June: a novel by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

NetGalley Advanced Reader's Copy



The beginning of this book almost put me off but I persevered and it was well worth it.  The story told in this novel is about a young woman who during the 1920's was torn between an arranged marriage and an unexpected encounter with a film star which turned into the love of their lives but with repercussions. The truth of the story is revealed through research of a granddaughter nearly 100 years later.  I liked it.

The Deep End★★★★½ by Julie Mulhern

My husband and I belong to a local country club and so when I saw this series, I thought What Fun!  As I read the description, I worried because it was set back in the 70's and I didn't know if I could go there after reading books that have incorporated the newest technologies - cell phones, computers, etc.

I needn't have worried.  This a magnificent mystery that doesn't require the newest technology because the characters are so well-written and the mystery so absorbing that it is never missed.

Ellison Russell goes to the Country Club pool at the crack of dawn everyday for the solitude but this morning she finds it occupied by the body of her husband's mistress.  And things don't get any better.  In trying to prove her innocence, Ellison finds herself in several amusing situations that I was forced to laugh out loud.

Loved this story and the writing so I had to go and buy the next one in the series and I will be reading it next month!  A different change of pace I highly recommend.

Series/ Progress: Country Club Murders  1/2
DATE READ: January 12 - January 17
NO. OF PAGES: 245
Type of Book e-book
SOURCE: Nook 2015

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

After 20 years with no contact, Harold receives a note from a former co-worker, Queenie, telling him that she's dying.  Guilt immediately  attacks Harold's conscience, so he sets out to save her by walking the length of England unprepared for the journey - physically, mentally, emotionally and financially.  The tale of journey and the enlightenment he receives along the way point the reader to soul searching of their own.

 ★★★

GENRE: Fiction
CHARACTERS: Harold Fry, Maureen Fry, Queenie Hennessy
Series/ Progress: 1/2
DATE READ: March 19 - March 23
NO. OF PAGES: 453
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, AlphaKit
SOURCE: bookshelf Stockpile

Twisted Threads by Lea Wait

Angela Curtis is called back to Maine when her mother's body is finally found after 19 years.  On her arrival, she learns that her grandmother started a business with her fellow needlepoint enhusiasts but now she has a problem - the man who was suppose to sell their products is unreachable.  Angela offers to help since she has some skills having worked for a PI previously.

Successfully locating the salesman, Jacques Lattimore, and bringing him back to a meeting of the Mainely Needlepointers, everyone is stunned when he falls ill and then dies.  They are all suspects.  

The investigation and conclusion were interesting and well thought out.

Lots of fun!

 ★★★½

GENRE: Cozy mystery
SUBJECT: fraud, embezzlement
Setting: Haven Harbor, Maine
CHARACTERS: Angela Curtis, Charlotte Curtis,Lauren Greene Decker, Jacques Lattimore, Joe Greene
DATE READ: December 11 - December 16
NO. OF PAGES: 272
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI, 
SOURCE: NetGalley

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

 ★★★★

GENRE: Fantasy
SUBJECT: Fairy tale continuation
Setting: Gutefehia
CHARACTERS: Snow White, Prince Charming, The Mirror, Lady Arglist, Duke Gewissenhoft
DATE READ: June 3 - June 7
NO. OF PAGES: 155
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , 
SOURCE: ebook from author for review

PLOT:....................................................................4.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................4.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................4.00
STYLE:..................................................................3.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................3.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................4.00
Threshold Quality.................................................4.00
Average..............................................................................................4.00

…and they lived happily ever after.  Fairy tales always end with those words, but did you ever wonder what happened?  This book takes the story of Snow White to the ever after and tells the reader what happened before and after the Dwarfs.

We see how Snow White's evil stepmother treated her, how Snow White escaped to the forest, her treatment upon her return, and life with Prince Charming.  We see Snow White look into herself through the magic mirror and learn how the lessons of her life made her the woman we never knew.

What fun!

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

 ★★½

GENRE: memoir
SUBJECT: self-discovery, meditation, spirituality
Setting: Italy, India, Indonesia, NY
CHARACTERS: Elizabeth, David, Ketut Liyer, Wayan, Felipe, Richard, Giovanni
DATE READ: May 23 - June 2
NO. OF PAGES: 352
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI , GEOCAT
SOURCE: MCL

PLOT:....................................................................3.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................2.00
STYLE:..................................................................2.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................2.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................2.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................2.00
Threshold Quality.................................................2.50
Average..............................................................................................2.50

I thought this book would transport me to various places that I would want to travel, but it fell  short of the exotic descriptions that I was waiting for.  Instead, I read of a woman who was so self-centered she couldn't write of anything but herself complaining because her life wasn't what she wanted, and yet she had enough money and friends to just quit, give up everything and travel.

