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

Patrick Stewart

My Goodreads review

Simon and Schuster

Los Angeles Public Library

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!!

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

Jean Kwok

My Goodreads review

William Morris

LAPL

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

So two books that I want to read came in about eight hours apart, so I will read this one first as I have been so excited to read it. A book by one of my favorite authors!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls

 

FYI - Okay, this book is NOT a memoir, but it is more memoir-like than novel-like. So I am using the memoir review format!!

OVERVIEW

This book is about the making of Mean Girls as an adaption from the incredible book by Rosalind Wiseman (which I read and loved) to the movie and screenplay to the musical. This book has it all - the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

If you are a Mean Girls junkie, this book is for YOU! I love the movie so this book was intriguing for me!

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5-stars

Writing: 3.5-stars

The writing was very good. I was surprised because I expected an in-depth analysis of this movie to be a tell-all that would have been ghost-written by a National Inquirer writer.

The author wrote a very good book with interviews and lots of annotated research detailed "Notes" in the last 20% of the book. Thankfully, there were NO footnotes to distract me! Impressive!

This was a lot of fun to read! 

Character Arc: 3.5-stars

The story begins with Rosalind Wiseman's amazing book which was the basis for the screenplay. Tina Fey adapted this amazing book into a screenplay and was involved in the entire process of the movie from writing to casting to almost everything!

I really enjoyed learning about how Tina Fey's real life was included in the screenplay. From the jokes to hard and difficult stories. It was very interesting. 

Memorable: 3.5-stars

It was a memorable memoir because I really loved the movie. Finding out about what happened to make this movie so fantastic was really fun. 

Entertaining: 3.0-stars

It was a fun read. The book did get a bit bogged down to me when it was talking about the theater production of Mean Girls as I really was only interested in the movie.

Book cover: 3.5-stars

Cute.

Book title: 3.5-stars 

Cute. 

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I had no clue as to how I would feel about this book. I was very pleasantly surprised!!

Suggestions: 

A listing of the characters and who held the part (in the movie and theater production) would have been great! 

Recommend

STATISTICS

NetGalley ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

272 pages

Dey Street Books

Release date of 01/16/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

My Goodreads review

Dey Street Books

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next read is...

 So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Darling Girls

 

OVERVIEW

Wow! Sally Hepworth can definitely write a good mystery thriller! I have read all of Sally's books and have enjoyed them all. All of her books are so full of twists and turns until the final BAM!! This book was no different. 

I was so excited that I thought that I had figured out the plotline early in the book and I had until the end! Sally tricked me again with her devious plotline! Very well done!!

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

As I have read all of Sally Hepworth's books, I get her writing and try to figure out the final twist and I am always WRONG!! A well-done mystery thriller again!

Character development: 4.0 stars

This book had three main characters that were set in the before/after timeframes. In the beginning, it took me about 20% of the book to get it all straight. But each main character was really well developed so we understand WHY they were who they were in the present.

The main characters are Jessica, Norah, and Alison. They are foster children being raised in rural Australia. 

The secondary character is Miss Fairchild who is the foster mother of the girls. It was fascinating to observe the interaction between her and the foster girls. Sad, but true lifelike stories that many foster kids must go through. 

The tertiary characters are the significant others, lawyers, police, and townspeople. 

Storyline:  4.0 stars

It was a very good storyline and had me hooked. It was a very sad storyline; however, this is not fiction for many of the kids in foster care. Sally Hepworth got me again with the ending!!

The main locations were Melbourne and the fictional Port Agatha, Australia. 

Memorable/Informative: 4.0 stars

This novel was very thought-provoking as foster care is horrible, period.

Book cover: 4.0 stars

It was okay.

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Excellent title.

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I assumed that I would like this book as I have liked other books by Sally Hepworth.

Suggestions: 

As I am not Australian, a glossary of Australian terms used in the book would have been helpful.

DEFINITE RECOMMEND

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

368 pages 

St. Martin's Press

Release date of 04/23/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Sally Hepworth

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 Making It So by Patrick Stewart

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next book is...

 Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

SEPTEMBER 2023 - Reading Wrap-Up

Hi, everyone!

I hope you all have had a great September and have read lots and lots of very good books!!

