4 Stars. John Wesley Powell caught my attention when my husband and I visited the Grand Canyon in 2013. I would periodically think that I should read a book about him and then I would forget about it. When we visited Lake Powell and Horseshoe Canyon in Page, AZ a few months ago, I decided that it […]
I Know Who You Are by Barbara Rae-Venter: Book Review
4 Stars. It is absolutely amazing to me that the author and her team tracked down this man who had evaded capture for 40-some years in 63 days. Days. She is quick to point out that the officers, medical examiners, forensics workers, and others kept this cold case alive and laid the groundwork for […]
The Broken Circle by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller: Book Review
3 Stars. Hmmm. It’s hard to write reviews of memoirs that don’t exactly work for you, isn’t it? I don’t want to discount someone else’s life experiences. But I personally felt there were some serious issues with the writing. Enjeela and her family experienced a terrifying journey when they left Afghanistan […]
Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters: Book Review
4 Stars. The ninth entry in the Amelia Peabody series is another solid mystery with the usual delightful characters against the backdrop of Egyptian archaeology in its most famous heyday. The author introduced some memorable new characters who I either appropriately loved or loathed, as intended […]
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Ayoama: Book Review
4.5 Stars. This was just the sort of soothing, hopeful book I needed right now. In a series of connected stories, the author explores different scenarios most of us can relate to. The young woman fresh out of college who feels stuck. The woman with an established career who finds herself struggling […]
We Are Here to Stay by Susan Kuklin: Book Review
4 Stars. I try hard not to get political in my reviews, though if you look back through the books I read, you’ll get at least a sense of my political leanings. It’s impossible to review this book without discussing politics though, so bear with me. I wish all the politicians who love to speak so loudly and […]
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland: Book Review
3 Stars. I’ve been a fairly loyal listener of the Pantsuit Politics podcast for a couple of years now. I like the perspectives Beth and Sarah bring to the conversations they have, whether they’re about current events or pop culture. After the most recent election, I felt that their first book would be a […]
Of Time and Turtles by Sy Montgomery: Book Review
3 Stars. I read and loved Sy Montgomery’s earlier work, How to Be a Good Creature. I loved it so much that I literally read it twice back to back. So my expectations were high as I started this book. I was a little disappointed but that’s partly because of my own unrealistic expectations. In the early days […]
American Christmas Stories, edited by Connie Willis: Book Review
4 Stars. I listened to Connie Willis’s collection of her own Christmas stories (A Lot Like Christmas) last year and went searching for more of her work. I stumbled on this anthology that she edited and decided to give it a try. The quality of the stories was remarkably consistent! The stories are arranged […]
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna: Book Review
4.5 Stars. How can you not love a character named Mika Moon? And the found family that surrounds her new young charges is absolutely delightful. Quirky, caring, funny, interfering, determined, mischievous… I could go on but I won’t. I love stories of found families and what a family this one is […]
Head to Head by Linda Ladd: Book Review
3 Stars. First of all, this is a disturbingly violent book. I didn’t have nightmares or anything but it is graphic. Horrific domestic abuse, very violent death, and a brief mention of rape. Sensitive readers should steer clear. That out of the way, there’s a lot of potential here. I really didn’t know who […]