REVIEW - More or Less Maddy

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova (eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

All I can say is, "WOW, WOW, WOW!" This was a brilliant book by Lisa Genova who is a Harvard-trained neurologist. I have read most of her books which are about a specific brain disease and are incredible. 

This book was different as it was about a mental illness - bipolar disease. This was a raw, real, and insightful deep dive into bipolar disease. As with most mental illnesses, it is a hidden secret that is not shared with others due to the potential for stigmatism. It was a horrifying ride for the main character, but it offered so much hope at the end. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Death by a suicide attempt, drug use, manic/depressive episodes, alcohol abuse, mental hospitalization, cutting, foul language

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Lisa writes so, so beautifully. She writes knowingly about this disease without talking down to the reader. It was just such an incredible job of making bipolar disease understandable and less frightening as it is not a death sentence. 

I also loved the text exchanges with emojis and the cultural references to Taylor Swift, It was perfect for a character who is a Gen Z!!

 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Maddy. Her name is in the book title and the one who suffers from bipolar disease. She is an NYU student whose life unravels during her sophomore year. Her character is so developed that I can visually picture her.   

The secondary characters are Amy (Maddy's mom), Emily (Maddy's sister), and Dr. Weaver (Maddy's psychiatrist/therapist). These characters were relatable and believable parts of Maddy's story. 

The tertiary characters are the rest of Maddy's family, her hometown friends, her NYU friends, and New York City.  

As is true for most novels, this novel had many characters to round out the storyline and to fully explain Maddy's situations.  

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This novel is told in organized flashbacks which I liked because it would have been difficult to understand what was happening without the prequel. This storyline covers about two years in Maddy's journey before, during, and after her bipolar diagnosis. 

Honestly, at times it was hard to read, but it describes bipolar disease as it is with the good, bad, and the ugly. 

The main locations were New York City and Connecticut.  

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

As someone who has depression, there are so many positive takeaways. But, the biggest is someone has bipolar disease and is not bipolar disease. The wording is important and significant to anyone with any disease, but especially mental illnesses. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.   

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrowed (eBOOK)

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova

367 pages 

Gallery/Scout Press

Release date of 1/14/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Lisa Genova

My Goodreads review

Gallery/Scout Press

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

booksbydorothea Rating and Review Process

Hi, everyone:

This is a simple update to the previous blog posts about my book rating system.

I have said this before, but I wish Goodreads had ½ stars in their rating system. In my reviews on Goodreads, NetGalley, and booksbydorothea; I will continue to review with ½ stars.

Here is the breakdown of my rating and review process:

5.0-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 5.0-star books. These are outstanding books! 

4.0-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 and think that you will too.

3.5-stars "RECOMMEND”

They are good books. I enjoyed them, but many are more "fast food" reading, not deep or meaningful. We cannot have heavy or intense books all the time! Many of them are books in very long series.

3.0-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.

2.0-stars, 1.0-star, or "DNF" (Did Not Finish)

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

 

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

 Is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shields (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Review - Whiskey Tender (audiobook)

 Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

Whoa! This memoir covers the true history of the Native peoples that had been whitewashed. The author is of Quechan and Laguna Pueblos ancestry via her father and Latin American via her mother. So much is covered including Indian boarding schools, the AIM movement, and much more. 

Growing up in California, we primarily learned about the "wonderful" Missions where the Indians were converted to Catholicism and had a much better life in 4th grade. Every California kid has to do the dreaded Mission project. If only, we had learned the true stories and how what we were taught were lies and whitewashing to make the mission system palatable. It was slavery! 

TRIGGER ALERT: Alcohol abuse, drug usage, physical violence, self-harming, racist language, and death by suicide references 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

Deborah writes beautifully, using an almost poetic style that is hypnotizing, at times. It is descriptive without being overwhelming. 

My only issue is that some of the writing is uneven with stronger and weaker sections throughout the memoir. It could have been the time frame covered or it was difficult to write about for the author. 

Narration: 4.5 stars

The narration was strong, but not as emotional or as powerful as a memoir read by the author. 

Character Arc: 4.5 stars

The audiobook is primarily chronological about the author from age 3 to age 18. There are a lot of flashbacks to fully explain important parts of the story, especially her parents' and grandparents' life stories. 

At times, it was difficult with all of the family members. This is because Deborah comes from two large families. I just went with it and it didn't run the story. 

Since the memoir ends with the author leaving home at around 18, there is so much about her life that I would like to know about her and her family. 

Memorable:  5.0 stars

Deborah weaved the true Native American history throughout her memoir. It was beautifully done. Now I need to learn much more about the real history of our country and our broken promises and treaties with the Native peoples. 

