A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, July 27, 2023
REVIEW - Good Night, Irene
OVERVIEW
I had seen a mention on one of author Jamie Ford's social media pages about Luis Alberto Urrea and this book! So I added it to my To-Be-Read list on Goodreads. When the library let me know this novel was available, I was so excited to read it!!
This is my first book by Luis Alberto Urrea. However, it will not be my last! This novel is based on the ARC (American Red Cross) Clubmobiles specifically in Europe during WWII. The three young women who served in each Clubmobile were meant to be morale boosters for the American troops by serving donuts, coffee, and smiles. These women did not simply serve from safe locations, but many went very near to the front lines, concentration camps, and many other horrific locations. A lot of the young women were injured physically and mentally from their personal war experiences. Unfortunately, most of these heroines are now lost to us as well as the information on the service that they performed during WWII.
The three main characters are Irene (AKA Gator) and Dorothy (AKA Dot) plus the important impact of the war on all of the individual characters that they encounter.
REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing was incredibly lovely, but the storytelling was the part that really hooked me. Yes, it is rare to have a writer who can do both - writing and storytelling well. Luis Alberto Urrea does both tasks magnificently.
I really wanted more of the stories of the young women of the Clubmobiles. That is also another sign of a well-written novel - I want more!
Character development: 4.5 stars
The character development was very strong. We knew the back stories of the two main characters as well as the lives that they lived during WWII while on and off duty. Also, the deep friendship between Irene and Dorothy was fully explored.
There was the additional primary character of the war which really made me feel that I was there with all five of my senses activated reading about the horrors. I know that war was Hell, but this novel really made me feel it!
The secondary characters were also interesting and developed as well as secondary characters should be. Not overdone, but just right!
Storyline: 4.5 stars
This historical fiction novel really laid out all that the young ladies in the Clubmobiles had to endure from getting to Washington D.C. to Liverpool to mainland Europe during WWII. I had not considered some of the horrors that they had to endure on their journies to serve the servicemen of our country and the Allies.
The storyline had a lot of twists and turns. I had no clue how the story would end. It was a surprise ending that had me guessing until almost the very end!
Book cover: 4.0 stars
I think that there was a lot of opportunity for the cover of this novel to be so much more!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfection!!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
I had no clue as to how I would feel about this novel. But, I knew that Jamie Ford would not lead me astray!
Suggestions:
A map of where the women of the ARC Clubmobiles traveled would have been interesting if it was even possible.
Highly RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
465 pages
4 days to read it (I could not put it down)
Read as an ebook from the library
Release date of 05/30/2023
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Monday, July 24, 2023
Likewise
Okay, so I have had a Likewise account for a LONG time and completely forgot about it! It is a website and phone app that will tell you what you SHOULD like based on what you HAVE liked. It is for books, television, and podcasts.
I just uploaded my Goodreads list. I'll check it more thoroughly in a week or so as I also want to add my television favorites. It will be interesting to see what it comes up with for me!!
If you are interested, the link is: Likewise.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
My next read is...
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
P.S. You may have seen that I was going to read The Golden Gate by Amy Chua late last night (I deleted the post). Since this new book became available from the library, I would not pass it up!
Sunday, July 23, 2023
REVIEW - The Life She Wanted
OVERVIEW
I had seen mention of this book somewhere and the cover looked familiar so I decided to read it. I attempted to request it from the library, but it wasn't available yet. In early July 2023, I posted about Amazon Prime First Reads which are FREE books! When I started searching my big backlog of First Reads books, I found The Life She Wanted. It was a First Reads choice for June 2023! YES!!!
This is my third book by Anita Abriel. She is a historical fiction writer who writes about very strong women in the early 20th century. This novel's time period is the late 1920s to the early 1930s which was a boom market for the stock market and then the Depression. What a dichotomy!
The main character is Pandora Carmichael who is the daughter of a tennis pro living on an estate in the Hudson Valley. She is "rich adjacent" not coming from wealth herself. She grows up among the uber-wealthy in the area and it is her life story that we uncover.
REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.0 stars
The writing was just okay for me. The writing just wasn't beautiful enough for me. It may partly be due to the recent book hangovers I have from some exceptional novels recently!
