Demon Copperhead-audio by Barbara Kingsolver

 

My thoughts

This was my first Barbara Kingsolver book and my third Audio. This was by far the best book. The audio was perfect. The Narrator did such a great job you could feel every little thing. 

This book is about a boy. A boy and his life's ups and downs. Mostly downs but a few ups in there. Set in the Appalachians. In a trailer. Born to a teenage mother. This kid really started out at the bottom of the chain. It holds your attention all the way to the soft sweet ending. What all this child goes through is heartbreaking and very realistic. 

The author did such a good job of describing the events in this novel. Each thing that happened to Demon Copperhead made you stop and take a long look at life. At how things can happened exactly as told. How in some instances things are just out of our control. Things that some people look down on others for having no idea it could happen to them or one of their loved ones. I think in some of the things I heard in this book happen in all families in some way or the other. It's devastating and so sad to think of but also very realistic. Demon has so many losses in his young life. To say that he made his choices is unrealistic. You would have to take a walk in his shoes to see that maybe.

I am so glad I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator takes you through so much and his use of voices in places makes it feel like more than just a book. He told a story here. A story that everyone should read. Or listen too. 

I see why this book won the author a pulitzer prize. It's that good. It's that real. It's all that and much more. It's a must read. 

Five huge stars and deserves more. A tearjerker. 

Synopsis

Anyone will tell you the born of this world are marked from the get-out, win or lose."

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father's good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.

Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Those problems have yet to be solved in ours. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens' anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story. Demon Copperhead speaks for a new generation of lost boys, and all those born into beautiful, cursed places they can't imagine leaving behind.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

************

Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
************
Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at  MAILBOX MONDAY.
************
Here is a shout out to the administrators:

Emma @ Word and Peace

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

************

THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

NetGalley's this week

One Wrong Word by Hank Phillipi Ryan

A heart-racing new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling and multiple award-winning author, Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Words have the power to change lives, and no one knows that better than crisis management expert Arden Ward. But she's in big trouble―she's accused of having an affair with a client. It's not true! She would never do such a thing! But she gets the blame―and now she's about to be fired.

Arden is granted two weeks to save her career and her reputation. And then she meets Cordelia Bannister.

Cordelia needs help for her husband Ned, a successful Boston real estate mogul. Though he was recently acquitted in a fatal drunk driving accident, his reputation has been ruined, and the fallout is devastating not only to the Bannisters' lives, but the lives of their two young children.

Arden devotes her final days on the job to helping this shattered family, but soon, revelations about what really happened the night of the accident begin to emerge. And then―another car crash throws Ned back into the spotlight.

This case is Arden’s last chance to protect her own future and clear her name―and the Bannister kids may be in danger! But the more she tries to untangle the truth, the more one disturbing question haunts her―what if she’s protecting a killer?

Everyone believes that words can never hurt them, but Arden knows the reality. Sometimes one wrong word can kill.

The Paris Housekeeper by Rene Ryan

From the author of The Secret Society of Salzburg comes a powerful and moving story of bravery and resilience in World War II Paris, and one woman who must face impossible choices to survive…

Paris, 1940

German tanks rumble through the streets of Paris, forcing frightened citizens to flee. But not everyone has the luxury to leave. Camille Lacroix, a chambermaid at the world-famous Hôtel Ritz, must stay to support her family back home in Brittany. Desperate to earn money, Camille also acts as a lady’s maid for longtime guest Vivian Miller, a glamorous American widow—and a Nazi sympathizer.

Despite her distrust of the woman, Camille turns to Vivian when her friend and fellow hotel maid Rachel Berman needs help getting out of Paris. It’s then that Camille discovers that Vivian is not what she seems… The American has been using her wealth and connections to secretly obtain travel papers for Jewish refugees.

While hiding Rachel in an underground bunker under a Nazi’s nose, a daring escape plan is hatched. But as the net grows tighter, and the Germans more ruthless, Camille’s courage will be tested to the extreme…

I've started doing Audio books and find I really enjoy them. I got this one from NetGalley. I also have the physical book that I won on BookishFirst

Being Henry: The Fonz...And Beyond-audio by Henry Winkler  

(he also narrated it)

From Emmy-award winning actor, author, comedian, producer, and director Henry Winkler, a deeply thoughtful memoir of the lifelong effects of stardom and the struggle to become whole.

