In Red Queen, we first briefly meet Antonia Scott, who unaccountably thinks about suicide for three minutes each day. She obviously is not an ordinary person with an ordinary brain, as she quickly makes calculations related to the physics of jumping in a lake to accomplish her end. It's a brief, tantalizing introduction. And then, … Continue reading Red Queen – Juan Gomez-Jurado
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez – Clair Jimenez
At thirteen, Ruthy Ramirez disappeared sometime after track practice. We never meet her father. He died a few years after Ruthy disappeared. Dolores, her mother, went a bit mad. It is 2008. Nina just graduated from her premed program at an elite school. She avoided going home for college breaks and has not seen her … Continue reading What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez – Clair Jimenez
Night Flight to Paris – Cara Black
All hail Cara Black who brings us a second book with WWII British sniper Kate Rees. We first met Kate not too long after her husband and baby were killed in a Nazi air raid. She grew up in Northeast Oregon on a ranch, educated well by her father in shooting and in learning how … Continue reading Night Flight to Paris – Cara Black
The Narrows – Ann Petry
As a former English major and avid reader of many authors of her period, I am shocked I never heard the name Ann Petry before I read The Narrows. What a gifted writer. Before I go further, I want to mention the forward, intended to introduce Petry to readers like me and comment on this … Continue reading The Narrows – Ann Petry
The Incredible Events in Women’s Cell Number 3 – Kira Yarmysh (translated from Russian)
I've been letting this story marinate in my mind for two weeks, because it's that good, that original, that aware. Anya is a woman who identifies as lesbian, but she is not out in every setting, including the one where her body and mind are in this novel. She is a young Russian woman beginning … Continue reading The Incredible Events in Women’s Cell Number 3 – Kira Yarmysh (translated from Russian)
Looking for Jane – Heather Marshall
Looking for Jane is a fictional look at the choices women had regarding unwanted pregnancies during the period from 1960 to the time abortion was legalized in Canada. The story opens in 2017, with Angela, who is managing her Aunt Jo's antiques store. Angela was fired when her employer found out she is pregnant. Angela … Continue reading Looking for Jane – Heather Marshall
Roses in the Mouth of a Lion -Bushra Rehman
I requested and listened to the audio version of Roses in the Mouth of a Lion, the story of Razia, growing up in Corona, Queens, part of a large Muslim immigrant neighborhood. I want to say this immediately: this is definitively one of those times when hearing the author read her novel was a phenomenal … Continue reading Roses in the Mouth of a Lion -Bushra Rehman
One Extra Corpse – Barbara Hambly
One Extra Corpse is the second entry in Hambly's Silver Screen mystery series. Emma's husband died in WWI and, after losing her parents and brother as well, she eventually ends up in Los Angeles with her sister in law Kitty, a gorgeous and untalented star of silent film. This is a light and a well-researched, … Continue reading One Extra Corpse – Barbara Hambly
The Mitford Affair – Marie Benedict
NOTE: I assume in writing this that many readers are generally familiar with the lives of the Milford family l and of the period covered by this novel in particular. For those who have not heard much about them, this review has some spoilers. The Milfords of the 20th century, an aristocratic British family with … Continue reading The Mitford Affair – Marie Benedict
Moonrise Over New Jessup – Jamilla Minnicks
It is 1957. Alice grew up in rural Alabama, working the land with her family. Her mother died when she was young. Her sister Rosie took off for Chicago. Alice hasn't heard from Rosie for years. And now, with her father's death, she has to leave. The landlord got the worst of his effort to … Continue reading Moonrise Over New Jessup – Jamilla Minnicks
They Called me Bookworm 