Category: Book review

What’s Ashley Reading?: Fuzz

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

First line: For most of the past century, your odds of being killed by a cougar were about the same as your odds of being killed by a filing cabinet.

Summary: Mary Roach attends an animal attack forensic investigator training, interviews locals about leopard attacks and watched the setup of a laser to keep gulls away from the Vatican’s flower arrangements. In her newest book, Roach takes the reader into the little known world of animals who break the law.

My Thoughts: The minute I saw this I knew I had to read it. It is a concept I never even considered. But what happens when wild animals “break the law”? I have been to Colorado many times where we have seen bears, elk and mountain goats but never having lived there I was not aware of all the rules for residents. Bear proof trash cans. French door handles are a no-no. Leaving food outside is a big draw for animals and can lead to the animal being hurt or killed plus the danger to humans too.

But I was really shocked when reading about the elephants, monkeys and leopards. Going to zoos makes a person not consider that these are animals that can cause lots of harm or mischief. Who knew that there are elephant interventionists? They try to move elephants on when they wander into farmers’ fields or a village. Or that monkeys have learned that stealing from humans gets them food? I think visiting Asia would be fascinating and beautiful but now that I know that elephants could be deadly or monkeys may steal my phone, I’m a little more cautious.

I was constantly telling my mom all the new facts and statistics I was reading. Near the end of the book it dealt more with birds or smaller animals which I did not find as interesting but it was worth the read. I learned a lot!

FYI: If you love to read weird facts then this book is for you!

What’s Ashley Reading?: The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Version 1.0.0

First line: The boys and the girls live in separate worlds.

Summary: Told through vignettes, the reader is taken through the life of a young Latina girl in Chicago.

My Thoughts: This was like peeking into the a scrapbook or the memory of a young girl. We get little snippets of information about the people around her, the life on her street and her thoughts as things change over time. It was a sweet little book. I listened to the audio version which is read by the author and has introduction by her as well. Some of the stories gave me nostalgia for my childhood playing with neighborhood kids but even though it was similar it was also very different. This is a great choice for Big Read Wichita. It can open up many conversations and be incorporated into programs and learning experiences.

FYI: This is something that can be read in one sitting. Pick it up and join us at the library for our many events between February and May.

Monica’s Musings: The Notebook

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

“I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and for me, that has always been enough.”
– Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I felt like listening to The Notebook on Libby was appropriate.

Summary:

            Noah and Allie fall in love during a summer when they were young. Allie’s family does not approve of Noah, and the two end up being pulled away from each other. Allie is all that Noah can think about, and he even spends time writing her letters that always go unanswered. After 14 years, Allie sees Noah in the newspaper and returns to him, but she is engaged to a new man. It is now up to her to choose between Noah or her fiancé.

            This story is being read from a notebook to a woman with Alzheimer’s, presumably Allie, by a man, who is possibly Noah. He does this daily to remind her of who she is, and he hopes that she will remember him as well.

My thoughts:

            My favorite aspect of this love story is that it shows the viewpoint of a man who is in love. I appreciate that Nicholas Sparks focused on Noah rather than Allie. I am torn between which I like more, the book or the movie. Both give the story justice, and I would recommend either to anyone looking for a classic love story to enjoy this Valentine’s Day.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Betrayal of Anne Frank

The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan

First line: On August 4, 1944, a thirty-three-year-old German SS officer, Karl Josef Silberbauer, a sergeant in the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) Referat IV B4, known colloquially as the “Jew-hunting unit,” was sitting in his office on Euterpestraat in Amsterdam when the phone rang.

Summary: A former FBI agent, Vincent Pankoke, along with a team of investigators decided to dive into one of the most famous cold cases in recent history. Who betrayed Anne Frank? Using new technology they poured over interviews, documents and photographs, looking for clues that may lead them to betrayer. As the pieces began to fall together they believe they have found who may have been responsible for the raid on the secret annex in 1944.

My Thoughts: I remember reading The Diary of Anne Frank when I was younger. It fascinated me then and lead me to love the history of World War II. I watched the movies and read everything else I could get my hands on about this time period. Over the years though, my fascination waned as I found new topics to explore but after reading this I think I need to read it again.

I found the methodical research of the team intriguing. They looked in places I never even knew existed. I realized as I read that I did not know as much about the time period as I originally thought. There were thousands of Jews in hiding. It was not an uncommon event to have a hiding place raided. But the fact that the Frank family’s life in the annex was so well documented by Anne made the topic available to the world. After reading her diary, the reader feels connected to them and makes it much more real.

