NOVEMBER 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up

Hello, everyone!!

Well, November was another great month for reading especially audiobooks. I read 8 books total with 5 audiobooks and 3 ebooks!!

There is also another tie in my monthly best book of November 2024. It is a tie between The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L Warren AND Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune.

 

2^nd ANNUAL booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS OF 2024:

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

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

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) 5 stars (ebook)

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

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity (May) 4.5 stars (ebook)

The Friday Afternoon Club (June) 5 stars (audiobook)

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman (July) 5 stars (ebook)

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (August) 5 stars (ebook)

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (September) 5 stars (audiobook)

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman (October - TIE) 5 stars (ebook)

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine (October - TIE) 5 stars (ebook)

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L Warren (November – TIE) 5 stars (ebook)

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (November – TIE) 5 stars (audiobook)

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

My goal is to read 100 books in 2024. As of 11/30/2024, I have read 88 books, or 88% of my goal.

 

NOVEMBER 2024 STATISTICS:

8 total books

3 ebooks; 5 audiobooks; 0 physical books

1 book was an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

6 books were library loans

0 books were purchased

1 book was an Amazon First Reads

1 book was a Book Club Girl

 

Audio listening time in November:  50 hours, 51 minutes

Pages read in November:  820 pages

Average review rating: 4.06 stars

 

NOVEMBER BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star book (2)

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (audiobook) LINK

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren (ebook) LINK

4.5-star book (1)

City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston (ebook) LINK

 

4.0-star book (2)

Eight Flavors by Sarah Lohman (audiobook) LINK

You Never Know by Tom Selleck (audiobook) LINK

3.5-star book (2)

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (audiobook) LINK

An American Story by Wilmer Valderrama (audiobook) LINK

3.0-star book (1) 

The Answer Is No by Fredrick Backman (ebook) LINK

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review links for each ebook or audiobook next to the book title and author. Click on the specific book link to get to that book review!! 

 

Happy reading!

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. You can find out more about my book ratings HERE.

 

 

 

My next audiobook is...

Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher (audiobook)

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - You Never Know (audiobook)

 You Never Know by Tom Selleck (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This memoir was not what I expected at all. I expected some details about all of the television series, movies, and commercials that Tom had acted in. Unfortunately, this memoir ended when Tom reached the end of Magnum P.I. However, there was a brief epilogue that discussed Blue Bloods superficially. 

At times, it became tiring to hear some of the same trite sayings used over and over such as "serendipitously", "go figure", and "you never know". I would have thought the credited ghostwriter would have found this repetition overused.

Finally, Tom seems to have worked with great people and he may attract these good people. It just felt a little sugar-coated for my taste.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing was perfect for an audiobook, but I am not sure how it would have translated to a Kindle or physical book. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

As a professional actor, Tom narrates beautifully with depth and feeling; however, it feels like listening to an old friend while having coffee. Tom nailed it!

Character Arc: 3.5 stars

This audiobook was not in chronological order, skipped around, and went back and forth in time.   

Tom doesn't discuss his life in depth before attending high school or after completing Magnum P.I. He also doesn't discuss all of his movies but devotes an entire chapter to Frank Sinatra guest-starring on Magnum P.I. It felt as if a lot of his life wasn't covered, but that was his choice. 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

Tom appears to be a kind, generous, and accommodating actor on his movie and television sets. He worked hard to have reasonable hours and good pay for the cast and crew and would use his Hollywood capital to make any needed changes. 

Also, this was not a tell-all book which I appreciated. Tom was careful not to name-drop actors, producers, or directors he had negative experiences with. Overall, everyone was treated with great dignity and respect. 

Entertaining:   4.0 stars

At times, the stories Tom would tell were quite funny. My favorite were the family stories, of course.  

Book cover: 4.5 stars

Good picture.       

Book title: 3.5 stars 

It was okay. 

DEFINITE recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

You Never Know by Tom Selleck

Harper Select

15 hours, 27 minutes

Release date of 11/19/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Tom Selleck

My Goodreads review

Harper Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Update - Postponing Current Book (ebook)

 

The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche (ebook)

Hi, everyone, 

My mistake, but I missed that this book is set during the Black Plague of the Middle Ages. The time is just a little too much for me right now. I will add this book back to my TBR list! 

What I have already read is wonderful and beautiful, but the period isn't hitting right!!

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

NYT - 100 Notable Books of 2024

Hi, everyone!!

The New York Times released its "100 Notable Books of 2024" with the link HERE. I have read four books on this list - two fiction and two non-fiction books. Also, these books, except The Women, were not on the NPR list. It means that many different books are being recognized and spotlighted which I love!

Below are my four reads with the book cover, title, author, and a link to my original review! 

Please note that I read The Women as an ARC in 2023 and that both non-fiction books were audiobooks. All four of these books have 5.0-star reviews on my blog and are exceptional books. 

FICTION

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella (ebook) LINK

The Women by Kristin Hannah (ebook) LINK

NON-FICTION

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (audiobook) LINK

Connie by Connie (audiobook) LINK

Such fantastic books on this list! I read four of them and have many more on my TBR list!! Please check out the NYT's entire list - there are many incredible books to explore and read!

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

NPR - Books We Love 2024

 

Hi, everyone!!

