Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Lilac Girls is a well-research work of historical fiction whose timeline covers 20 years, from 1939-1959. The main characters are Caroline, a NYC-CT socialite; Kasia, a young Polish girl imprisoned with her mother and sister at the woman's prison, Ravensbrück; and Herta, a young, female German doctor who performs unspeakable operations on a group of women, who come to be known as the Rabbits. Although this is a difficult book to read, the story deserved to be heard. The courage and heartbreak and love comes alive in these pages.
Book 130 of 2020

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The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0/5.0 stars - Stories among stories within stories. Beautiful words and a complicated plot. I started this book in January, set it aside, ordered it on Audible, listened a bit. In August, I got it back out of the library, read most of it, listened to a few hours while painting, and then sat down and finished reading it. It definitely bears rereading.
Modern Mrs. Darcy - A book nominated for an award in 2020 (Locus Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Novel)
Recommended for fantasy lovers, story tellers, game players.
Book 129 of 2020.

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The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - Viola Shipman is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. He (yes, he) writes beautiful stories of families that provide strength, love, and faith. His Michigan settings make me want to visit there. His strong women characters give us hope in the face of adversity. And finally, his sensitive treatment and respect for the elders in his stories make me want to read more by this author.
Book 127 of 2020

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Killer Summer by Ridley Pearson

Killer Summer by Ridley Pearson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars - This jumped out at me while browsing the shelves at the library. It's book 3 of the Walt Fleming series, but of course, the first one I've read. It probably would have made more sense to me to already know the backstory of the characters, but the author does tell you enough without rehashing prior books. The fact that this takes place in Idaho, and Salmon (where my father grew up) was specifically mentioned, earned it the extra half star.
Book 126 of 2020.

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The Ghost of Christmas Past by Rhys Bowen

The Ghost of Christmas Past by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4.0 stars
This book, which seems to be the wrap up of the Molly Murphy series, was a sight better than the book 12 (The Family Way). Molly seems to have grown up some, her husband Daniel is less overbearing. The mystery is better, and the characters overall more likable.
Modern Mrs. Darcy - (3rd) Three books by the same author (Bowen, Rhys)
Book 125 of 2020

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Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0 stars - It's hard to believe that I've never read this book, or series, before. This story of a Canadian orphan girl who brings great delight to an elderly pair of siblings in the early 20th century has stood the test of time, and is well loved to this day.
Anne is an eternal optimist, vain but humble, cheerful in the face of adversity, impulsive, kind, caring, and bright. With her active imagination and talkative ways, she wins people over everywhere she goes.
Summer Reading Challenge (2x): 2. June Birthdays: Anne Frank - b. Read a book that was published in sometime between 1900 and 1950.
Book 124 of 2020.

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The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister - A favorite from a year ago

Loved this book when I read it last summer, so I decided to add it to the blog. The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emmeline is a small child when she and her father move to a deserted island in the Pacific Southwest. For ten years they live together, separate from the rest of the world, surviving on food they have foraged, and with only each other for company. Emmeline's father tells her fairy tales about Jack who can capture scents, and about a princess who is imprisoned in a white castle. After his death, she will find out these are the stories of his life, and she is left to wonder who she really is. Who are her parents? As she searches and finds answers, she begins to understand both herself and them better, and it will change how she thinks of each one. The Scent Keeper is a book that makes us realize that we never really know the people we are closest to, and that everyone's story can look different through a different set of eyes.
2019 PSC - 4. A book you think should be turned into a movie
2019 Summer Reading Challenge - August 2. Summer is too short for bad books ☀️ Read a book by a favourite author


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Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 rounded to 4.0 stars. Just a light, cozy, contemporary romantic chic-lit book that brought some much needed levity to my reading, after several dark thrillers and a moving story about Kent State. Is this book for you? Well, if you like happy-ever-after, love-at-first-sight, local boy makes good, friends first-then lovers, local girl becomes the mayor type books, you'll enjoy it!
First book I've read by this author - would probably consider reading more.
Book 123 of 2020

