REVIEW - Here One Moment (ebook)

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (ebook)

Please note this review has been edited since it was originally published on 5/31/2024. This book was rated higher from 4.5 stars to 5.0 stars. I reviewed this book too harshly initially. 

OVERVIEW

I have read all, but one of Liane Moriarty's books and this is my absolute favorite. It was a unique premise for a book and had an amazing ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it!! 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The author writes really well, period. This book was so funny as it was written in first-person with the main character adding hilarious asides. As always, Liane writes descriptively, efficiently, and well. Plus, I always enjoy that her books are set in Australia. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The primary character is Cherry. We learn much about Cherry as the book goes back in time to explain her life story and what may have caused her to give the odd predictions on the flight. 

The secondary characters are some individuals from the flight, Cherry's friends and family at various life points, and her life partners. We learn quite a bit about Cherry and her life which was so fascinating. 

The tertiary character is fortune telling. It plays a big role in the story. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline begins with the flight, the predictions, and the aftermath. To explain what had happened on the plane, we have flashbacks to Cherry's life which explains so much and fully fleshes out her character. 

I liked how the author had only the main or secondary characters as the focal point of each chapter. The only issue I have with the chapters was that you had to read a bit to figure out which character was the focus - it would have been nice to have the character's name included along with the chapter number. 

I enjoy first-person books as you gain more insight into the character's minds and thought processes. 

The main locations were Hobart and Sydney, Australia.  

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

I loved how the subject was the difficult topic of death, but left such a hope for the future. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous.

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent.  

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

512 pages 

Macmillian Australia

Release date of 08/29/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Liane Moriarty

My Goodreads review

Macmillan Australia

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

NEXT BOOK POST and REVIEW - Tiger Chair (ebook)

 Tiger Chair by Max Brooks (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This was a VERY short novelette or short story about the invasion of the western United States by China, specifically Los Angeles. Normally, the type of horror, science fiction doesn't work for me. But, it caught my attention as it was totally based in Southern California. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The author writes well and has a nice style way of writing that makes this short story a very easy read. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

There is one main character - a platoon leader stationed in Los Angeles who is disillusioned by the Chinese invasion of the western United States. We learn a little bit of his back story, but not enough about the others in his life at all including his family, wife, friends, and soldiers. 

Storyline:  3.5 stars

This short story is a letter that a platoon leader writes to his dear friend back in China about the Chinese invasion. This is a negative letter which basically is a suicide letter if it is discovered by his superiors. It seems like a long letter to write in one setting - it would have been more authentic if it had been written in bits and pieces like a diary. 

I would have enjoyed this much more if this was a full-on novel. There is a lot of good material in this short story that could be elaborated on and expanded upon. 

The main location is Los Angeles and southern California.  

Memorable/Informative:  3.5 stars

This book will probably give me nightmares tonight as this invasion could be a real possibility. But, the worst part is that it is about my beloved Los Angeles as an occupied city by the Chinese. This is a truly scary, horror story!

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Meh.

Book title: 3.0 stars 

This "tiger chair" is mentioned, but not fully explained.  

DEFINITE recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Amazon First Reads Kindle short-story ebook

Tiger Chair by Max Brooks

50 pages 

Amazon Original Stories

Release date of 06/01/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Max Brooks

My Goodreads review

Amazon Original Stories

Amazon First Reads - May 2024

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

P.S. There is no next book post and then a review as it was a very fast read!

REVIEW - Jackie (ebook)

 

Jackie by Dawn Tripp (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the first book that I have read by Dawn Tripp. Jackie is her fifth novel and I am very eager to read her novel Georgia about Georgia O'Keefe!  

This is the story of Jackie Kennedy told in the first person which makes it such an interesting and fascinating read. She lived a good life as Jackie was much more than a wife. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The author has a beautiful style of writing. It is detailed and specific, but not so dense that it is difficult to read. Dawn makes you feel like a fly on the wall for some of these world events. I knew little about this time, but I have learned a lot and want to know more.

Character development: 4.5 stars

The primary character, of course, is Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis AKA Jackie. We all know who she was - married twice, First Lady, mother to Caroline and John, and Contributing Editor in publishing.  

The secondary characters are JFK, his family, her family, their friends, plus the people in his administration. Her time with JFK is the majority of the book including before their marriage, while he was in the Senate, and during his presidency. 

The tertiary characters are Aristotle Onassis; her authors and coworkers in publishing, and her friends and family.