I should be so lucky…wait, I am - have a life that I appreciate, apparently she didn't.

Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

 ★★★★½

GENRE: Fiction
SUBJECT: marital relationships
Setting: Atlanta, GA & Charleston, SC
CHARACTERS: Leslie Carter, Wesley Carter IV, Charlotte Carter, Holly Carter, Harrison Katz, Dannette Stovel, Cornelia Street, Lisette Katz, Jonathan Rae, Harlan Green
DATE READ: March 18 - March 23
NO. OF PAGES: 497
Challenges: 75, Category, TIOLI,  Group Reads
SOURCE: MCL Audio

PLOT:....................................................................4.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................5.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................5.00
STYLE:..................................................................4.50
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................4.50
OWNERSHIP:......................................................4.00
Threshold Quality.................................................4.50
Average..............................................................................................4.50

Okay, who sneaked in and planted listening devices in my house?  I swear that somehow Ms. Frank has been listening in on comments made by my husband of 40 years and that's where she got the inspiration for this book.  Not only is Wesley a bad imitation of my husband (all his faults but none of his virtues) but I actually believe that I have heard the same words attributed to Wesley come out of my husband's mouth.

This story was so much fun - I laughed so hard at times that I actually cried.  I was proud of Leslie for standing up for herself and showing that it's never too late to stand up to a bully.

Light Between the Oceans by M. L. Stedman

 ★★★★½

GENRE: Fiction
SUBJECT: post partum depression, isolation, child bonding
Setting: Janus Island, Australia
CHARACTERS: Tom Sherbourne, Isabel Sherbourne, Lucy Sherbourne, Hannah Roennfeldt
DATE READ: November 14 - November 20
NO. OF PAGES: 324
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   no, New Nook

PLOT:....................................................................4.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................4.50
TOPICS: ...............................................................4.50
STYLE:..................................................................5.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................5.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................4.50
Threshold Quality.................................................4.00
Average..............................................................................................4.50

Tom Sherbourne went to war and when he returned his spirit was scarred by what he'd seen and done but he met Isabel and their spirits touched.  He was the lighthouse keeper on Janus Island and after their wedding they returned to this isolated locale.

Isabel suffered several miscarriages and one stillborn so when a small boat washed ashore with a dead man and a small baby, Isabel immediaely ook the child to her heart and cajoled Tom to allow her to keep it and pass it off as her own.

However, when they accidently determine that the child's mother is still searching for her child, the Sherbournes are in a quandary.

This story was so profound that often though I couldn't stay awake to read it, I couldn't go to sleep either.  It was beautiful written with well-defined character and situations that were very believable.

My favorite of the year!

Bran New Death by Victoria Hamilton

 ★★★★

GENRE: Cozy Mystery 
SUBJECT: inheritences, missing persons
Setting: Autumn Vale, NY
CHARACTERS: Merry Winter, Binny Turner, Shilo Dinnegan, Gogi Grace, Tom Turner, Dinah Hooper, Jack McGill
DATE READ: September 29 - October 4
NO. OF PAGES: 304
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   yes,NetGalley

PLOT:....................................................................4.00
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................4.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................3.50
STYLE:..................................................................4.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.00
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................4.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.50
Threshold Quality.................................................4.00
Average..............................................................................................3.88

How many of us have a relative that we vaguely remember who would leave us an inheritance that consists of a castle and a forest?  Not too many, but Merry Winter has finally headed to Autumn Vale to see what her Uncle has left her so that she can sell and move on with her life. 

However, the people she meets in this quanit little town are far from normal or friendly so Merry is delighted when she is joined by her best friend, Shilo, and the two begin to prepare the castle for sale only to be disturbed by a nightly hole digger who ends up dead in one of the holes.

The story was interesting because all the while new characters are introduced the background of the area and the mystery are being revealed.

Looking forward to the next one!

