sticking with the story. It wasn't terrible, but not my favorite from this author. Also I was reading the book mentioned above while reading this so my attention was divided. 

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange -- In order to help his father after having a stroke, Kyle returns to Potsdam, New York, after leaving nearly 2 years ago. Casey has to deal with her former husband returning to help his father who lives across the street from her. Why did this couple split up and why did Kyle leave in the first place?

HBD, DBF3! <3

January Books

 The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson -- A pretty long book (over 400 pages), but pretty easy to read. Constance is the companion to an older lady, and makes friends with Poppy, the daughter of a baronet, who rides a motorcycle. Harris is Poppy's brother who lost his leg during the war. Anyway, a pretty good story to start the year. 

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James -- A receptionist by day, Shea is a true-crimes blogger at night, and in this story she meets the lady acquitted as "the Lady Killer" back in the late 1970s. The alternative story here is from Beth's point of view. Pretty good.

The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers -- I have several books on hold, but none of them was available so when I saw this on the New Books shelf, I decided to check it out.  The author admits up front that this is a work of fiction based on ten years of research from which she "extracted various hints, allusions, and suggestions that fed my personal interpretation of Julia's little known, but formative OSS service in World War II Asia."  

All By Myself, Alone by Mary Higgins Clark  -- I like these books sometimes because they are super-fast reads. This one takes place on a cruise ship where not everyone makes it across the ocean unchanged. There are guest lecturers like Celia the gemologist, and the guy who lectures on Shakespeare. Then there are the quirky guests such as Lady Em and her assistant Brenda among others. 

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer MacAllister -- Some of the story of Aimée Crocker, the lady with many surnames due to her many marriages. Interesting person if you like nontraditional types.

All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- This continues the Under Suspicion series. Laurie and her team try to figure out what happened to Amanda who was dubbed "the Runaway Bride" five years ago when she never showed up for her wedding. She's never been seen since,either. 

The HItchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel -- Imagine getting together with your college friends several years after you all have gone your separate ways. Things might have been fun in college, but they did not end well.  Alfred now owns the creepy house at the top of the hill, and has made it into an inn based on Alfred Hitchcock's films. Zoe, Julius, Grace, TJ, and Samira reluctantly agree to the weekend reunion.. so exciting! 

Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova -- Imagine being one of Boston's finest - a patrol cop for many years, when your wife wants you to go to the doctor because of odd behavior. She believes you when you say you haven't been drinking or taking drugs. Unfortunately tests confirm a neurological disorder - Huntington's Disease - that is debilitating and fatal. This is such an interesting and, yes, even entertaining read as Joe deals with his diagnosis in his early forties, and even his adult children decide whether or not to get tested for the gene mutation. There's a fifty fifty chance they will inherit this awful disease, too. 

The Wright Sister by Patty Dann -- An imagined pile of diary entries and letters from Katharine Wright to her brother Orville after she married for the first time at fifty-two. Orville was so bothered by this, he refused to speak to his sister. Thankfully I read a much fuller novel about this family last year so this wasn't a shock to me. 

I Need You To Read This by Jessa Maxwell -- After the lady who ran the "Dear Constance" advice column is murdered, Alex sends in her application to fill the position. Francis Keen's advice was always meaningful to Alex, and she is shocked when the editor calls her, asking her to fill the position. Pretty good story. 

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis -- Charlotte is a curator at the Met in New York City after years of studying about ancient Egypt. She took a trip there nearly forty years ago, but has mostly refused to return due to a terrible curse. Annie is a young adult looking for her way in life. An interesting story about archaeology and antiquities. 

Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- I'm trying to finish the Under Suspicion series and this was next in line. Laurie and her team investigate the death of a society lady who fell off the roof at the Met during a gala. The prime suspect was her boyfriend who was a couple of decades younger, but he was never convicted.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James -- The book begins in 1982 when Viv is in Fell, New York, working the night shift at the Sun Down Motel. She's read about another young lady who has been killed and then she - Viv - disappears. Then it's 2017 and Carly arrives in the same town and begins a search for her aunt Viv, someone she never knew, but someone her mom grieved until her death from cancer. Pretty good story especially if you don't mind a few ghosts in the mix. 

