Adult Winter Reading Club Book Reviews: Week Three
Here are this week’s reviews from the members of the Adult Winter Reading Club:
Finding Home by Amy O’Neill
This was a love story following Avery Scott and how she fell in love with Damien Focelli when she moved to San Diego, CA. Although the plot was predictable, I found I could not stop reading this book. The author did a good job with descriptions and dialogue.
Rating: 3 out of 5
A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal
The author recounts his experience as a six year old boy who survived a Nazi kidnapping. Told mostly through his memoirs as a child, you can’t help to appreciate why he calls this book A Lucky Child.
Rating: 5 out of 5
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
This was a bittersweet read since the main character, Campbell Scott, is very likable, even if she is “hope resistant.” After all, Cam is a teen cancer patient, who has spent many years in & out of hospitals, and is now slowly dying. Cam, along with her mother and sister, move from Florida to a small Maine town, hoping for a miracle cure. I loved Cam’s misadventures working through her Flamingo List, the friends she finds along the way, and especially her gradual attitude change.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Tick Tock by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
A rash of horrific copycat crimes are being committed by a deadly mastermind. This book has it all – Irish cop and family, romance and grisly murders right up to the last page.
This book is the follow up to Step on a Crack.
Rating: 4 out 5
Charles Dickens: 200 years
In addition to all of the magical novels written by Charles Dickens, the titles below reflect books where he or his characters were inspiration for a new tale, along with a few excellent books about his life and writings.
Fiction
Barnaby Rudge : a tale of the riots of ‘eighty / by Charles Dickens
The chaos of the “No Popery” or Gordon Riots of 1780, with Lord George Gordon as a major figure.
Charles Dickens’ best stories/ edited and with an introduction by Morton Dauwen Zabel
Girl in a blue dress: a novel inspired by the life and marriage of Charles Dickens/Arnold, Gaynor
Recently widowed Dorothea Gibson examines her difficult life with a late, beloved, celebrity author during Queen Victoria’s reign in this novel based on the real-life troubled marriage of Charles Dickens.
Drood/ Simmons, Dan
Drood…is the name and nightmare that obsesses Charles Dickens for the last five years of his life. On June 9, 1865, Dickens and his mistress are secretly returning to London, when their express train hurtles over a gap in a trestle. All of the first-class carriages except the one carrying Dickens are smashed to bits in the valley below. When Dickens descends into the valley to confront the dead and dying, his life will change forever. And at the core of that ensuing five year nightmare is…Drood.
The last Dickens : a novel/ Pearl, Matthew
Boston, 1870. When news of Charles Dickens’ untimely death reaches the offices of his struggling American publisher, Fields & Osgood, partner James Osgood sends his trusted clerk Daniel Sand to await the arrival of Dickens’ unfinished novel. But when Daniel’s body is discovered by the docks and the manuscript is nowhere to be found, Osgood must embark on a transatlantic quest to unearth the novel that he hopes will save his venerable business and reveal Daniel’s killer.
Mister Pip / Lloyd Jones
On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, on which survival is a daily struggle, eccentric Mr. Watts, the only white man left after the other teachers flee, spends his day reading to the local children from Charles Dickens’s classic “Great Expectations.”.
Death by Dickens / edited by Anne Perry
An anthology of original mystery stories celebrates the work of Charles Dickens by bringing in some of his most famous characters, with contributions by Bill Crider, Carole Nelson Douglas, Peter Tremayne, and Anne Perry.
Mad as the Dickens: a Laura Fleming mystery / Toni L.P. Kelner
When her cousin implores her husband Richard to direct a production of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, Laura Fleming accompanies Richard to her hometown in North Carolina, where she becomes embroiled in murder and mayhem when the man who was cast as Scrooge is viciously slain.
Non-Fiction
Charles Dicken : a life / Claire Tomalin
A biography of Charles Dickens, examining his difficult youth, his rise to hero status as an author, and virtues and vices as a writer and a human being.
Charles Dickens/ Smiley, Jane
Offers a profile of Dickens’s life, interpretations of his major works, and a study of his narrative techniques, themes, characters, and style.
What Jane Austen ate and Charles Dickens knew: from fox hunting to whist : the facts of daily life in nineteenth-century England / Daniel Pool
Essays provide a view of British life during the nineteenth century.
