REVIEW - Middletide ebook

Middletide by Sarah Crouch (ebook)

OVERVIEW

I have not read many mystery thrillers lately because I find them too gory and just too much for me. Thankfully, this book was manageable for me. 

This is a debut novel by Sarah Crouch. It is about two high school sweethearts, Elijah and Nakita, who separate due to Elijah attending college out of state. They then reconnect when Elijah moves back home. There is a murder so everything in their hometown of the fictional Port Orchards, WA becomes chaotic. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The writing was very well done. This author should have a great career ahead of herself if her work continues at this level and continues to develop. 

Character development: 3.5 stars

This book has two main characters, Elijah and Nakita. Elijah grew up in an isolated cabin on the outskirts of Port Orchards. Nakita was born and raised on the nearby fictional Native American reservation for the fictional Squalmoah people. They become friends through their shared love of cross-country running. Elijah promised Nakita he would return after graduation, but he didn't return after the promised four years; however, he did return fifteen years later.  

The secondary characters are Samuel (Nakita's father and a minister), Erin (the town doctor), Jim (the sheriff), Jeremy (the deputy), and Chitto (Elijah's friend). They are all integral to the story, but their development and motivation could be further explored.

The tertiary characters are the townspeople of Port Orchards. 

Storyline:  3.5 stars 

It had a great premise, but the execution of the storyline just didn't work for me. 

There were just too many timelines that caused the beginning of the book to be confusing. 

Yes, this was a mystery thriller, but it could have been told a little more chronologically to make it easier for the reader. Putting the full date at the beginning of each chapter also slowed it down for me as I had to stop and figure out where the chapter was in the story. 

The courtroom scenes didn't ring true to me as a murder-one case would have been handled very differently regarding a defense attorney. Additionally, the sheriff and the deputy would have been much more tight-lipped. 

Finally, the murder was just too perfect and tied up in a bow. It just didn't seem realistic. 

The main locations were fictional - Port Orchards, Washington and the neighboring Native American reservation.  

Memorable/Informative:  2.0 stars

So this novel includes a story that includes a Native American reservation and Native American characters, but this novel was not written by a Native American. This is very concerning to me even with the Author's Note.

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty.  

Book title: 3.0 stars 

This is never explained to my satisfaction. 

Recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) 

Middletide by Sarah Crouch

288 pages

Atria Books

Release date of 06/11/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Sarah Crouch

My Goodreads review

Atria Books

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is REALLY...

 Middletide by Sarah Crouch

Yes, I am back to reading Middletide!!!

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Crying in H Mart ebook

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (ebook) 

OVERVIEW

So I am one of those readers who normally isn't a fan of best sellers. So I am going to be the outlier who likes this book but doesn't love it. It just didn't resonate as deeply for me as for others and that is okay.

Michelle Zauner is a beautiful writer, but this memoir felt more like a cathartic project for her than a memoir for the broader reader. Yes, she had a lot to process while nursing and caring for her mother and then ultimately losing her to cancer. As a mixed-race or hapa woman, she seemed to have lost her connection to her Korean heritage with the passing of her mother. But, food and music helped her reconnect with her remaining Korean family on a very intense level. 

As I know very little about Korean food or culture, this book was difficult for me as I am not familiar with the food or language at all. My husband is an ABC (American-born Chinese) so the Chinese culture and food are what I am more comfortable and familiar so I need to broaden my horizons. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was very strong, most especially as a debut book. She is a young woman (34 years old) and her future writing will deepen and develop with a long career ahead of her, I truly believe. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

This book has two main female characters: Michelle (the author) and Chongmi (her mother). We do not learn much about Chongmi until after she passes and Michelle learns more about her as a young woman. Their relationship is tortured, but we really didn't learn why exactly. I still am not certain whether the issues were due to being raised in different countries or simply being different people. 

The secondary characters are Joel (her father) and Peter (her husband). Her father comes across as a very weak and dependent man and Peter comes across as a strong man who supports Michelle during this difficult time of her life. 

The tertiary characters are Michelle's Korean family, her in-laws, her friends, and the Korean community in Eugene, Oregon. 

Storyline:  3.0 stars 

This memoir is told chronologically with the appropriate flashbacks. However, it is written more like a novel than a memoir to me. Most especially, I wanted more about Chongmi's life in Korea. 

The main locations are primarily in New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seoul, South Korea; and Eugene, Oregon. 