Storyline:  4.5 stars

The storyline begins with Jackie just as she formally meets JFK for the first time and ends with her death. 

I liked how the author had the chapters interspersed throughout the novel with JFK's viewpoint of the same time or event. It made it a much richer book. Additionally, telling the story in first person made it really strong!

Finally, the novel is three stories - her life with JFK, Aristotle Onassis, and her working life in publishing. 

The main locations were New York, Washington DC, and Massachusetts. 

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

This novel does get into JFK's alleged affairs. My only comment is that we do not know what happens in anyone else's marriage. Period. 

I was just saddened at how difficult life was for her after the deaths of her two husbands. But, I loved that she found her voice in publishing. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous.

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Perfect.  

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

Jackie by Dawn Tripp

496 pages 

Random House

Release date of 06/18/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Dawn Tripp

My Goodreads review

Random House

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 Jackie by Dawn Tripp

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish (ebook)

 The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the first book that I have read by Paula Brackston. Most of her earlier books are about witches which makes the comparison to Alice Hoffman. But I don't see the comparison at all.  

This book is a gothic mystery set in Victorian England. It is a hard book to qualify as it has mysterious beasts, paranormal activity, Greek mythology, and some romance. Due to the paranormal subject matter, it may be a book that only some enjoy or are interested in reading.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

The novel has dense, deep, and detailed writing which goes along with the Victorian period. It was a meaty novel with unfamiliar British terms and it took me a few chapters to get into it. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more books in this series. 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The primary character is Hecate (assistant librarian at the Hereford Cathedral).  Hecate is a very unusual woman who works outside the home during the rigid Victorian social class time. I adore the Hecate character and cannot wait to see what she will do in the rest of this series!

The secondary characters are Edward (Hecate's father and former archaeologist), Beatrice (Hecate's mother), Charlie (Hecate's brother), and other friends of the family and people working at the cathedral. 

The tertiary characters are paranormal activity characters. They play a huge role in the storyline and the mystery. 

Storyline:  4.5 stars

The storyline begins with Hecate working as the assistant librarian when paranormal activity begins and she confides in her father for guidance and advice. An other-worldly event occurs at the cathedral and then the mystery needs solving (I have to be careful not to give anything away).

The main location was Herefordshire, England.

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

This novel is about preserving our memories through books and how almost anything can be learned through libraries.

This novel was also the book that broke my reading slump. It was my first book read in almost a month.

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous.

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Excellent. 

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston

352 pages 

St. Martin's Press

Release date of 07/23/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Paula Brackston

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVISED Review Ratings

 

Hi, everyone:

With this update (05/17/2024), this is the new rating system terminology I will use to review books in the future. There are some wording differences, but the star ratings are the same.

I have said this before, but I wish Goodreads had ½ stars, but unfortunately, they do not. In my reviews on Goodreads, NetGalley, and Books by Dorothea; I will continue to review with ½ stars.

Here is the breakdown of my ratings and reviews:

 

5-stars "HIGHLY RECOMMEND"

These are the best of the best! These are the books that I cannot and will not stop recommending! They have moved me deeply and are books that I will think about and remember forever. Also, these are the books that I normally buy for my library and are books that I will reread.  

4.5-stars "STRONG RECOMMEND"

They are excellent books. They are enjoyable, but these books didn't reach into my soul like the 5-star books. These are outstanding books! 

 

4-stars "DEFINITE RECOMMEND”

These are great books. Please, don't get me wrong, they are worth reading! I recommend them as I thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

3.5-stars "RECOMMEND”

They are good books. I enjoyed them, but many of these books are more "fast food" reading. Interestingly, many of them are books in very long series.

3-stars "LUKEWARM RECOMMEND”

These books are okay but just okay. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't memorable to me. Something missed the mark - plot line, character development, or writing.

 

2-stars or 1-star "DNF" (Did Not Finish)

I do not review these books, period. These are books that I “DNF” or books that were not good at all. I do not believe in leaving strictly negative reviews. Instead, I don't review the book. 

 

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

P.S. I was in a book slump for about two weeks due to family illness and not finding a book that I wanted to read. Sorry to be missing without an explanation!

April 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up

Hi, everyone!

Well, this has been an interesting month with only FIVE books read. It is what it is with my birthday AND everyone in my immediate family (including me) down with illness.

I am still on an audiobook quest for a good biography or memoir to listen to for next month. Most audiobooks seem to come in big drops, and I haven’t found one that interests me! Any suggestions???

