If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
REVIEW - Behind The Seams audiobook
OVERVIEW
This memoir was totally unique. It was about Dolly Parton's style during her career. It was divided into chapters which covered a specific decade in Dolly's life including her hair, makeup, and costumes - Dolly's style.
It was done in an interview-style which was a first for me. I liked that Dolly was able to answer in her own words, literally. She came across exactly as one would expect! Warm, fun, self-effacing, and smart!
I also enjoyed that Dolly's music was interwoven in clips during the audiobook.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing for this memoir was fun! It was interview style which was different and was not really writing. But, I still really enjoyed it.
Narration: 4.0 stars
The narration was good. It was "curated" by Dolly's niece, Rebecca Seaver. She asked the questions and Dolly would answer in her own words.
Character Arc: 4.0 stars
The memoir covers the time from Dolly's birth (and before) to the current time. It covered a lot and it was fun to see Dolly's style evolve through time!
Memorable: 4.5 stars
Dolly is just a beautiful human. She "tries to be a better person every day" and it shows. I want to be LIKE Dolly!
Entertaining: 4.5 stars
It was highly entertaining! I wish that it had been longer as it was so much fun!
Book cover: 4.5 stars
So Dolly - perfection!
Book title: 4.0 stars
A very cute "punny" title!
Suggestions:
There were some interviews with Dolly's collaborators that were difficult to understand as the recording quality was poor or there was a lot of background noise. This could be improved to improve the experience.
DEFINITE RECOMMENDATION
STATISTICS
Behind The Seams by Dolly Parton and Holly George-Warren; curated by Rebecca Seaver
4 hours, 21 minutes
Listened to as an audiobook from the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
Release date of 10/17/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Saturday, October 28, 2023
INCREASING my 2023 Goodreads Goal AGAIN
I increased my Goodreads reading goal from 50 to 60 in May 2023 and from 60 to 80 in September.
So I am AGAIN increasing my goal and this time to 100. It is going to be a big stretch goal so we will see how I do!!
Interestingly, this is DOUBLE my original goal of 50!!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
P.S. Here is my updated goal (and I am already two books behind):
Friday, October 27, 2023
REVIEW - 23 1/2 Lies ebook
FULL DISCLOSURE:
I only read the first 112 pages of this book. Unfortunately, the cover (as you can see above) indicates that it is part of the Women's Murder Club series. However, this ebook included a total of three novellas in three different series - Women's Murder Club, Texas Ranger, and Watch Your Back.
This seemed to be very misleading to the consumer which irritated me as the cover did NOT indicate this. So I only read the Women's Murder Club series novella because I do not want to get sucked into another James Patterson series.
OVERVIEW
This a novella in the Women's Murder Club series. I have read all of the novels in this very long series.
The story is about Lindsay Boxer, a sergeant/detective in the SFPD (San Francisco Police Department).
You have to read the previous novels in the Women's Murder Club series to get the full backstory and understand the characters.
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars
Writing: 3.0 stars
The writing is just blah to me now. It has been a very long series with at least 24 books. The writing feels very formulatic and it appears that James Patterson doesn't even write these books anymore. He has "assistant" writers such as Maxine Paetro on this particular serie.
Character development: 3.0 stars
There wasn't much learned about the characters except for some additional family members in Lindsay's family.
Storyline: 3.0 stars
I cannot say much as there are big spoilers in this book. But, it is apparent that the novella is purely to set up the series.
All of the main locations were in the San Francisco Bay area.
Memorable/Informative: 2.5 stars
This series is getting tired. I would like it to come to a conclusion so I know how all of the characters end up.
Book cover: 2.5 stars
Misleading.
Book title: 3.0 stars
Typical for this series.
LUKEWARM recommend
BOOK INFORMATION
LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) Kindle ebook
23 1/2 Lies by James Patterson with Maxine Paetro
112 pages
St. Martin's Press
Release date of 09/12/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - The Woman In Me audiobook
OVERVIEW
This memoir was highly anticipated as many expected so many bombshells and celebrity gossip. But that was not the case as Britney doesn't always name names instead she calls people "my bad friend" or "my brother's friend". Yes, there are a few bombshells, but you will have heard about them before in the media.
It is a sad story of a very broken child who is trying to grow into the woman that she really is.
I truly hope she finds her authentic, adult self. All, I want to do as a mother, is hug her and protect her.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 3.0 stars
The writing for this memoir is good, but it is not great. It didn't ring true to me that Britney actually wrote this book. The writing voice was not hers and obviously was the ghost writer's.
Narration: 5.0 stars
OMG! Michelle Williams is a narration superstar.
