Category: About books

Linda’s Favorite Books: We Hope For Better Things

We Hope For Better Things by Erin Bartels

Summary: When Detroit Free Press reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, his strange request – that she look up a relative she didn’t know she had in order to deliver an old camera and a box of photos – seems like it isn’t worth her time. But when she loses her job after a botched investigation, she suddenly finds herself with nothing but time. 

At her great-aunt’s 150-year-old farmhouse, Elizabeth uncovers a series of mysterious items, locked doors, and hidden graves. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding. And as Elizabeth soon discovers, the past is never as past as we might like to think. (from www.amazon.com)

Thoughts: I enjoy historical fiction and mysteries.  Traveling between decades can sometimes be confusing but the author very smoothly accomplishes this in the book.  I also enjoy when old items come to life in stories which makes for an exciting read! 

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Maidens

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

First line: Edward Fosca was a murderer.

Summary: Mariana recently lost her husband. She has been struggling to come to terms with his death and helping her patients. But when she receives a call from her niece she finds something to focus her energy on. There has been a murder in Cambridge and the dead girl is her niece’s best friend. It has shocked the town and the college.

When Mariana arrives she immediately believes that the murderer is Zoe’s professor, Edward Fosca. As the investigation continues she dives deeper into the secrets of a group called the Maidens. How is Mariana going to protect her niece and find the killer?

My Thoughts: This book was such a mess. There were unnecessary characters that were intentionally there to distract the reader. Some were just thrown in the give her a hint of something which could have happened in other ways. Mariana felt like she was in a cozy mystery. She was trying to include herself into a mystery and solve it.

I loved the location. This was something I was really excited about in this book. Ten years ago I visited Cambridge for a week and fell in love with this university town. I felt completely safe wandering the town by myself. I visited little shops, farmer’s markets and the colleges. If you ever get a chance to visit Cambridge, do it! It is picture perfect and just a 2 hour train ride from London.

FYI: Read The Silent Patient.

Xochitl’s Book Thoughts: Greenlights

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

First Line: This is not a traditional memoir.

Summary and Thoughts:

A proud Texan and creative personality, Matthew McConaughey’s life is what most people would expect it to be if you know of him. It’s full of wild adventures that never fail to teach him a lesson or two. From wild escapades in the Amazon or a relaxing time in a private Austin, TX neighborhood, McConaughey looks for what he calls “greenlights.” Like actual green lights on the road, they are signals for McConaughey to move forward in life. Even when faced with red or yellow lights, he lets them happen but he never lets them affect him negatively. He waits for them to turn green or he sees the green in the opportunity. McConaughey has never let a bad situation ruin his spirit, and he’s rarely been the one to complain about consequences or victimize himself. He finds the beautiful in the ugly and lives life to the fullest.

This certainly wasn’t traditional memoir by any means. Granted, I do not read a lot of them but an untraditional traditional man wouldn’t write something like everybody else. I liked how within the stories he inserted poems, post-it notes of advice, pictures, and even more tales. His life has rarely had a dull moment. My favorite story of his was him talking about the different types of people he met at this RV park area during his time when he only lived in an RV. It’s nice to see despite him being pretty well known the people who typically meet him know to treat him like any other kind stranger. What I also loved was seeing just how much of a family man he was. He adores his wife (another one of my favorite moments was when they met) and his main goal in life was to become a father, which he has been doing since the birth of his first child. He truly has such a sensitive side; one I admittedly didn’t expect from him. Through this memoir I got to learn what an interesting person Mattew McConaughey is on top of being a great actor, and he’s definitely become one of my favorite actors because of this book.

FYI: This book involves mature language like cursing and sexual talk.

What’s Ashley Reading?: Katharine Parr, the Sixth Wife

Katharine Parr, the Sixth Wife by Alison Weir

First line: Katharine was five when death cast its black shadow over her life.

Summary: Katharine Parr, the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England, grew up as a simple country gentry but she made several advantageous marriages. However, each husband died early leaving her a widow and childless. Then when she meets the handsome brother to the late queen, Jane Seymour, she believes she has found the love of her life.

But fate has different plans. Katharine catches the eye of the King of England. With the hopes of swaying the king towards the new faith, Katharine accepts his proposal. With her marriage comes the enmity of the Catholic faction at court. Bishop Gardiner and his men are determined to bring down Henry’s new queen.

