REVIEW - A Great Country ebook

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (ebook)

 

OVERVIEW

Wow, this book was very thought-provoking. The premise could happen any day in any city in the United States. To me, that is the problem! A 12-year-old boy is violently arrested and injured, held without his parents or representation, and in an adult county jail because he is "tall and looks 18". Seriously, that is what we are coming to as a country?

The novel follows the story of the Shah family after the arrest of their son or brother. It includes the healing of the family after the trauma of the arrest. Additionally, this incident brings the family closer to each other as a family and to the friends that are family. 

This story is really about the police playing hardball with everyone, but most especially with people who are different. We need more mental health workers riding with the police to help determine a person's mental status and defuse the situation. Adding more police is not the answer - the answer is better-trained police.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

Shilpi writes this novel in a way that allows you to read quickly because the story keeps you engaged and at the edge of your seat. There aren't a lot of extraneous descriptions which I would have loved since the Shah family is East Indian. The culture is beautiful and all about the family. Food and family - my kind of community!

Character development: 4.0 stars

There are five main characters - Ashok, Priya (immigrant parents from India), and their American-born children Deepa, Maya, and Ajay. The story deals with the secrets of everyone in the family. Some secrets impact only the individual and then there are the secrets that affect the entire family. The family heals from the purging of these secrets and becomes stronger and closer than they were before the arrest. 

The secondary characters are the friends and family of the Shah family members. They include personal family friends, school friends, work friends, and neighbors.

The tertiary characters are the general characters that are needed to make the story work. But there are a reasonable number of supporting characters!

Storyline:  4.0 stars 

The storyline is about a 12-year-old boy who is doing something he shouldn't where he shouldn't be doing like most 12-year-old boys! The story begins with his arrest and ends about a month later - it moves really fast with short tight chapters that keep the reader on edge. 

My only criticism is I would like to know what happened to the two police officers involved in the arrest. Would it be satisfying? Probably not.

The main locations are Orange County, California, and some flashbacks to India. 

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

This is a very thought-provoking book. It is about the arrest of a 12-year-old boy who was thought to be one type of person due to mistaken appearances and prejudices. This could happen to kids that I know and love which is so very wrong. 

I will be thinking about this book for a very long time. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty. 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

So appropriate!

DEFINITE recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) via Book Club Girl

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

256 pages

Mariner Books

Release date of 03/26/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Shilpi Somaya Gowda

My Goodreads review

Mariner Books

NetGalley

Book Club Girl

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

 

My next audiobook is...

Boys in the Trees by Carly Simon (audiobook)

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (ebook)

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Husbands & Lovers ebook

 Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams (ebook)

OVERVIEW

Okay, Beatriz Williams is one of my go-to historical authors. I have read about 12-13 of her historical fiction novels. They have all been good and occur in periods that we don't know much about. This one had two dueling timeframes: the 1950s Suez Canal drama in Egypt and a contemporary timeframe which I really enjoyed. The Suez Canal period was extremely fascinating as I knew nothing about what had happened. 

But for the meat of this story. It is about love, war, deception, power, and xenophobia. As always, Beatriz's books are the perfect beach/pool read!! This will be one of her most interesting books historically for me.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

Beatriz always writes so beautifully - descriptive, yet not overly wordy or precious. Plus, she writes in medium-length chapters with many cliffhangers at the very end! It made me crazy, but I loved it! 

Character development: 4.0 stars

There are two main characters - Mallory, two timelines, 2008 and 2022 living in New England; and Hannah, early 1950s in Cairo with flashbacks to Hungary during WWII and the Soviet invasion. I would have loved an earlier timeline for Hannah so we knew more of her backstory. But, my mind is running thinking of all of the possible scenarios for her life between leaving Hungary and arriving in Cairo. 

The secondary characters for Mallory are Monk, Mallory's former boyfriend; Paige, Mallory's sister; and Sam, Mallory's son. For Hannah, they are Lucien, the sketchy hotel manager in Cairo; and Alistair, her diplomat husband. 

The tertiary characters are the general characters for both timelines in multiple locations. Yes, it is a historical novel with a lot of supporting characters!

Storyline:  4.5 stars 

The Mallory storyline is about her son eating a poisonous mushroom (don't eat wild mushrooms, people) and needing a kidney transplant with the story unfolding from there. The Hannah storyline is surviving WWII, surviving the Soviet invasion of Hungary, and being married to an English diplomat stationed in Cairo. Both stories are amazing, very detailed, and addictive to read.  

The main locations are Hungary, Ireland, Cairo, and New England, USA.

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

I loved learning about the building of the Suez Canal and the social implications for Egypt and the countries that built the canal.

