REVIEW - The Names (ebook)

 

The Names by Florence Knapp (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is Florence Knapp's debut novel. OMG! This novel delivers on its premise in a big, beautiful way. This novel features three timelines, all of which follow the same main characters. But one character has a different name in each timeline. 

This novel reaches out and grabs you by the throat at the cellular level. How does our name impact who we are and who we become? Would our lives have been different if our names had been different? This novel lays it all out for one character and how it impacts others!

As someone with an unusual first name, Dorothea, it makes me wonder what people think of me just knowing my name. Really heady and deep things to ponder!

I. LOVED. THIS. NOVEL!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

This author has artistic and beautiful writing. It was descriptive, powerful, and so realistic.

I truly hope this author writes more books, as she is unbelievably talented! 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Cora (wife to Gordon Sr and mother to Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr); Gordon Sr (Cora's husband and father to Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr); Maia (the older sister); and Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr (the younger brother).  

The secondary characters are Síbhe (Cora's mother and the kids' grandmother); Cian (Síbhe's friend); Mehri (Cora's friend); and Fern (Mehri's daughter). 

The tertiary characters are all the various people, including friends, lovers, and others, with whom the main characters are involved in that specific storyline (there is some overlap at times).    

The character development was strong. Each timeline reflected the differences in the characters and lives that Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr would have had with a different name and circumstances. Beyond well done and fascinating! 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline is focused on Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr in three distinct timelines in 1987, 1994, 2001, 2008, 2015, and 2022. 

The main and secondary characters are represented in each of the three timelines. But the tertiary characters may or may not be in the different timelines. Each timeline tells a different story about how Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr's life unfolds in each timeline. It may seem confusing, but it is creative and unique! 

The locations were primarily cities in England and Ireland, and Paris.  

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

What's in a name? This novel answers that for Bear/Julian/Gordon Jr.

It doesn't, however, answer how YOUR name impacted your life and what would have happened had you been named differently. Strong food for thought! 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous!    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect!  

 

Highly recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Names by Florence Knapp

336 pages 

Pamela Dorman Books

Release date: 5/6/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Florence Knapp

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Pamela Dorman Books

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Domestic violence; death of a parent; violence; murder; grief, mild cursing; pandemic; gun violence; medical content

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next read is ...

 The Names by Florence Knapp (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next book and REVIEW - 25 Alive (ebook)

 25 Alive (Women's Murder Club series) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (ebook)

OVERVIEW

I totally forgot to post. I started and finished this book today, with about ten pages last night. That may sound like a lot of reading, but the book had a LOT of white space!

This is the 25th+ book in the very, very, very long (too long) Women's Murder Club series. Of course, it ended on a cliffhanger AGAIN!

Normally, I would say read the previous novels in the Women's Murder Club series to get the full backstory and understand the characters. Don't do it - this series is not worth that much time!

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars.

 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing is like assembly-line writing to me. I wonder how much involvement James Patterson has with this series anymore, since he has had an "assistant" writer since the first book in this series. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main characters are Lindsay (SFPD detective), Yuki (assistant district attorney), Claire (chief medical examiner), and Cindy (newspaper reporter). These four women have been personal and professional friends for a very long time.

The secondary characters are the personal partners, work partners, and assorted friends and family.  

The tertiary character is Martha, Lindsay's dog. 

There has not been any real or interesting character development with any of the main or secondary characters for a long time. The only real changes are the different "guest" characters, and this time, there were two separate groups.

Storyline:  3.0 stars

There were some horrible and shocking murders, but nothing really happened to the main characters. Plus, a cliffhanger - shocker! There was no setup to end the series, so there are obviously more bland novels to come. 

The main locations were primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Memorable/Informative:   2.5 stars

This series is getting tired. Please, James Patterson, bring it to a conclusion so I know how all of the characters end up. I have invested too much time. 

Book cover: 3.0 stars

I have no idea what the book cover has to do with the story.     

 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

The rhyme of the two words, twenty-five and alive, is possibly where the book title comes from. There is no connection to the story at all.   

 

Lukewarm Recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

25 Alive (Women's Murder Club series) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

330 pages 

Little, Brown and Company

Release date: 4/28/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

James Patterson

Maxine Paetro

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Little, Brown and Company

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Death, grief, child death, death of a parent, violence, gun violence, murder, cursing, bombing, medical content, blood, gore

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Poppy Fields (ebook)

 The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is Nikki Erlick's second novel. Her first novel, The Measure, was a huge success. 

However, this book is not The Measure and covers a completely different topic - grief. It is speculative fiction, which may or may not appeal to the readers of her first novel.  

I liked this book, but I didn't love it!

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars.

 

Writing: 3.5 stars

The writing was the weakest part of this book for me. This is not "The Great American novel", but it was a nice escape from the heavy books that I have recently been reading. 

