One of my favorite books in a year of favorites, although this is an all over the board book emotionally and socially for this older white woman of privilege. Carlotta was Dustin when she went to a liquor store with her cousin. He commits an armed robbery that landed them both in prison. Most folks … Continue reading Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta – James Hannaham
Secrets of the Nile – Tasha Alexander
Oddly--because I'm a historical fiction/mystery fan and enjoy well researched and written mid 19th through mid-20th century settings -- I never heard of Lady Emily. This is a series I'll dip into more. Secrets of the Nile finds Lady Emily and husband Colin Hargreaves heading to Egypt with Colin's mother and his young adult daughter … Continue reading Secrets of the Nile – Tasha Alexander
And There He Kept Her- Joshua Moehling
Jesse is breaking into a ramshackle house through the basement, his penlight shining on an inexplicable pink room, odd furnishings, decrepit conditions. As he climbs the steps, Jenny joins him, trying to get him to drop the plan but "he" has threatened Jesse's sister. As they start up the steps, a fat naked man with … Continue reading And There He Kept Her- Joshua Moehling
Hurricane Girl – Marcy Dermansky
Told from the perspective of Allison Brody, who loses everything she owns a week and a half after buying and moving into her new house on the beach in North Carolina, Hurricane Girl is compelling and weird. Allison left her abusive producer boyfriend in California to strike out on her own. She loves water. She … Continue reading Hurricane Girl – Marcy Dermansky
Treasure State – C.J. Box
C.J. Box always, always spins a great story and this is no exception. I am a fan of the Joe Pickett series but had not read any of the Highway Quartet Series. Cassie Dewell as a P.I. is clever and daring and her capabilities make sense. She has more than one puzzling case to solve. … Continue reading Treasure State – C.J. Box
The Picture Bride – Lee Geum-yi
Could not "put this down" though I was listening to the audiobook of The Picture Bride, a beautiful portrayal of the lives of three women from a rural area in Korea in the early 1900s. The many Korean men who traveled to Hawaii, then a U.S. territory, wanted to marry as they became financially able. … Continue reading The Picture Bride – Lee Geum-yi
The Shadow Murders – Jussi Adler-Olsen
I am a longtime fan of Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q novels. Department Q includes a small cast of clever out-of-the box thinking misfits who handle cold cases that are typically notorious, often gruesome and always beyond the detection and solving capabilities of ordinary officers. The Shadow Murders opens with a scene in which a woman … Continue reading The Shadow Murders – Jussi Adler-Olsen
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (Audio version) – Jonas Jonasson
The story starts out with the idea that Allen, who is just turning 100, is kind of viewed as mischievous because he drinks too much vodka and that he is a sweet old guy who needs to be returned to the old age home. This notion that Allen is ever in his life going to … Continue reading The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (Audio version) – Jonas Jonasson
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
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
They Called me Bookworm 