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.

Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.

Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

Bookmail this week

Books I've won or the author sent me

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll 

I won both the audio and the hardback... I listened to the audio and enjoyed. It's a tough subject though. Still it was good. 

An extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.

January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history
 
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, they began to be killed off. One Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, watched as her family was murdered. Her older sister was shot. Her mother was then slowly poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more Osage began to die under mysterious circumstances.

In this last remnant of the Wild West—where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes such as Al Spencer, “the Phantom Terror,” roamed – virtually anyone who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll surpassed more than twenty-four Osage, the newly created F.B.I. took up the case, in what became one of the organization’s first major homicide investigations. But the bureau was then notoriously corrupt and initially bungled the case. Eventually the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau. They infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest modern techniques of detection. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most sinister conspiracies in American history.

In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. The book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. But more than that, it is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward Native Americans that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long. Killers of the Flower Moon is utterly riveting, but also emotionally devastating.

I won this on Instagram... I am so excited as it's one I really wanted.

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth--another female casualty of China's controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she's forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She's even hired a Chinese nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca's job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city--separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.

Hello Goodbye by Kay Bratt

 My thoughts

WOW!!! What a story and what an ending. This series just keeps getting better and better. And I really don't want it to stop. Eight is just not enough. 

This is another story in the Hart's Ridge series. Book seven. In this one you will get an answer to who hurt Taylor several years ago. I was floored. I honestly didn't see that one coming. I thought it was someone else entirely and was glad it wasn't him. You get to know Sam a bit more and Alice who may or may not be Sam's daughter. 

This was a very emotional read. A mother and father were brutally murdered and you try to figure out who did it. I have to admit that here I did figure it out. I had my suspicions the same way Taylor did. The same reason. That did not take away from this story in any way though. 

This family, the Grays, are a force. Together they can overcome just about anything. They fight amongst themselves at times but are always there for each other. Mess with one and you have the rest on you. That includes the mother who was away for so long. I won't say where in case you haven't been reading this series. The dad who had his own demons and the sisters. They are always there for each other when things get intense.

I can't wait to find out what happens next. I hope Taylor and Sam get married. I hope Jo, Anna and Lucy find the love they desire. I hope Cate and Jackson find their way back to each other. I really do. I believe there is a story there. A love story that went sideways but can be put back together. I love this family. They feel so real. So together. So there for each other. 

Take a trip to Hart's Ridge and get to know the Grays. It will be worth it. 

FIVE big huge stars. A five kleenex box rating also. It's just so good. 

Synopsis

In the captivating new installment of Kay Bratt's acclaimed Hart's Ridge series, "Hello Goodbye," the tranquil town is gripped by fear and concern following a shocking double murder that leaves three adopted children once again orphaned. Amidst the turmoil, Deputy Taylor Gray finds herself relegated to a secondary role behind the town's detective, but her unwavering dedication to solving the case knows no bounds.

But the challenges faced by the Gray family extend beyond the murder investigation. Taylor's fiancé, Sam, is blindsided by a life-altering revelation: he discovers he has a 12-year-old daughter he never knew existed. This revelation sets in motion a tumultuous journey for Sam as he navigates the complexities of instant fatherhood while striving to maintain his relationship with Taylor.

Amidst the chaos, Sam is determined to help Taylor find closure for a painful chapter from her past. As he endeavors to mend the scars that haunt her, he hopes to win not just a part but the entirety of her heart, even the parts she has closed off.

Kay Bratt's signature storytelling style beckons readers back into the enigmatic world of Hart's Ridge, where secrets are hidden in every nook and cranny, and the indomitable bonds of family face their most challenging tests. "Hello Goodbye" weaves a gripping narrative of mystery and the unbreakable ties that bind a small-town community. If you're yearning for an absorbing mystery with well-drawn characters and a compelling storyline, this latest addition to the Hart's Ridge series is a must-read.

Hello Goodbye is book seven of the new Hart's Ridge small-town mystery series, written by Kay Bratt, million-copy best-selling author of Wish Me Home and True to Me.

The Intern by Michele Campbell

 

My thoughts

I've enjoyed a few of this author's books. This one is right up there with those. Once I started it and didn't want to put it down. It's a page turner. A legal thriller but not in the courtroom. Behind the scenes.