At times, I completely forgot that Britney was not narrating this audiobook! I see a Grammy in Michelle's future for this audiobook!
Character Arc: 3.5 stars
The memoir covers the time from Britney's birth (and before) to the current time. It covered a lot, but there were a lot of big gaps in time. This was a short audiobook so it could have been much more in-depth.
Memorable: 4.5 stars
It was a memorable memoir due to the issue of women's mental health that it raises. If someone as famous as Britney Spears can be under a conservatorship for THIRTEEN years against her will then something is wrong with our legal system. It is terrifying!
Entertaining: 4.0 stars
It was more informative and horrifying than entertaining. The trauma that Britney endured is so horrible and unnecessary.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
It is okay.
Book title: 4.5 stars
Very strong!
Suggestions:
I didn't know all of the individuals that Britney mentioned in different life settings, but it didn't really matter to the flow of the audiobook.
DEFINITE RECOMMENDATION
STATISTICS
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
5 hours, 31 minutes
Listened to as an audiobook from the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
Release date of 10/24/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
REVIEW - No Two Persons ebook
OVERVIEW
This is the first book I have read by Erica Bauermeister. I loved it!!
The basic story is about an author who writes a novel and nine specific lives impacted by the book. So creative and beautifully done.
The characters are fascinating when the impact of the book makes various changes or epiphanies in their lives.
This book was REALLY good! Now I need to go back and read Erica's previous works!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing took me a few pages to get into it as the writing seemed choppy and stilted to me (I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks lately so this could be why). But, after a few more pages, Erica hit her stride which she kept throughout the entire book.
Erica is beautifully descriptive without being fussy or over-wordy. She just really wrote a beautiful novel that hooked me big time!
Character development: 4.5 stars
The ten characters were just lovely. It wasn't a book with a real main character - there were TEN!! They all had their own dedicated chapter which was lovely. It was a unique way to set the book and the characters made it so interesting! They were varied as to age, gender, work, and life story. It was like reading ten mini-novellas that were linked together beautifully!
Storyline: 4.5 stars
The storyline didn't totally make sense to me until I read the table of contents and saw where this story was going.
This was such a different way to tell this story especially as it had to do with books, the life of a book, and how each person reads a book their own way!!
All of the main locations were in the United States.
Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars
This novel makes a strong point about how no two people read the same book even when it IS the same book!
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Creative.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
HIGHLY recommend
BOOK INFORMATION
LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) Kindle ebook
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
301 pages
St. Martin's Press
Release date of 05/02/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
P.S. This book was recommended by one of my favorite authors, Camille Di Maio! Thank you, Camille!! Please read her amazing historical fiction!!
Monday, October 23, 2023
UPDATED Glossary
There are some important terms to understand when you love to read books and read blogs about them. Here are some of the ones that I quickly thought of:
ANTAGONIST - Normally, the villain or "bad guy" in a book, novel, or other literature. There can be primary, secondary, or tertiary antagonists.
ADVANCE READER COPY (ARC) - There are many other definitions for this acronym, but I like Advance Reader Copy best. Many publishers gift physical books or ebooks to interested or previous readers of the author's works to create buzz by reviewing the books. Sometimes the invite to read the book comes directly from the author, publisher, or 3rd party site.
BOOK CLUB - A group of people with common interests (usually women) who get together to discuss a specific book, gossip, and maybe drink wine!
BIBLIOGRAPHY - A list of books that an author has written.
BOOK HAUL - The huge amount of books that you have received in the mail or purchased at a bookstore!
BOOKSTAGRAM/BOOKTOC - A bookworm's Instagram/TikTok (VERY creative and artistically posed photos of books). Interestingly, some of the posts are not of books that have been read by the original poster - they are just a creative outlet. This type of posting does NOT work for me as I am not artistic and I only post about books/audiobooks that I have actually read!
BOOKWORM - A book lover - me, me, me! For more cool translations of the English word, bookworm, check out:
BUDDY READ - Reading a specific book with a friend! Book clubs are buddy-read on a larger scale.
CURRENT READ (CR)- What book(s) that you are reading right now!
DID NOT FINISH (DNF) - In my opinion, there are too many books and not enough time to read them all. I do not spend time on books that aren't what I expected, don't interest me, or don't add value to my life. An author friend of mine said to read page 46 of a potential DNF to see if it is interesting - if not, DNF it.
EBOOK - An ebook or digital book. I primarily read Kindle books via the Amazon Kindle application on my phone or Kindle tablet.
GOODREADS - A reader-driven review site for all types of books! "Goodreads is the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations" (quote from the Goodreads website). It is also a great place to keep track of the books you have read or want to read, get great recommendations, and follow your friends and favorite authors.