Becoming Dickens: the invention of a novelist / Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
Looks at Charles Dickens’ early life before, and as, he established himself as a novelist, explaining how he was uncertain as to which career path to follow and describing the many struggles he had early on.
Adult Winter Reading Club
Adult Winter Reading Club Book Reviews
Week Two:
Here are this week’s reviews from the members of the Adult Winter Reading Club:
No Greater Sacrifice by John C. Stipa
This is a book continuing the Indiana Jones/Robert Langdon vein of adventure. Archeologist Renee d’Arcadia and Professor David Arturo are summoned to the reading of a will in Rennes-le-Chateau, France. They are soon unraveling clues to a 100 year old mystery, racing around Europe, and dodging killers. At times I felt a bit lost with the leaps of logic that took place to advance the story, but overall this was a very entertaining read.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Outrage by Arnaldur Indridason
I love this series of mysteries! This is the sixth book in the Dectective Erlendur series, and even though his colleague Elinborg solves this murder, it’s still a fascinating story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
The Retribution by Val McDermid
This is part of a British mystery series featuring detective Carol Jordan and profiler Tony Hill. This story has an interesting twist from the usual murder mystery in that there are two serial killers to chase down this time. I was not familiar with the previous books in this series, but that did not detract from the thrills of this book.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Travels in the Scriptorium by Paul Auster
This is the story about Mr. Blank, an old man clueless as to his identity and location. He’s just as lost as to why he is being helped with his daily routine. As you are reading it, you continue to wonder if any of this mystery can have any logical explanation.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Adult Winter Reading Club Book Reviews Week One:
This week’s reviews from the members of the Adult Winter Reading Club: Week One
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Stephen King at his best! You will be transported to the late 1950′s – early 1960′s along with main character Jake Epping as he travels back in time to try to prevent JFK’s assassination. I did not live through this time period so it was especially interesting to get a glimpse into what it was like to experience the Cuban Missile Crisis – and how terrifying it was for Americans. I found it very suspenseful and highly recommend it – whether you’re a long time King fan or have never read his work!
Blizzard of Glass – The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker
I enjoyed reading the personal stories of those people affected by the explosion, mixed in with the factual information on the circumstances of this disaster. Fascinating and not morbid.
Rating: 3 out of 5
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A tale of a young German girl in Nazi Germany who is sent to live with foster parents by her mother (accused of Communist leanings) for her own safety. Most of the story takes place on a small, poor German street but it is so richly written that it opens up an entire world of memorable characters. A heartbreaking tale of what it means to be brave, supportive, and neighborly during horrific times.
Everyone should read this novel – but bring a box of tissues.
Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? by Perry Romanowski
This is a non-fiction book which dispels many myths about cosmetics, soaps, and beauty products. I learned a lot from this book. Some of the facts are amazing, and also disturbing!
Rating 4 out of 5
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
This is the story of Jude Coyne, a semi-retired rock and roll star with a penchant for collecting macabre death-related artifacts. He gets more than he bargained for when he purchases a ghost from an ebay-type auction site. I haven’t been this terrified by a book in a long time! I found myself reading it in small bits and pieces, forced to put it aside when my heart was beating too fast. The suspense and terror starts early and is maintained through most of the novel. Joe Hill follows wonderfully in his father, Stephen King’s, footsteps. If you’re looking for a scare – look no further. And now a disclaimer from my husband. He would like you all to know that I’m a bit of a wimp. Agreed. But this book was still quite scary!!
Sister by Rosamund Lupton
This is a British type of mystery which slowly unfolds to reveal Bee Hemming uncovering clues that led to her sister’s (Tess) death. The story is told in a reflective mode which keeps one guessing till the end. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the characters/suspects.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Smarty Jones by Billy Valentine and “Team Smarty”
The true story about the winner of the Kentucky Derby. The ups and downs of “Smarty” and his “Team Smarty” leave you with a clear sense of what it takes to be a champion.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Excellent read. I love the main character, Michel Bennet, an Irish NYPD homicide detective who was once on the Hostage Negotiation Team. The story begins with the first lady poisoned and a huge celebrity crowd attending her funeral in St. Patrick’s in NYC who are all taken hostage.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner
A very touching book. The characters are adorable. I will remember this book for a long time. I cried at the very touching ending.
