Books Read in 2024 and 2023

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Click on the Book Titles for more specific information:

• Mercury….Nov. 2024. **** The title is the town where the Joseph family are roofers.  Three brothers, Marley, Mick and Elise.  Secrets in a blue collar working class town and the story that is told.  I feverishly read and enjoyed this book…..could hardly put it down.

• Intermezzo….Nov.2024.  Superb.  The relationship of the two brothers is so complicated.  How can this end?  I absolutely loved this book!*****

• A Visit from the Goon Squad.  Oct. 2024.  Third book in my FAU course.  Heard the author speak as well.  Very complicated but a very smart book.  Pulitzer Winner.

• The Wedding People…..Oct. 2024 ****An upbeat look at a wedding and the guests who attend. One uninvited guest becomes a major part of this celebration.  Gripping and fun.

• Mrs. Bridge….Oct.2024. ****  Significant book.  I  read it as the second book in my FAU course.  Vignettes about a housewife in the 50’s who has everything and nothing at all.  Quite sad but ever so memorable.

• Tell Me Everything....Oct. 2024.  Wonderful.  "What is a life really worth?"  All the characters from Elizabeth Strout's earlier books....Lucy, Olive, Burgess Brothers, Pam.  Life in Maine with its loves. loss and friendships!

• Becoming Madame Secretary…..Oct. 2024 ******What a wonderful version of the life of Frances Perkins and FDR.  Loved every minute of it.  I did audio and print.  How we got Social Security, workplace fairness, women’s rights.  Francis Perkins, Secretary of Labor.  First woman in a presidential cabinet

• Dear Edna Sloane….Oct. 2024. *****  Powerful superb writing that makes one think about the important things in life.  Epistolary form between a “disappeared” author and the up and coming author who is determined to find her.  “Loved this book”. (First book in my FAU class)

• Briar Club…..Sept. 2024. *** Powerful story of intrigue in the 1950’s Washington DC boarding house.  Female friendships,Cold War, McCarthyism.  Pretty good.  

• How to Age Disgracefully……Sept. 2024.  Hilarious and poignant story of old folks and young folks and dogs coming together to save something special in the community.  ****

• How To Read a Book…..Sept. 2024.  A delightful story of unlikely friendships and second chances and birds and cats and prison and Portland , Maine. ****
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• The Brilliant LIfe of Eudora Honeysett….August 2024 Joyous and moving novel about an elderly woman and a young girl and the beauty of life and friendship*****

• The Glass Maker….August, 2024.  Charming love story taking place over centuries.  Beauty of Venetian glass is at work here.  Really enjoyed this book. ****

• House of Eve….August, 2024.  A very good story about two black women and their struggles for education and motherhood.  An engaging story.***

• SoulMate….July 2024.  A thriller and page turner.  

• The Lion Women of Tehran….Jully 2024.  Marvelous story of two dear women friendships amidst the turmoil of rebellion in Iran and women’s rights.  Wonderfully, wonderfully done!!!****

• Days at the Morisaki Bookshop…July 2024.  Charming story of three people who find love and acceptance in a Japanese bookshop.  Refreshing. ****

• The Kitchen Front….July 2024.  Based on true events front the BBC show during World War II.…a wartime cooking competition that made for a wonderful read. ****
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• Within Arm’s Reach….July 2024. ** Generational family store that lingered on too many details.  Slow and tedious, but I finished it.

• The Paris Novel*** July 2024.  Stella goes to Paris on the wishes of her deceased mother.  There she finds food and love.  I especially liked the sections about George Whitman and Shakespeare and Company Book Store

• The Princess of Las Vegas****June, 2024. A thriller of obsession, fintech, rivalry, identity and high tech mobsters amidst the lights of Las Vegas

• The Little Liar****June, 2024   A story that had me captivated.  A work of fiction, it continues the mantra “never forget”. The Jews in Greece were humiliated and persecuted, thousands sent to the camps during the Holocaust.  This book tells their story and it is a story that needs to be told.  Mitch Albom created four memorable characters that almost feel real.  Told with compassion and honesty, a very good book

• Wild and Distand Seas*** June, 2024 Good read that begins and ends in Nantucket and I always love a Massachusetts story,.  four women, generational and entertaining.