Also, the part of the book that focuses on paternity incidents was fascinating to me. It appears that I may have a paternity and a maternal incident in one of my paternal lines. Apparently, it happens more than one would expect and DNA is making it all more real when before it was just hushed-up secrets.  

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty. 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

So appropriate!

HIGHLY recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

384 pages

Ballantine Books

Release date of 06/25/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Beatriz Williams

My Goodreads review

Ballantine Books

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

 

January 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up

Hi, everyone!

I hope that everyone had an amazing January. For us in Southern California, it ended with RAIN!!! 🌈🌂🌈🌂🌈🌂

However, there was nothing rainy about the January 2024 books! Lots of 5.0-star, 4.5-star, and 4.0-star books!! The details are below!!

 

2^nd ANNUAL “booksbydorothea” BEST BOOK OF 2024 NOMINEES:

• All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (January) 5.0-stars REVIEW LINK

 

As a reminder, you may have read previously in my blog, my INAUGURAL “booksbydorothea” Best Book of the Year 2023 was:

• How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair 5.0-stars REVIEW LINK

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

For 2024, my goal is 100 from the very start!!! As of 01/31/2024, I have read 15 or 15% of my goal.

 

JANUARY 2024 STATISTICS:

15 total books

10 e-books; 5 audiobooks; 0 physical books

9 books were an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

6 books were library books

0 books were purchased

0 books were Amazon First Reads (ebooks)

1 book was Book Club Girl (ebooks)

Audio listening time in January: 27 hours, 51 minutes

Pages read in January: 3,841 pages

 

JANUARY BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star books (2)

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

REVIEW LINK

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore

REVIEW LINK

4.5-star books (4)

Weyward by Emilia Hart

REVIEW LINK

The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker

REVIEW LINK

Can't We Be Friends by Denny S. Bryce & Eliza Knight

REVIEW LINK

Thicker Than Water by Kerry Washington (audiobook) 

REVIEW LINK

 

4.0-star books (7)

Baggage - Tales from a Fully Packed Life by Alan Cumming (audiobook)

REVIEW LINK

The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate

REVIEW LINK

Endangered Eating by Sarah Lohman (audiobook)

REVIEW LINK

Backlash Blues (Gabriel Præst series #2) by Amulya Malladi

REVIEW LINK

The Evolution of Annabel Craig by Lisa Grunwald

REVIEW LINK

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure #3 by Lorenzo Carcaterra

REVIEW LINK

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

REVIEW LINK

 

3.5-star book (1)

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

REVIEW LINK

 

3.0-star books (1)

Karma by Boy George (audiobook)

REVIEW LINK

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 ratings, you can find out more HERE.

 

REVIEW - Karma audiobook

 Karma by Boy George (audiobook)

ETA: Updated review to increase rating upward!

OVERVIEW

So full disclosure, I have loved Culture Club since their first album came out. I still enjoy listening to their music!! So when I saw a memoir by Boy George, I had to listen to it as an audiobook. I always prefer it when the author of a memoir narrates their own work!

This memoir is told in a fairly straightforward chronological way. Yes, there are sidetracks which I do expect, but it was easy to follow. Boy George has lived one heck of a life and I appreciate that he shared it with all of us. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was weak. It was as if Boy George just wrote a chapter title and then just went with what he thought about that time. It was like multiple streams of consciousness in each chapter. A ghostwriter would have a good idea and would have made the book so much stronger. But, this is Boy George's memoir and not mine. 

Narration: 4.5 stars

Boy George is so funny that he cracks himself up throughout the audiobook (and he has a great laugh). But, his Southeast London accent is very strong so it was a little difficult at times for this American. But, I did appreciate that he narrated his own memoir and loved his ad-lib singing of lyrics (plus some bonus songs). 

Character Arc: 3.0 stars

The character arc is really about Boy George coming into his own best self. Beating his drug addiction, being in prison, and Buddhism seems to make his life so much richer and deeper. I am thrilled that he has found his authentic self! But, I really wanted more about the real people in his life like his siblings, parents, and friends.

Memorable:  3.5 stars

For me, the biggest takeaway was Boy George is a prolific songwriter. He sounds like a hoot and I would love to have a drink with him!! 

Entertaining:   3.5 stars

It was entertaining, but it good have been so much more! I only wish that I knew the backstory of the people, places, and bands that he talks about. Again, being an American puts me at a disadvantage, but Wikipedia was my friend!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous Boy George!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfection! 

Recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Karma by Boy George

Blink Publishing

7 hours, 41 minutes

Release date of 01/09/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Boy George

My Goodreads review

Blink Publishing

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Summers at the Saint ebook

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews (ebook)

OVERVIEW

Full disclosure, this is the sixth book or so that I have read by Mary Kay Andrews. Her books are always wildly entertaining, with unique characters, and in fun settings! This particular novel takes place at a fictional resort on an island off the coast of southern Georgia, USA. 