KINDLE - An electronic device to primarily read ebooks. Some Kindles have Internet access and many other applications, but simple is best for me. Here is the Amazon link to similar Kindles to the one that I have and love! I just need to use it more than I currently do.
MAIN CHARACTER (MC) - The leading or main character in a book, novel, or short story. A synonym for a main character is the protagonist. There can be primary, secondary, or tertiary main characters.
NETGALLEY - A third-party site that "helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies to book advocates and industry professionals" (quote from NetGalley website). This is my to-go site as it is free and many authors and publishers that I love use it. There are MANY other free websites out there to explore!
PHYSICAL BOOK - The good, old-fashioned, but beautiful books that have been around since the Gutenberg Bible!! That wonderful book smell!
POINT OF VIEW (POV) - This is usually for the main character or other important characters.
TO BE READ (TBR) - A specific list of To Be Read books on Goodreads or in a pile on your nightstand!
YOUNG ADULT (YA) - A genre of books for young adults from about 12ish to 21. But, many non-young adults love these books!
I will add more glossary terms as I encounter them or think of them!!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
ETA: Updated 10/23/2023
Sunday, October 22, 2023
DNF - Crazy Rich Asians AUDIOBOOK
I will not be finishing Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. What I listened to, I really enjoyed.
But, I cannot listen to novels as audiobooks. It doesn't work for me. There is too much to focus on (characters, plot, characters) so I prefer memoirs as audiobooks.
So now to read this as an ebook!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Saturday, October 21, 2023
My next ebook is...
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
I am reading this due to the recommendation of one of my favorite authors, Camille Di Maio!! I hope it is a GOOD one!!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - The Connellys of County Down
OVERVIEW
This is the second book by Tracey Lange and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
The basic story is about three siblings who are left to fend for themselves after their mother dies and their father abandons them. The three of them are tight-knit even though they experience the worst and best of life.
The character development is very strong which I love! Additionally, the fairy tale that the mother tells her three children is enchanting. It was a lovely part of the book!
This book was very good and I really look forward to Tracey Lange's NEXT novel!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
Tracey has a really crisp yet descriptive way of writing. You can visualize the scenes and be "in it", but it doesn't get bogged down by over-wordiness.
Character development: 4.0 stars
This book has three main characters: Tara, Eddie, and Geraldine. They each take their "assigned roles" in the family and in their mother's fairy tale. They are hard-working people who have been dealt a very poor hand in life. The characters are flawed like all of us. I like that there is still so much growth for the characters in the future.
The secondary characters are Brian and Hank (police officers), Conor (Eddie's son), and other assorted town characters.
The tertiary character is the symbiosis of the three siblings - it is like a real character!
Storyline: 4.0 stars
Wow, the story gets off to a start very quickly and continues from there. Tara is released from prison for drug trafficking and then it is set up and fast-paced very quickly!
All of the main locations were in the state of New York.
Memorable/Informative: 4.0 stars
This novel makes a strong point about how quickly one's life can spiral out of control because of one bad decision.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
Pretty.
Book title: 4.5 stars
Perfection.
DEFINITE recommend
BOOK INFORMATION
LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) Kindle book
The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
288 pages
William Morris
Release date of 10/10/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, October 19, 2023
UPDATED Goodreads Review Ratings
So with this update (10/07/2023), this is how I will be reviewing books going forward. I just feel like some consistency is needed as I am working hard to make this blog useful and fun for me and my readers!
First off, I really wish that Goodreads had 1/2 stars, but unfortunately, they do not. However, I do include 1/2 stars in the books that I review in the "review section" of Goodreads, NetGalley, and in this book blog. Here is my breakdown of reviews:
5-stars are the best of the best! These are the books that I cannot stop recommending to my friends!! They have moved me deeply and are books that I will think about and remember forever. Also, these are the books that I normally buy for my personal library and are the "HIGHEST Recommendation"! I also will call some of them masterpieces and expect them to be read for years to come.
4.5-stars are outstanding books. They were great reads and very enjoyable, but these books didn't reach into my soul like the 5-star books. These are "HIGHLY recommend" books!
4-stars are excellent books. Please, don't get me wrong, they are definitely worth reading and are books that I would "DEFINITE Recommend". They are great books and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
3.5-stars are very good books. But, I would definitely read them as I enjoyed them. A lot of these are more "fast food" reading, but these are not the mainstay of my reading choices. These are "Recommend".
3-stars are okay, but just okay. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't memorable to me. Something missed the mark - plot line, character development, or writing. These are "LUKEWARM recommend".
2-stars or 1-star are normally books that I would "DNF" (Did Not Finish). These are also books that I would not review, period. I don't like leaving negative reviews - instead, I just don't review the book.