• In the Woods****June, 2024. Tana French debut novel that begins the series “Dublin Murder Squad”.  Excellent and I am not a murder mystery lover.  A detective investigates a murder in the same woods where he was found as a child with no memory of what had happened.

• The Chilbury Ladies Choir****June, 2024.  Using letters and journal, the choir takes us through the struggles, affairs, deceptions and triumphs of a British village choir during World War II.  Delightful and a joy to read.

• Good Night Irene*****June, 2024.     Really really enjoyed this historical fiction novel of the ”donut dollies in WWII”, loosely based on the author’s mother. “This year marks the 140th birthday of the Red Cross, and one of the most compelling stories from that long history involves “Donut Dollies” — young American women recruited to bring treats and good cheer to combat troops in World Wars 1 and 2, Korea and Vietnam.  Just to make this story even more timely, June 5th is National Donut Day — a day to reflect on what the Donut Dollies faced in fulfilling their mission. Eighty-six Red Cross volunteers, 52 of them women, died in World War 2.” 

• Apeirogon****** A beatifully written, heartfelt plea for peace: describes the loss of a child to war as experienced by an Israeli and a Palestinian father.  May 2024. Please go to “My Blog” for further thoughts on this book

• Running With Sherman**Rescue donkey inspired a gang of runners.  Parts were terrific!  May 2024

• Long Island *****Loved this story of an Irish woman married and living in Long Island.  Serious marriage problem, returns to Ireland, long lost love.  A love triangle at what cost!  Beautiful book.  May 2024

• The Cemetery of Untold Stories***** I loved this book.  Everybody has a story to tell and it is beautifully depicted in this exquisite book by Julia Alvarez.  She tells many stories in this book and allows for the quiet, the deceased, the lonely to tell their stories as well. 5/2024

• Table for Two….****Two people can sit opposite each other and  discuss how their worlds can change.  Six short stories set in NY, beautifully written by author Amor Towles and one novella set in LA with Eve from Rules of Civility.  Wonderful book.  May, 2024

• Life in a Jar*****Based on the true story of Irena Sendler and 3 Kansas High School students who brought her remarkable story to life.  Irena saved 2500 children in the Warsaw Ghetto.  This book is amazing! April, 2024

• James***** This is an amazing novel.  It is a re-imagining of the Huck Finn story told from Jim’s point of view.  An escape on the MIssissippi and a search for lost family are nightlights.  Wonderful excerpts from Voltaire and John Locke on the horrors of slavery.  Heir to Mark Twain’s satirical vision, Everett turns a boyhood memoir into a neo-fugitive slave narrative thriller. . . Both gripping,, painful, horrifying and funny.  A must read. Check out “my blog” page on this website for a more in depth review…..…April, 2024

• Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore*** I loved the first half of this book with its quirky and delightful characters.  It was a joy to listen to the voices in the audio.  if you like science fiction, the second half of this novel will be right up your alley..  April, 2024

• The Berlin Letters****fictional tale of the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, CIA, and Louisa who risks everything to rescue her father from a German prison,  I enjoyed learning about East and West Berlin and the trauma that the people endured.  This story was told in a couple of voices and I highly recommend it. April, 2024

• The Hike*. Recommended as a thriller, it was much less than that.  I did the audio and I found that to be of poor quality.  The four women in the story were somewhat interesting, but when one is lost on a mountain and in fear of their lives, their topics of conversation perplexed me.  This book was not for me! Apr., 2024

• The Phoenix Crown*** fictional account of wronged women in 1906, before, during and after the great San Francisco earthquake.  The story blends historical facts of those times amidst murder, treachery, love and deceit.  April, 2024

• Tiny Beautiful Things***, Non fiction.  Some excellent advice on a variety of issues.  I liked most of this book.  Feb. 2024

• After Annie****   Beautifully done, though sad.  Story of how a young family pulls itself together after a tragic loss.  Left me with a feeling of hopefulness…..good messages too March 2024

• Small Things Like These*****, a father confronts the truth of one of Ireland's infamous Magdalene laundries. March 2024.  Beautiful

• Boy with the Star Tattoo****An intriguing look at post Holocaust where agents search for missing Jewish children to bring them to Israel.  Well done.  Feb. 2024

• Sparring Partners.****One of the masters of the crime and courtroom genre, Grisham brings the legal world back in three short and wonderful novellas.  Dont miss this engaging read!!