Even though I knew how the story ended I kept hoping that it would change. I liked the layout of the narrative. We start with the history and events surrounding the secret annex, the concentration camps and aftermath of the war. Then we dive into the evidence which is spread near and far. Some has disappeared with the witnesses. But the researchers used every avenue they could find. Interviewing family members, historians, archivists and even the Anne Frank Organization. I found myself saying just one more chapter!

I kept hoping for a definitive answer. Even though they think they discovered the betrayer there is still some doubt because there may be more evidence that has not been uncovered yet. They do make a very strong argument which I found believable and likely. Let me know in the comments what you think!

FYI: This can be a difficult topic since it deals with the Holocaust and the death of millions.

What’s Ashley Reading?: Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

First line: The game was Roux’s idea.

Summary: Amy Whey has spent years rebuilding her life after a tragic accident in her teens. She has husband, baby son and a step-daughter who she adores. Everything is going Amy’s way until Roux comes over for book club. In an attempt to unsettle Amy, Roux suggests playing Never Have I Ever, but with a twist. As the game progresses, Amy realizes that Roux knows her darkest secret. The one she has not even told her husband.

Roux tells Amy that if she doesn’t pay her the money she is asking for, she will go to the police and tell them about Amy’s past. In order to save the life she has built, Amy will dig back into her past to figure out how to outwit Roux.

My Thoughts: This book was twisted. There were so many different ways I thought the story would go but then the author took the reader on a completely different path. I literally gasped several times when a new twist was revealed. I really enjoyed the book but all the main characters were not great people. Amy was the best of the bunch but as you learn more about her and what she has done and what is happening in her head, I liked her less and less. Roux is the character that you love to hate. She is the opposite of Amy. She is not ashamed of who she is.

But the ending was nuts! I was really shocked by the ending. I don’t want to spoil anything but I never, ever would have guessed that ending.

FYI: Sexual content, language and death.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Feather Thief

The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson

First line: By the time Edwin Rist stepped off the train onto the platform at Tring, forty miles north of London, it was already quite late.

Summary: In 2009, a young American student broke into the Tring Museum and stole hundreds of bird skins and feathers. The museum was known for housing thousands of specimens gathered by scientists in the nineteenth century. Why did he decide to steal birds? Well, he was a part of an exclusive group of artists, he was a fly-tier. For nearly two years the young man had gotten away with the crime.

While fly-fishing in New Mexico, Kirk Johnson heard about this wild heist. He became intrigued by the case and how the culprit was caught and prosecuted. Kirk had to know the answers. He began asking questions of other fly-tiers. He tried to interview witnesses, friends and even the thief. As he got answers he kept coming back to one question. What happened to the missing skins?

My Thoughts: Dawn and her book club, The Bemused Bibliophiles, read this book several years ago. She recommended it to me and even encouraged me to buy it for my father as a Christmas gift, which I did. He loved it and passed it along to my uncle who is a fly-tier and an avid fly fisher.

Finally this year I decided it was time to pick this up myself. I found it absolutely fascinating. I finished the book in 2 days. I had no idea the level of passion that fly-tiers had for the different feathers that are used in tying. People pay loads of money for feathers but many do not even use the flies for fishing. It just blew me away learning all this!

I liked that the book took me through the history of how the birds came to the museum, about the man who discovered them and why these species have become so rare. It is terribly sad to learn how humans have hunted these birds to extinction in the name of fashion and art. I did have to do a lot of Googling to see what these birds looked like. I would highly recommend doing this while reading Johnson’s book. The different species are stunning. I would have loved to see these birds in real life.

Even for someone who hates fishing (aka me) I found this book to be interesting. It is a very quick read with lots of information and shocking facts.

FYI: Perfect for that fisherman in your family or anyone who loves a good true crime.

What’s Ashley Reading?: You’ll Be the Death of Me

You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

First line: I respect a good checklist, but I’m beginning to think my mother went overboard.

Summary: Ivy lost the student council election for senior class president to the class clown, Brian “Boney” Mahoney. She is desperate not to go to school after her loss. And when she runs into two of her friends from middle school, Mateo and Cal, they reminisce over the best day of their lives. The day that they skipped school together and became friends.

With the bright idea of trying to rekindle that day, the three decide to head into Boston. But as visit an unfamiliar neighborhood they spot none other than Boney Mahoney. Ivy, angered that he would skip the assembly for his election, she decides to confront him. As they follow him into an empty building they suddenly find him dead on the floor in an upstairs room. Before they can decide what to do the sound of sirens comes to their ears. Rather than being caught with the dead body, they flee the building.

