REVIEW - The Food of Love ebook

The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This was a November 2016 Amazon First Reads book. I cannot believe that I have had it for over seven years. I was scrolling through my Kindle app and found that I had a book by Amanda Prowse that I had never read. WHAT?!?

Full disclosure, I adore Amanda Prowse's books and this is the thirteenth book that I have read by her. This book moved me almost as much as her book written with her son, Josiah, The Boy Between. 

This is a story about a family that has the mental illness of anorexia invades their home and stays entrenched. It is about the time before, during, and after the battle of this brutal disease. I am speaking in military terms here because I believe that you truly fight a war with all mental illnesses including and most specifically anorexia.  

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing, as always, was amazing. Amanda writes beautifully with warmth and affection for her characters as well as the story itself. She writes descriptively, but not overly precious. Additionally, the author writes in such a way that you feel what is happening in the story - specifically, this one touched me, especially as a mother to a young adult daughter. 

 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Lexi, a high schooler and the younger daughter in the family, who is diagnosed with anorexia. The most difficult part was reading about the deceit and deception that someone suffering from anorexia exhibits. It is a disease that takes over the entire family dynamic and affects everyone in the family.

The secondary characters are the mother, Freya; the father, Lockie; and the sister, Charlotte. These three characters go through hell and back to save Lexi while putting their interpersonal relationships in jeopardy to do so. 

The tertiary characters are friends, family, medical professionals, and of course, anorexia, itself! 

Storyline:  5.0 stars 

The storyline was really creative and well done. I thought that one thing was happening in the "timed" chapters and I was totally wrong (sorry, no spoilers). The other chapters involving the telling of the story let you feel and understand how horrible anorexia is. 

The before, during, and after times are continually heartbreaking. Anorexia takes over the family and changes everything forever. You feel what each member is going through and how much anorexia sets up in a family to try and destroy it. 

The main locations are primarily in England with a brief time in Florida.

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

Anorexia is a mental illness that is not about food per se but more about control until the person dies from starvation or is in recovery. With all of the focus on being physically beautiful through plastic surgery, diet, and weight loss drugs, it makes sense that this mental illness occurs. We as parents and society need to watch our messaging to our children in our homes, limit social media, and talk about how these celebrities look so "perfect".

The first time that I knew about someone dying from anorexia was during my senior year of college when the talented singer, Karen Carpenter, died from this horrible mental illness. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

So appropriate. 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Right on point!

HIGHEST recommendation

EBOOK DETAILS

Amazon First Reads - November 2016 (ebook) 

The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse 

364 pages

Lake Union Publishing

Release date of 12/01/2016

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Amanda Prowse

My Goodreads review

Lake Union Publishing

Amazon First Reads

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 Face It by Debbie Harry

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - An American Princess ebook

 An American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This was an April 2018 Amazon First Reads book. I have had it for almost six years and have never read it. The picture of Allene Tew is haunting and was got me to finally read her story!

The story starts with Allene's ancestors founding Jamestown, New York to her birth, life, and death. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was good, but for some reason, I could tell that it was a translated book. It just didn't have that punch. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

There is one main character Allene Tew. We learn a lot about her husbands, houses, and where she traveled, but very little about Allene Tew herself. I know that the author researched a lot to write this book, but I wanted much more about Allene. She seems like a firecracker and wanted to know more!

The secondary characters are her five husbands and two children. Honestly, I think that we learn more about the husbands and children than we really do about Allene. 

The tertiary characters are her friends and family. 

Storyline:  3.0 stars 

The storyline is a bit confusing as there are three storylines that I didn't figure out until I read the author's note: Allene's story, American's story, and Grief's story. It would have been helpful to understand that at the beginning.

The main locations are Jamestown and New York City, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and all over Europe.  

Memorable/Informative:  4.0 stars

The Gilded Age was really not really gilded with precious metals as their was decay and ugliness below the surface. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous. 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

Was she REALLY America's princess?!?

