Review: Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full disclosure, I received an ARC from Penguin Random House and was asked to write a review.

Furious Hours is an interesting concept. The mixture of true crime with biographical information of a reclusive author is definitely worth a read. You can tell the book is very well researched as it gets into a great bit of detail. Sometimes I felt like it was too much detail and slowed things down to the point where it nearly lost my interest. Fortunately, I pushed forward and would find something new and fascinating. To fans of true crime or Harper Lee, I would recommend this book.

#FuriousHours #NetGalley

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Review: The Bees

The Bees by Laline Paull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

People who know me well know my affinity for bees. No surprise a friend recommended this book to me. And unlike many books that may use bees in the title but not actually be about bees, this one is!

I didn't always love bees. I learned to love them from the stories of beekeepers. If you don't already love bees, you may learn to love them through this story. It is a great introduction to people who might be curious about bees but don't really want to read a nonfiction book about them.
Still not sold on bees? What if I told you it was a little Game of Thrones and a little Handmaid's Tale? If you like those types of books, you could enjoy this.

If you know bees and can suspend disbelief a bit, you can enjoy seeing the world through a bee's eyes. All the major parts of a bee's life are there. It really makes you think about the impact we have on bees.

The only thing I felt I could have done without was the first chapter and the epilogue. I could speculate why they were included, but I would have enjoyed the book without them. If the first chapter doesn't grab you, stick with to chapter two!

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Review: In the Shadow of Spindrift House

In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the published in exchange for possible feedback.

This is the third book by Mira Grant that I know of which has a sea theme. And just like the others, it is CREEPY. The very first chapter resonated with me on a very deep level. It is how I feel about humans and nature. It also reminded me very much of the artist, Hundertwasser, and his aversion to straight lines.

The characters are reminiscent of the Scooby gang on the verge of adulthood looking for that final big case to crack. Beware land developers! They are never innocent. A house with a dark past? Maybe some ghosts? A big prize for solving the mystery? I would drive to Maine too. Oh wait, I have done that trip. My story was not as good as this one.

I did leave the book hoping for some more. There were some hints of a story that could yet be told. Definitely peaked my curiosity about how it could be tied to her other books. I would read another book if this were to be made a series.

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Review: The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was in high school or college. I've read a lot of horror in my life, and this remains one of the scariest I've read. I enjoyed watching the Netflix version of it, but it is different from the book. If you've seen the show, I recommend reading the book anyway.

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Review: Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously by Jessica Pan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Upfront, I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for possibly reviewing it.

I LOVED this book. I am an Introvert with a Myers-Briggs I. This book was on my TBR as soon as I saw the title. I'm not a shintrovert like the author. I have to pretend to be an extrovert for work, and it is exhausting! What's a shintrovert? Read the book. Still, I could relate to her story on so many levels. Oddly enough, I have also lived in Beijing and London. I know exactly the challenges she's talking about. She is a lot kinder in describing them than I am. I really enjoyed her approach to the personal challenge she set. Besides being funny and entertaining, the book is surprisingly educational. I learned quite a bit, and I felt she really incorporated expert advice so well.

If you are an introvert, read this book. You'll find a kindred spirit. If you are an extrovert but always wondered why introverts do the things they do, read this book. If you don't know what you are, take a Myers-Briggs test first, then read the book.

And Jessica, now that I know many of your deepest, darkest secrets, would it be weird if I still wanted to be friends?

#SorryImLateIDidntWantToCome #NetGalley

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Review: rat catcher's yellows

rat catcher's yellows by Charlie Jane Anders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I' ve only recently started reading short stories on the regular. Nothing against them. I just wasn't tuned into finding them, and my TBR list is already hundreds of books long. But, I do love books about gaming, and this short story was in "Press Start to Play." I read it and fell in love with Charlie Jane Anders. Head over heels. Now, I can't get enough. I'm still unsure how a short story could get so deeply under my skin. I want to play The Divine Right of Cats! Somebody make that game with mask, please.

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Review: Hotels of North America

Hotels of North America by Rick Moody
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It is my fault for making assumptions. I thought this would be in the same vein as "Dear Committee Members." It sort of was, but it mostly wasn't. As someone who travels a lot, I could relate deeply to a number of the descriptions (mostly humorous) of the various types of lodging the main character encounters. In fact, I would probably agree with many of his observations. The book got a little too rambly and convoluted for me to thoroughly enjoy. It would lose the humor I was hoping would thread throughout. Then, I would lose interest.