This book is primarily about family drama, murder, sex (not graphic), and money. What a fantastic story to make a great summer beach or pool read. It was great to read and had a lot of mystery and intrigue! Awesomeness!!

Since I have deep roots in the South, I love reading about the region. But most especially Georgia, as that is where my Granny was born. She would have loved a great story like this one!

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing is always so, so fun! Mary Kay writes with joy which totally comes through in her books. She obviously enjoys telling stories which become books that are read and enjoyed by so many. I can almost feel her on my shoulder saying, "Did you notice that or this?" 

The author wrote so beautifully about the fictional island and resort in the south of Georgia. It was like I was actually there while the story unfolded!

Since this book had some light mystery-thriller elements, I did not figure out who the bad guys were until the very end. I love NOT figuring it out!!

Character development: 4.0 stars

There is one main character, Traci, who is the owner of the Saint Cecilia resort. She runs the place after the death of her husband who was the grandson of the founder of the resort. Both she and her deceased husband, Hoke, ran the place with kindness, empathy, and excellence. 

The secondary characters are Shannon, Traci's former BFF; Livvy, Shannon's daughter; Felice, the resort's chef; and Ric, Traci's brother-in-law. So all of the lives of the Saints (rich guests) and the Ain'ts (townies) are very integrated together beautifully. 

The tertiary characters are the resort and all of the supporting characters of which there is a lot!

Storyline:  4.0 stars 

This mystery-thriller-drama novel is about what is happening at the resort with so many odd things happening among the staff and customers. Traci wants to make things better at the hotel but is coming against a lot of roadblocks. So there is that mystery to solve. A secondary plot is about a child's drowning about 20 years ago when Shannon and Traci were lifeguards at the resort which is another mystery to solve It all comes together beautifully at the end. 

The main locations are the fictional Saint Cecilia resort and the surrounding community in Georgia, USA. 

Memorable/Informative:  3.5 stars

There wasn't anything memorable in particular, but it really was a nice, easy read!

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty. 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

So perfect!

DEFINITE recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

448 pages

St. Martin's Press

Release date of 05/07/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Mary Kay Andrews

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

 

My next ebook is...

 Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews (ebook)

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure #3 ebook

 Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure #3 by Lorenzo Carcaterra (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the third book in the Nonna Maria series. I love this series as it is just so fun and lovely. Nonna Maria helps her friends in need which involves her solving a mystery. This time it is a possible hidden treasure and an assassination. These books can be read as stand-alone novels, but I think that the previous two books add so much context and color that they make this third book more enjoyable. All three novels are so very good!

This book is primarily about a young woman named Rita who comes to Nonna Maria for help finding a hidden treasure that she believes her deceased grandfather has hidden. The secondary plot is about Captain Murino, a member of the carabinieri, and an assassin trying to kill him. Both stories interweave so beautifully and strongly. 

Normally, I am not into thrillers and mysteries because so many of them are so violent. But the Nonna Maria series is just lovely because Nonna Maria is lovely. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The writing is always so descriptive, yet concise. Lorenzo Carcaterra writes in short chapters which makes it so easy to find a good reading-stopping point. 

The author writes so beautifully about Ischia (an island about 20 miles off-shore from Naples). Each novel, including this one, is a love letter to the island and his Nonna. 

Also, I did not figure out who the villain was until the author revealed it. I love NOT figuring it out!!

Character development: 4.5 stars

There is one main character - Nonna Maria. Nonna Maria has lived her whole life on Ischia and knows everyone and everyone knows her. She is my dream grandmother! I think about the food that she prepares in this novel and want to visit Ischia just to experience food similar to what she prepares!

The secondary characters are Nonna Maria's friends, Captain Murino, Rita, and the villain. The story of these folks is so integral to the story and so well done with great backstories.

The tertiary character is Ischia. The people, the location, and the food/wine. 

Storyline:  4.0 stars 

This mystery-thriller is all about the hidden treasure search and the villain trying to kill Captain Murino. It got a little confusing to me with the multiple criminal alliances and the various levels in the castle. But, it was so much fun!

The main locations were Ischia and Florence, Italy. 

Memorable/Informative:  4.0 stars

I learned even more about Ischia with this novel. This time I learned about the island being invaded and controlled by Spain, Rome, Greece, Moors, and even more conquering forces. The island is so full of great history due to it's location to mainland Italy and North Africa.

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty. 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

I love Nonna Maria's titles!

DEFINITE recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Lost Treasure #3 by Lorenzo Carcaterra

288 pages

Bantam

Release date of 05/7/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Lorenzo Carcaterra

My Goodreads review

Bantam

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