The Red House by Mary Morris (eARC/eBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
REVIEW - The Book Club for Troublesome Women (eARC/eBOOK)
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (eARC/eBOOK)
OVERVIEW
What a unique and incredible historical fiction novel NOT about WWII!!! But about 1963, The Feminine Mystique, and the Bettys book club. I absolutely LOVED this book!
Although this book was fictional, it took place primarily from March through November 1963 with a final wrap-up chapter set in 2006. The historical characters sprinkled throughout the novel add depth and realism.
I must confess that I have not read The Feminine Mystique or any other books mentioned in this novel. I have a lot of books to add to my TBR list!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
Marie writes beautifully and brilliantly captures what I remember of the 1960s. I was a toddler during the book timeframe. Marie really brought the subjugation of women to life with believable stories for each of the four main characters. The 1960's were not groovy underneath it all.
The author was able to delve into the thoughts and psyches of the women and write about them realistically, yet powerfully. The writing was so well done with some funny and serious moments!
Character development: 5.0 stars
The four main characters and members of the Bettys book club are: Margaret (wife, mom, and want-to-be writer), Charlotte (wife, mom, and aspiring painter), Bitsy (wife and equine lover), and Viv (wife, mom, and former Army nurse). Margaret starts the book club and a lot of life happens in the nine months highlighted in these women's lives!
The secondary characters are the husbands: Walter (Margaret's husband), Howard (Charlotte's husband), King (Bitsy's husband), and Tony (Viv's husband). The women's children are integral to many subplots and stories in this book.
The tertiary characters are Babcock's Books and Concordia (the planned fictional community outside Washington DC).
Many other characters help the story but are really throw-aways that add depth and interest.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The story is about the four women in the Bettys book club who become friends over food, alcohol, life stories, ups and downs, and reading/not reading books!
The women experience so many difficulties: Margaret cannot open a savings account without her husband's signature; Charlotte wants a divorce, but will lose her children; Bitsy cannot get a letter of recommendation to apply to veterinary school; Viv wants to go on the birth control pill, but needs her husband at the appointment. These stories only occurred about sixty years ago. We still have a long way to go to equality for women!
The locations were: Virginia, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York City.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
Each of the women has stories that made my blood boil. It was a ridiculous and silly time with rules that made no sense. Even when the characters tried to reason with the person turning them down, they wouldn't listen or indicate that it was how things were!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Beautiful!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect
HIGHLY recommend
NetGalley eARC/eBOOK
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick
384 pages
Harper Muse
FUTURE release date: 4/22/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNING: Death of a parent, suicide, pregnancy, infertility, infidelity, divorce, sexual situations, alcohol, drug use
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
My next audioBOOK is...
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (audioBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - Sunrise on the Reaping (audioBOOK)
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) by Suzanne Collins (audioBOOK)
OVERVIEW
Wow! This audiobook was not what I was expecting at all! Listen to this as an audioBOOK - it is exceptional!
This is the fifth book and the second prequel in The Hunger Games series. It is my favorite of the entire series because I liked the character Haymitch Abernathy more than Katniss Everdeen. Heresy, I know!
This book answered many questions in the series and fit in as the fifth book like a puzzle piece. Hopefully, Suzanne Collins will end the series with this book. It ended well and doesn't need more. IMNSHO!
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing was perfect for a young adult novel. No, it is not Shakespeare, nor should it be. Young adult books are for young adults and to encourage the love of reading, but there is some Edgar Allen Poe sprinkled.
This is not a book with a perfect main character - it is told from a 16-year-old's perspective. It hit the young adult's mindset and thought process well by writing TO young adults.
Narration: 5.0 stars
Jefferson White (Yellowstone and Chicago P.D. actor) was the perfect choice for the narration. He captured the nuances, emotions, and thoughts of a teenage boy stuck in a horrible and untenable situation.
Character Arc: 4.0 stars
The audiobook is chronological and aligns perfectly as it is book #0.5 (second prequel). We already "know" what happens to Haymitch, but we get the backstory.