Character development: 3.0 stars
The character development was the weakest part of this novel. The only real character was Pandora Carmichael. Her character got weaker as the book progressed and I really disliked her by the end. There was a whole cast of characters but nothing was really learned about any of them in any great detail. There was a big plot twist that bothered me as it just didn't seem to belong in this story.
Storyline: 3.0 stars
It started out interestingly as a rags-to-riches storyline, but it went all over the place. The ending did not do it for me.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous!
Book title: 5.0 stars
The title was perfect!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
I was disappointed as the book wasn't as strong as I expected.
Suggestions:
A name index as there were so many characters and places mentioned.
RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
The Life She Wanted by Anita Abriel
287 pages
3 days to read it (very easy read)
Read as an Amazon Prime First Reads
Release date of 07/01/2023
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Friday, July 21, 2023
REVIEW - The Beach at Summerly
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OVERVIEW
This is probably about my 11th or 12th book by Beatriz Williams. She writes very unique historical fiction about periods of time that are "orphaned" or not written about much. The hot time period, WWII, has been the big time period in historical fiction lately.
This novel takes a different tack and writes about post-WWII which was a very scary time for the world. There was so much going on between the West and the Soviet Union including McCarthyism, nuclear bomb proliferation, and the rise of intense spying. Most of us here in the United States don't know much about it and I include myself in that uninformed group.
The plot of this novel is mainly about two families on an island in Long Island Sound. The rich, mainlander Peabody family and the local Winthrop family with a symbiotic relationship between the two families. The main character, Emilia AKA Cricket, is lifelong friends with the Peabody boys who live in the large manor house. Cricket's father works as a caretaker for the manor house and the Winthrop family lives in the caretaker house.
Of course, there is mystery, intrigue, and drama, OH MY!! Yes, there are many secrets including former military members, as well as the KGB, CIA, and the FBI!! Oh, and don't forget about the secrets about the mainlander "Families" as well as the local families along with the secrets between them all. Who doesn't like drama???
Again, I don't do spoilers so I don't want to give too many hints at all!!
REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The Beach at Summerly was a typical Beatriz Williams historical fiction novel. She writes so descriptively and beautifully yet her books are so easy to read. Perfect to read at the beach or by the pool!
The novel takes place in two post-WWII time periods 1946 and 1954.
There is so much mystery and some lovely plot twists which I really loved!! I did not figure out some of the spoilers which is a sign of a good book to me!
Character development: 4.5 stars
The main characters are Cricket and Olive, a relation, to the mainlander Peabody family. Olive spends the summer in the manor guest house with her three children while Cricket works for Olive taking care of the three children.
Then all of the twists and turns start after the main characters are introduced. But, we get to know the main characters Cricket and Olive very well especially with the two time periods. There are supporting characters of the Peabody and Winthrop families. All of these secondary characters are fully revealed and in some cases additional reveals in very unique ways.
Also, the island plays a tertiary role in the novel. Without the dichotomy of the mainlander and local families, there would not be drama!
Storyline: 4.5 stars
This was an obviously well-researched novel as Beatriz Williams does a great job in that area. Since it was fiction, I definitely want to learn more about this post-WWII era as I can see that there is so much that I obviously don't know!
Book cover: 4.0 stars
It was okay and conveyed the topic of the novel.
Book title: 4.0 stars
Yes, the beach at Summerly was what it was REALLY about!!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
I always like Beatriz Williams's novels so I wasn't disappointed.
Suggestions:
A map of the island would have been fun!
Highly RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams
368 pages
5 days to read it (I couldn't put it down this afternoon)
Read it as a LAPL ebook
Release date of 06/27/2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5451625156
https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/william-morrow
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, July 17, 2023
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DNF - Everybody's Favorite
I will not be finishing Everybody's Favorite by Lillian Stone. I am definitely NOT the correct demographic for this book due to my age. The correct target demographic would be women in their 30s.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Friday, July 14, 2023
REVIEW - No Time Like the Future AUDIOBOOK
OVERVIEW
This book is a very personal memoir by Michael J. Fox. It is his third book and his most recent. I cannot compare it to his first two books as I have not read them yet. This memoir was completed right as the pandemic was casting its ugliness across the world.
