The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Morning!  I did not do a written review of the last book I attempted to read (To Sleep in a Sea of Stars).  I only did a video review because that novel was so bad!  So I know it seems like a while since my last blog post.  

This, however, was awesome!  I could not put it down.  The weather was pretty blah Saturday evening into Sunday afternoon, and I was able to finish it in that time.  I had it out on my desk while I'm typing and Ms. Callahan said she loved it too!  So....

Owen and Hannah are happy newlyweds, adjusting to sharing a home with Owen's 16 year old daughter Bailey.  Owen is a widower, having lost Bailey's mother in a car crash years ago.  Hannah is a woodworker, and Owen is involved in a tech company developing online privacy software.  As news breaks that Owen and his partner have been defrauding investors, Owen disappears with a note "protect her".  

All kinds of law enforcement descend on Hannah, Bailey is taunted at school, and friends refuse to speak to them.  The only clue Hannah has is Owen's aversion to Austin, Texas, where the first US Marshall looking for Owen shows up from. 

I don't want to spoil too much, as this is really a crime drama whodunit.  But I promise you, you will not want to stop reading until you find out the truth!  

I will be adding this to our collection very soon!

A friendly reminder that all opinions expressed on this blog and the video version of it are solely those of Mrs. W. 

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Manisalco

I am really angry at this book.  The book is 369 pages, and for the first 362 I really loved it.  But as the last chapter approached, it became clear there was no way this could end in just 7 more pages.  Sure enough, this is book 1 in a trilogy, and it left as a cliff hanger to boot!  And the 3rd book hasn't been published yet!

Emilia and Vittoria are twin Sicilian sisters who are secretly witches.  Their identity is known to other families with witches in the area, but to the run of the mill people, they are just the latest amazing cooks in their family's restaurant.  As they reach adulthood, Vittoria is violently murdered in a monastery.  Emilia of course sets herself to find the murderer and reason for her sister's death. 

Enter Wicked, a dashing demon from Hell, one of 7 brothers tied to a deadly sin.  Seems like Hell has a pretty strong battle going on for control.

More young adult female good witches are murdered.  Wicked and Emilia make a shaky pact to find the murderer, likely 1 of his brothers.  

Now, to be honest, there are a few trashy beach read romance novel scenes that are, in my view, eye roll worthy.  Nothing is overly graphic, but there's a "no one actually talks or acts that way" scene I almost laughed at.  

Combining all this I think makes the book very likable for many genre and topic fans--Italian heritage, white witchcraft, mythology, romance, supernatural romance, sisterhood, strong women (their grandmother is FIERCE!), and battles/fights.  

Then the ending.  Or lack thereof.  I put book #2 on our wishlist.  *Sigh*  Any way, find this on display next week!

All opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.        

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

This is the 2nd review for today.

Transcendent Kingdom is the Adult level selection for All CT Reads, spearheaded by "our" Kym Powe.  You can read more about this event here: https://sites.google.com/view/allctreads/home

Although this is listed as "adult", I find it absolutely high school/YA appropriate.  

I LOVED this book!  Sunday morning I had a rare house to myself.  My husband and son were out, the laundry was going, and it was drizzly.  I read this in that one morning.  I could not put it down.

Gifty is a PhD candidate at Stanford in California.  Now a quick side note, I just got back from Christmas in California, so many of the places mentioned I recognized. She is experimenting on risk-reward behavior in mice, a cause near to her as her star high school basketball player brother died from an overdose after an injury left him addicted to painkillers.  

We flash back and forth to Gifty's childhood as the very dark daughter of a single mother who immigrated from Ghana in rural Alabama.  Gifty's mother is Christian and finds her place in the church.  Faith is very important to the family.  

As Gifty grows, she finds science to be her calling, which is often in direct challenge to her faith.  Her classmates in undergrad call Christianity a dangerous cult.  On the West Coast, she finds open sexuality at odds with her Southeastern upbringing.  

This really was an amazing examination of the intersections of race, gender, culture, religion, and education.  Just like it is difficult for me to be a pro 2nd Amendment teacher sometimes, Gifty has to decide between sharing about herself or smiling and nodding.

Find this on display soon.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.       

 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Today I'll be doing two reviews, and this is the first.

The Guest List was the teachers' book club selection for February, but it looks like we will be pushing it to March, as our January meeting is being postponed due to the increase in Covid cases. I read this on the flight out to California over our Christmas break.

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know I am not a fan of alternating viewpoints.  I think it's a trend in literature that needs to go away for a while, as it is way too common.  This story is told in the alternating viewpoints of 5 people attending a very exclusive wedding on a remote island off Ireland (our meeting is going to be at Duffy's when we finally have it...).