Madison Rivera is a very smart Harvard Law School student. She's always on top of everything. Smart and willing to work hard. When her professor, Judge Kathryn Conroy, asks her to apply for an internship she's over the moon excited. She has always idolized Judge Conroy. Ever since she saw her give a speech at the Catholic school they both attended. Madison decided then that she wanted nothing more than to be a lawyer. 

Madison applies and gets the internship but is concerned because of the trouble her bother is in jail for. Also the fact that Judge Kathryn Conroy was the judge in Danny's case. His lawyer it seems is crooked as were some of the cops involved. Danny is in some very serious trouble but Madison kept it from the Judge when she applied for the internship. 

Just when it seems she might get a chance to tell Kathryn about Danny, Madison is asked to house/cat sit for Kathryn. Something happens that causes Madison to rethink a lot of things. Is Kathryn really such a good judge or is she bought by someone. Does she possibly know who Madison is, or who her brother is. What is going on here. 

This story is told from each of these women's POVs and goes back to when Kathryn was a small child. You get a good look into how Kathryn became who she is now and why. Also how Madison became who she is. You'll get to know each of these women. I rooted for them both even though knowing some of the things I know. Well read. I liked them both. Some of the back characters I didn't care for at all. But they all played a huge part in this explosive book about an Intern...

Thank you #NetGalley, #MicheleCampbell, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and a very high recommendation. 

Synopsis

A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.

When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?

As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

************

Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
************
Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday
************
Here is a shout out to the administrators:

Emma @ Word and Peace

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

************

THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

NetGalley books

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill 

There's nothing easier to dismiss than a conspiracy theory―until it turns out to be true.
When Theodosia Benton abandons her career path as an attorney and shows up on her brother's doorstep with two suitcases and an unfinished novel, she expects to face a few challenges. Will her brother support her ambition or send her back to finish her degree? What will her parents say when they learn of her decision? Does she even have what it takes to be a successful writer? What Theo never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world in which identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience.

When her mentor, a highly successful author, is brutally murdered, Theo wants the killer to be found and justice to be served. Then the police begin looking at her brother, Gus, as their prime suspect, and Theo does the unthinkable in order to protect him. But the writer has left a trail, a thread out of the labyrinth in the form of a story. Gus finds that thread and follows it, and in his attempt to save his sister he inadvertently threatens the foundations of the labyrinth itself. To protect the carefully constructed narrative, Theo Benton, and everyone looking for her, will have to die. 

USA Today bestselling author Sulari Gentill takes readers on a rollercoaster ride in The Mystery Writer, a literary thriller that turns the world of books and authors upside down and where a writer's voice is a thing to be controlled and weaponized, to the peril of everyone who loves a good story.

Bookmail... 

This was unexpected BOOKMAIL. The best kind.

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey

You may never stop loving the one you lost. But you can still find love again.

Kate is a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her young husband Cameron, she’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad at her university fundraising job, always dropping the ball―and yet clinging to her sense of humor.

Lurching from one comedic crisis to the next, she also navigates an overbearing mom and a Tinder-obsessed best friend who's determined to matchmake Kate with her hot new neighbor.

When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance, away from her son, to really process her grief and see what’s right in front of her. Can she let go of the love of her life and risk her heart a second time? When it becomes clear that Hugh is hiding a secret, Kate turns to the trail of scribbled notes she once used to hold her life together.

The first note captured her heart. Will the last note set it free?

From the author

Hello Goodbye by Kay Bratt

In the captivating new installment of Kay Bratt's acclaimed Hart's Ridge series, "Hello Goodbye," the tranquil town is gripped by fear and concern following a shocking double murder that leaves three adopted children once again orphaned. Amidst the turmoil, Deputy Taylor Gray finds herself relegated to a secondary role behind the town's detective, but her unwavering dedication to solving the case knows no bounds.

But the challenges faced by the Gray family extend beyond the murder investigation. Taylor's fiancé, Sam, is blindsided by a life-altering revelation: he discovers he has a 12-year-old daughter he never knew existed. This revelation sets in motion a tumultuous journey for Sam as he navigates the complexities of instant fatherhood while striving to maintain his relationship with Taylor.