However, as more information about Boney’s death emerges they find that they may have stumbled into something that will be very hard to get out of.

My Thoughts: As with McManus’ other books, this one takes the reader on a wild ride. I enjoyed all the twists and turns throughout the story. It gave me a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off vibe mixed with Pretty Little Liars. It was a quick read and/or listen. I flew through the story, needing to know what happened next. Part of me guessed at the ending but I felt it was a reach so I did not consider it too strongly. But when it was revealed it made lots of sense.

I don’t know about anybody else but the donut shop that Cal takes the group to sounds delightful. It reminds me the Voodoo Doughnut with their quirky combinations and experiments with flavor. If you haven’t experienced Voodoo then definitely add it to your list of places to eat before you die!

FYI: Trigger warnings: death and drug use.

What’s Ashley Reading?: Clanlands Almanac

Clanlands Almanac by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish

First line: I love almanacs.

Summary: Stars of the Outlander TV show, Graham McTavish and Sam Heughan, take the reader on a journey through a year in Scotland. They cover important figures, dates, and events in the Scottish year.

My Thoughts: I really enjoy the bromance between these two men. They pick at each other good-naturedly but genuinely like each other’s company. While entertaining the reader they bring some really fascinating information about Scotland. I enjoyed the personal touches as well including stories about young Graham and Sam in Scotland and how they interacted with important sights in their native homeland. Plus adding some more items to my bucket list I also found a few whisky recommendations. I am not a whisky drinker but when I visit Edinburgh this spring I plan to taste a little to experience the Scottish life.

This is a perfect addition to their previous book, Clanlands, and their show, Men in Kilts. I would highly recommend each of these if you are planning a trip to Scotland or love Outlander.

FYI: Definitely go for the audiobook on CloudLibrary with your Kansas library card.

Terese’s Thoughts: The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

First Line: “I remember, in no particular order:
–a shiny inner wrist;
–steam rising from a wet sink as a hot frying pan is laughingly tossed into it…”

Summary: Tony has lived a relatively unremarkable yet comfortable life and is now retired. He was married and divorced, but remains friends with his ex-wife. They have a good relationship with their adult daughter who now has a family of her own. After receiving a letter notifying him that his former girlfriend’s mother has left him a couple of things in her will, Tony begins a journey of reflection and reexamination, thinking back on his youth—his idealism, his friends, and the brief but formative relationship he shared with Veronica. This piece of mail also puts him back in touch with Veronica, whom he finds as enigmatic, frustrating, and exciting as when he was young.

My Thoughts: You know how you can be staring out the window and to an outsider it may look like you’re doing nothing but really there’s a lot happening behind the eyes? That’s a bit what this book is like. It is a man, past his middle-age, ruminating. The action is mainly of the thinking variety. And I’ve been thinking about Tony and his life and my life and how much you can know yourself or another person ever since. But because I’m also a simple being who is completely satisfied in life with a beverage and a good meal, this book also makes me want to take myself out to dinner at a cozy pub and order a bitter and fish & chips.

FYI: I’ve just now discovered that this book was turned into a movie with a stellar cast including Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Hidden

The Hidden by Melanie Golding

First line: Leonie presses her palm to the outside of the shop window.

Summary: Ruby has spent many nights watching her neighbor do yoga. She is startled when she notices his previously unknown family. After a chance encounter with her neighbor she is invited into his world. Even though she is drawn to Gregor she feels that she cannot interfere with his family. But as she gets to know Gregor, Constance and their daughter, Leonie, she finds out that the Gregor she knows is not the same as the one seen by his family. With each encounter, Ruby becomes more convinced that Constance and Leonie need to leave and she plans to help them.

My Thoughts: Melanie Golding does a great job again by merging a thriller with mythical events. In the story, Ruby believes that Constance has some mental issues when she talks of her life in the sea. How does this woman believe that she was once a seal?! And as a reader I kept wondering if I believed her or not too. It seems outlandish but also Constance really believes it to be true.

The story is told during different time hops. We see Ruby’s sister dealing with the near death of man in his bathtub, Ruby meeting Gregor and memories of a man who has done some dastardly deeds. As a reader you know that it is all leading to one point but how it’s going to get there is the fun of it. When everything comes together it was shocking. There are many little things from Gregor’s past that make the story thrilling. I could not wait to get to the end as I was reading. It was an elaborate cat and mouse game until the very end! And I was not disappointed.

FYI: Thriller with a mystical twist.

*This can be found on Hoopla in eBook and eAudiobook form.