The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader -- Clara and Abbie are shocked when a celebrity comes to their mom's funeral. How did BettyAnn Beecher know this famous woman? Thus begins the story of how Kitty, BettyAnn, and Jenny met at a nursing college in Iowa during the Vietnam era. Jenny's goal is to go to Vietnam to serve whereas Kitty's dream is to travel to Hollywood to be a seamstress. Pretty good story about these friends over the decades.

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith -- The latest in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series featuring Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi (she of the 97% on her final examination at the secretarial school), the lovely detectives in Botswana. In this book they are asked to investigate strange happenings at the Great Hippopotamus Hotel among other things. 

You Don't Own Me by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- I think I've read all the Under Suspicion books finally. This one has Laurie and her team investigating the murder of a famous doctor. His wife was suspected of his murder, but it wasn't proven. 

The Adults by Caroline Hulse -- Matt waited for several weeks before asking Alex about going with him on a trip around Christmas. He wants his ex wife and her partner to join them for the sake of Scarlett, his seven year old daughter.  He and Claire (the ex) get along well, and he wants to see his daughter open her presents at Christmas. Did I mention this trip is not just a weekend, but a five-day event?  What could possibly go wrong? 

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova -- This author is a neuroscientist and her novels focus on people with brain conditions such as Huntington's Disease, ALS, autism and so forth. I only discovered her books recently and read the story about HD earlier this month. In this book, she talks about Maddy who discovers she has bipolar disorder. I am going to look for more of her books as they are helpful to me in learning more about people who have neurological conditions that we often don't understand and fear. 

The Close Up by Pip Drysdale -- Zoe is a British woman living in Los Angeles struggling with writer's block as she is due to write another book. While working her day job as a florist, she is reunited with Zach who she met a few years ago when her boyfriend Will broke up with her. Since then Zach has become a star, and Zoe is pleasantly surprised when he seems to want to rekindle their relationship.

Bad Habits by Amy Gentry -- Claire and Gwen reconnect at a conference where Claire (formerly known as Mac short for MacKenzie) is one of the speakers. This book alternates between their late-night chat and back to their younger years especially when the two of them were part of The Program. Gwen was mentored by Rocky whereas Rocky's wife, the powerful Bethany Ladd took Mac under her wing. Lots of unethical conduct here, and this book was just "meh" to me. At least it was a quick read. 

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins -- The story starts with Rosie and Morgan exchanging anonymous messages through a donor connection site. Rosie was the recipient of Morgan's wife's heart when his wife, Daphne, died unexpectedly at a young age. Rosie nearly immediately realizes that this husband she's writing is a local author and she follows him on Instagram imagining them meeting in real life and who knows? falling in love! Pretty good. 

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane -- Addison's husband, a well-known doctor, died from a fall. Or maybe he was pushed? Either way, she's under suspicion. She's glad he's dead. She married him as part of a scheme, but she didn't kill him. Who did? 

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden -- Erika knows her son is special. He's handsome, smart, polite, and has a dark side. When a local girl goes missing, Erika prays that Liam is not involved, 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak -- Frank is so happy to hear from his daughter after their three-year estrangement, and is shocked when she invites him to her upcoming wedding. Frank along with his older sister and a foster daughter make the trek to New Hampshire to meet this family, and some weird stuff happens that makes him question his daughter and her future inlaws. 

Itchy Boots Season 8: Bike Building in Germany to the Border of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran

 I haven't written about Itchy Boots' adventurers since Season 7 ended in Africa. She took a few months off to heal from her surgery, and in late September, she started posting videos again to her YouTube channel.  I decided to post this about her first 25 episodes of Season 8. 

2024 

September 29; October 6, 13, 20

We watched episodes 1-4 which were in Germany and the Netherlands

Noraly was in Germany showing us her new bike which is actually a 1987 Yamaha which Moritz and his mechanics custom-made for her.  1987 is special to Noraly because that's the year she was born. In the second episode we learned the bike's name, Frankie, because she is a bit of a Frankenstein.  This section wasn't my favorite as I'm not a huge motorcycle person and prefer Noraly traveling to showing off the new bike, but I know she was eager to get this season started after her channel was idle for over four months.