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - Making It So AUDIOBOOK
OVERVIEW
This is Sir Patrick Stewart's memoir at the age of 83 years old young!! It is the best memoir that I have listened to in 2023 so far. That is a huge achievement as I have listened to a lot of great audiobooks this year! The biggest bonus was listening to his melodious voice - fabulous!
Patrick Stewart grew up in Yorkshire, England the youngest son of a former Sergeant Major in the British Army and a homemaker/weaver. He grew up in borderline poverty which has impacted him to this day. Sir Patrick worked hard and had some serendipitous events happen to make him the huge theater, movie, and television star that he is today.
The amazing thing to me was Sir Patrick's long-life friendships, kindness, modesty, and humbleness. He sounds like the perfect person and his wife to enjoy appetizers and wine while talking for hours and hours!! I have not watched his biggest hits and now want to watch them!
This memoir is for you especially if you like theater, Shakespeare, Star Trek TNG, and/or X-Men!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
The writing for this memoir is top-notch!
This memoir is poignant and hysterically funny. Sir Patrick is very self-effacing and tells stories with just perfect timing - he is a magical storyteller. The Sting and Honda Prelude stories make me chuckle every time I think of them!!
Narration: 5.0 stars
OMG! Who could narrate his own memoir better than a trained Shakespearean actor? No one! Sir Patrick has a lovely, rich and beautiful voice that I could listen to him read the newspaper out loud and I would love it!!
Character Arc: 5.0 stars
The memoir covers the time from Sir Patrick's birth (and before) until the present day. It was such a satisfying memoir as he covered everything I wanted to know about him! He is quite a multi-dimensional person!!
Memorable: 5.0 stars
It was a memorable memoir. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Sir Patrick and his life. It was fascinating to learn so much about Great Britain during and after WWII.
Entertaining: 5.0 stars
It was educational as I knew next to nothing about Great Britain after WWII. I learned how much the war impacted his family life and Great Britain as a whole. Additionally, Sir Patrick is a hoot - he constantly made me laugh. But, he also brought me to tears as he read about his losses. It was just so well done.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfection.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent!
Suggestions:
I didn't really know all the individuals that Sir Patrick mentioned in different theater settings, but it didn't really matter.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION
STATISTICS
Making It So by Patrick Steward
18 hours, 50 minutes
Listened to as an audiobook from the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
Release date of 10/03/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
P.S. Listen to the very end of the audiobook as Sir Patrick reads a selection of Dicken's A Christmas Carol - AMAZING!!
Sunday, October 15, 2023
REVIEW - The Leftover Woman
OVERVIEW
Every single book of Jean Kwok's book is good, but this is a GREAT book!!
The best part is that I learn more and more about Chinese culture. I married into a Chinese family about 25 years ago and still don't know everything about the culture and never will.
I truly thought that I knew what the ending was going to be. Um, I was totally wrong, wrong, wrong!
After going through the review, this is ANOTHER 5-star book for 2023!! YES!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
Jean has a beautiful, poetic way of writing that still is easy to read. What a gift that she has to tell stories in such a gorgeous way.
Jean also tells the stories that need telling like THIS book. There is so much about unethical adoption, human trafficking, and undocumented "social" clubs that needs exposure to stop it once and for all!
The amazing thing is that English is not Jean's first language plus she also speaks Chinese and Dutch fluently. Impressive writing from an immigrant - they really do contribute to our society!!!
Character development: 5.0 stars
This book had three main characters: Jasmine, Lucy, and Rebecca. These three women learn and grow so much during the course of the book. Their back stories are interestingly developed from the two poor immigrants from China to the one wealthy American. The three characters intersect in a huge crescendo that is a huge bombshell!
The secondary characters are Fiona, Wen, and Brandon. A child and two men who have shared pasts and differing views of the future. Another huge bombshell!
The tertiary characters are the co-workers, relatives, friends, and assorted others.
Storyline: 4.5 stars
It was a very good storyline, but it took me a little bit to get into the book. The very beginning was exposition and it was quite a bit to set up. But, once I got past that, I tried to "ration" this book and just couldn't do it. I stayed up late last night reading the end of the book. Typical of me.
The main locations were New York City and China.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
One of the horrible realizations was the intrinsic bias in society toward parents who adopt children from a different race. I have encountered comments about my bi-racial daughter but it was very rare compared to what these adopted parents and children must endure. So, so wrong!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfection.
HIGHEST recommendation
BOOK INFORMATION
LAPL (Los Angeles Public Library) book
The Leftover Women by Jean Kwok
268 pages
William Morris
Release date of 10/10/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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