Amidst the chaos, Sam is determined to help Taylor find closure for a painful chapter from her past. As he endeavors to mend the scars that haunt her, he hopes to win not just a part but the entirety of her heart, even the parts she has closed off.

Kay Bratt's signature storytelling style beckons readers back into the enigmatic world of Hart's Ridge, where secrets are hidden in every nook and cranny, and the indomitable bonds of family face their most challenging tests. "Hello Goodbye" weaves a gripping narrative of mystery and the unbreakable ties that bind a small-town community. If you're yearning for an absorbing mystery with well-drawn characters and a compelling storyline, this latest addition to the Hart's Ridge series is a must-read.

Hello Goodbye is book seven of the new Hart's Ridge small-town mystery series, written by Kay Bratt, million-copy best-selling author of Wish Me Home and True to Me.

Bright Young Women-audio by Jessica Knoll

 

Bright Young Women-audio by Jessica Knoll

Narrated by Sutton Foster, Imani Jade Powers, Corey Brill & Chris Henry Coffee

My thoughts:

I'm new to audio and at first found this hard to listen too. I like holding a book or ereader. Seeing the words. But I kept going and am glad I did. This was definitely one to listen too. 

The story is told between two women: Pamela Schumacher and Ruth Wachowsky. Pamela is in college in Tallahassee, FL where she is president of a sorority house. Ruth lives in Sammasish, WA. 

One night the unthinkable happens at the sorority house. Someone assaults the young women killing two maiming two others. Pamela is unharmed but she sees the man who did this. Her best friend is one of the murdered and how she was assaulted is so horrible that it literally made me cringe when listening to the descriptions. The whole thing is horrendous but that scene is just beyond horrible. 

Pamela fights hard to bring justice for the girls. She never gives up. While at the hospital she meets Tina Cannon who was a very close friend of Ruths. She believes the same man killed both her friend and the girls in the sorority house. 

This audio goes back and forth between Pamela and Ruth with each describing their lives. You get to know each of them. Ruth had a pretty tough life it seems. Her mother didn't approve of anything she did and wanted to hold her down all the time. Because Ruth fell in love with another woman her mother thought her mentally ill and thus big problems occurred between them. 

This is a hard subject but it's about a real life serial killer. The book never mentions his actual name but you know it's Ted Bundy. There is never any doubt there. I learned a lot listening to this audio. Things I never knew about the case. Also how he managed to escape not just once but twice. If they had done their job most likely some of the murders would never have taken place. But they did. Families suffered. Women suffered. It was sad to hear about. Sad to know this actually happened.

In I believe it's chapter 36 when Ruth tells what happened to her I cried. I knew what was coming and wanted so bad to warn her. To keep her from going in that house. To keep her from getting in that vehicle. I kept thinking, RUN, RUTH, RUN... But she didn't. She was raped and murdered. She was only trying to help someone and that was her payment. Death. How sad. 

You'll hear about him. In the courtroom when he's defending himself. How the judge bragged on him. (sickening). You feel the emotion that both Pamela and Tina feel when going through all of this. The feelings Ruth has and in her last moments how scared she was. How she looked back and only wanted to be with Tina. Watch Tina eat cheese while Ruth cooked. 

Yes this is a very awful thing but it happened. It's real. It did take me a few chapters to start connecting with the audio book but now I know that I will listen to more. It was ok. 

Synopsis:

From the author of the New York Times bestseller and #1 Netflix movie Luckiest Girl Alive comes an extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.

January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.

The Devil Comes to Bonn by Jennifer Harris

 

My thoughts

This is a debut novel and the author did a pretty good job of bringing me in and keeping me interested. At least the historical part. 

Told in two timelines, 2015 and 1941. Stella a college professor and Hildegard who was a maid during the reign of terror from Hitler.

I was not impressed with Stella at all. She seemed to be a very immature person. And that she was a professor was even more unbelievable that her maturity. She's stalking a fellow professor? Yes he was a jerk. Yes he might be a horrible man. But Stella is suppose to be an educated person. She has her share of misfortunes with men it seems. I just didn't like her. 

Hildegard was a very likable woman. You meet her after the fact, in 2015. She meets Stella and starts telling her about when she worked as a maid. How she and her new husband were helping Jews escape. How she started helping the resistance try to overthrow the Nazis. This part of the story was fascinating. What all happened and why it happened will hold your attention. 