October 27, 30

We watched episodes 5 and 6 which were in Turkey.

Noraly rode from European Turkey into Asian Turkey. I enjoyed seeing the flamingos, the lake, mountains, and trout farms.

November 3,6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27

We watched episodes 7-14 which were in Turkey

I enjoyed the historical and cultural aspects, seeing a Roman amphitheatre, the city of Konya, Rumi's grave, and a whirling dervish performance. I also enjoyed little girls who were saying "bye" like a southerner (in my opinion) and "I love you" (eps. 9). It was interesting to see underground cities and an abandoned village in Cappadocia (eps. 11), and watching Noraly ride through many tunnels along the Euphrates River to a city on the Black Sea (eps. 13). 

December 1, 4, 9, 11, 15, 18, 21, 25, 29

We watched episodes 15-23 which were in Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan

I enjoyed her interaction with the locals in many of these episodes. In Kurdistan, it was interesting to see the monastery as well as the Yazidi temple. (eps. 19). I was amused by Muhammad trying to interest Noraly in his 18 year old son, and I enjoyed that she was able to give them a gift of honey after they were so hospitable to her (eps. 20).  While Noraly had a great time in Kurdistan, unfortunately, her bike was stolen in Erbil for a bit, and the thieves cut several wires which made the electrical part of her bike unworkable. Because this bike can also be kickstarted, it came in handy that it was an older bike with that option until she can get it fixed (eps. 22). 

2025

January 1, 5

We watched episodes 24 and 25 which took place in Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran

As she started for the Iranian border, she discovered she had left her passport at the hotel. Thankfully she wasn't terribly far away so she could go back and get it. A man there reminded her she needed a hijab to use while in Iran so she purchased a scarf. (eps. 24).  The reason she is headed to Iran is so she can, hopefully, enter Federal Iraq. Apparently she can't go directly from the Kurdish region into the non-Kurdish region so she's going into Iran to sort out the visa so she can explore another part of Iraq. She's hoping to get Frankie fixed in Baghdad.  It was interesting to see the border crossing: the helpful people and the ones warning her about petrol smugglers.  Also, a nice customs official left a bag of oranges on her motorcycle while she was in the hotel (eps. 25.)

December 2024

Happy last day of the year! 

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben -- This is the second book featuring sports agent and parttime sleuth Myron Bolitar. When a young tennis star is killed at a major US event, Harlan looks into why Valerie was targeted. He and his friend Win investigate. While these books are easy reading (fast to get through) and are amusing (especially when I read about cassette tapes, VCRs, and car phones not to mention Myron's adolescent humor), I don't love the series so far. 

Look on the Bright Side by Kristan Higgins -- Lark wants to work in the oncology department, but she gets moved to emergency medicine because she cries too much when her patients die.  Meanwhile Dr. Santorini aka Dr. Satan, because he's really not a friendly sort, asks for a favor in order to keep his family happy, especially his beloved Noni. Pretty cute story. 

The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- another book in the Under Suspicion series. This time Laurie and her coworkers head to California to interview the mother, friends and acquaintances in the murder of Susan several years ago. Susan was supposed to show up to an audition, but didn't and was later found dead in a canyon. 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley -- A British civil servant is promoted to be part of a secret task: being the "bridge" for someone who is here from the past. Yes, that's right: the British have somehow been able to transport a handful of individuals from the past to current times. This narrator's charge (they call them "expats") is Commander Graham Gore known as 1847 because this is when they think he died while part of Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to the Arctic. 

My Darling Boy by Helen Cooper -- Chrissy awaits the release of her son Leo after he served a two-year sentence for manslaughter. Chrissy's former best friend's son Robbie was killed. When Chrissy goes to pick up her son, he's told Leo left a few hours earlier and now he has seemingly disappeared. 

The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor -- Amelia is an actor chosen to play the romance writer Gloria Diamond, an author her mother loved. Amelia has the opportunity to live with Gloria for a few days, hoping to learn more about the world-famous author, but finds Gloria aloof at best. This book is told in a couple timelines of Gloria as a young woman (known back then as Mare short for Mary), and present time. Interesting story. 