Memorable/Informative:  3.0 stars

Okay, I initially thought that this was a novel until the last few chapters when I realized that this was a memoir. Yes, I must have been under a rock. But, normally I do not read reviews about a book before I read it. Also, in my defense, this book came out during the pandemic when I was not reading at all. 

The biggest takeaway for me is that Korean food is spicy, fermented, and served blazing hot!

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Okay. 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

I don't get it. Was it a metaphor?

Recommend

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) 

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner 

243 pages

Knopf

Release date of 04/20/2021

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Michelle Zauner

My Goodreads review

Knopf

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul (audiobook)

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

I have been waiting for months for this hold to become available at the library, finally!! Anyway, I will pause my reading of Middletide by Sarah Crouch to read this more time-sensitive hold!

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

   

REVIEW - Still Just a Geek audiobook

Still Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

OMG, OMG, OMG! This memoir is just AH-MAZING!! 

I knew Wil Wheaton from his work on Stand by Me and The Big Bang Theory and a bit from Star Trek (I am a below-average watcher). I really didn't know much about him at all and that is why I enjoy reading memoirs to learn about people that I don't know much about. 

Well, Wil is my So Cal brother. We grew up not far from each other in So Cal, loved KMET (RIP), used similar non-PC language that we have had to unlearn, have strong left political leanings, have mental health issues, and had somewhat similar dysfunctional childhoods. Oh, and he uses the same swear word that I prefer, HA! Wow, that is a lot of commonality. 

This book is an updated, annotated memoir that Wil published in 2004 - it is NOT a new memoir. It is a long audiobook - over 23 hours. It has the cringy, original writings of a young thirty-something Wil updated with the 49ish writings of an older, more mature Wil. It is a compelling methodology. 

This is a very powerful memoir. Please read or listen to it. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The method applied to this updated memoir is so good! I loved hearing how Wil's writing improved and improved. Now, it is REALLY good - I mean, gut-wrenching and powerfully good. 

I also really enjoyed the asides that Wil used throughout the audiobook to further explain a situation or story. It made it so rich and interesting. Some people may have issues with this style, but I loved it!

Narration: 5.0 stars

Wil is a strong narrator. He is telling his own story and it was difficult to listen to it at times and triggered a lot of childhood memories for me. However, I cried and laughed with Wil and thoroughly enjoyed his narration. 

Character Arc: 5.0 stars

This is told chronologically from his previous memoir with some essays, speeches,  and blog posts along with Wil's asides sprinkled liberally throughout the memoir. The updates and asides make this memoir so very strong. 

Memorable:  5.0 stars

As someone who grew up in Southern California in the shadow of Hollywood, I had no idea until the past twenty years or so how horrible it is especially to young actors. Hollywood sucks and more controls need to be in place to protect our children who are involved in the business. The Coogan Law needs to be updated - 15 cents on every dollar earned is not enough to be placed in trust for child actors. 

Entertaining:   5.0 stars

Wil is a great writer and narrator. He tells the stories vividly and I could picture it happening as he tells it in the audiobook. Wil made me laugh, cry, and be very thankful for my therapist.

I would love to have a burrito with Wil (inside story from the book)! He is very funny and a fantastic storyteller 

Book cover: 4.5 stars

Nicely done.

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect! 

HIGHEST recommendation

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Still Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

HarperCollins

23 hours, 51 minutes

Release date of 04/12/2022

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Wil Wheaton

My Goodreads review

Harper Collins

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

February 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up

 

Hi, everyone!

Well, I am shocked that I read as many books as I read this month. This month included the week that I took off for our Anniversary trip to Cambria, California. 

But the weird thing is that February was a month with three HIGHEST recommendation books (5.0 stars) and three LUKEWARM recommend books (3.0 stars). What a dichotomy!

 

2^nd ANNUAL “booksbydorothea” BEST BOOKS OF 2024:

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (January) 5 stars

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles (February) 5 stars

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

For 2024, my goal will be 100 books from the very start!!! As of 02/29/2024, I have read 15 books, or 15% of my goal.

 

FEBRUARY 2024 STATISTICS:

10 total books

7 e-books; 3 audiobooks; 0 physical books

5 books were an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

3 books were library books

0 books were purchased

2 books were Amazon First Reads

1 book was a Book Club Girl

Audio listening time in February:  19 hours, 46 minutes

Pages read in February:  5,173 pages

Average review rating: 4.05 stars

 

FEBRUARY BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star books (3)

Deaf Utopia by Nyle DiMarco REVIEW

The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse REVIEW

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles REVIEW

4.5-star books (2)

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams REVIEW

Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate REVIEW

 

4.0-star books (1)

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda REVIEW

 

3.5-star book (1)

Boys in the Trees by Carly Simon REVIEW

 

3.0-star books (3)

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood REVIEW

An American Princess by Annejet van der Zijl REVIEW

Face It by Debbie Harry REVIEW

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review posts for each ebook 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.