• The Women  ****women nurses who served in Vietnam and their amazing memories.  This book highlights how they were not recognized.  Quite a story that made me rethink what I knew of the Vietnam War.  Read it.   And Read my blog on this website.  Feb. 2024

• Looking for Jane***** abortion issues in Toronto, three women, different generations, missing letter found too late…….beautifully done story of motherhood. Feb., 2024

•  Yellowface*** *two college friends and book publishing, and plagiarism and racism. An engaging book that leaves one thinking about a lot of things.  Jan. 2024

•  Frozen River **** story of a courageous midwife in the 1800s. Based on diary accounts of this brave woman. Excellent read Jan. 2024

• North Woods **  A very unusual story of a Massachusetts house over a period of 300 years. The different inhabitants and their quirkiness. A difficult and not engaging read. Jan. 2024

• Option B *** Good nonfiction about how one deals with loss and grief Jan, 2024

• Miracle Creek*** story of a Korean family in the United States, who have a company that includes a hyperbaric chamber that is used to treat people with various illnesses. Tragic events occur. Well done story about how lies and secrets and family can almost destroy one another. Feb. 2024

• Saved****non fiction account of a photojournalist horribly injured in the Ukraine.  This book shows how the US government came to the aid of a private citizen. More details on “My Blog” on this site.. Well done. Feb. 2024

• Beyond that, the Sea****
• The Berry Pickers ****
• A Shadow in Moscow****
• Iron Lake***
• The River We Remember*****
• The Lonely Hearts Book Club***
• Pineapple Street **
• The Keeper of Hidden Books****
• On Tyranny*****
• Dear Mr. Knightly****

• The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store***** a book that I could not put down.  Rich, poor, black, white….it hits it all and the characters are remarkable. Check my blog on this site for many more details.

• Banyon Moon ***
• Such Kindness *****
• Stay True *****
• The Postcard ***
• Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting****
• Properties of Thirst***

• Tom Lake ****** a wonderful story of family and how three daughters want to learn how their mother once knew the “famous” actor.  It is a retrospective kind of story filled with beautiful passages and it was truly a joy to read.  Check my blog on this site for details

• Somebody's Fool***
• The Paris Daughter ***
• The First Ladies****
• The House is on Fire**
• Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (refreshing)****
• The Reading List***** (heartwarming)
• Housekeeper and Professor(amazing)*****
• The Secret Book of Flora Lee***
• River Sing Me Home***
• The Wind Knows My Name***

• The Covenant of Water*****Saga with incredible characters set in India.Three generations that share a “gene” peculiar affliction.  I LOVED this book, but it is a challenging read.

• Mad Honey*****(real world stuff)this book will reshape the way you think of transgender.  It was a wonderful education for me.

• Stealing***
• The Dressmaker's Gift***
• Hello Beautiful*****
• The 57 Bus*****(real world stuff)
• Tastes Like War*****(memoir)
• Georgia****(memoir)

• Demon Copperhead*****(Appalachia) Demon struggles to find his place in the world.  Set in southern Appalachia, young son of a single Mom looks for love and acceptance amidst poverty, drugs and despair.  Dark novel but superb!

• Finding Freedom****(Erin French)
• The Golden Doves****(post WW2)
• The Radium Girls****(really happened)
• Finding Me****(memoir)
• Bibliophile*****

• Lessons in Chemistry*****superb novel about how a female chemist struggles to be accepted in a mans world.  Well worth reading!

• 1776****
• The Mountains Sing****(Vietnam)
• The Midcoast**** (Maine)