So now I have EIGHT books vying for MY 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)
• A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power (August)
• The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (August)
• Evergreen (Japantown Mystery #2) by Naomi Hirahara (August)
• The Women by Kristin Hannah (September)
• After Annie by Anna Quindlen (September)

It will be so very interesting which book I decide on as MY Best Book of 2023! I think that I know which one it is, but you will have to wait patiently to find out!!

I hope that the quality of books in October continues to be good for me! I have had at least one 5.0-star book every month since I restarted this blog in May 2023 so that is quite the run!

 

STATISTICS:

9 total books

8 e-books; 1 physical book

6 books were an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

0 books were library books

1 book was a purchased e-book

1 book was an Amazon First Reads

1 book was a gifted physical book

Audio listening time in September: 0 hours, 0 minutes

Pages read in September:  3,441 pages

 

BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS:

5.0-star books (2) 

The Women by Kristin Hannah

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/overview-omg-this-book-is-unbelievable.html

After Annie by Anna Quindlen

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-after-annie.html

4.5-star books (4)

The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-other-princess.html

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-traitor-in-whitehall.html

A Night at the Tropicana by Chanel Cleeton

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-night-at-tropicana.html

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/my-next-read-is_7.html

4.0-star books (1)

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone - Outlander #9 by Diana Gabaldon

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-go-tell-bees-that-i-am-gone.html

3.5-star book (1)

Diva by Daisy Goodwin

https://booksbydorothea.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-diva.html

3.0-star books (1)

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review posts for each e-book or audiobook below the picture of the book. You can just click on the specific book link to get to that book review!! 

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. For more information about my book rating, you can find out more HERE.

 

REVIEW - Finding Margaret Fuller

 

OVERVIEW

Allison Pataki does it again!! She writes amazingly beautiful historical fiction about women that many of us do not know in history. Allison Pataki is shifting the paradigm!! 

Margaret Fuller - what a fantastic woman! Interestingly, when I asked my husband if he knew who she was - he knew, but I didn't! 

Margaret Fuller was really a force in women's education, equality, suffrage, and knowledge. She was a woman who was way ahead of her time and still is. I would love to meet her and share some tea, talk, and enjoy nature together. Margaret was a firecracker and friend/acquaintance to so many historical figures.

This novel primarily focuses on Margaret's life from the age of 26 to 40 years of age. This includes her time in Concord, Massachusetts with the Transcendentalists to her time in Europe. There are some flashbacks, but they definitely add to the character development and storyline. 

This book was beautifully written and we learn so much about Margaret. But, it was not like a textbook, but rather a beautiful story of a life well-lived! I loved it!

Yet, ANOTHER 5-star book!!!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

I have read all of the historical fiction novels by Allison Pataki and always eagerly look forward to her next book. This novel is beautifully written and descriptive, yet not wordy. It is just another great read!

Character development: 5.0 stars

This book is full of many characters as most historical fiction is! But, many of them were familiar historical characters!

The main character is Margaret. She is in the title and Margaret is what the entire novel is about! She is fully developed so her choices, reasonings, and life views are explored. 

The secondary characters are Margaret's husband, Giovanni Ossoli, and The Transcendentalists. The Transcendentalists especially Ralph Waldo Emerson opened up many life-changing opportunities for her. The Transcendentalists could take over the book, but Allison Pataki reigns it in and they are handled very well!!

The tertiary characters are Horace Greeley, her family, and the other historical characters Margaret encounters throughout her life.

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This book was the real reason that I read historical fiction. To learn about historical characters that I don't know about and to research more so I can learn about them and their impact on history!! 

Margaret Fuller is one of the "forgotten" Transcendentalists even though her impact was powerful. Of course, I really think it is because she is a woman, no doubt. I learned so much about Margaret Fuller and the Transcendentalists as I never really read any of their works. But, it was fascinating to discover what they were about and what impact Margaret had on the movement.

The main locations were Massachusetts, New York City, and Italy. 

Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars

My goodness, Margaret Fuller was so intriguing that I looked up more on her life before I started this review. She was just incredibly amazing!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfection.

Gut feeling: 3.0 stars

I assumed that I would like this book as I have liked other books by Allison Pataki.

Suggestions: 

I wish that the book had been LONGER!!

Highly RECOMMEND

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki

416 pages 

Ballantine

Release date of 02/13/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Allison Pataki

My Goodreads review

Ballantine

NetGalley

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