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Review: Agorafabulous!: Dispatches from My Bedroom

Agorafabulous!: Dispatches from My Bedroom by Sara Benincasa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It sounds weird to say I enjoyed reading a book about someone suffering from agoraphobia. Really suffering. I've known people with agoraphobia, but they never described what it was like. Sara Benincasa has a way of adding a touch of humor to what should be dark and depressing. This didn't diminish how deeply I felt for her clear agony. I could relate to wanting to hole up in my bed and avoid the world. Now I know what that would really be like. It is not nearly as cool as it sounds.

There was an odd bit towards the middle of the book that I thought might turn me off to the whole thing, but then turned around and got back on track. I'm not even going to repeat it here, but if you get to that bit and have the same reaction, just skip ahead a few pages.

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Review: Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Gregory Maguire is a great writer. His stories are rich and take you into a fully developed other world. If anyone should do retellings of fairytales, it is Gregory Maguire. He has found his niche. I also enjoyed the Bavarian setting of this book. All of that said, I didn't really enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed other works by Maguire. I found I didn't really care about the characters and wanted to skip forward frequently for some action. I enjoyed it more for my ability to use German than for the plot.

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Review: Sharks, Jellyfish, and Other Deadly Things

Sharks, Jellyfish, and Other Deadly Things by Nancy Tesler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book 2 in the series. You could start here without a problem. There are references to book 1, but it will not hinder your ability to follow the story.

I got this book and book 1 for free on Amazon. When I get a book that way, I don't come any expectations. If I don't like it, no sweat. Yet, I have found some really great new-to-me authors this way. I will put Nancy Tesler in that category. I might not have read or known about this series otherwise. I still really enjoy the biofeedback aspects of this book. I swear I am going to look into having it done. Very cool, and I like that the author explains it with some detail so you understand what it is and how it works. It makes this series very unique. I will admit that I didn't quite see the end of this book coming the way it did. Well done for keeping me guessing.

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Review: Gone Haunting in Deadwood

Gone Haunting in Deadwood by Ann Charles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book 9 of a series I really love. If you have read the Charley Davidson series and enjoyed it, you should try this series. If you are new to the series, you will want to start with book 1. Mystery, supernatural, humor, and strong female characters. This series has it all. Bonus for me is the daughter's penchant for rescuing odd creatures. I relate completely!

For those already reading the series, book 9 has a lot of action and furthers the supernatural part of the storyline. We get some answers, but we also get some new questions and characters which made me really glad I waited until book 10 was already out so I don't have to wait to find out what happens next. I've read all them short stories too. You don't have to read the short stories to know what is going on, but there are references to Tequila & Time in this book. Worth reading that one to understand those references.

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Review: Marrow Island

Marrow Island by Alexis M. Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will tread lightly so as not to give too much away. As someone who leans towards the radical when it comes to the environment, there was a lot about this book that appealed to me. The main character is a pro-environment journalist capturing stories about those fighting to save us from ourselves. I was also intrigued with the ideas presented for using natural ways to combat man-made disasters. While the book suggests the Marrow Island Colony might be a cult, I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for that kind of story. Not every commune is a cult. I found the book very compelling until the last maybe third hence the four stars instead of five. Instead of tying up the loose ends, I felt I was left with even more questions. The ending for me was not very satisfying.

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Review: The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like mysteries and cats. The author had the magic formula. I also enjoy the vocabulary Braun incorporates into the stories. The mysteries are not nail biters, but I still feel like I'm not reading pure fluff. Here is where I let you in on a little secret. I didn't research this series before I started it. I knew Lilian Jackson Braun was famous for her cat mysteries. I was a little surprised when I realized some of the language in book two felt very dated. Before writing this review, I looked up the publication date. 1967! Yep, the language is going to be dated. It is older than I am. Given how long I have to wait for these books to come off hold, it will be a long time before I reach a book that was published in the 2000s. If she is still using the same language by the late 90s, I might rethink my decision. For now, I'm going to accept the dated language and enjoy the cats and the light mysteries.

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Review: City of Ghosts

City of Ghosts by Shawn Kobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I will admit to some bias when reading this book. I was working with the author in Vienna at the time that he was writing it. Though I bought the book when it was released, I have intentionally saved it until now because I wanted a little Viennese pick-me-up. I loved living in Vienna, and the author's descriptions took me back to my own time living in the neighborhood the book is set in. I could picture it vividly. I also appreciated the very accurate depiction of the Embassy and consular work. You don't see that very often in fictional representations. I enjoyed the details about coffee culture and the bits of German thrown in. It was a nice walk down memory lane. My only complaint is now I want to go back!

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