Strike From the Deep by Bob Branco

 ★★★¾

GENRE: Thriller
SUBJECT: modern day piracy
Setting: Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden
CHARACTERS:
DATE READ: September 1 - September 11
NO. OF PAGES: 297
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   yes, ARC from author

PLOT:....................................................................3.50
CHARACTERIZATION:.......................................3.00
TOPICS: ...............................................................4.00
STYLE:..................................................................3.00
ORIGINALITY:.......................................................4.50
ADDICTIVENESS:..............................................4.00
OWNERSHIP:......................................................3.00
Threshold Quality.................................................3.75
Average..............................................................................................3.72

An international naval task force takes on  Somalian pirates that have been capturing  merchant ships carrying oil and natural gas and holding them for ransom.  But now a new twist is inserted and the conflict gets more dangerous. The action is jolting grabbing the reader until the very end.

I loved the story but the beginning was a little too detailed causing the narrative to seem slow, but once the story gets moving, it grabs you until the end!

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

★★★¾

GENRE: Fantasy
SUBJECT: competition, magic
Setting: England, USA
CHARACTERS: Celia Bowen, Ethan Barris, Friedrick Thiessen, Chandresh,Bailey, Poppet, Widget
DATE READ: January 8 - January 24
NO. OF PAGES: 528
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?: Yes, auto stockpile

PLOT:.......................................4
CHARACTERIZATION:................4
TOPICS:....................................3.5
STYLE:......................................3.5
ORIGINALITY:.............................4
ADDICTIVENESS:......................3.5
OWNERSHIP:............................3.5
THRESHOLD QUALITY:...............3.5
Average........................................................3.69

This story is magical not just in its contents but in the manner it which it is told.

Two competitors are brought together at the Night Circus. Their sponsors know the talents that each possess but the competitors don't know who they are vying with in a contest that continues until death. But the Night Circus IS magical, the performers all have special talents, some greater than others but the visitors can only see the performances from midnight to sunrise. And without warning the circus will disappear and move on.

The story of the performers is also a family tale as well as a love story. We see the closeness of Widget and Poppet, twins born on the night that the circus first opened, Celia and Marco, the contestants that eventually learn each other's identity and fall in love, and the mysterious contortionist, Tsukiko who befriends Celia and Isabel the fortuneteller.

Each of the personalities of the performers is woven into the story and brings a richness to the magic of tale. I would count myself in the category of the story as a " Rêveurs" because if the Night Circus actually existed, I'd have to buy a ticket and go to see all the unique tents and performances.

Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

 ★★★¾

GENRE: Fiction
SUBJECT: self-assertion, family, political corruption
SETTING: Guthrie GA
CHARACTERS: Dempsey Killebrew, T Carter Berryhill III, Carter Berryhill, Ella Kate
DATE READ: November 9 - November 27
NO. OF PAGES: 680
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?:   no, Public Library Large Print
CATEGORY: Extra curricular activites

PLOT:..........................................3.5
CHARACTERIZATION:..................3.5
TOPICS:......................................3.5
STYLE:.........................................4
ORIGINALITY:..............................3.5
ADDICTIVENESS:.........................4
OWNERSHIP:...............................4
THRESHOLD QUALITY:..................4
Average.....................................................................3.75


Dempsey Killebrew, Georgetown Law grad, has been caught up in a DC scandal at the lobbyist where she was employed.  Fired and without means to get a good job for the near future, Dempsey heads to her father's ancestral home (he just inherited) to hide out and make the house ready for sale.  Her arrival in the small town of Guthrie GA  is not met with applause (not that she was expected it but she didn't expect hostility either.)

While nursing her wounds, she is tracked down and threatened by the FBI to cooperate in a sting to catch the head of the lobby (her old boss) and a dirty congressman.  At the same time, the house needs not just a coat of paint but major renovations which don't make an irascible elderly cousin/squatter very happy.

The book was fun and entertaining  and caused some very heated discussion at my book club.

The Third Coincidence by David Bishop

★★★★

Genre: Thriller

Subject: political assassinations

Setting: Washington,D.C.

Main Characters: Jack McCall, Commander LW, President Schroeder

Series: no

Dates Read: May 25 - May 29

Number of pages: 288

Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: yes, NetGalley Download

Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Class Schedule

A Supreme Court Justice is found dead in his chambers. Because of his age, a heart attack is suspected but when a second Justice is found with his throat cut and a Federal Reserve Governor meets an untimely death in a c ar crash, the President wants an investigation and calls on his friend, Jack McCall who is a special Director awt the CIA. McCall creates a special taskforce with members from the CIA, FBI, and MPD and together they work to find who is threatening the elite members of the Supreme Court and Federal Reserve. Commander LW of the American Militia to Restore Representative Government sends his threats and demands for the non-elected elite to stand down or he will kill them all.