The book opens in District 12 on Haymitch Abernathy's 16th birthday and reaping day for the 50th Hunger Games and the second quarter quell. Each district must provide two boys and two girls as tributes.
The Hunger Games itself has evolved from book #0 with more pomp and circumstance, but not yet to the level of book #1. There are many characters including some from book #0 and characters that appear in book #1.
This book is primarily from Haymitch's perspective and includes his thoughts, feelings, and fears. Perfectly age-appropriate musings including his interactions with the other District 12 tributes, the tribute group, and "the powers that be" in the Capital.
Memorable: 3.5 stars
Honestly, I didn't find it exceedingly memorable. But it was violent and horrific at times. However, there is little cursing and no sex. Oddly, violence is okay for young adult novels, but not sex or cursing.
Entertaining: 3.5 stars
Morbidly and violently, this book is entertaining. But, it is not a series or book I would want to read again - once was enough.
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Aligned with the series.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent choice.
DEFINITE recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audioBOOK
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Audiobooks
12 hours, 48 minutes
Release date of 3/18/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS
Death, death of child, violence, blood, gore, medical content, classicism, war
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, March 24, 2025
My next eBOOK is...
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (eARC/eBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, March 23, 2025
REVIEW - A Woman of Firsts (physical book)
A Woman of Firsts by Kimberly Heckler (physical book)
OVERVIEW
This biography shares the extraordinary and groundbreaking story of Margaret (AKA Peggy, Peg) O'Shaughnessy Heckler. I am sorry I knew absolutely nothing about her at all before reading this biography. She is the type of leader that we really need today - who leads by example, crosses party lines, and uses diplomacy and reasoning to get things done! My kind of "girls girl"!
Another "girls girl" I want to thank is my dear friend, Valerie. Thank you so much for sharing Margaret by sending me an author-signed copy. I love you, sweet friend!
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
This book was written by Margaret's daughter-in-law, Kimberly, who also had help from professional writers. The writing is strong and well-done with a detailed footnote section and an index. This was a ten-year labor of love.
I enjoyed the book, but it was more like a history book than a biography. It was dry, at times, and lacked the anecdotes and stories that make a biography sing. It needed more like the story about eating pond fish in China, oh, MY!
This is a dense and political read, but it is so well-researched. Margaret was one hell of a leader! I really liked this book, but I didn't love it. I wanted so much more!
Character development: 5.0 stars
There are no characters per se as it is a biography told chronologically (my favorite). But, the main focus is Margaret who had a very unusual childhood. Her parents were Irish immigrants and her father did not want children. Her mother, unexpectedly, became pregnant. So her parents paid someone to care for and raise Margaret. But, inexplicably they visited her once a month. At one point, her parents traveled to Ireland to leave her with relatives when Margaret was about six. Thankfully, providence intervened and they all returned to the United States.
Margaret quickly discovered that education was the key to her future. She did so well in school that she received many scholarships to private schools including law school. Margaret was one of the first women to graduate from Boston College Law School.
When she had difficulty finding a job as an attorney. So she worked for law school friends and was on the Massachusetts Governor's Council which was the start of her political career.
Margaret was a Republican congresswoman from a blue district in the blue state of Massachusetts. She was elected on her own merit and not appointed after the death of her husband. Margaret was instrumental in the passing of the ECOA (Equal Credit Opportunity Act) and the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) in Congress.
Also, she was the Secretary of HHS (Health and Human Services) during Ronald Reagan's second term. She did much to fight the AIDS epidemic, minority medical care inequalities, and Medicare-covered hospice.
Finally, she was the first female American Ambassador to Ireland.
Storyline: 4.0 stars
The storyline starts when her parents emigrate to the United States and ends with Margaret's death. The time after Margaret was Ambassador to Ireland and returned to the United States until her death was very rushed and not covered fully.
Additionally, Margaret basically single-parented her children as her husband stayed behind in Wellesley, Massachusetts and she and the children resided in McClean, Virginia. I know she had help, but HOW did she do it all???