Those telling the story are:

The bride Jules, a spoiled brat

The plus one Hannah, wife of Jules' best friend

The best man Johnno, a jerk

The wedding planner Aoife, who owns the island and has family buried there

The bridesmaid Olivia, Jules' half-sister via their mother     

We know at the outset one person is going to die, but we do not know who.  We also know the weather is turning bad and help cannot reach the island.  

I have really mixed feelings on this.  I had to go back often to re-read who was telling the particular scene, and there were a LOT of side characters--the rest of the groomsmen, college friends, family, etc.--that need to be kept straight.  It also felt that even though these are adults, they acted like high school students, made worse by alcohol and drugs.  It was very One Of Us Is Lying and Clue like.  

A meh for me, but maybe a yes for you.  Find this on display soon.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W.   

  

Green Heart by Alice Hoffman

I have no idea how I came to be in possession of this book.  It is not labeled as being from our vendor, nor is it in my personal Amazon account.  I simply found it in my "to read" pile.  

This is actually two short novellas, of about 125 pages each.  It is a very quick read.

The first story is about a young woman who loses her entire family--parents and little sister--in a fire.  She and her dog are all that is left in their small village home.  The city they visited burned to the ground, with many people within its walls.  Green's gardens are raided by looters shortly thereafter.  She must learn to survive on her own, befriending another dog, a hawk, several small birds, and a few human along the way.  It was kinda like The Hunger Games meets Snow White.  It becomes clear Green has supernatural powers, although she doesn't seem to understand how or why or what her purpose is.  She tattoos herself with nature imagery, and a heart when she falls in love.

The second story further explains the fire--caused by a marauding horde looking to revert the city to more conservative/traditional roles and values.  Green must visit other women who have other supernatural powers to write their stories in order to understand her own.  I don't want to spoil too much, by I do not believe Green actually finds herself, although the story's ending is happy.

In summation, a quick read that held my interest, but nothing spectacular. 

A reminder that all opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of Mrs. W. 

The House of Gucci by Sarah Gay Forden

As you all know, I have a rule to read the book before I see the movie.  In this case, I didn't know House of Gucci was a book first. 

Now, let's get a few things straight.  I am not a Lady Gaga fan.  Her music gets the channel changed.  I was not excited by Adam Driver as Ben/Kylo in Star Wars.  I do not even own one Gucci item.  But, I do remember the murder of Maurizio Gucci by his soon to be ex wife Patrizia Reggiani Gucci.  I might have gone to see just what a train wreck the movie might be.  However, just like Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett in Neon Angels/The Runaways, Lady Gaga blew me away as Patrizia.  She deserves an Oscar. 

Of course, after seeing the movie, I ordered the book!  The book goes way more into the history of both the Gucci family (for example, there are other brothers besides Aldo and Rodolfo, played by Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons respectively, both phenomenal!).  And Aldo had a ton of other kids besides Paolo (Jared Leto should earn at least a nomination for his performance!).  Perhaps the biggest omission was that Maurizio and Patrizia had a 2nd daughter who was left out.  I am guessing this was for simplicity and streamlining what is already at 2.5 hour movie (hit the bathroom BEFORE it starts...).  There is also a LOT of complicated math and tax law discussed, as Gucci falls under both American law and Italian law.  Patrizia is merely a supporting character in the book.

I have to say, in this case, the movie is better than the book for me!  But, if fashion or true crime is an interest for you, definitely check this out.

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog and the video version of it are solely mine. 

La Belle Creole: The Cuban Countess by Alina Garcia LaPuerta

In looking for non-fiction featuring Latinas, this was recommended by our book vendor.  The description reminded me of The Murder of Helen Jewett, one of my all time favorite books, in that it was a true historical account of a woman ahead of her time, making waves in a society she didn't belong in, who needs her story told.

Maria de las Mercedes Santa Cruz y Montalvo was born in Cuba in 1789, left for Spain at age 13, and married French General Antoine Merlin making her Countess Merlin.  She used her position of authority in upper class society to promote the arts--theater, music, visual, literary.  Eventually she traveled back to Havana, detailing her trip and becoming an author herself.      

The problem with this book, for me, was that is was name and family tree heavy in the beginning.  There were soooooo many names and dates and places it was difficult to keep straight.  And that point, I had no idea who Countess Merlin was or why I should even care about her story.  As a result, I found myself bored and skipping details.  Once I got to the "meat and potatoes", I went back to read the drier points in the beginning.  I wish the author had put her accomplishments or historical significance at the forefront, so that I would WANT to know her background.

Although I was not a fan, I am glad we are able to add this to our collection and add more Latina voices to our history. 

A reminder all opinions expressed on this blog and the video version of it are solely those of Mrs. W.