I did not exactly get the link to the two women, Stella and Hildegard, but may have missed something. Maybe the sexism. Maybe something else. This book is very good. It was a bit slow starting out for me but it wrapped up quite nicely and was a very enjoyable read. 

If you like historical and perhaps metoo movement stories this is the one for you. It was a good book. The author did a good job of bringing everything together. Some got what they deserved for being such jerks. I eventually kind of liked Stella's husband Peter. He started out a bit of a jerk by the way. 

I gave this one FOUR stars and recommend it. You will enjoy it.

Synopsis

2015. Stella, a professor and historian, comes to the beautiful and ancient city of Bonn, Germany, for a World Heritage conference. With things at home tearing at the seams, she is determined to pretend all is well. After she is assaulted over a trivial matter by another delegate, Stella descends into a shadowy observer, slowly becoming an obsessed stalker. When she meets the elderly Hildegard on a park bench by the River Rhine she is drawn into her wartime story, little seeing the similarities to her own situation.

1941. Hildegard, new wife to Kurt and student of architecture, surrenders to the inevitable; she needs a job for them to pay their rent. Interviewing for a hotel post, she does not realize her life now is off course, running on a track destined to collide with the sinister Fuhrer himself. She is thrust into the role of maid to Hitler and is no longer able to hide away from reality in her studies. Moving forward is the only option, no matter how dark it gets.

With the story switching between 2015 and 1941, Stella and Hildegard face questions of survival, identity, love and meaning as they juggle moral ambiguities in a world of elusive justice.

Author bio

Jennifer Harris writes literary fiction inspired by the historic environment—not historical fiction, but fiction set in the contemporary era that responds to the past, remembered either publicly in monuments and memorials, or in subtle, private ways. Her PhD is in Cultural Heritage theory and she has lectured in and researched cultural heritage and museums for many years. She has also run a small museum, and worked as a journalist in Australia and London. 

Jennifer is from Western Australia and has lived also in France and the UK. In 2020 she relocated to Seattle in the spectacular Pacific Northwest of the USA. 

Dreaming of Water by A J Banner

 

My thoughts

Another mystery thriller by one of my favorite authors. Dreaming of Water is very intriguing and will keep you guessing. I did not guess this one correctly. I usually do but not this time. 

When a child dies it can destroy a family. It can put a wedge between the parents. Unfortunately. In this story you get to know about a little girl who drowned in a shallow pool. Her young life ended tragically and no one knows exactly what happened. Nina was only three years old. Her older sister Astrid was babysitting her while their parents were at another party. Seems their mother loved going so their dad always took her. This night was a bit different though. Tragedy hit.

When one child is left behind and blamed for the younger child's death it's heartbreaking. That is how Astrid always felt. Her mother blamed her. But was her mother innocent? Was their dad innocent. Were the neighbors who had the fancy party innocent? Somewhere in this one of the people was or possibly was responsible for a young child's death. One of these people did not do the right thing resulting in a child drowning. Was it murder or neglect? 

This is a story of a loss so horrible that it affected two families. A whole group of people. A young teen who always felt responsible for her little sister. Her sister, Nina, was a runner though. She would get away from any one of them and off she would go. Astrid lived most of her life feeling responsible. Even losing her own marriage because of her fear of not being a good mother. 

Astrid came back to see her Aunt Maud per her request. She had told her she had evidence of something sinister happening the night Nina died. But when Astrid got there her Aunt was unconscious on the floor in her office/library. The story takes off from there and you learn quite a bit about each character. You try to piece together what could have happened that night. What you think may have happened. I'm betting you won't guess though. It was a bit of a surprise to me. Not that it didn't enter my mind but I just didn't dwell on that scenario at all. 

I like some of the characters in this story but have to be honest. I despised Rose. Rose was Astrid and Nina's mother. I know she lost a child and was grieving but she still had a child left who she really didn't treat right before the accident. She was not that great of a mother to Nina. Yes she loved Nina but she put herself first always. I didn't like her. I also didn't much care for their dad. He should have been there for his oldest daughter too. He wasn't. I absolutely adored Astrid's Aunt Maude. She was such a sweet person. I think she tried to see the good in everyone. She reminded me of my own grandmother when I was growing up. Always there. Yeah I liked her very much. I also liked Connor. He seemed like a winner. Trent... No so much. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #AJBanner, #LakeUnionPublishing for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book. 