Lukewarm Recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

Amazon First Reads - April 2018 (ebook) 

An American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl

226 pages

Amazon Crossing

Release date of 05/01/2018

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Annejet van der Zijl

My Goodreads review

Amazon Crossing

Amazon First Reads

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

Review - Deaf Utopia audiobook

 Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco

OVERVIEW

Well, I knew absolutely nothing about Nyle DiMarco before listening to his beautiful memoir. But, his face looked familiar so I decided to listen to the audiobook while scrolling for a new audiobook. 

I was not disappointed by this amazing audiobook even though I am not a reality television viewer. In this memoir, Nyle educates about the amazing Deaf community, culture, and pride as well as shares about his life. Nyle is a fourth-generation Deaf child born into his Deaf family. Additionally, he speaks to his journey to determining that he is sexually fluid and part of the LGBTQ+ community!  

Nyle has lived a very rich and wonderful life including graduating from Gallaudet University with a degree in Mathematics to winning America's Next Top Model (Cycle 22) and Dancing with the Stars (Season 22). 

This memoir is told chronologically with occasional sidetracking to add richness or explanation. It was easy to follow and was a deeply personal story. Nyle shares it all. 

For additional clarification, Nyle uses a narrator, Dan Bittner, and has a co-writer, Robert Siebert.  

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

This is a beautifully written memoir full of love for the Deaf community that Nyle adores. He is a proud Deaf person who shares his love of the ASL language and his Deaf culture. 

I learned so much in this book including the horrible discrimination that the Deaf community faces daily. However, I am grateful for ADA which has helped, but still needs to go further. Educating people like me at the beginning of each chapter was wonderful! 

Nyle comes across as a funny, kind, and wonderful human being. We should ALL be like Nyle!

Narration: 5.0 stars

Even though Nyle didn't narrate his own memoir (which I prefer), it was beautifully done by Dan Bittner! 

Character Arc: 5.0 stars

The character arc is done well. We learn all about Nyle from his birth to the present day in a chronological arc with occasional sidetracks. Very easy to follow!

Memorable:  5.0 stars

I learned so much about Deaf culture! I really appreciated the educational parts that Nyle included at the beginning of each chapter. 

Interestingly, my daughter and her best friends took ASL in high school and in college. There is nothing that Nyle shared that they didn't already know. Sadly, these stories are not more widely known especially about Alexander Graham Bell being a eugenicist! 

Entertaining:   5.0 stars

It was entertaining and so real! I would love to have a beer with Nyle along with an ASL interpreter and just talk and talk!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect! His amazing personality comes through!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Lovely! 

HIGHEST recommendation

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco

HarperCollins

10 hours, 49 minutes

Release date of 04/05/2022

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Nyle DiMarco

My Goodreads review

Harper Collins

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

booksbydorothea is back from Anniversary Break

Hello, everyone!!

I am back from Anniversary Break in Cambria, California!! My husband and I had the best time wine tasting, eating, viewing sunsets (but not sunrises, HA!), listening to the ocean, and just relaxing.

I did read an ebook and listen to an audiobook. The reviews will be following!!

My advice is this about getaways - it is never too late to do it and it is never done too often!! Go do it whatever your budget can afford!

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

  

Anniversary Break - February 13-20, 2024

Hi, everyone!

Well, I'll be off for a week! However, that doesn't mean that I won't be reading! I'll catch you all up when I am back!!

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Ladykiller ebook

Ladybird by Katherine Wood (ebook)

OVERVIEW

Honestly, I do not know what the heck that I just read! This mystery-thriller is set in a beautiful location for most of the story on an island in Greece. But it is confusing, on purpose maybe, to have you believe that every character is lying and probably is. 

The story takes place in the present day with lots of flashbacks including a "true story" written by one of the characters. The flashbacks, present-day, and true story muddle the storyline more and more as you read it. 

Even the ending and epilogue leave more questions than answers. This is not my cup of tea, but others may like it. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was just not that special. It was good writing, but just not the same caliber as many of the authors that I regularly read. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

There are two main characters - Gia (a rich girl) and Abby (the rich girl's BFF) who are both in the flashbacks, current time, and true story book. We really don't learn that much about either character except that Gia is used to getting her way and Abby was indebted to Gia's family for her college education. I really look at them as frenemies and not real friends. 