The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell -- This book was OK. I kept reading it because I was wanting to know if the NTSB officer investigating a plane crash over Kansas was able to convince Erin, the woman who allegedly survived the crash, to come forward and admit she survived. 

Christmas With the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb -- Cute story featuring Olive the single mum, news reporter with the BBC circa 1950s and Jack, the Louisiana born chef who gets a job working in the royal kitchens not long after Queen Elizabeth replaces her father. 

The Janes by Lousia Luna -- This book stars Alice Vega and her sidekick Cap from a previous book which I must have liked since I put this book on my list to read. And I did like certain aspects of this story, but it was so hard to get through. I think it's because I was falling asleep while reading it at night, and couldn't follow the story as well as a more-awake me would have done. After Vega and Cap are hired to help the police, they locate the missing girls and are suddenly on the run from these same officers. 

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood -- A good way to learn more about the Wright brothers as well as their sister Katharine and their father. I learned quite a bit from this novel! 

Jackie by Dawn Clifton Tripp -- An interesting look at Jackie Kennedy's life just before she married JFK and beyond. 

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben -- A stand-alone novel which so far I prefer from this author...no offense to Myron Bolitar as he's a pretty cool dude. David is in prison for killing his son. He doesn't remember doing this, but the jury found him guilty and he is serving his time. When his former sister in law visits him in prison with a picture that seems to show his son alive and at an amusement park, David wants to find out if that is Matthew. But he's in prison so that's going to be tricky. 

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde -- When his social studies teacher offers extra credit to any student who comes up with a plan to make the world a better place - and to put that plan into action, Trevor decides to pay it forward by helping someone down on his luck as well as setting up his mom with his social studies teacher. He also helps a lady on his paper route.  He's not sure he's much of a success at implementing his plan, though. 

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins -- I wasn't sure if I'd finish this one before the end of the year, but I had more time to read today and I did finish!  This story is about Grace who lived on an island where her artist friend Vanessa painted and sculpted. Beck is wanting to collect the art pieces Vanessa left to the museum, but Grace isn't keen on giving up her friend's work. An OK book. 

November Books

 The Burning by Jane Casey -- I've seen these mysteries featuring detective Maeve Kerrigan for a while now, and decided to start this series from the beginning so I'd know the characters from the start. This book is from 2010, and I see there are more than a dozen in this series now.  In this book Maeve and her fellow detectives search for a serial killer. Also Louise is coming to grips with her best friend Rebecca's death. 

The Wilds by Sarah Pearse -- This book features Elin and Isaac from past books, and I wish I remembered their stories better, but I've read so many books, I just don't.  In this book the siblings are at a retreat in Portugal where they are supposed to relax and reconnect, however, the mystery of Kier follows them. Kier's brother Penn contacted Isaac about helping to locate his sister so while Elin is supposed to be relaxing, she gets involved in the search. And what's up with the folks living in their vans at the camp?

An American Story: Everyone's Invited by Wilmer Valderrama -- I started this memoir on election day... great story of the author's being born in Miami, but leaving at age three for his father's homeland in Venezuela. I have a soft spot for Venezuelans, and I like Wilmer on NCIS! 

Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke -- An older book, but a really neat story about Rachel who was raised to be a pure Aryan specimen and her meeting with Jason Young, an American journalist stationed in Berlin. Meanwhile Lea is preparing to help with the Passion Play which takes place every decade in Oberammergau. 

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark. -- I realized recently that I've nead a couple newer books in the Under Suspicion series and never knew the backstory referred to in them.  I looked up these books in order and this is book one that introduces us to Laurie Moran whose husband was killed by Blue Eyes when her son was just three. Five years later, the murder is still unsolved, and Laurie is producing a new television show which revisits the murder of a socialite who was hosting her daughter and her daugther's three friends for a Graduation Gala - the four young women had recently graduated from college.  

On The Surface by Rachel McGuire -- Dani and Sawyer are in the Bahamas where Dani is trying to capture the perfect videos to become a YouTube sensation. She's hoping to make a lot of money by posting about their life on a boat. But when Sawyer wakes up after a party and can't find Dani, people start questioning him. Because it's (almost) always the boyfriend or husband, right? 