Rating: 5 out of 5
We the Animals by Justin Torres
I enjoyed this book. It is a bit of an odd read, but the characters do stick with you. It’s interesting and memorable.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Friendship in Fiction
Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos
Harboring romantic notions about golden-age Hollywood film stars, thirty-one-year-old Philadelphia cafe manager Cornelia Brown embarks on a too-good-to-be-true relationship with the debonair Martin Grace.
A priest knows the secrets of many people in his small town but divulges none of them.
Two girls meet one summer and become best friends until one girl falls passionately in love. An exploration of choices, of friendship, love, families and having a friend too dangerous to forgive and too essential to forget.
Disregarding local gossip that pegs her as an eccentric, sixty-five-year-old Nantucket widow Nan skinny-dips in unattended pools and steals her neighbors’ flowers before her dwindling funds force her to take in boarders, a change that brings an unexpected visitor.
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
Hallie Nodine fights for justice in Nicaragua while her sister, Codi, returns to Arizona to confront her dying father, as myths, dreams, and flashbacks blend to examine life’s commitments.
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch : a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note : I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread, and a request to share it with others. Still reeling from a tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. But when Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter.
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Gathering for their weekly knitting club at a small yarn shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a group of friends shares such challenges as raising children, navigating the ups and downs of their careers, and pursuing uncertain relationships.
Visiting Nantucket with their children during a summer vacation, three women befriend a local youth and share their struggles with such challenges as infidelity, the loss of a job under scandalous circumstances, and health problems.
A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber
Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth. They’re driving to Florida for Ruth’s 50th high school reunion. A long-time widow, Ruth would like very much to reconnect with Royce, the love of her youth. Bethanne’s ex-husband, Grant, would like to reconcile, so she also has a major life decision to consider. And Annie is out to prove to her onetime boyfriend that she can live a brilliant life without him. But even the best-laid plans can take an unexpected turn– or even be completely derailed.
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Popular television personality Valerie Adler turns to her long-forgotten, Illinois hometown friend Addie Downs when she runs into a bit of trouble involving betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets.
If You Like Sherlock Holmes…
Charles, Paul Sweetwater
Kennedy, while recuperating from an injury, is working on a Missing Person case when an acquaintance of his, Harry Ford, is murdered. The investigation uncovers the lives and loves and disappointments of four university friends, one of which, a Father Vincent O’Connor may also be involved in the original Mispers (Missing Persons) case.
Connelly, Michael Black Echo
A Vietnam veteran-turned-detective, Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch discovers the body of a former comrade-in-arms during an investigation and, with the help of an attractive FBI agent, hunts for the murderers on a trail leading back to Saigon.
Ginsberg, Debra The Neighbors are Watching
Set against the backdrop of the deadly 2007 wildfires that forced the evacuation of half-a-million San Diego residents, the author’s novel examines the dark side of suburbia- a place where everyone has something to hide.
Jenkins, Grant A Very Simple Crime
Assistant D.A. Leo Hewitt investigates a woman’s murder, discovering an emotionally disturbed wife, a husband who would do anything to escape his marriage, and a mentally handicapped adult son under suspicion.
Moore, Graham The Sherlockian
Literary researcher and Sherlock Holmes enthusiast Harold White is shocked when a scholar who discovered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s missing diary is murdered, while in 1890s London, Conan Doyle hunts a serial killer to prove his superiority to his famous character.
Pepper, Andrew Kill-Devil and Water
A gripping tale of brutal murder and deception set in the back streets of Victorian London and the cane fields of Jamaica.
Pullman, Philip Ruby in the Smoke
In nineteenth-century London, sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart, a recent orphan, becomes involved in a deadly search for a mysterious ruby.
Sheldon, Russell The Insane Train
Railroad security worker Hook Runyon and a crew of damaged World War II veterans find themselves facing murder when they escort a group of mental patients and their doctors to a new home after the Baldwin Insane Asylum burns to the ground.
Stout, Rex Hand in the Glove
Private detective Dol Bonner investigates the murder of a wealthy man, who had hired her to uncover information on an Indian guru’s extortion scheme.
Winspear, Jacqueline Birds of a Feather
When Maisie Dobbs is hired to find the missing daughter of a wealthy grocery magnate, she discovers that three of the heiress’s friends have died violently, leading her to investigate the connection between the disappearance and the murders.