The secondary characters are Leon (the rich family account), Benny (Gia's brother), Garrett (Gia's husband), and the many friends and acquaintances on the Greek island where the novel takes place. 

The tertiary character is the fictional Greek island of Miteras. 

Storyline:  3.0 stars 

The storyline is confusing from beginning to end. Even the authority characters like the family accountant, lawyers, and the police do not seem to be telling the full truth or are hiding information. There is always deception. 

The storyline becomes so convoluted that I am not sure what actually happened at all as Gia and Abby have very different viewpoints of every part of the storyline. Maybe, that is what the author was looking to do - confuse us. But, that didn't work for me in a mystery-thriller. 

The main location is the fictional Greek island of Miteras. 

Memorable/Informative:  3.0 stars

My biggest memory of this book is that I still do not know what happened and will never know what happened. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous. 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

Misleading - is she or isn't she?!?

LUKEWARM recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) 

Ladybird by Katherine Wood

368 pages

Bantam Dell

Release date of 07/09/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Katherine Wood

My Goodreads review

Bantam Dell

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Shelterwood ebook

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This was another incredible historical fiction novel about a time that I knew absolutely nothing about!! This novel was written with two timelines - one in 1909 and the other in 1990 basically in the same area of south-eastern Oklahoma. 

The first timeline in 1909 covers the period in Oklahoma when graft and corruption ran rampant to steal valuable land from elderly Native people and Native children to line the pockets of probate judges, lawyers, and white guardians. The 1990 time period is about a fictional national park opening in Oklahoma where mysterious and curious things are occurring in the new national park.  

This is an amazingly well-written and well-researched novel. Lisa took a deep dive into the 1909 period to understand all of the intricacies of what took place.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

Lisa writes so beautifully, but this novel was somewhat difficult to get into in the first few chapters. It was a really dense read and had a lot of backstory that was needed to set up the storyline. 

Character development: 4.0 stars

There are two timelines with different main characters. The 1909 period had Ollie, Nessie, and Hazel while the 1990 time had Val and Curtis. The 1909 characters were two native girls who were guardians of Ollie's stepfather who were mistreated so they all set out to escape their home life. The 1990 characters were Val who is trying to start fresh as a ranger in a new fictional national park and Curtis who is a Tribal Police officer. 

The secondary characters are the friends, family, and associates of the main characters in both times. There were a lot of secondary characters, but not so many as to become confusing. 

The tertiary characters are the fictional National Park and the adjoining native lands. 

Storyline:  4.5 stars 

The storyline is intense in both timelines (no spoilers so I'm being a little vague). 

The 1909 storyline is about the three girls and the trouble, difficulty, and problems that they encounter after they leave home. They survived by their wits and by the kindness of strangers. 

The 1990 storyline begins with the discovery of three skeletons hidden in a cave. Val is determined to discover what happened with Curtis's help. 

The main location is southeastern Oklahoma. 

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

This is a strongly thought-provoking book. The financial mistreatment of the Native people began with the Dawes Act of 1887 which changed the tribal communal land to individual and head-of-household land. Then the White grifters and thieves came in and bought oil-rich or timber-rich property for practically nothing. Additionally, Native peoples were killed including children to gain control of these properties in probate courts as guardians. However, the guardians were only in it to make as much money as possible without any concern for the welfare of the children. These children who were left to fend for themselves were called "elf children". 

Kate Barnard was a stateswoman and politician (before women had the vote) in Oklahoma who wanted to protect these elf children and all children. Unfortunately, Kate only held two terms in office and wasn't able to complete her personal goal of protecting the elf children. She was a heroine and savior to many children yet her life was not taught in Oklahoma history lessons. 

This powerful story was heartbreaking and convicting. What a stain on Oklahoma and U.S. history!

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty. 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Excellent

HIGHLY recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) 

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate

384 pages

Ballantine Books

Release date of 06/04/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Lisa Wingate

My Goodreads review

Ballantine Books

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 

Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