By Brenda Novak
** Publication Date 17 Sept 2024 ** 4 stars I love Brenda Novak’s books. They are fun, engaging, and usually have a relevance to today’s world. Banned books have reached the forefront of our country again. So the fact that this book not only tackles the subject of banning books, but also sexual impropriety, I feel like it has a lot of relevance to our current world. Gia left home after high school. When college wasn’t where she wanted to be, she escaped to Alaska to work on fishing vessels. The money was good, and it gave her the space and nature she needed to put her life back together. But now Gia is back home in Iowa. Her mother is dying, and her sister had pleaded for help where her parents were concerned. Only Gia doesn’t want to be here. Too many bad memories. Too much scandal and drama. Too much. Back in high school, Gia divided the town when she accused her Honors English teacher of sexual misconduct. She’s barely been home since, and when she has been home, she’s been in and out like the wind. But now she’s going to be home for an extended length of time. She’s the villain as far as Mr. Hart’s family is concerned. She’s not even sure how most of the rest of the town feels. And it’s weighing on her. This book really tackles the tough stuff. Facing up to your past. Facing up to bullies and demons. Standing up for yourself and your integrity. Learning to forgive and learning to love again. It’s a wonderfully written novel that was easy to breeze through. Perfect for the upcoming fall days and nights. Enjoy.
0 Comments
By Coco Mellors
** Publication Date 3 September 2024 ** 4.5 stars Great novel! I did not read Cleopatra and Frankenstein, but I understand now why it was so popular. Coco Mellors has a gift for writing. The character development was outstanding. The storylines amazing. I loved this one. Originally there were four Blue sisters. Avery, Bonnie, Nicky, and Lucky. Tragically, Nicky died. (No spoilers!) Now the other three are trying to find their way in the world as an odd number. They lived in a small apartment in New York City, until they fled to other parts of the world to escape the hell they called home. Lucky is a model and has been since she turned 15. She is a party girl to the nth degree. She calls Paris home, but travels all over the world. Now in her 20s, she’s been quite successful, but most of the money she’s made has gone toward her need to party to the max. Bonnie is currently a bouncer at a bar in Venice, California. Formerly a boxer, she was the world champ until her world came crashing down. Heading toward 30, her life feels rudderless. She’s not sure where to go from here. And then there is Avery. The oldest and truly the one the girls always looked to as ‘mom’ because their own mom was a fairly absent mother. Not physically, but emotionally. Avery has always been the one to keep everything together. Except when she can’t. Avery is a recovering addict, married, living in London and working as a lawyer. When they receive a letter from their mother stating that the NYC apartment is being sold, all three women fall apart in their own ways. But this falling apart could be what they need to finally get back together. Truly wonderful. So well written and mesmerizing. Told from each woman’s point of view in alternating chapters. Absolutely loved this one for it’s openness and realism. Long, but worth every minute. By Alan Bradley
** Publication Date 3 September 2024 ** 4 stars When I realized that this was book 11/11, I was a bit worried that I’d be lost and confused. But no! While I don’t know the history of the De Luce family, I still enjoyed every bit of this novel. Might be that I’ll have to return to book 1 to find out where it all began. Flavia is apparently a thorn in the local law enforcement’s side in Bishop’s Lacey, England. Keen on chemistry and facts, Flavia can sometimes find the answers that the boys in blue cannot. So when a local resident is found dead, it’s Flavia and her trusty elder sidekick Dogger to find the answers. Driving Flavia mad is Undine. Another De Luce who seems to idolize Flavia, but also has a personality of her own. She is constantly underfoot and begging for attention. Whether from the Yanks living on a nearby defunct airbase or from Flavia and Dogger and Mrs. Mullet. It’s Mrs. Mullet who is in trouble here, as she was supposedly the last one to see the man alive. Not only that, but she fed him a breakfast of mushrooms drowned in butter. Mushrooms. Did she intentionally poison him with a bad mushroom? Only Flavia will know the truth. At least until she shares with the police. Mayhem and madness at times, this was a fun novel. Flavia is a brilliant young heroine. Mostly fearless. Dogger is a stalwart, capable, sturdy companion, which Flavia needs in her life. Undine is hysterical and annoying, but still endearing. This was so enjoyable, and not too gruesome of a murder mystery. |
Archives |