If you like Sherlock Holmes
turkey
Allen, Sarah Addison The Girl Who Chased the Moon
Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew–a reclusive, real-life gentle giant–she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby; they’re a way of life.
http://alpha2.suffolk.lib.ny.us/search~S20?/tgirl+who+chased+the+moon/tgirl+who+chased+the+moon/1%2C1%2C2%2CB/frameset&FF=tgirl+who+chased+the+moon+a+novel&1%2C%2C2/indexsort=-
Childs, Laura Fiber & Brimstone
After two men who had unfriendly relationships with Jekyl Hardy wind up dead, Carmela Bertrand must put aside her monster-puppet craft project for the Halloween Monsters & Mayhem parade and find out who is framing the man she has known for years.
http://alpha2.suffolk.lib.ny.us/search~S20/?searchtype=t&searcharg=fiber+and+brimstone&searchscope=20&sortdropdown=-&SORT=D&extended=0&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=tbread+alone
Coyle, Cleo Holiday Grind
Coffeehouse manager and head barista Clare Cosi and her NYPD detective boyfriend discover the snowy body of a man dressed up in a Santa suit, and become convinced the death was more than a mugging gone awry.
Davidson, Diane Mott Fatally Flaky
Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz encounters bridezilla–and murder–when bridezilla’s fiancé is killed because he was doing research at the Gold Gulch Spa–an allegation that’s confirmed when the deceased’s best friend (Goldy’s godfather) is attacked.
Fluke, Joanne Plum Pudding Murder
When Larry Jaeger, the owner of the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot, is murdered, bakery owner Hannah Swensen, during the busiest time of the year, must sift through a wealth of suspects before a murderous Scrooge strikes again.
Greenwood, Kerry Earthly Delights: A Corinna Mystery
Former accountant Corinna Chapman, has opted for the more sedate life of a baker. But with an assortment of offbeat neighbors, a drug addict dead on her doorstep, a secret admirer, and a threatening-letter writer, her new life is hardly sedate.
Gilbert-Collins, Susan M. Starting From Scratch
Withdrawing from graduate school after the death of her mother, Olivia avoids dealing with her grief by immersing herself in cooking and working for Meals on Wheels, where she stumbles upon a dark family secret.
Glass, Julia The Whole World Over
Hired as the personal chef to the governor of New Mexico, Greenie Duquette leaves behind her Greenwich Village pastry business and her husband to head west with her four-year-old son, prompting a period of upheaval and reflection for herself.
Hendricks, Judith Ryan Bread Alone
When her husband leaves her for another woman, Wynter Morrison moves to Seattle to start a new life and pursues her passion for bread making by accepting a position in a local bake shop, where she discovers the extraordinary healing power of making bread.
Melucci, Giulia I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti
“A Brooklyn-based publicist’s account of her relationships gone awry, and the food that sustained her through it all.”
Parkins, Gaile Baking Cakes in Kigali
Rendered a confidant and supportive friend for her willingness to listen to her neighbors in genocide-stricken Rwanda, baker Angel Tungaraza provides decadent confections and transforming counsel to a series of troubled customers.
http://alpha2.suffolk.lib.ny.us/search~S20/?searchtype=t&searcharg=baking+cakes+in+ki&searchscope=20&sortdropdown=-&SORT=D&extended=0&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=tstarting+from+scratch
Ray, Jeanne Eat Cake
Ruth draws on her talent for concocting delectable cakes and desserts when her family begins to disintegrate around her–her husband loses his job, her mother moves in, and her long-estranged father shows up at the door with no place to go.
http://alpha2.suffolk.lib.ny.us/search~S20?/teat+cake/teat+cake/1%2C2%2C2%2CB/frameset&FF=teat+cake&1%2C1%2C/indexsort=-
Senate, Melissa Love Goddess’ Cooking School
Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine–a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. When Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.
Wizenberg, Molly A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From my Kitchen Table
Author of the internationally famous blog, Orangette, Molly Wizenberg recounts a life with the kitchen at its center. From her mother’s pound cake, a staple of summer picnics during her childhood in Oklahoma, to the eggs she cooked for her father during the weeks before his death, food and memories are intimately entwined.
http://alpha2.suffolk.lib.ny.us/search~S20/?searchtype=t&searcharg=homemade+life&searchscope=20&SORT=D&extended=0&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=tin+my+mother%27s+kitchen