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Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Kent State by Deborah Wiles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5.0/5.0 stars for this slim volume written in verse. Although I picked it up to fulfill a summer reading prompt, it is a book that will remain with me for years to come. I think part of its impact is the timeliness of the subject. It is 2020, and although Kent State happened 50 years ago, many of the problems that instigated it are still happening today. So many cities were the site of protests/riots this spring and summer, and as in the book, each voice has its own story to tell. The protesters, the police, the townspeople, those who died, those in power, the downtrodden.
Take a few hours, read this book, talk to others, share your thoughts. But most of all, listen to one another.
ATY Summer Reading Challenge (2x) - A book written in verse
Book 122 of 2020


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Ill Will by Dan Chaon

Ill Will by Dan Chaon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5, rounded to 4.0/5.0
So well written, it leaves you wondering and wanting to talk to others about it. I read it because Dan Chaon is a Writers Forum author, and I was interested in him after hearing his interview (https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/...) while uploading it to Digital Commons. I previously read You Remind Me of Me. That being said, I think I'm done with thrillers now for a good long time.

View all my reviews Book 121 of 2020.

The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek

The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.0/5.0 stars - I'll admit to being a little put off by the format of the book, each chapter is between one and three pages and written in the format "The Answer is" or "What Is?" Is the subject matter interesting? If you are a Jeopardy fan, than you'll probably enjoy finding out more about Alex Trebek and the show, and some memorable contestants. In fact, the half of the book that involves his time as the Jeopardy host was much more interesting to me, than the first half.
Here are some of my main takeaways:
Alex has a loving family. He has made a lot of money for a lot of years. He gives a lot of it away to various charities, worldwide. He is an optimist. Jeopardy is in his lifeblood. He enjoys people and learning. He has a great sense of humor. The book is a quick read.
Book 120 of 2020.


View all my reviews Sad update - Alex Trebek passed away this weekend, November 8, 2020 from pancreatic cancer.

The Guest Book by Lucy Foley

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars. I read this for the Pop Sugar Summer Challenge prompt - A summer-set thriller. I had been dreading this prompt, thrillers aren't my thing. Some general observations - none of the characters were likable, but in the end, the devil got his/her due. The book was a quick read for me, the author left sufficient clues so that you knew where it was going, without being blatantly obvious. But in the end, the cast of characters at the wedding and the unveiling of the deeds seemed a little convenient.
Book 119 of 2020

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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It seems hard to believe that I had never read this before, but likely I will never read it again.
Modern Mrs. Darcy - 9. A classic you didn’t read in school. Book 118 of 2020

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Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods

Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars. Earlier this spring, I watched and enjoyed the Netflix series "Sweet Magnolias" so I was both curious and a little hesitant to read the books upon which it was based. I was pleasantly surprised to find how closely the series followed the book, with few exceptions. While the series gave a lot more time to Helen's and Dana's stories, the book concentrated just on Maddie's. Later books will cover the friends' stories. Bill is as big a jerk in the book and the friends are just as close. The endings are different, but I won't give anything away here.
Just a nice little light read from an author who I enjoy.
Book 117 of 2020.

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Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose and other disappointments

Overall, not a great library trip this time. Two books went back to the library unread. The first was The Daughters by Adrienne Celt
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF'd at almost 20%. I wanted to like this, I did. I have a daughter, her name is Adrienne. This seemed like a good sign. Alas, I couldn't get through it this time, either. I had attempted this last year, but returned it to the library without comment, so this time I'm shelving it as Unfinished, so it doesn't come back to tease me again.

The second was What You Wish For by Katherine Center
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This just wasn't for me.

A third, I read, but didn't really enjoy that much - but hoping the last three will be somewhat better. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Possibly 2.5 stars - not really a business book, per se, or a memoir, this book preaches happy employees, happy customers, and happy business partners. Take a risk, be entrepreneurial, believe! Hsieh tells the story of how he grew from a boy who wanted to make money selling buttons, to start several businesses, including Zappos. His latest venture is a culture/coaching business called "Delivering Happiness."
The biggest problem I had with this book was the Platform for Growth section, which is told in many voices, and even more fonts. I found that difficult to read.