Also, since Margaret was not a trained manager or diplomat, how did she handle running HHS or being Ambassador to Ireland? What was her secret sauce?
The locations were Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Ireland.
Memorable/Informative: 4.0 stars
Margaret did so much during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic when the Reagan Administration was silent and did nothing. So many lives were saved by her policies and budget requests while she was at HHS. Unfortunately, many including myself did not know what she did. Thank you, Margaret, for your kind and caring heart!
Book cover: 3.5 stars
Meh! There had to be a better picture of Margaret with President Reagan!
Book title: 4.0 stars
Somewhat accurate.
STRONG recommend
Physical book gift
Isola by Allegra Goodman
368 pages
Lyons Press
Release date: 2/18/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNING: Abandonment, sexism, inappropriate physical contact and behavior, pregnancy, divorce, alcoholism, car accident
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Saturday, March 22, 2025
My next ebook is...
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi (eBOOK)
Hi, everyone!
As indicated in this post, I am reading this as an eBOOK. The audioBOOK was not doing this incredible work justice - it needs to be read visually (for me) to fully absorb, understand, and appreciate it!
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
DNF - The Wedding People (eBOOK)
The Wedding People by Alison Espach (eBOOK)
I will not be finishing this book. I have read about 30 pages and it just isn't for me. It is about a woman contemplating suicide due to infertility and infidelity that leads to divorce. The sexual situations were a bit graphic and unnecessary for me.
This book didn't work for me which doesn't mean it won't work for you!
Happy reading!
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
My next audioBOOK is...
Sunrise on the Reaping: A Hunger Games Novel by Suzanne Collins (audioBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - A Kid from Marlboro Road (audioBOOK)
A Kid from Marlboro Road by Edward Burns (audioBOOK)
OVERVIEW
This audiobook is a work of fiction but loosely based on Edward Burns's life growing up in Long Island, New York. It is about the summer that the narrator, Kneenie, turns from twelve to thirteen during the 1970s in his Irish-American and Italian-American, Roman Catholic community.
This is the first book of three. So there will be more about Kneenie and it will interesting to learn what specific time in Kneenie's life is next!
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing was perfect for an audiobook, but I am unsure if it would translate well as a written book. Plus, Edward beautifully captures the writing of an almost thirteen-year-old boy in the 1970s which could be off-putting to some readers.
This is not supposed to be a perfect book with a perfect writer - it is told from a kid's perspective. That is why I really enjoyed this book! The perspective was fun and fresh!
Narration: 5.0 stars
The narration was by Edward and perfect! He captured all the nuances, emotions, and feelings of a boy becoming a teenager! Plus, he has Irish accents down pat!
Character Arc: 4.5 stars
The audiobook is chronological with explanatory asides for things readers may not know about. I loved the asides!
The book opens with the wake of his beloved Pop (grandfather) and ends the day before the start of school. It is a lovely arc telling all of the wild and crazy as well as bittersweet and beautiful events that happened that summer.
There are a lot of characters including Kneenie's parents, brother, relatives, neighbors, classmates, and even a maple tree!
It was a short audiobook at 4 hours and 45 minutes, so more detail or additional stories would have been nice. I would have enjoyed more about the immediate family dynamic and Kneenie!
Memorable: 4.5 stars
Kneenie's family was similar to many in the 1970s, especially in the suburbs. The mothers felt stuck at housekeeping and if they worked, they had two jobs! Something that hasn't changed in fifty years. The fathers didn't understand their wives and didn't really try to do so. It was a vicious circle and still is!
The stories about Kneenie's extended family are fascinating! I loved the stories the elders told although they may be true or may not be. But these stories have been told so many times they are officially family lore!
Entertaining: 5.0 stars
The story about the poem, the maple tree, and Jesus is hysterical and the best of the book! Although, many of the stories in the book are also very funny or poignant!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent choice.
STRONG recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audioBOOK
A Kid from Marlboro Road by Edward Burns
Blackstone Publishing
4 hours, 45 minutes
Release date of 9/10/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS
"Potty humor", death, cursing, medical content, blood
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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