My next ebook is...

 Middletide by Sarah Crouch

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Miss Morgan's Book Brigade ebook

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the type of historical fiction that a history nerd LOVES!! This was the second book that I have read by Janet Skeslien Charles and it was about a time that I didn't know much about at all - World War I. After reading this book, I feel like I was definitely educated!

This book has two timelines with two main characters. Both of the main characters are strong women which I loved!! Jessie "Kit" Carson lives in 1918 and volunteers with CARD (American Committee for Devastated France/Le Comité américain pour les régions dévastées) when she was recruited by Anne Morgan, vice-president of the organization. Wendy Peterson lives in 1987 in New York City (NYC) while working at the New York Public Library (NYPL) and discovers CARD and wants to learn more. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was just so perfectly done. It was descriptive, it was clipped, and it was both depending on the circumstances in the storyline.

Janet also moves effortlessly between the two distinct periods. It flows so very well which makes it very easy to read. 

 

Character development: 5.0 stars

This book has two main female characters: Jessie "Kit" Carson and Wendy Peterson. They live in very different times, but they have a lot in common. Both are loners, book lovers, and librarians who work at the NYPL (Kit in 1918 and Wendy in 1987).

The secondary characters are Alice Morgan and Anne Murray Dike (in France) and  Winnifred Smythe (Kit's boss in NYC) for Kit. The secondary characters are Roberto (Wendy's boss) and Meredith (Wendy's friend) for Wendy. 

The tertiary characters are the armies, civilians, and cards (CARD volunteer title) during WWI for the older timeline. The tertiary characters are the coworkers, friends, and patrons at the NYPL for the newer timeline. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars 

The two storylines were woven together in a storyline tapestry so well. The commonality was the love of books, libraries, and reading. Historical fiction done to perfection!

The main locations are primarily in NYC and Picardie, France (northern France).

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

I learned so much about CARD and WWI. This period in history really wasn't covered in my American history classes very much at all which is so wrong. This time should be fully examined along with WWII to better understand why bloody wars continue to ravage Europe.

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect. 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Right on point!

HIGHEST recommendation

EBOOK DETAILS

NetGalley ARC (ebook) 

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

352 pages

Atria Books

Release date of 05/07/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Janet Skeslien Charles

My Goodreads review

Atria Books

NetGalley

Happy reading 📚! 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 Still Just a Geek by Wil Wheaton

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Face It audiobook

Face It by Debbie Harry (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

So as a teenager, I learned about Blondie listening to KROQ while working at McDonald's after hours. When we closed up, we would listen to music very loud!!! I loved Blondie!

But, I like Debbie Harry, but I don't love her. She narrated this memoir which I prefer, but she had an emotionless, flat, and monotone reading style which was off-putting. I was disappointed. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing was good, but some editing would have made the writing in this memoir so much better. The first few chapters were very strong when Debbie discussed her childhood, high school, and community college years. But, when she moved to NYC, it became multiple streams of consciousness fighting each other for attention. 

Narration: 3.0 stars

The narration is bland and boring. It was as if she was reading about someone else's life.

Character Arc: 3.0 stars

Debbie Harry comes off as aloof, vain, and egotistical throughout the book. Additionally, she is very sexual and uses that sexuality in her writing, performing, and personal life. 

Her appearance is mentioned throughout the book numerous times including how pretty she is. I know that she has to be more than a pretty face, but that just didn't come through. 

Memorable:  3.5 stars

The punk scene in New York sounds like a crazy time in a dirty, dangerous, and broke New York City. I enjoyed hearing about all of the artistry in all of its forms that blossomed in the 70s and 80s. 

Entertaining:   3.0 stars

It could have been so much more. More about Blondie the band, Blondie the individual members, and Blondie who was Debbie Harry. 

I only wish that I knew the backstory of the people, places, and bands that he talks about. Being a West Coast kid put me at a disadvantage, but Wikipedia was my friend!

Book cover: 4.5 stars

A beautiful portrait.

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Very appropriate! 

LUKEWARM Recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Face It by Debbie Harry 

HarperAudio

8 hours, 57 minutes

Release date of 10/1/2019

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Debbie Harry

My Goodreads review

HarperAudio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading 📚, 

Dorothea 💜