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Title Wave (Booktown Mystery #10) by Lorna Barrett

Title Wave by Lorna Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5, rounded up to 4.0/5.0 stars. Cozy mysteries aren't one of my go-to genres, but I've been reading a few more of them this year. This was the first book I've read by this author, although it's the 10th in this series. It peaked my interest enough that I will definitely go back and read book 1, and go from there. Fulfills the Pop Sugar Summer Prompt - A book with "sun," "sand," or "waves" in the title (ha - not only did it have wave in the title, it had title in it, too!).
A bonus was reading the author blurb at the end and finding out that she is from Rochester, NY.
Book 114 of 2020.

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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - I picked this up for the Pop Sugar Summer Reading Challenge prompt - A scary book you'd read around a campfire. I quite enjoyed the story of Bod (short for Nobody) Owens, adopted by the folks in a graveyard on the night he family was killed by Jack (Frost). Why they were killed and the story of how they protect him for 15 years makes up the bulk of the book. It wasn't terribly frightening, but it would a great book to read around a campfire. Book 113 of 2020.

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The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb

The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A strong 4.0/5.0 stars. In 1832, Frankie Silver, 18, a young wife and mother, really a mere slip of a girl, kills her young husband Charlie on a cold, winter day. The town is shocked and angered when they find his body cut up, some pieces burned, others hidden in the snow. She's convicted in a two-day trial, where she's not allowed to speak in her defense, and later hanged for the crime. Interwoven in the book is a second execution, more than 150 years later. The sheriff who is responsible for arresting the prisoner, twenty years earlier, now questions whether he did the right thing. There is something about the earlier case that bothers him, and it is only days before the execution that he figures them both out. The reader is left asking - what will you do for love, who will you protect? What is the role of family to protect us, or to be protected?
Book 112 of 2020. Also on https://xbmill.blogspot.com/

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The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve

The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.0/5.0 stars - In October 1947, fires caused by a long fall drought destroyed towns all along the coast of Maine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_F...). Grace, a young wife with two small children and pregnant with her third, must find a way to save her neighbor and best friend, Rosie, and their four small children when the fire threatens to consume their town, while their husbands are off fighting the fire. They make their way down to the shore with the children, dig air pockets in the sand, and lay with the lower bodies in the water, while covered with wet blankets they brought with. When they are found in the morning, Grace has become hypothermic and loses the baby. The rest of the group fare better. Rosie's husband returns then, having just escaped death himself, but with no news of Grace's husband, Gene. It will be three months before he shows up, burned badly, and a cruel man with no love left within him. How Grace survives the time both before and after his return is a testament to her inner strength and ingenuity.
I enjoyed the book for its historical details, the strong women characters, and the hope that lived on during the bleakest of times. The parts that described the fire and the terror of the town's people triggered memories of my sister's experience during the Gatlinburg wildfire in 2016, that raged around her and they drove down the mountain, arriving safely, but losing their home and everything they owned.
Book 111 of 2020. Also reviewed on https://xbmill.blogspot.com/.

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The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman

The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

See my reviews at http://xbmill.blogspot.com/.
Easily, the best book of the summer, perhaps the year, for me. I enjoyed the setting - Michigan, the back story - gardening, the strong women characters, the parallel timelines of post World War II and post Iran War, the themes of love and perseverance, and learning to carry on and find new strength from within and from family. The story is told in 15 parts, each associated with a flower, from iris to lady mantle and much in between and centers on two families. Iris is a botanist who leads the Victory Garden movement in her town, a World War II widow who soon loses her daughter to polio, and later a lonely older person who shuns the world, erects tall fences around her garden and home, and dedicates her life to developing new plants. Abby, Cory and Lily are a young family, trying to grapple with Cory's PTSD, from fighting in Iran. They rent Iris' adjoining cottage and slowly the two families break down the barriers, learn from each other, and over time, bring great healing and love to one another.
Pop Sugar Summer Challenge - A book that takes place in your favorite (or dream) summer destination (Grand Haven, MI)
Book 109 of 2020

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