Michelle's Musings

07 August 2022

Review: Big Red

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

View all my reviews

25 June 2022

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.

06 June 2022

2022 Summer Reading Guide

I like summer books that suck you in and don’t let go. Sometimes you need a book that you can read in one or even two settings….Sometimes you need an epic adventure, but often (to me) a summer read is just an escape from everyday life. I am going to provide you with some books I think can fit a perfect escape. I have broken the books down into categories, that may be seen as quirky, but they also can be fun.

Click here for a printable version.

Celebrity Gossip and Tell-Alls

Hello Molly!-Molly Shannon

A tragic accident shapes Molly and turns her into a comedy queen. Can be enjoyed by anyone.

The Storyteller-Dave Grohl

A fan of rock music makes rock music. It is fun and not your typical rock n’ roll book. Dave is a rock superfan! Both the book and audio are good. Dave reads the audio.

The Boys-Ron and Clint Howard

Two brothers recount the lives of their actor parents and their own journey through life, love, drugs, and Hollywood. I didn’t expect to love this, but I did. I highly recommend the audio here.

You watched the show, now read the book (these are not quick reads but worthy of a binge read)

Bridgerton (it is a series)- Julia Quinn

We have all seen the shows, don’t forget about the book series, there are prequels too!

Bad Blood -John Carreyrou

The story of how a smart kid can lie and claw her way to the top, and get caught and will now pay the price. Read the book or listen to the audio, they are both great.

When you only have one afternoon to read

The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan

This was so cool. A man that has always collected objects leaves the object to his maid and she needs to find their owners.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse- Charlie Mackesy

Yes, this is in the children’s section, but the message is powerful for all of us, please read this.

Granny’s Got a Gun-Harper Lin

Harper Lin makes my list every year. You can’t go wrong with any of her books.

Books that will become movies/tv-shows soon—read the book first because all of these are showstoppers

Daisy Jones and the Six-by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book is told as if the rock band is conducting an interview, it has a surprise ending.

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman

A housewife decides to solve a 1960’s murder, set in Baltimore, MD

Where the Crawdads Sing-Delia Owens

I very much liked this book, and most people I know that have read it absolutely love it. In this book, we meet Kya who has lost everyone and has raised herself. This book will warm your heart and make you want to hug Kya.

Historical Fiction books that I couldn’t put down

Little Souls-Sandra Dallas

Helen and Lutie moved to Colorado during the last days of the Spanish flu pandemic, renting out a room in their home to save money. A murder happens in this rented room and changes everything.

Until We Meet-Camille Di Maio

In this book, we follow Dottie, Gladys, and Margaret. One is pregnant, one is writing to a boy she has never met, and one wants to change the world. While it is a typical WWII book, it was nice meeting these young women.

Great or Nothing-Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe, and Jessica Spotswood

This book is supposed to be a reimagined telling of Little Women. I have never read Little Women, but I loved that it was set during WWII. It shows us four sisters and how some of them are doing all they can for the war effort.

When the Summer Was Ours-Roxanne Veletzos

Eva is engaged to be married in a pre-war Hungary. Everything is going great until she meets a man that will rock her world. She plans to ditch everything and be with Aleandro, but war tears them apart. The book gets ugly when describing the war, but war is ugly, and Eva is right in the middle of things.

On Gin Lane-Brooke Lea Foster

Everleigh has the best life, a huge trust fund, and is about to be married. One night she will be awakened from sleep, her home (a hotel) is on fire and the fire changes her life forever.

Sitting on the “edge of my seat” thrillers

Nine Lives-Peter Swanson

Nine people are mailed a list of names. The list has their name on it and these people start noticing the people on the list are being murdered. It is a bit like the Agatha Christie book, “And Then There Were None”.

Sparring Partners-John Grisham

I loved that is a collection of novellas. Read one, or read them all, I think this collection is perfect for summer reading. Each story takes place in Ford County (where “A Time to Kill” took place) and features three different lawyers.

The Sundown Motel or The Book of Cold Cases-Simone St. James

I love this author so much that she can tell a fantastic story that keeps me guessing and wanting more. Sundown is about a rundown motel that may be inhabited by ghosts. Viv is a clerk there and is completely caught up in some murders that happened at the hotel in the past.

Cold Cases introduces us to Shea, who was abducted as a child and is now obsessed with solving the Lady Killer murders. She is writing a book about how she plans to solve the murders, and needs to interview Beth, the woman everyone suspects of committing the crimes. There’s something in Beth’s house that is not happy Shea is snooping around. Beware of ghosts.

Upcoming books I am excited to share with you, some of these could become a book pick of the month.

August 2022

December 2022

August 2022

June 2022

September 2022

June 2022

29 May 2022

June Book Pick

Hello to you all! Hope your summer plans are shaping up nicely.

My Summer Reading Guide will drop at 6 pm on June 6, so please come back to the blog for that. I will put the link in this post, once it is active.

For June I picked a high drama historical fiction book set in 1918 Denver, Colorado

Lutie and Helen are sisters that decide to move to Colorado after the death of their parents. Helen secured a job as a nurse before they ever moved and Lutie would find a job in advertising when they arrived. To help with expenses they rent out their basement to a family of three, Ron, Maud, and Dorothy. Ron and Maud have a volatile relationship and Ron leaves. Things are going fine until Dorothy's biological father shows up and Helen murders him. The girls decide to hide the body out in the open....out in the park where people take their family members that have died of the flu. All of this drama happens at the very beginning of the book!!!

I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.