Four huge stars. Grab it and enjoy.

Synopsis

A woman’s investigation into her past reveals family secrets and lies in this novel of discovery, redemption, and the mutability of memory by the bestselling author of The Good Neighbor and In Another Light.

Astrid Johansen swore she would never return to Heron Bay, Washington. In that idyllic coastal town, her little sister, Nina, drowned in a reflecting pool under Astrid’s watch seventeen years ago. Though guilt has kept her away, Astrid can’t ignore her aunt Maude’s urgent plea to come back. Maude claims to have found a letter that will change everything about the past.

When Astrid arrives in Heron Bay, she finds Maude unconscious, perhaps the victim of an attack. As Maude lingers in a coma, Astrid uncovers alarming evidence that Nina’s drowning that tragic night was no accident. But in a town rife with secrets, and in a family still fractured by grief, who knows the truth?

Astrid’s investigation leads her down a trail of dark memories, lies, and betrayals that will shatter her perception of everyone she thought she knew—even herself.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

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Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
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Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday
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Here is a shout out to the administrators:

Emma @ Word and Peace

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

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THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

NetGalley

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

An ICU nurse accidentally uncovers a patient’s frightening past in this   chilling thriller from the   New York Times   bestselling author of  Local Woman Missing   and   Just the Nicest Couple .

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom to a teenage daughter and working as a full time nurse. While on duty at the hospital one day, a patient named Caitlin arrives in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, having jumped from a bridge and plunging over twenty feet to the train tracks below. 

But when a witness comes forward with shocking details about the fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was Caitlin  pushed  and if so, by whom and why? 

Meghan has always tried to stay emotionally detached from her patients, but this time, she mistakenly lets herself get too close until she’s deeply entangled in Caitlin’s and her family’s lives. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims.

BOTM choices

Three again. But to be fair they are such a good price and sound so good. 

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis 

From the best-selling author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie comes a searing multi-generational novel—set in the 1980s in racially and politically turbulent Philadelphia and in the tiny town of Bonaparte, Alabama—about a mother fighting for her sanity and survival.

From the moment Ava Carson and her ten-year-old son, Toussaint, arrive at the Glenn Avenue family shelter in Philadelphia 1985, Ava is already plotting a way out. She is repulsed by the shelter's squalid conditions: their cockroach-infested room, the barely edible food, and the shifty night security guard. She is determined to rescue her son from the perils and indignities of that place, and to save herself from the complicated past that led them there.

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey

One girl murdered. Another one missing. And a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

A taut and electrifying novel from celebrated bestselling author Lauren Groff, about one spirited girl alone in the wilderness, trying to survive.

A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark of god that burns hot within her. What she finds in this terra incognita is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief in everything that her own civilization has taught her.

Lauren Groff’s new novel is at once a thrilling adventure story and a penetrating fable about trying to find a new way of living in a world succumbing to the churn of colonialism. The Vaster Wilds is a work of raw and prophetic power that tells the story of America in miniature, through one girl at a hinge point in history, to ask how—and if—we can adapt quickly enough to save ourselves. 

I received this one from the author for a book/review blog tour

The Wild Between Us by Amy Hagstrom

The rescue of two missing boys in the Sierra Nevada mountains relies on unraveling the mysteries of the past in an addictive novel of heartrending suspense.

After inheriting his uncle’s lodge, Silas Matheson hopes the grandeur of the California Sierra Nevada will be a fresh start for his two young sons, and a chance to finally face his demons. It was here, fifteen years ago, that Silas and his friends Jessica, Danny, and Meg ventured into the mountain wilderness and Jessica vanished without a trace. When his boys go missing in the same dark woods, the fear and guilt that Silas has been running from ever since come crashing back.

Silas’s panicked call brings in the local search-and-rescue unit, and two familiar faces: Danny and Meg. As the frantic search gets underway, the three friends are plunged into a painfully recurring nightmare, each of them thinking, This can’t be happening again.

With a storm brewing and the boys’ fates threatened with every desperate hour, the secrets of the past begin to surface, and this time, for Silas, Danny, and Meg, there’s no escaping the truth.