The nation is frightened, no one wants to be a nominee for the vacant position, putting their names on the hit list. With the assassination spree continuing, resignations occurring and no replacements, the Supreme Court cannot sustain a quorum. Will the nation fall into anarchy before the killer is found and stopped?

This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, wondering if this ever happened in the real world, how we as a nation would react - would we demand immediate results or realize that someone that managed to accomplish something this devious would be difficult to track down and capture? It was well-written and seemed well-researched and the characters were well-developed. My only nit to pick was the change in viewpoint was sometimes too jumpy, but once I realized it had changed, there was no problem. This could have been related to the download format from Net Galley. But all in all, a great read.

Thanks to Net Galley and Oceanview Publishing for giving me the chance to read a great book.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

★★★½ Genre: Historical Fictio Subject: espionage in WWII, IRA Setting: London, England Main Characters: Maggie Hope, Winston Churchill, Claire Paige Kelly, David Greene, Series: no Dates Read: February 15 - February 25 Number of pages: 349 Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: LT ER giveaway January Category for 12 in 12 challenge: English Lit, Extra Curricular Maggie Hope is a strong minded, highly intelligent, and well-educated woman at a time when such women were frown upon. Living in London at the start of WWII, Maggie is hired as a secretary at 10 Downing Street assisting Winston Churchill. Having greater abilities other than typing and dictation, Maggie identifies threats in various areas of the government and her adventures and friends make this an interesting read. I really enjoyed this book but there was just one small historical error that threw me off when I saw it.

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Read: May 6 - May 9

Format: Hardback 410 pages

Source: Public Library

Subject: Animal Magic, arranged marriages

Category: The Kids have it - Young adult and children's books

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI

Stars: ★★★½

Prince George has a secret. He's fought to keep it hidden ever since his mother died when he was eight years old. But now it is getting harder and harder to maintain the private knowledge that frightens all the people in his kingdom of Kendel and forces him farther and farther away from his father and those that could care for him.

The prologue of this books tells the tale of King Richon who is transformed into a bear because of his mistreatment of animals and he will remain a bear, according to the legend, until he can be loved as he is - a Beauty and the Beast tale. But as the book starts, Prince George is a person who has inherited animal magic from his mother - the ability to talk to all animals in their own language (Dr. Doolittle eat your heart out). The ability to communicate with the animals has become a fearsome power and just the idea that a person has this magic could get them burned at the stake.

Now that George is betrothed to Princess Beatrice of Sarrey, he must travel to her father's kingdom to make the final negotiations for the arranged marriage. When he finds Princess Beatrice with her hound (they are inseparable), George realizes that if he is to have a true marriage, he must reveal himself to her and find out Beatrice's secret as well.

This story, beautifully told from the viewpoint of the Prince for a change, is of self-acceptance and tolerance of others. What a beautiful way to teach our young adults that differences amongst us is not something to be afraid of but to be treasured. Definitely a book for all ages.

Above Suspicion by Lynda La Plante

Read: April 25 - April 30

Format: Paperback 392 pages

Source: Barnes & Noble $1 table

Subject: Police procedural

Category: Something Old - read those TBRs

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, BOYS

Stars: ★★★½

DCI James Langton is trying to solve the old cold cases of 6 serial murders of prostitute/drug addicts when a new unlikely 7th victim may have materialized. Having convinced his superiors that he needs a large task force, DS Anna Travis is transferred to his team and together they review old cases and Travis finds a connection that links all the victims except for the newest.

DCI Langton is a strong character whose handling of the team has some issues that may endanger Anna Travis both physically or emotionally, but together they solve the murders with good detective work.

Lynda La Plante is the writer who developed the Prime Suspect series that brought Helen Mirren to the attention of many TV viewers and I believe that this series will probably be worth further pursuit. What amazes me is that I found this book on the $1 table at Barnes & Noble a few years ago. Definitely worth the investment.

Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser

Read: May 6 - May 13
Format: Trade Paperback 328 pages
Source: FSB Associates for review
Subject: Small towns, monastery, change in life goals
Setting: Pacific NW
Category: Books found - Internet/thru LT/library/bookstore
Genre: FictionChallenges: 101020, 75 Book,
Stars: 4½

I can't figure out where to start, I LOVED this book. The style was different but the same, the story was light-hearted but serious, the characters were ones you want to kick in the butt and give a big hug.