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are Ava (an artist traveling to connect with her estranged sister), Ray (a firefighter trying to find answers to a recent death), and Sasha (an occupational therapist recovering from her fiancée's death).  

The secondary characters are Emmy (Ava's sister) and Sky (a young traveling free-spirit). 

The tertiary characters are the mysterious "Poppy Fields", the clients, and the employees/scientists.    

There were the appropriate number of characters, but they weren't developed as I prefer. The character development could have been stronger. 

Storyline:  3.5 stars

The storyline is about the "Poppy Fields," where people with grief trauma can gain relief from the pain with a drug. 

Ava, Ray, and Sasha meet after a tornado at the Kansas City airport. They rent a car to travel to the "Poppy Fields," which is their final destination. Along the way, they meet Sky, who joins them on the journey. They eventually arrive at the "Poppy Fields," and all is revealed (no more details as this is a non-spoiler blog).

The locations were primarily Kansas City, Missouri, and the route to the Southern California desert. 

Memorable/Informative:   3.0 stars

The question is whether it is better to heal from grief naturally or try to take a shortcut. It really doesn't get fully answered for me. 

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Pretty, but it wasn't what the storyline was about.    

 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

It isn't about the "Poppy Fields," but rather about the main character's journey to them.  

 

Recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick

316 pages 

William Morrow

Release date: 6/17/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Nikki Erlick

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

William Morrow

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Death, grief, child death, death of a parent, cursing

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Eternal Flame (audiobook)

 Eternal Flame by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is an authorized biography of THE BANGLES by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike. Unfortunately, Micki (bassist) did not participate in the development with the author (which I didn't realize until I read a few reviews, bummer).

This memoir was a muddled, repetitive, and monotonous mess. As an audiobook, it didn't work at all, and it may be better as a physical or digital book. But, I wouldn't count on it. 

Full disclosure, I saw THE BANGLES at the now-defunct Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre as the opener for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS in 1984. This was after their first corporate record came out. Remember, Nancy? 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was stilted, repetitive, and uninteresting. Even the few juicy tidbits didn't make up for the bad writing!

This was not the right person to write this book. So many qualified writers could have done a better job. 

Narration: 3.0 stars

The narration was by the author and was horrible. She tried to add sighs, groans, and the appropriate responses, which sounded silly. It was not her story to narrate.

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are the band members, both current and former.   

The secondary characters are the parents, record label, producers, and managers. 

The tertiary characters are the fans - the good, bad, and the ugly. 

There is a huge cast of characters, and so many names that it was hard to remember who was who. 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

What was most interesting to me was that "The Girls" (as the band refers to themselves per the memoir) played their own instruments well, wrote many of their songs, harmonized well, and were from Los Angeles.  

The ganging up on one another, whining, and not speaking up to resolve issues was sad. They broke up before their legacy could be fully established. 

 

Entertaining/Educational:  4.0 stars

This book made me reminisce about the 1980s, as I was close in age to them. Many of the locations, clubs, and local places mentioned are very familiar to me as a native Angeleno. Also, I had similar hair, totally!

But if you are looking for gossip, this isn't the book for you. Other than the "Prince connection" and the band's infighting, THE BANGLES were solid. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Okay. 

 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

Weird, as The Girls didn't like this song!

Recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

11 hours, 58 minutes 

Da Capo Press 

Release date: 2/18/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Da Capo Publishing

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Cursing, family dysfunction, sexism, misogyny, bullying

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is ...

 The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Smoke on the Wind (eARC/ebook)

Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my first book by Kelli Estes, and it won't be my last! It combines my 21% Scottish heritage with the mysticism of the Scottish Highlands. The two created a lovely story!

As a lover of historical fiction, I was thrilled that it had nothing to do with World War II (yeah, me)! I'm looking forward to reading Kell's previous books and anything else that she writes!!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.

Writing: 5.0 stars

Kelli's writing is so descriptive, intense, and poetry-like. She writes for two time periods and nails them both! 

The use of the Gaelic language is so gorgeous, and she liberally sprinkles it throughout the novel like little pieces of fairy dust!  

Character development: 5.0 stars

The four main characters are two pairs of mother and son: Sorcha and Aonghas in 1801, and Keaka and Colin in the present day. Both sets experience similar situations and yet different situations. Two hundred years do not change a mother's love or sacrifice for her son.

The secondary characters are bad guys in 1801 and fellow hikers on the West Highland Way in the present day. Also, both mothers are widows, and their deceased husbands play fairly big roles in their lives. 

The tertiary characters are the West Highland Way and Highlands mysticism (I cannot say too much, or it will ruin the plot).   