NPR just released "Books We Love 2024" and I have read eight books by nine authors on this list!! Here is the NPR link HERE with the list going back to 2013. 

My eight reads are spotlighted with the book cover, title, author, and a link to my original review! 

Please note that I read The Women as an ARC in 2023 and The Friday Afternoon Club as an audiobook! Also, all of my books from this list are 5.0-star reviews, except for Here One Moment which is 4.5 stars! Great reads!

The Women by Kristen Hannah (ebook) LINK

  

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (ebook) LINK

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (ebook) LINK

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (ebook) LINK

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (ebook) LINK

The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne (audiobook) LINK

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn, Janie Chang (ebook) LINK

All That We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (ebook) LINK

All of these eight books and nine authors are amazing! You cannot go wrong reading any of them. Also, check out the entire NPR list for even more amazing book finds!!

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 You Never Know by Tom Selleck (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Eight Flavors (audiobook)

 Eight Flavors by Sarah Lohman (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This audiobook about the top American food flavors was interesting and fun! The author included eight flavors, but there really were ten. The eight flavors included are black pepper, vanilla, chili powder, curry powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and sriracha. Chocolate and coffee are also American flavors, but she didn't include them because Sarah felt they had been previously extensively researched. 

The author didn't fully explain her research methodology as much as I would have liked. Using Google to track the usage of "American food flavor words" could have been more extensive. But, ultimately, I enjoyed her research and wanted more details and the inclusion of chocolate and coffee. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

Sarah is a great writer and educator. She thoroughly explained each flavor without making the listener feel uneducated about the research that she uncovered. The author has a warm and friendly writing style which I enjoyed. 

Narration: 4.0 stars

The author is a good narrator. She narrates well while also being funny and breaking the "third wall" at appropriate times. Sarah did a great job at keeping me interested in this book. 

Character Arc: 4.0. stars

The audiobook has a chapter or chapters dedicated to each American flavor. It made it easy to listen to one or two chapters about a flavor and then stop. The end of each flavor was an easy stopping point as was its own little flavor book. 

My biggest issue is the inclusion of siracha. This condiment is relatively new to the American food scene and hasn't had enough time to prove that it is a "keeper" and not a food trend. Personally, I would have preferred salt, cinnamon, or oregano. 

Maybe, Sarah can do another book on American flavors!! She could do chocolate, coffee, salt, cinnamon, and oregano - that's already five flavors!

Memorable:  3.5 stars

The biggest takeaway is that Thomas Jefferson and the author are fellow migraine sufferers. Also, MSG does not cause migraines or "Chinese restaurant syndrome". 

Entertaining:   4.0 stars

Sarah is a good storyteller. She must be so much fun to prepare, eat, and discuss food with. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

A little cramped and busy.      

Book title: 4.0 stars 

On point. 

DEFINITE recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Eight Flavors by Sarah Lohman

Tantor Audio

8 hours, 33 minutes

Release date of 12/6/2006

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Sarah Lohman

My Goodreads review

Tantor Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Unexpected Diva (ebook)

 The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is my first book by Tiffany L. Warren. It is Tiffany’s first historical fiction novel about the first black prima donna Elizabeth "Eliza" Taylor Greenfield. I especially love historical fiction about real people like "The Black Swan" and their real stories!

The novel occurs after The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and before the Civil War.  Unfortunately, the author explained that historical details about Eliza's life, friends, and family were limited. However, there was a lot of information about the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society (PFASS). PFASS was a multi-racial group of women that included Quakers and abolitionists. So the novel uses the PFASS and its members to tell Eliza's story along with her singing. 

I am grateful for Black authors like Tiffany who are bringing Black history especially Black women to the forefront as it is American history that we need to learn and know about! 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was beautiful. Tiffany writes about Eliza's life descriptively and interestingly while educating about this dreadful time in our country's history. The best part is that this "whitewashed history" is examined truthfully and thoughtfully allowing the reader to think and ponder about our history repeating itself. 

Of course, I loved the fascinating and detailed explanations of Eliza's dresses and the other female characters. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Eliza (singer). She is the star of the book and the diva of the stage.  

The secondary characters are Charles (accompanist friend), Mary (her "sister" and seamstress friend), and Ruby (church friend).  

The tertiary characters are her church friends, fiancee and family, abolitionist and Quaker friends, and friends from the PFASS. 

As is true for most historical fiction, many characters are necessary for the detailed storyline. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline is about Eliza being freed by her former enslaver who becomes her benefactor in Philadelphia. Eliza's family, once freed, emigrates to Liberia while Eliza stays behind. Eliza is well-educated, lives among Quakers, and is discovered to have an extraordinary musical talent. The benefactor dies and the story really begins to be told. 

The main locations were Philadelphia and Buffalo with a good amount of time in London, England.    

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

I was shocked that I had a weak knowledge of Philadelphia's pre-Civil War history including The Fugitive Slave Act. 

As someone who loves and adores learning about history, I feel embarrassed that I knew nothing about "The Black Swan" which was Eliza's nickname in the press. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Beautiful!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

So appropriate!  

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (ebook)

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren

432 pages 

William Morrow Paperbacks

Release date of 1/7/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Tiffany L Warren

My Goodreads review

William Morrow Paperbacks

Book Club Girl

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