This is the story of Pam and Mark who decide to chuck it all and buy the burned out monastery in Lumby and convert it to an Inn. But along the way we meet the architect friend of Pam who is also taken with Lumby, the monks that had abandoned the monastery, and the residents of the town - There are a resentful codger who doesn't want the Monastery restored, a 90+ year old woman who is getting a prenuptial agreement for her 4th marriage, a plastic flamingo (Hank) who dresses for the seasons, and rambunctious teenagers that get into trouble. Then you have a dog for the mayor, cows that wander into a hidden marijuana field and eat it all, goats in a bank vault eating money, and chickens that escape from their crates and are hidden from recapture by heaven knows who.

Add to that Police blotter entries with all the day to day happenings of the inhabitants as well as the newspaper articles telling of the town happenings. It amazed me how many times the windows in the church were shot out at the same time as a neighbor was scaring off deer and moose with a gun - do you think they may have been related?

Can you understand just a little why I loved this book? I can't wait to read the next installment - I think I have to go to the bookstore this weekend to find it.

DEATH BY CASHMERE by Sally Goldenbaum

Read: Apr 21 - Apr 24
Format: Paperback, 294 pages
Source: Personal Library
Subject: murder, knitting, blackmail
Setting: Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, USA
Category: Crafts, Cooking, and Hobbies
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, TIOLI, TBR, BOSC
Stars: 3½

Izzy Chambers has a knitting shop in Sea Harbor MA and rented the room above to an old friend, Angie Archer, while Angie was working on a special project for the Historical Society. One morning Angie is retrieved from the water along with the lobster traps and the residents of this quiet little village are traumatized because they can't believe that one of them would kill. Izzy, her Aunt Nell and other residents can't believe when the police conclude it was a stranger.

This little cozy mystery set by the sea feels like a breath of spring air. The characters are warm and friendly and I wanted to join the Thursday night knitters from the very beginning. I could almost smell the aromas from the Friday cookouts and was ready to start searching for this little village on a map.

I was somewhat surprised that the detection efforts were spread out among the characters, but I actually thought that it was an interesting concept. As for the mystery the clues were subtle but available for the reader and the writing was delightfully refreshing to the spirit. Another series I'm definitely going to be following.

DIED IN THE WOOL by Mary Kruger

Read: April 11 - April 14
Format: Paperback 311 pages
Source: Owned
Subject: Murder, knitting, website, mail fraud
Category: Crafts, Cooking, and Hobbies
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, BOSC, TIOLI
Stars: 3½

Ariadne's Web is the setting of this cozy mystery which is cleverly woven around the owner of a knitting shop where a dead body is found one bright fall morning. At first, Ariadne Evans, the owner, is the chief suspect, but after getting an alibi for her, Detective Josh Pierce instead enlists her help in solving the crime since it appears that knitting has something to do with the crime and he doesn't know the difference between a cable stitch and purling.

Ari and Josh are drawn to each other but profess that they are just working on the investigation. This light-hearted "romance" is used to gather information while throwing the murderer off track. The clues that are presented are ingeniously threaded throughout and unless you are carefully tracking all the hints, you will be surprised at the ending.

This is one of the better cozy mysteries that I have read recently because it all seem to be more realistic since Ari doesn't go out to question everyone about what they did and what they saw. It was more using her own intelligence to figure out what actually happened and why. I definitely will be looking for the next one, hopefully soon!

The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

Read: Mar 28 - Mar 31
Format: paperback, 347 pages
Source: Publisher, ARC
Subject: Marriage, captivity, bigamy, polygamy
Category: Books found on the Internet/thru LT/at the library/in a bookstore
Genre: Historical Romance
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, BOSC
Stars: 2

This book was based on the true life story of a man at the end of the 19th century who found himself legally married to two women. His first wife had been abducted and presumed dead while living in New Zealand. Unable to face his loss, Henry Oades sails off to America where his heart is healed and he eventually marries a widow who has no one else in the world. The two fall in love and at this point the first wife reappears with the lost children creating a dilemma. Legally he is still married to #1 but because, according to the California law of the day, she was declared dead, he is legally wed to #2. The story progresses with their trials (really) and tribulations.

I thought the story was slightly boring (reminding me of a My Favorite Wife or Move Over Darling romantic comedies) and just dragged on and on. I don't know if the women of the time were just wimps or if this is actually what happened, but I didn't like the ending and wouldn't recommend the book.