This book developed the characters well. The four main characters develop individually and as family groups. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline is told in two timelines. Sorcha and Aonghas are fleeing an erroneous murder charge in 1801, Highlands, Scotland, while Keaka and Colin are hiking the West Highland Way as a last adventure before Colin matriculates at Glasgow University. Their lives mysteriously intertwine together into a beautiful and satisfying ending. 

The location was primarily the West Highland Way, the Scottish Highlands, and Glasgow. 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I learned something new again by reading historical fiction. I knew absolutely nothing about the Highlands Clearances from 1750 to 1860. Now, I need to review my Scottish ancestry to see if this is the time when they emigrated to the United States. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Pretty.  

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect!  

 

HIGHLY recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes

390 pages 

Lake Union Publishing

Future release date: 7/24/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Kelli Estes

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Lake Union Publishing

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Fire, murder, war, physical assault, confinement, hunger, death of a parent, medical content, blood, gore, mild cursing

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

 

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Eights (ebook)

The Eights by Joanna Miller (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is Joanna Miller's debut book, a historical fiction novel. What an intense, but wonderful story. She has a great career ahead! 

It took me a while to get into as I didn't know many of the British terms, specifically the unique Oxford language. Of course, AFTER I finished the book, I found the glossary! UGH!

I hadn't considered the proximity of World War I to the time covered in this historical novel. The flashbacks by each of the four main characters involved the war in some way and were difficult to read, which is why we need to read books like this!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was a dichotomy. At times, the prose was like reading beautiful poetry. Also, it was very raw, real, and horrific. Joanna combined the two so well without stabbing our hearts with more than we could take. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Otto, Marianne, Dora, and Beatrice, who share Corridor Eight at Oxford in 1920. They are among the first women to matriculate for degrees and full membership. 

The secondary characters include the friends, family, and classmates of the four main characters' Freshman year (1920-1921) and in flashbacks. Unfortunately, I cannot elaborate too much about the Freshman year and the flashbacks, as it could spoil the plot of the book. 

The tertiary characters are World War I and Oxford.   

This was one of the best books I have read with such exceptional character development. I can visualize and picture the main characters in my mind and heart, even if they are fictional.  

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline details how the four main characters, who are incredibly different, become fast friends. They go through being newbies, testing, and hazing by male students. Yet they each have a buried secret that eventually is shared during the school year.  

The location was primarily Oxfordshire, England. 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I did not realize that Oxford admitted women to matriculate earlier than either Harvard (1953), Yale (1969), or Caltech (1970), but later than Stanford (1891). This is so fascinating to me. My big question is why?

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect.  

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

A great double entendre.  

 

HIGHLY recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Eights by Joanna Miller 

382 pages 

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release date: 4/15/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Joanna Miller

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

War, sexual content, sexual assault, pregnancy, death of a parent, medical content, blood, gore, mild cursing

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

My next audiobook is ...

 Eternal Flame by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike (audiobook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Boat Baby (audiobook)

Boat Baby by Vicky Nguyen (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is Vicky's memoir. I absolutely loved this audiobook!

I must confess that I didn't know who Vicky was or anything about her memoir until I saw a reel on Instagram. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, I have not watched any network television news, so I am out of the loop. 

Interestingly, my niece, Julia, is reading this book also. I hope her career trajectory is similar to Vicky's, as she is also a television reporter. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

Vicky writes strongly, beautifully, and so well. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was powerful and well-done. Vicky is an on-air journalist, so I am not surprised, but rather incredibly impressed.

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Vicky and her parents, who were Vietnamese refugees who immigrated to the United States in 1979.  

The secondary characters are Brian (Vicky's husband) and his parents, as well as her three children. 

There is a huge cast of characters, from the assorted family in Vietnam and the United States, friends from various aspects of Vicky's life, co-workers, and her mentors. 

There are so many characters whose names I have already forgotten, but it wasn't important for me. It was about understanding how Vicky and her family developed into better people due to the kindness of strangers.  

Memorable:  5.0 stars

What was most interesting to me was the similarities between Vietnamese and Chinese cultures. So many stories resonated with me as my husband is an ABC (American Born Chinese), and it was as if Vicky was talking about his extended family.  

Side note: Vicky mentions that the "West Coast is the best coast"! I agree with her wholeheartedly!

Entertaining/Educational:  5.0 stars

Vicky made me laugh out loud a few times and helped me understand how difficult and brave it was to escape Vietnam. 

Basically, it is exactly like the immigrants who are currently being harassed and kidnapped in Los Angeles by ICE. The vast majority commit no crimes and just want to live in peace and support their family. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Adorable. 

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect!

HIGHLY recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Boat Baby by Vicky Nguyen

7 hours, 50 minutes 

Simon & Schuster Audio 

Release date: 4/1/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Vicky Nguyen

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Simon & Schuster Audio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: War, racism, xenophobia, death of a child, murder, violence, family dysfunction, pandemic

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