Category: Book Reviews

The Lunar Housewife – Caroline Woods

The Lunar Housewife is a delicious novel, focusing on Louise Leithauser, an aspiring writer who finds herself on the fringes of cold war activity during the McCarthy era. The novel opens at a party in 1953, filled with literary luminaries and pretty women, gathered at a Manhattan apartment to celebrate the second issue of the … Continue reading The Lunar Housewife – Caroline Woods →

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water- Angie Cruz (5* Audio)

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water will make you want to look at life differently, to think,"What would Cara do?" The audio book version was like listening to a radio play to such an extent, I wondered if this short novel was written only for audio and double checked. It IS a … Continue reading How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water- Angie Cruz (5* Audio) →

The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym – Paula Byrne [AND: Two Pym Novels: “Excellent Women” and “Crampton Hodnet”]

I recognized the name of novelist Barbara Pym and believed I had read one of her books … but I realized a few chapters into this thoughtful and entertaining biography that I had the wrong "Barbara." I stopped reading the biography, went to an online lending library and read Pym's "Excellent Women" and "Crampton Hodnet," … Continue reading The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym – Paula Byrne [AND: Two Pym Novels: “Excellent Women” and “Crampton Hodnet”] →

Dandelion – Jamie Chai Yun Liew (Audio)

Note: Because I "read" the audio version of Dandelion, I do not have a reference to the novel to get all names right, locations, etc. Lily and Bea are sisters growing up in Sparwood, British Columbia with their parents, who immigrated to Canada from Brunei before they were born. They are ethnically Chinese, which mattered … Continue reading Dandelion – Jamie Chai Yun Liew (Audio) →

The Teacher of Warsaw – Mario Escobar

Janusz Korczak was well known in Poland as a children's book author, a popular radio show host of programs advocating for children and a former pediatrician who literally gave his life as the director of a Warsaw Jewish Orphanage during WWII. The Teacher of Warsaw is a first person narrative novel, cast as Korczak's diary … Continue reading The Teacher of Warsaw – Mario Escobar →

The Stranger She Knew; and A Beginner’s Guide to Murder – Two Books by Rosalind Stopps

The Stranger She Knew (August 28, 2022 Review) May, an elderly woman of indeterminate age, lived independently but she wakes up in a nursing home, unable to speak or to control her limbs. Her thoughts turn to a conspiracy. She's not really this old woman, but a younger person in the guise of an old … Continue reading The Stranger She Knew; and A Beginner’s Guide to Murder – Two Books by Rosalind Stopps →

Death and Hard Cider – Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January #19)

I am a long time fan of the Benjamin January series and all of the continuing characters --who are present and very satisfying in this installment. There are a couple of well-plotted mysteries and plenty of intrigue. The setting remains set in New Orleans and surrounds, this time, with no one traveling. Henry Clay comes … Continue reading Death and Hard Cider – Barbara Hambly (Benjamin January #19) →

An Olive Grove in Ends – Moses McKenzie

WHOA! This novel is an amazing coming of age story about dreams, values, love, family, organized religion, crime and figuring things out for yourself against many differing backdrops and options. The Ends is a neighborhood in Bristol, UK. The first thing you see after the table of contents is the Hughes family tree: Sayon is … Continue reading An Olive Grove in Ends – Moses McKenzie →

The Fall of White City – Nancy S. Wikarski: Victorian Chicago Mystery Series #1

Having been a mystery buff for over fifty years but a historical fiction buff for less time, I never read the Gilded Age Chicago Mysteries. I'm delighted that this was reissued and that I chose to listen to it recently. Evangeline (Engie), a wealthy single woman of marriageable age, teaches at Hull House and has … Continue reading The Fall of White City – Nancy S. Wikarski: Victorian Chicago Mystery Series #1 →