Since I recently was approved to do a "smell test" for Parkinson's Disease funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, I was curious about Michael J. Fox - the person. This book really takes off in his later years and has some flashbacks, but it was the more current events in his life that he was discussing.
As I said in my Goodreads review, it was a lovely book about a lovely man. He is brutally honest about his two major surgeries that happen in the book timeline including the long, long rehabilitation that he went through. But, he is grateful for it all and has a very positive attitude for someone who is living life during this Covid time, but even more so for someone who has Parkinson's Disease (PD). Michael is a person who HAS Parkinson's Disease - he is not defined by it. Yes, it does impact his life, but his attitude is wonderful. He is living his best life with gratefulness, positivity, and optimism.
I truly think that Michael and I would have a lot of fun together - he is MY kind of people.
PLEASE note that reviewing memoirs and autobiographies is difficult in my current blog format. I may need to consider something different for these types of reviews in the future.
REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
No Time Like the Future was a nicely written book. I am not sure if Michael J. Fox had a ghostwriter, but his personality totally came through in the audiobook. Also, he narrated the audiobook which is so much more powerful than a professional narrator in a memoir.
Character development: 4.5 stars
With a memoir, there really is no character development, per se. But, Michael really gets into the nitty gritty of his disease, surgeries, and rehabilitation including his support team.
Storyline: 4.5 stars
As this was a memoir, it IS based on a true story - HIS. It was well done and followed a nice arc.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
I liked it very much - clean and simple.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Such a great play on words. I loved it.
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
For some reason, I felt that I would like this memoir and Michael J. Fox. I was right!
Highly RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox
5 hours, 59 minutes
9 days to read it (I listened to a few chapters a night)
Read it as a LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) ebook
Release date of 11/17/2020
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Fox
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5672208971
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Amazon Prime Day 2023
Well, I don't know about YOU, but Amazon Prime Day 2023 was a HUGE bust for me! I was hoping to get some Kindle book deals, but there was nothing that interested me, unfortunately. It is after 10:00 pm on the second day (the sale ends at midnight) so it is highly unlikely that a big book dealio will post in the next two hours.
Also, since I now use NetGalley and the LAPL for most of my books, it has to be a BIG favorite author to purchase a book. Since I read so many books each year, it used to cost me a small fortune to read my annual book reads.
Additionally, I felt so obligated to finish books that weren't working for me. I had PAID for the book and I was going to FINISH it!! So I ended up finishing a lot of books that were not a good fit for me.
Now, if I am NOT really into a specific book, there is no problem to return it. There WILL always be someone else who will enjoy the particular book!!
Life is too short to read books that are not a perfect fit for you!!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
DNF - Flirting with Danger
I will not be finishing Flirting with Danger by Janet Wallach. This just wasn't the right book for me at this time!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
REVIEW - The Spectacular
OVERVIEW
This book was AMAZING!! I knew absolutely nothing about the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, or New York City history. This is the second book in a row that I knew NOTHING about the premise of the book. YES!! Fiona Davis delivered a strong, interesting, and well-written novel!!
I was so happy to continue reading historical fiction! The premise of this novel is the story of a Rockette and her unfortunate involvement in the murder spree of a bomber in NYC. The main characters were Marion, a Rockette; Peter, a psychiatry resident; and New York City. There are a lot of secondary characters including Marion's family, Peter and Marion's friends, and the Roxette organization. It was a historical novel that had it all including a big mystery, romance, and family dynamics!! I love it!
Since the story primarily takes place in 1956 (there are some flashbacks to 1992), the societal issues that were foisted upon women and the somewhat negative view of Rockettes by some were very integral to the novel. There were some men who were way beyond their time seeing women as equals, but they were in the vast minority. Additionally, the strength and power of strong female relationships and friendships were hugely featured which I loved! I thoroughly enjoyed the description of the Rockettes, costuming, and dancing as I have never attended one of their shows. It sounds AMAZINGLY wonderful.
I loved the descriptions of some of the historically important dancers and choreographers who I was somewhat familiar with and how they impacted dance and choreography from 1956 until now. This was the beginning of the era of major productions on Broadway and an important point in dance and choreography!!
This was a really great read. Now, I want to deep dive more into the dancers/choreographers of that time period!! It is such fascinating stuff!
REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The Spectacular was a well-written historical novel with beautiful descriptions of New York City, the Rockettes, and all of the locations within the book. Fiona Davis wrote a strong and powerful book with so many layers of interest that I will be thinking about this novel for a long time. This is another well-researched historical novel and it really shows, but the descriptions and details did not bog down the ease of reading. So well done!
Character development: 4.5 stars
There were a lot of unimportant characters in this book due to the scope of the places involved, but the primary characters of Marion, Peter, and New York City were fully developed. They were fictional characters (except New York City), but I could picture them all which makes the books so much enjoyable.
The many characters were needed for the story to make sense. Marion was a Rockette and Peter was a psychiatry resident which involved a lot of people. Of course, New York City was highlighted and it was done beautifully. So the main characters were fully explored which is what I enjoy in ANY novel, period. This is my kind of book!
Storyline: 4.5 stars
As this was historical fiction, the storyline was loosely based on a true story Even though the basic storyline is based on a historical incident and fictional characters were developed around it, it was fascinating! I knew absolutely ZERO about this historical incident.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
Very pretty!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfection! The book title is right on point!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
I felt that I would like it, but I loved it!
Definite RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
368 pages
3 days to read it (I inhaled about half of it today)
Read it as a LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) ebook
Release date of 06/13/2023
https://www.fionadavisbooks.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5616401536
https://www.penguin.com/dutton-overview/
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, July 10, 2023
REVIEW - The Mitford Affair
This is the third book by Marie Benedict that I have read and I have enjoyed all of them. This one was special because I had heard the name of the six Mitford sisters and that they were English, but that was it. So I went into this historical novel with NO back story which is the way that I like it!!
I have read a lot of contemporary fiction lately so it was great to go back to my absolute favorite genre of historical fiction!! There were six sisters and a brother in the Mitford Family. The main characters are Nancy, Diana, Unity, and Hitler - yes, Hitler!! Secondary characters are fascism and the looming threat of war!
The Mitford family dynamic was very dysfunctional with favorite children being a huge issue by pitting the siblings against each other. The siblings naturally settled into paired sets with one leftover who became the outlier. Additionally, the family had a title and land so the children were expected to marry well (i.e.: someone with money and power) and that added to the chaos in the family. Additionally, the family was political as the father was a member of the House of Lords. The majority of the novel takes place in Germany and England pre-WWII. It was fascinating to see how the Treaty of Versailles really caused all of the mess that created the perfect vacuum for Hitler to rise to power. But, fascinatingly, he had followers in England as well.
There was some name-dropping (most of the Lords and Ladies were meaningless names to me), but there were a few biggies and they were integral to the plot. They were not just there to add color, but were important to the whole storyline!
This was a great historical novel as it makes me want to learn more! That is the sign of a well-written story!
REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The Mitford Affair was a well-written novel. Marie Benedict seems to become a better and stronger writer with each book that I have read of hers. This was also well-edited. I really liked that it wasn't overly populated with SAT words that I had to constantly look up and ruin the flow of the story. There were some German words sprinkled throughout, but most of them could be figured out through the context. It was obvious that this book was well-researched and it showed!!
Character development: 4.5 stars
This novel had a lot of characters, but the four main characters Nancy, Diana, and Unity Mitford have historical information such as letters and published books while the other main character Adolph Hitler has massive amounts of historical information.
Unfortunately, the Mitford parents created the dynamic that allowed Unity to become obsessed with Hitler's power and charisma which then pulled Nancy and Diana into this Nazi chaos finally ending in a stunning finale.
Even the secondary characters of fascism and the threat of war were fully fleshed out as well as the tertiary characters of the rest of the family.
Storyline: 4.5 stars
Truth is stranger than fiction, for sure! Even though the basic storyline is based on historical truth, it was mind-blowing. The difference that this family could have had in history could have been catastrophic as they were well-connected socially and politically. I was gob-smacked (to steal a Mitfordism).
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous!
Book title: 4.5 stars
It was RIGHT on the money!
Gut feeling: 4.0 stars
I knew that I would like it, but I was thrilled that I loved it!
Definite RECOMMEND
INFORMATION/LINKS
The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
377 pages
5 days to read it (I had a hard time putting it down today)
Read it as a LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) ebook
Release date of 01/17/2023
https://www.authormariebenedict.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5656747437
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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