I learned something about myself this month - I need to continually remind myself it is fine to DNF (Did Not Finish) a book. I kept reading a book for almost two weeks and read 26% of the book, but it wasn’t for me. I know that there are a lot of other books out there but for some reason, I really wanted to like this book. 

April's overall scores improved over March with a score of 4.0 stars. I had five books "stair step" from 5.0 down to 3.0 stars which is a first. Thankfully, I did have a standout book!

 

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

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) 5 stars

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood (April) 5 stars

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

For 2024, my goal will be 100 from the very start!!! As of 04/30/2024, I have read 38 books, or 38% of my goal.

 

APRIL 2024 STATISTICS:

5 total books

4 e-books; 1 audiobook; 0 physical books

2 books were an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

2 books were library books

0 books were purchased

1 book was an Amazon First Reads

1 book was a Book Club Girl

 

Audio listening time in April:  8 hours, 44 minutes

Pages read in April:  1,074 pages

Average review rating: 4.00 stars

 

APRIL BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star book (1)

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood (ebook) LINK

 

4.5-star book (1)

The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny S. Bryce (ebook) LINK

 

4.0-star book (1)

 

One Way Back by Christine Blasey Ford (audiobook) LINK

3.5-star book (1)

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry (ebook) LINK

3.0-star book (1)

 

Cut & Thirst by Margaret Atwood (ebook) LINK

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review posts for each ebook or audiobook next to the name and author of the book. 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.

 

DNF - The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

I will not be finishing this book, unfortunately. I have read 26% of this book and have tried to read it for almost two weeks. This is a situation of trying to make a book work when I just should have let it go a week ago! 

The book is dense, overly descriptive, and hasn't had anything happen in over 1/4 of the book. 

This historical novel didn't work for me which doesn't mean it won't work for you! 

Happy reading! 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - One Way Back (audiobook)

 One Way Back by Christine Blasey Ford (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

In 2018, I watched the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford with horrible flashbacks of similar testimony by Anita Hill about Clarence Thomas. The testimony was riveting, horrific, and so believable. Christine was a strong witness which contrasted to Brett Kavanaugh's emotional testimony. After seeing the hearings, I was convinced the nomination would not make it out of the Judicial committee. I was wrong - we now have two sexual predators on the Supreme Court - Thomas and Kavanaugh. Disgusting. 

This book does not go into great detail about the assault. This is Christine telling her story about her testimony and her healing after the fact. 

The above is why sexual assault and molestation victims do not come forward. They are not believed and the victims are put on trial. This needs to change.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

There is no doubt that Christine is a strong, powerful, and technical writer. But, this was not a book where she could poetically rhapsodize in similes and metaphors. It was raw, shocking, and real.

The best part of Christine's writing is that she occasionally speaks in "surf talk" (as she is a hardcore surfer) and uses many phrases that are second nature to me as a Southern California native. These surfing phrases along with her salty language (which I loved and was so appropriate) made me love her.  

Narration: 3.5 stars

Christine has a very distinct voice. She is not a professional narrator, but she told her story in her own words which I prefer in memoirs. Her voice is a little monotone and non-emotional which may be what she needed to do to narrate her story.  

Character Arc: 4.0 stars

She talks about her life before and after the assault (very little of the assault is talked about) and discovers Brett's nomination to the Supreme Court nomination while on a beach in Santa Cruz. Christine agonizes over testifying but ultimately is forced to testify as her name is revealed in the media.  She and her family's lives were upended before, during, and after the testimony including physical security for more than a year. The vitriol she received on social media, in the press, and in letters written to her is unconscionable.

I really loved that she wrote this book for the letter writers to her - those who has similar and/or worse stories to tell. 

She writes the book in a very chronological manner which flows very nicely for the reader. 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

Christine (and Anita Hill) are exactly why women do not come forward after their sexual harassment, assaults, or molestations. It is wrong. 

After listening to Christine's book, I realized that I was also sexually assaulted in high school. It was the same type of situation with alcohol involved and I dismissed my feelings as overreacting. I think that there are many of us out there who have suppressed these experiences. 

Entertaining:   4.0 stars

It was not entertaining, but enlightening. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Very pretty. 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

So appropriate! 

DEFINITE recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

One Way Back by Christine Blasey Ford

Macmillan Audio

8 hours, 44 minutes

Release date of 03/19/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Christine Blasey Ford

My Goodreads review

Macmillan Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