November Book Pick

 It is no secret that I am a big fan of Gill Paul.  I think I have loved every book she has written.  My favorite is still the one about Wallis Simpson and Diana Spencer, The Other Woman's Husband, but I think this one might be my second favorite.  I simply love to read about this time period, the Jazz Age.  This book is about four women, three of which are writers, and one is an actress, that forges a deep friendship over a game of bridge.  

They each have different experiences with romance and careers, but their lives still intertwine at every intersection and with every relationship.  Three of the women have their lives more together than Dorothy Parker does, and they seem to always be there to help her in the latest crisis.  Dorothy is pretty much all about sex, booze, and jazz, and every once in a while she puts together some brilliant writing.  

I could not help thinking the whole time I was reading this, if Dorothy really lived this hard, I just can't imagine how she ever wrote a thing.  

Oh, one more thing, one of the girls in this novel, in real life co-founded The New Yorker.  I found that fascinating.   ENJOY!!

Review: Hester

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity

Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity by Bill O'Reilly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: The Paris Daughter

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Live Long and...What I Learned Along the Way

Live Long and...What I Learned Along the Way by William Shatner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a typical Bill Shatner book. I enjoyed it because I adore Bill. If you are not a Shatner fan, you probably aren't going to like this one. Bill will tell you how he manages life and how to not sweat some of the small stuff.

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Review: Only the Beautiful

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century

Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire's Wife, and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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October book pick

 Good day to you all,

I am so excited to bring my October book to you, I read this book many months ago and found it thrilling!!!  Actually, today, September 20, is the publication day for this book! 

It is by Susan Ella MacNeal, the author of the Maggie Hope book series (if you have not read Maggie's books and like WWII fiction, check them out).  Susan Ella has written a stand-alone book this time around that kept me on my toes and had me constantly turning the corner and seeing a new surprise. 

The book starts out in a controversial way, the daughter, Veronica is caught up in some drama with a married man.  Mom, Violet, sees they have no choice but to relocate to California to start a new life in every way imaginable.  Once WWII breaks out, each of the women gets caught up in espionage involving the war effort.  

Here is my review on NetGalley....

I am going to tell you one thing that you must know, if you have not read one of Susan Ella MacNeal's novels, you must remedy that soon.  Every book that she writes is full of intrigue and moments where I go "NO, that can't happen!!".  

This book is NOT part of the Maggie Hope series, this one is about a mother and daughter who have to leave their life in New York for a new life in California.  Almost immediately they become entangled in a web of Nazi sympathizers and have to figure out a way to bring them down, and enter the spying.    

I was not happy I had to go to work because I would have loved to finish this book in one sitting.  This is perfect for an afternoon by the pool or an excellent road trip accompaniment.

Review: Cruel Beautiful World

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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September book pick

 Good day to you all,

A couple of years ago, I discovered Sara Ackerman and found her books exciting. She writes books set in Hawaii during WWII.  The first one that I read was Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers in case you want to check it out too.  

This book is all about Izzy and how the death of her brother completely changes the course of her life. I love books that feature the setting as a character and this one falls right into that category.  

Here is what I wrote on Goodreads:

This dual timeline book is set in Hawaii during WWII and the mid-1960s. During the wartime plot, Pearl Harbor was attacked and Walt was killed. We meet Izzy a code breaker who has joined the war to avenge the death of her brother, Walt. She also tries to spend all of her free time doing the Hawaiian things her brother loved so much.

In the 1960s timeline, we meet Lu who has been sent to photograph a fancy hotel opening. She spends her time with the hotel owner and a local photographer. When they discover a body in a cave, it brings back the photographer's past and ties the two timelines together.

Review: Finding Me

Finding Me by Viola Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Trial and Execution of the Traitor George Washington

The Trial and Execution of the Traitor George Washington by Charles Rosenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma

Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma by Karen Grassle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: As Bright as Heaven

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Lindbergh Nanny

The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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August book pick

My August book pick is late because I have been at work, I apologize for that.  Still, this book is worth waiting for.  I have always been a big fan of Jamie Ford, always.  I read his first book (On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet) because it was the local "meet the author" event at our local community college.  The book was spectacular!! Jamie sent out a digital book on one of the characters from that book and with those two books, I knew I was going to read anything he would write from now on.   Fast forward to November 2021, this book was scheduled to be published in early 2022 and I got ahold of an advanced reader's copy.  I just adored it!!! The book got delayed and I read it again because I loved it so much.  I decided that when it was published, it would be my monthly book pick.  The day has finally come, and before I could tell you how much I loved it, Jenna Bush Hager picked it for her monthly book.  I am telling you, it is spectacular!!!!!  Here is what I wrote on Goodreads:  First of all, this was a complete departure from anything I have ever read. Secondly, once I started reading I did not stop until I finished the book, it just sucked me right into its grasp. I was a bit wary of keeping all the women straight, but I worried for nothing because the book was written so that you didn't get lost in the characters, you got lost in the story. Dorothy is our main character and she struggles with life, mentally. Dorothy is a former poet laureate and married to a man that she really doesn't love (maybe doesn't realize it), and absolutely adores her little girl. Her problems arise when her husband tries to make her feel she is inadequate and she feels haunted by the past (enter all the other characters). The book takes you on. the journey of how Dorothy seeks therapy and experimental treatment that is supposed to help her connect these bridges to her past (and the other characters).

Review: A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland

A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland by Troy Senik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Big Red

Big Red by Jerome Charyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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July book pick

For this month, I chose a book that was spectacular, but I have never featured it as a monthly book pick.  

This book is based on the true story of Belle da Costa Greene, the first curator of the Morgan Library. Belle's father was the first black student and graduate of Harvard and he championed civil rights.  Belle's father and mother split up and the mother raised the children as white.  When Belle got hired as the curator of the Morgan Library, she knew that her boss was a racist, but also knew she deserved this job.  Belle did a wonderful job in collecting the materials and continued on as the main librarian even after JP Morgan's death. 

Marie Benedict always selects strong women for her books and this one is no exception.