Entertaining:   5.0 stars

This book was not entertaining per se as it was Deborah's childhood memoir and was painfully truthful and raw. What was convicting was that there is so much about US History that is whitewashed, over and over again. 

Book cover: 4.5 stars

Pretty.     

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Interesting.  

STRONG recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa

Harper Audio

11 hours, 38 minutes

Release date of 2/27/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Deborah Jackson Taffa

My Goodreads review

Harper Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eBOOK is...

 More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova (eBOOK)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eBOOK AND Review - What Happened to the McCrays? (eARC/eBOOK)

 What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange (eARC/eBOOK)

I forgot to post about reading this eARC/eBOOK because I got a last-minute approval through NetGalley!!! I posted that I was reading it on Instagram, but missed posting here. I actually read this book off and on today in about twelve hours - it had me hooked. 

Unfortunately, the Eaton and Palisades fires are making me scatterbrained. To compensate for that and forget about the devastation, I am reading, reading, reading.

OVERVIEW

This was an amazing book about a devastated and damaged family. The McCrays and the Higgins were families that lived next to each other and united when there was a marriage involving both families. The book covered so much such as love, loss, tragedy, grief, renewal, friendship, and family.  

The dual timelines were divided into "Then/Now" with no specific time frame so you focused on the storyline and the characters. This novel occurred primarily in Upstate New York over 25 years. 

I have read all three novels by Tracey Lange and this is the best way so far!! Please write more books, Tracey!

TRIGGER WARNING: Death by suicide attempt, loss of a child and parents, and divorce

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing, as always, was detailed, beautiful, and descriptive. Tracey really knows how to write about families. Especially nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty, and not-perfect families - real families. 

 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Kyle (husband) and Casey (wife) who suffer continual losses from their childhoods into adulthood. These two characters are fully fleshed out to perfection.  

The secondary characters are Wyatt (Casey's brother) and Danny (Kyle's father) who have to watch the couple's dysfunction without getting sucked into it all. They both are very fascinating characters. 

The tertiary characters are the U14 kids' hockey team, Kyle and Casey's friends and co-workers, and the people and town of Potsdam, New York. 

As is true for most novels, this contemporary fiction had many characters to round out the storyline. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The "Then" part of the storyline is about Kyle and Casey dating, marrying, parenting, and divorcing. The "Now" part of the storyline is about Kyle returning to his hometown after being gone for 2 1/2 years. It is the reconciliation of relationships and growing as individuals. 

The main location was Potsdam, New York.  

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

As someone who lost someone dear to me who died by suicide, the attempted suicide in this novel hit home. I have always thought, "What if?". This novel helped me understand that I have to move past the grief and not focus on how the individual who passed died, but rather how they lived. This was powerful! 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Very pretty!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.   

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (eARC/ebook)

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange

320 pages 

Celadon Books

Release date of 1/14/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Tracey Lange

My Goodreads review

Celadon Books

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Stolen Queen (eBOOK)

 The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This is my third book by Fiona Davis who writes incredible historical fiction. This novel was based on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had a dual timeline. 

Two women who are unlikely companions join forces to solve a theft at the museum during the Met Gala in 1978. It also brings in the other timeline of Egypt in 1936 during the waning of the Egyptian craze in the United States.   

I cannot wait to read what Fiona has planned next!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

Fiona writes so beautifully and descriptively without being heavy-handed. I enjoy learning so much from her books even though they are historical fiction. But she writes her books with enjoyment in mind while providing education also.  

Character development: 5.0 stars

The two main characters are Charlotte (Egyptologist in 1936/Met curator in 1978) and Annie (assistant to Diana Vreeland at the Met). Their paths cross due to the Met Gala and a firestorm of chaos is unleashed.  

The secondary characters are Henry (Egyptologist/Charlotte's husband 1936), Leon (Egyptologist/Charlotte's nemesis 1936), Diana (Met Costume Institute/former magazine editor 1978), and Joyce (Annie's mother 1978). 

The tertiary characters are other Met employees, Egyptian citizens, and friends/family of Charlotte and Annie. 

Again, many characters in the storyline were not developed fully. They, however, were necessary for the detailed storylines. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This was such an interesting storyline. The juxtaposition of Egypt in both timelines with the 1978 Met was beautifully done. It was woven together seamlessly.  

In 1936 Egypt, Charlotte was on an archaeological dig and made a great discovery that reappeared as a loan at the Met. Then the Met Gala happens and everything goes haywire with a theft, an assault, and a termination. Then this historical fiction novel takes off and keeps going! 

The main locations were New York, New York, and Egypt.

Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars

I was fortunate to see the King Tut exhibit in Los Angeles before it ended its tour at the Met in 1978. The artifacts were so moving and helped make a real connection to me and the storyline. The descriptions of the tombs, the mummification process, and the antiquities in the burial chambers were fascinating. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

So pretty!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.   

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (eBOOK)

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

349 pages 

Dutton

Release date of 1/7/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Fiona Davis

My Goodreads review

Dutton

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024

Hi, everyone!

This is booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024! Notice that it is BOOKS, plural not singular. There is more to come in the next few paragraphs about this.  

There is a big change to booksbydorothea as Best Books of 2024 will no longer recognize only one book. Instead, seven books will be highlighted in the ebook and audiobook categories.

There will be one winner and six runners-up in each category to better showcase the fabulous books available. It will now be called the booksbydorothea Best Books of 2024.

Next year, I will include the best monthly audiobook and ebook (if available) in my monthly wrap-ups. Unfortunately, I didn’t do that for 2024.

Now for the exciting reveal of the Nominees (all books were 5-star reviews):

2^nd ANNUAL booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS NOMINEES OF 2024:

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

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

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) (ebook) LINK

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

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity (May) (ebook) LINK

The Friday Afternoon Club (June) (audiobook) LINK

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman (July) (ebook) LINK

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (August) (ebook) LINK

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (September) (audiobook) LINK

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

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine (October - TIE) (ebook) LINK

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

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

On Living by Kerry Egan (December) (audiobook) LINK

Additional audiobook nominees not included on the original nominee list:

Connie by Connie Chung (October) (audiobook) LINK

Be Ready When The Luck Happens (October) (audiobook) LINK

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (October) (audiobook) LINK

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino (October) (audiobook) LINK

It is now time for the FINALISTS: 

2^nd ANNUAL booksbydorothea BEST BOOKS OF 2024 FINALISTS:

EBOOKS

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles 

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer 

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn 

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman 

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine 

The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren 

AUDIOBOOKS

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates 

Connie by Connie Chung 

Be Ready When The Luck Happens by Ina Garten

The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop 

Sonny Boy by Al Pacino

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

On Living by Kelly Egan

NOW for the TWO big reveals - drumroll, please!! booksbydorothea Best Books of

2024 (ebook and audiobook) are:

2024 BEST EBOOK:

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (ebook)

This will not be another review of this beautiful, enlightening, intelligent book. However, this book left me gobsmacked (a new British term for me) for a very long time. It was emotional to discover what I thought happened after former enslaved people crossed the Mason-Dixon line was wrong. It was whitewashed!

In Philadelphia, there were enslavers allowed with their enslaved people even though Pennsylvania was a “free state”. There were loopholes in the state law that permitted enslavers to travel to Philadelphia with specific enslaved people for up to six months. So it was just a game of switching enslaved people to the South before the six months were up to ensure that they had their “rotating" enslaved staff.  

Overall, this historical novel is about free Black people, escaped enslaved people, and enslaved people trying to make a life in a city that was not welcoming to Blacks, period.

Read this book – I cannot recommend it more! It was one of my first reads of 2024 and I have thought about it ever since.

 

2024 BEST AUDIOBOOK:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Again, this will not be a rehashing of my first review. However, note that this book is a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea. I read both books as audiobooks. 

But this audiobook was something special and brilliant! The audiobook was narrated by Daniel Henning who is superb and brings life to each character and narrated the prequel. I recommend reading the prequel first before this book.

The incredible characters include children who are a gnome, a wyvern, a green blob, a werewolf-Pomeranian, a sprite, and a yeti! The adults are a phoenix, a sprite, and "some naughty and some nice" humans!

The biggest takeaway from this book is that everyone is important in their unique style and way – even magical creatures. I love that the story includes chosen families, LGBT+ and BIPOC characters, and that good triumphs over evil!

Listen to this book (and the prequel) – I cannot emphasize how good the story highlighted by the narration is! This book is pure joy!

 

FINAL NOTES

The original review for each nominee is the LINK next to the title and author under NOMINEES. Click on the specific book link to get to that book review! 

Congratulations to the nominees, finalists, and winners!! These are all fantastic books that I highly recommend!! 

My final booksbydorothea blog post will be the Annual Wrap-up for 2024 which will be posted shortly. 

Thank you so much for joining me on this wonderful journey of reading and listening to great books in 2024! Please join me again in 2025!

Happy reading and Happy Holidays,

Dorothea 💜

 

 

REVIEW - Let Us March On (eARC/eBOOK)

 

Let Us March On by Shara Moon (eARC/eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This is the first book by Sharon Moon that I have read and her first historical fiction novel. I can see many more historical fiction novels in her future. 