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty -- Imagine being on a flight nearly getting ready to land when an older lady starts walking up the aisle pointing at people saying "cause of death, age of death" followed by things like "pancreatic cancer, age 66" or "old age, age 100." This is what happened on a flight in Australia, so after that flight people kept tabs on their fellow passengers to see if the Death Lady's predictions came true. Meanwhile the reader learns about this lady's story. Her name is Cherry by the way. Not Cheryl.  

The Stranger at the Wedding by A.E. Gauntlett -- At Annie and Mark's wedding, there is a guy sitting there who gives them both the creeps. Who is this man that they did not invite? Did Mark's father invite him as the stranger claims? Meanwhile we learn the backstory of Annie and Mark and of Cameron and how he came to be at the wedding. 

The Reckoning by Jane Casey --  I decided to try another of the Maeve Kerrigan mysteries. In this book the team starts out investigating the brutal murders of two men convicted of sexual crimes against minors. Why are these men being targeted and will there be more murders?

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen -- Stella is a lawyer for the good of children usually in custody cases, and her good friend Charles asks her to take on the case of 9 year old Rose. Beth and Ian are divorcing, each is suspected in the death of their nanny, but police don't have enough evidence to charge one or the other. Meanwhile they each want Rose to live with them and Stella has to spend time with Rose to figure out which one to recommend. 

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight -- Cleo and her mom, Kat, have a difficult relationship, but Cleo reluctantly agrees to meet her mom for dinner. Yet when Cleo arrives, the food is burning and she can't find her mom. Plus she finds blood on a shoe and broken glass.  This book explores what led up to this evening and beyond as Cleo searches for clues about what happened.

Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara -- Julia is back living in Ireland after twenty years in California, and she's meeting a couple school friends for drinks when Eleanor finds out from being tagged on Facebook, that the other person who was supposed to be there, Anya, was discovered dead by her partner. As Julia struggles to make sense of this - along with remembering the fourth girl in their JADE friendship - that would be D for Donna - these viral TikTok videos keep showing her house and someone coming down from the ladder!  Creepy!  With the help of her ex-husband Gabe, her friend Eleanor, and new neighbors Alastair and Drew and Shirin, Julia tries to figure out what's going on.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager -- Ethan comes back to the family house near Princeton when his parents move to Florida. There he is confronted with the disappearance of his best friend Billy who was taken when the boys were ten years old and camping in Ethan's back yard. It's three decades later, but Ethan still has The Dream which fuels his insomnia. 

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden -- Sydney is having a terrible time finding a good guy to date despite using the app specifically for NYC-area matches.  Then she finally meets a doctor who seems spectacular in most every way. Meanwhile the reader learns the backstory of Tom and his pal Slug from high school. 

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles -- A novel set in northern France during World War I when Jessie "Kit" Carson travels there to help set up the library. Only she finds so much more needs doing and she joins in without a fuss. An interesting way to read more about CARD and what the Cards did. 

 A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison -- Riley is a reporter chosen by the famous author Columbia Jones to follow her around while on tour and get exclusive interviews. What a gift! But when Columbia is found dead in her hotel room, Riley as well as Columbia's daughter Darian look to solve this mystery. 

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea -- Sloan uses a DNA testing service as part of a forensic project and finds way more than she bargained for. She appears to be "missing baby Charlotte" from a story that made national headlines nearly three decades ago. 

October Books

 Happy Halloween! 

The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen -- Liz is a newspaper reporter who investigates the disappearance of Little Lucy in London with her friend, a detective with the police.  When Liz visits the abandoned town near the coast, she feels strongly that she'd been there before, but how could she have when she grew up in a totally different area?  

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day -- Charley is the 'chambermaid' of a family-owned hotel in the boonies of Maine. After the owner dies, the three Bishop sisters arrive to see what their father left them. Also, a stranger Bree is in residence as Charley helps her flee from an abusive boyfriend. What could go wrong? 

Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman -- After Nina's father dies, she is stunned to learn of a house in the British Virgin Islands that he left her. Her father never left England as far as she knew - how did he have a house there? Meanwhile Maria is hired to be a nanny for a single father and his two children who are vacationing in the Caribbean. Only...they never show up. Instead she's given instructions to enjoy the house except for the room at the end of the bottom floor. No problem.  

The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart -- Ana is a Christian Polish woman who delivers babies. Ester is a Jewish woman Ana delivered years ago. When the two meet at Auschwitz, they encourage each other to not give up. 

The Orphanage by Lizzie Page -- After she's let go of her dream job which includes organizing things in neat rows, Clara takes a job as a housemother at the Shilling Grange Orphanage where she has eight children under her care. She soon discovers caring for troubled children is way beyond her ability so she seeks to leave so someone more qualified can take her place. The head lady at the council asks for six weeks to find someone else, and during this time Clara seeks to help the children in ways unfamiliar to them. I really enjoyed this book which captured my interest from the start! 

Murder Road by Simone St. James -- Eddie and April are headed towards their honeymoon destination when Eddie takes a wrong exit, and the couple give a ride to a young woman who turns out to be stabbed. They get involved in this small-town's history of murders along this one road.

Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman -- Agnes is thrilled when the author of her favorite novel invites her to her Hudson Valley home in order to help with the sequel. But things get strange as the author's novel sounds more like a true story, and Agnes wonders how her own mother may play into it. 

The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott -- Pretty interesting story ranging from Olga and Boris in the USSR to the spy agency in the United States featuring The Typists as well as Irinia and Sally, Teddy and Henry among others.  

Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins -- Willa's sister disappeared when Laika was thirteen, and, understandably, this colored Willa's life from that time forward. She attended a boarding school where she met Robyn, and later Willa meets up with Robyn again and meets Robyn's wife Cat. Anyway...this book was actually pretty good, but I found it rather weird that I'd just read about Laika in the book before this one - and here it was used again. And the girl named Laika was named Laika because of the dog! Ha!

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter -- Jonah is getting ready to pop the question to Lauren when she takes a tumble and ends up losing her memory of the summer when they fell in love. Instead she remembers her arrival at Jonah's parents' resort and how he was unwelcoming to her in the director's role. Jonah is heartbroken to realize Lauren can't remember that they turned from foes to dating. 

The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning -- This book takes place partly in Australia where Roza and Hannah are visited by Roza's father Nico from the former Yugoslavia. Hannah is thirteen when her grandpa brings an album that Roza hides and forbids her daughter to see. Another part of this book takes place in Mauthausen, Austria, where a photographer saves negatives of pictures he takes for the Nazis. The Nazis want five photo albums showing off their atrocities, but the photographer and his helper make an extra copy so the world will one day know what the Germans did.  

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar -- Two sisters - ten months apart and both seniors in high school - attend their school's Senior Sabbatical, and one of them is missing. As Grace tries to remember what happened the night she was rescued from the side of a road, Maddy tells the story of what they did during their five days away from home. 

Six Years by Harlan Coben -- Jake is waiting for his next office hours appointment when he sees the obituary of a man he watched his summer love marry six years ago. As promised, he didn't contact Natalie while she was married to Todd, but now that he's died, he wants to reconnect. When he flies to South Carolina for the funeral, he is stunned to find Todd has a different wife and teenage children. Did this man have another family that Natalie didn't know of? Where is Natalie? 

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- After her author husband dies by suicide, Anna Williams-Bonner tries her hand at writing a novel and meets immediate success. As she does book tours around the country, Anna meets various types. When she starts getting excerpts of a manuscript mirroring her own life, Anna seeks to find who is sending these drafts to herself and her husband's parents, among others. 

The Sleeping Beauty Killer by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke -- After Casey serves 15 years for the manslaughter of her fiancé, she is determined to prove her innocence. She contacts Laurie from the Under Suspicion TV show about investigating her case.

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin -- Emma is a single parent with a young daughter who is lucky to find a compassionate boss who gives her a job in a library. I say "lucky" because at the time of this book, married women and those with children seldom worked. This book takes place during World War II and is a pretty good story!