REVIEW - Hello, Molly! AUDIOBOOK

SPECIAL NOTE

This is a new and different format for memoirs. I will also be updating my format for fiction books. This is a continual work in progress to find exactly what works for me and you!

OVERVIEW

Molly Shannon had been a big deal in the late 90s on Saturday Night Live. However, I have never liked her type of humor as it is just silly and juvenile to me. I liked her, but didn't love her!

Interestingly, she discusses in this book that she really is serious about how her comedy is treated and that she really wants to be true to it just like one would be to drama. I really liked this very amazing thought, but I still don't like her humor after knowing this or reading this memoir.

Also, I have recently read some very good historical fiction and this memoir was not in the same league. This may have been unfair to this memoir so consider this when reading my review.

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Narrator: 3.0 stars

Molly Shannon and Sean Wilsey (contributor) 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was really lovely at times and just weird at other times. She had some moments when she mentioned so many names of people at one time that I had no clue who they were. The celebrity name-dropping really bothered me. 

The chapters about her mother were so beautiful. I could really feel the pain of her loss in her family of origin. But on the other hand, she used her loss of her mother as a reason to excuse her and her father's bad behavior.

Other chapters, I absolutely detested like the hotel scene in Time Square and the chapters that included shoplifting and scams. It was like she still found this behavior funny. It was not!

She ended the memoir with a great chapter on how she raised her kids to find joy in life. I loved it! It is very evident that she is an amazing mother!

Character Arc: 3.0 stars

The story begins with a family tragedy and ends with how generational curses can be broken. Her family on both sides were recent immigrants to the U.S. from Ireland. The identity of being an Irish Catholic was consistent throughout the memoir - it was a beautiful reminder that we ALL are immigrants from somewhere.

However, the chapters were inconsistent to me and all over the place. I especially did not like her NYU and Los Angeles years at all. Yes, we all do stupid stuff when we are young, but I felt that she glorified it and was proud of some of these stupid things. Plus, I didn't get what some of it really had to do with the arc of her life. 

Memorable: 3.5 stars

It was meh. 

Entertaining: 3.0 stars

It didn't have me laughing out loud which I would have expected from her. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

I LOVE it! 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Just so perfect. 

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I had no clue as to how I would feel about this memoir. So I was in the middle!

Suggestions: 

Molly Shannon was OVERLY animated at times during the narration. Maybe, tone it down a little. I understand that, but it was annoying when I was drifting off to sleep. 

Lukewarm RECOMMEND

STATISTICS

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon 

7 hours 5 minutes listening length

Listened as an audiobook from the library

Release date of 04/12/2022

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Molly Shannon

My Goodreads review

HarperCollins

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - A Council of Dolls

SPECIAL NOTE

This is a new and different format for fiction. The format was also recently updated for memoirs. This blog is a continual work in progress to find exactly what works for me and you!

OVERVIEW

I just cannot imagine how I read another amazing book ARC!! This historical fiction book was just amazing. Another book in the running for my Book of the Year 2023. 

The writer is a female Native American author and she wrote a beautiful love letter to the strong women in this book. There were THREE very strong women who lived in different and important times in Native American history in the U.S. 

The book works backward in time which is a nice and unique change and ends in somewhat current times. The three main characters are Sissy (born 1961), Lillian (born 1925), and Cora (born 1888). Each of these women lived in a different, difficult time for Native Americans, but there is an invisible string of their dolls and their love that surrounds them. 

The book was so beautifully written even with the horrible and devastating events that occur in this book. It also made me so disgusted that we treated these dignified and beautiful Native Americans so horribly. Unfortunately, there is no change in their mistreatment with the continual breaking of long-standing treaties. So very convicting.

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Mona Susan Power has a beautiful and powerful voice in her writing. The time and events in this novel were not pleasant to read or write. But, it was her gorgeous writing with so much character development that helped me understand and love this book. I cannot wait for what else she will write. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The character development of the main characters was so intense and thorough. I could feel all of my senses viscerally engaged as I read. Interestingly, they were the main characters in the current chapter and then secondary characters in the following chapter. 