My Thoughts: I liked this book. I liked how we got a look into Katharine’s early life. Many of the books about her center around her time as queen and afterwards but very little on her first two marriages. I enjoyed learning a little more about her time before the throne and how she became a strong proponent of the new religion, Protestantism.

Katharine is one of my least favorite queens. Her story is not very exciting and centers around religion a lot. She did much for the reformists in the court and even became the first woman to publish a book under her own name in English. It is quite an achievement. Alison Weir did a great job giving all the queens in her series a new life and bringing more of their stories to readers. I will be anticipating her next collection of books.

FYI: This is book six in the Six Tudor Queens series.

Tami Recommends: The Island of Sea Women

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

First Line: An old women sits on the beach, a cushion strapped to her bottom, sorting algae that’s washed ashore. 

Summary: Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends that come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. As the girls take up their positions as baby divers, they know they are beginning a life of excitement and responsibility but also danger. They spend all their time together, as best friends do, sharing secrets, dreams, wishes and their shared plans for their futures. Life and circumstances have a way of altering the best of plans. Separated when they are married, they try to maintain their friendship until a tragic event drives them apart. 

Thoughts: Lisa See writes of relationships between women with such insight. Despite their circumstances, she always finds a way to make them triumph over pain, loss and political unrest. The women in her books are strong and resilient.

This book truly is a deep dive and was well-researched. I did not know about the haenyeo, their matricentric society or their culture. I learned a lot about its history through the context of the story. Korea has had a volatile relationship within its borders, with China and with the US yet remains a beautiful country with a rich history. I don’t know what I found more fascinating: the diving culture, the relationship of men and women in the society, the various occupiers/overseers of the country … I couldn’t put it down. The writing lets you feel the hurt and violence and yet allows you to contemplate the true nature of love and forgiveness over the course of a lifetime.

The Island of Sea Women taught me about a way of life I never knew existed and also about human suffering, redemption and forgiveness. 

FYI: (trigger warnings……murder, suicide, graphic war descriptions, abuse). The book covers a large time period through WW2, the Korean War and into the present. So many historical events and tragedies occur over that time period for this small spot in the world. 

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Therapist

The Therapist by B. A. Paris

First line: My office is small, perfect and minimalist.

Summary: When Alice and Leo move into their new home in an exclusive gated community in London they see this as the perfect beginning to their life together. But as Alice meets her neighbors, she learns about the dark history of her new home. After this discovery, Alice becomes obsessed with finding out what happened and who was involved.

My Thoughts: B. A. Paris always writes a fun, twisty thriller. They are always very fast reads. Something that will keep you reading until you finish the book late at night. This one kept me wondering throughout. Everyone is a suspect. Even with a headache I finished this book because I had to know how it ended. There is lots of misdirection to throw the reader off.

I admit that it was nothing groundbreaking or original. It was just plain fun to read! I have been in a slump with lots of 2 star reviews so it was nice to find something that kept me interested and wanting to read. If you want a quick summer read then this would be it.

FYI: Violence.

Grace’s Book Review: Yorick and Bones

Yorick and Bones by Jeremy Tankard and Hermione Tankard

First Line: “Grumble, grumble. So tired.” Spoken by a man, pushing a hotdog cart. 

Summary: This graphic novel tells the classic story of a skeleton and his dog. Accidentally awakened by a witch’s potion, our hero, Yorick, finds a world that is a little different than the one he knew four hundred years ago. The main difference being that people run from him in fear. One individual will stick by his side, though—a dog he affectionately calls Bones.  

My Thoughts: This book has it all—Shakespeare references, dogs, jokes about death, a skeleton going through an existential crisis—truly, what more can you want from a book? 

Despite the fact that this book is written to an 8–12-year-old audience, the humor is extremely enjoyable no matter how old you are. I read it and am in my twenties and loved it, and I recommended it to multiple friends who also enjoyed it (forsooth, I cannot begin to shut up about it, a mere inquiry of my coworkers would show you that). Of course, it is a very quick read if you are above the intended audience, but it’s hilarious.  

If you think a book written in slight Elizabethan English sounds fun, if you know (or are) a kid who likes dog books, if you are looking for something different, or if you just want an easy feel-good read, Yorick and Bones is the one for you! 