The novel is based on a husband and wife who worked for FDR at the White House before his first inauguration until he died in 1945. The wife seemingly gains the trust of FDR and begins sharing letters that she receives from Black Americans (called Negro during this time and in this novel). Slowly, but surely some change begins and then WWII breaks out. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Alcohol abuse, lynching discussions, physical and verbal violence

 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

Shana writes really well. 

But at times, current language usage slipped in the dialogue. Additionally, everyone spoke perfect English which would not be the case for undereducated staff. It made it ring less true to me.

 

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mac (FDR's valet), and Lizzie (FDR's maid). 

The secondary characters are the many staff members, primarily Black, who worked in the White House. 

The tertiary characters were political advisors and politicians. 

Again, many characters in the storyline were not developed fully. They, however, were necessary for the detailed storyline. 

My real issue was that the relationship between Mac and Lizzie was not deeply detailed. Lizzie was who the novel was about, not FDR. It felt as if it was heavy on FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt instead of Max and Lizzie. 

 

Storyline:  4.0 stars

Mac serendipitously gets a job working for FDR as a valet when he was in Georgia as Governor of New York. Then Mac and Lizzie got jobs at the White House after his first inauguration and worked there until FDR's death. 

Since this is a work of fiction, it is unclear what is fact versus fiction. An Author's Note would have been helpful for reference citations and to elaborate on the fictional part of this novel. 

Did Lizzie do all of what is written in this novel? I don't know, but I will research Mac and Lizzie.  

The main locations were Atlanta/Hot Springs, Georgia; Hyde Park, New York; and Washington DC.   

 

Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars

I was clueless about how difficult Black Americans, especially men, had it in all parts of the county. I had believed, incorrectly, that lynchings only occurred in the South. Our country was a mess until the Civil Rights Act, but it is backpedaling to the 1950s again. 

 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Lovely!!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Good choice!  

 

DEFINITE recommend

 

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (eARC/ebook)

Let Us March On by Shara Moon

384 pages 

William Morrow

FUTURE release date of 2/4/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Shara Moon

My Goodreads review

William Morrow

NetGalley

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eBOOK is...

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (eBOOK)

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Queens of Crime (eARC/eBOOK)

 The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (eARC/eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This is my first eARC/eBOOK of 2025! This historical fiction mystery book was a great first ARC to start the year!

Two women Founding Members of the Detection Club in London persuaded three other women mystery writers to join. These five writers also form a subgroup called the Queens of Crime. The writers initially decided to solve the murder of a young English nurse in France, as a lark, but then the "detective work" becomes more real and they want to find the murderer for the victim. 

This was my fourth book by Marie Benedict and it was another really good one! The Queens of Crime could become a series - I would love it!

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

Marie always writes lovely prose, descriptive language, and a twist. I loved how the author wrote about post-WWI London, a time rarely written about at all in historical fiction novels. 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters are Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. Apparently, all five were real-life mystery writers (I only knew of Agatha Christie).  

The secondary characters are May (the victim), Celia (the victim's friend), Mac (Dorothy's husband and a newspaper journalist), and Ivy (Dorothy's cousin). 

The tertiary characters are French residents, French police, Boulogne, and the suspects. 

Again, many characters in the storyline were not developed fully. They, however, were necessary for the detailed storyline. 

Storyline:  4.5 stars

The Queens of Crime decides to try and solve the murder of May in Boulougne-sur-Mer, France after playing a "closed room" game at their first meeting. The writers travel to the crime scene, retrace May and Celia's footsteps, and then discover many clues the French police missed or chose to ignore. It gets more mysterious and interesting as the murderer becomes known.

The "detective work" takes place in March/April 1931 with the ending set in December 1931. The five mystery writers solved this crime without resources other than their wit and puzzle-solving skill sets which the police were unable to do so. It shows that women need to be involved in crimes involving women. 

The main locations were London, England, Boulougne-sur-Mer, France, and other locales in England.  

Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars

It was awesome that these five mystery writers joined the Detection Club and formed the Queens of Crime. I love women empowerment stories especially historical characters that I knew nothing about. 

Unfortunately, I do not know how closely this novel varies from the real-life facts that it is fictionalized on. There wasn't an Author's Note so there were no source materials. With most historical fiction, there is a thorough explanation to wrap up the story in a nice bow. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Lovely!!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Great choice!  

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

NetGalley ARC (eARC/ebook)

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

320 pages 

St. Martin's Press

FUTURE release date of 2/11/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Marie Benedict

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