There were many secondary characters in the book. The partners and friends of the main characters also were thoroughly explored. The three dolls that connect all of the main characters are given voices to understand so much of the history.

Of course, the United States government, white Christian patriarchy, and many evil institutions were horrible tertiary characters that invaded all parts of the novel.  

The character development was thorough, but not overdone. It was perfection.

Storyline: 5.0 stars

The storyline goes backward in time to end in the recent present. The three main characters each have a doll that is an integral part of their lives and binds them together. Without the dolls as the main fabric of the story, it would not have been as rich and meaningful. 

Sissy, the daughter, was a young child during the American Indian Movement and was born off of the reservation. Lillian, the mother, was born on the reservation and attended Indian Boarding schools closer to home which helped spur her activism for her people. Cora, the grandmother, was born during the time of the murder of Native Americans for their land and when children were forced to attend Indian Boarding schools far away from home. 

The main locations were Chicago, North/South Dakota, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.

Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars

I had no idea that there were so many Indian Boarding schools. I need to research if there are any locally here in California. 

Unfortunately, California did not avoid having its own horrors. We had the legacy of the mission system which enslaved the Native Americans and forced them to convert to Christianity. 

I am not sure which was worse.

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Beautiful

Book title: 5.0 stars 

It is exactly what the dolls represented

Gut feeling: 3.5 stars

I knew very little of Native American history. Now I want to read and learn more and not the whitewashed history.

Suggestions: 

A glossary of the Native American words used. I could figure out more of it, from context but it would have been a nice touch.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

BOOK INFORMATION

A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power 

304 pages

This was a Kindle ARC from Book Club Girls via NetGalley

Release date of 08/08/2022

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Mona Susan Power

My Goodreads review

Mariner Books

Book Club Girls

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

July 2023 Reading Wrap-up

Hi, everyone!!

This was an AWESOME book month! But my reading has slowed down a bit as I have been doing some great television bingeing hiding from the heat and humidity!! Currently, I am bingeing NYPD Blue – I love police dramas! Any suggestions for me!?!

Okay, so, this month AGAIN, I have another contender for the best book of 2023!! It is How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair!

So now I have THREE books in the running for the best book of 2023:

·      The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende (May)
·       Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See (June)
·       How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (July)

Three months in a row with outstanding books. For July, the majority of books were 4.5 stars!! I hope August is just as good with another 5-star book!!

 

STATISTICS:

6 e-books; 1 audiobook

ARC (Advance Reader Copy): 1 e-book NetGalley link

Amazon Prime First Reads book: 1 e-book Amazon First Reads link

Library books: 4 e-books and 1 audiobook Los Angeles Public Library link

Audio listening time in July: 5 hours, 59 minutes

Pages read in July:  2217 pages

 

BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS:

5.0 star books (1)

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair - Review HERE

 

4.5 star books (5)

The Midford Affair by Marie Benedict - Review HERE

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis - Review HERE

No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox (audiobook) - Review HERE

The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams - Review HERE

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea - Review HERE

4.0 star books (0)

3.5 star book (0)

 

3.0 star books (1)

The Life That She Wanted by Anita Abriel - Review HERE

If you want to read my full review of any of Jul's books, there are individual review links under the book covers!

  

I look forward to reading and reviewing more great books for you in July!! 

Have a Happy National Dog Month! I love almost every single dog that I have ever met!!! 🐶

  

Happy reading, 

 

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. For a reminder about my book ratings, this link is HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next read is...

A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

 

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

Luis Alberto Urrea

My Goodreads review

Little, Brown and Company

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

 

My next audiobook read is...

 Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon

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!

 

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

Anita Abriel website

Goodreads review

Lake Union Publishing

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 The Life She Wanted by Anita Abriel

REVIEW - The Beach at Summerly

 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://beatrizwilliams.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5451625156

https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/william-morrow

https://lapl.overdrive.com/

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