What’s Ashley Reading?: For the Wolf

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

First line: Two nights before she was sent to the Wolf, Red wore a dress the color of blood.

Summary: The Second Daughter of the kingdom of Valleyda is destined for the Wolf. It has been a century since a sacrifice has been made but now it is Red’s destiny to enter the Wilderwood. She has known her whole life what would happen on her twentieth birthday but nothing prepared her for what happened once she entered the forest.

Her sister, Neve, is determined to find her sister and rescue her from the Wilderwood and the Wolf. She befriends a priestess who says she knows a way to make it happen. Will they be able to save Red from the dark woods?

My Thoughts: I was really excited about this book. I remember hearing about it months ago and thinking it was the perfect book for me. I really enjoyed the first few chapters and thought that I would love the rest of the book. But as the story progressed I became bored with the whole plot line and the characters. And then I saw it was going to be a series which made me less invested in reading it. The one thing I really liked about Uprooted, which this was compared to, is the fact that it is a stand-alone novel.

FYI: First in a new series. Debut novel.

Justin Recommends: The Fisherman

The Fisherman by John Langan

First Line:   Don’t call me Abraham:  call me Abe.


Summary:   The Fisherman is a mythical horror novel about a man named Abe, who after the loss of his wife, takes up fishing to fill that empty hole.  He soon discovers the horror and legend of a creek that leads him into a world of long buried secrets and a mysterious figure known as Der Fisher: The Fisherman.


My Thoughts:   I’ve been on a quest lately to fulfill a need for a quiet horror book if you will.  Quiet meaning, not in your face gore for gores sake, more of a mental throttling.  A book that is unsettling and makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.  The kind of book that you read alone in a house and every little noise startles you.  The Fisherman is the 3rd book I’ve read hoping it would fit into the category.  

I’m not entirely sure it fulfills that need but it comes close.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book telling the story of Abe losing his wife and his journey to recollect himself through fishing.  It is very quiet and melancholy as it guides you along on his journey into discovering his passion for fishing and later attempting to help a coworker struggle through a similar situation.  Abe’s character is fully drawn and very relatable.  I was onboard with his journey from the very beginning and to be honest.  It was really making me want to take up fishing!

In the middle of the book we begin to learn about the myth of Der Fisher and how it draws Abe into a world you might even call “Lovecraftian”.  Eventually we get drawn completely into the nightmare and while I certainly enjoyed it, I found it a bit weaker than the first half of the book. The world John Langan was creating went just a little off the rails for me.  I won’t go into details but the old adage “less is more” could have been a little more front and center.  Don’t let that deter you though, it was still a really great read and I was very satisfied.  But I’m still looking for that book that just grabs your brain with both hands and wrecks you.  I want it.  I’ll let you know when I find it.


FYI:  Very graphic depictions of fishing.  Oh, and scary things that hide in the shadows.

*This item is available as an audio book on Hoopla or through Interlibrary Loan.*

What’s Ashley Reading?: Survive the Night

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

First line: Fade in.

Summary: Two months earlier, Charlie’s best friend, Maddy was murdered by the Campus Killer. But what makes things even worse is that Charlie could have done something to stop it from happening. She blames herself. And the only way she feels that she can move on from this tragedy is to leave school and go home to try and heal.

At the university ride board she meets a young man who offers to drive her home since it is on his way. Charlie is so desperate to leave Olyphant that she accepts. But as soon as she gets into his car she starts to wonder if she has made a terrible choice. Little things start to happen which makes Charlie wonder if Josh is not what he seems. Will she survive the long night time drive?

My Thoughts: I had so much fun reading this book! I kept having to tell myself to relax. I was caught up in the tension and fear. It immediately sucked me in. And Charlie is a very unreliable narrator since she has a disorder that takes her out of reality if things become too much for her. As I read I never knew what to believe and what is one of the movies in her head.

Riley Sager’s books always have the feel of an eighties horror movie. That may be one of the reasons I love them so much. They can be cheesy at times but that is how I want an eighties movie to be. There was lots of twists and turns. I did not expect the ending at all. Some things seemed a little obvious but I was very shocked by big reveal. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a fast and fun thriller for the summer. It hits the spot perfectly.

FYI: Violence, murder, and some language.