Where The Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe (eARC/ebook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
REVIEW - The Girls of Good Fortune (eArc/eBook)
The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris (eARC/ebook)
OVERVIEW
This is the second book I have read by Kristina McMorris. But, this book touched me deeply as it was about Chinese immigrants in 1800s Oregon.
My husband is an ABC (American-born Chinese) and our daughter is a hapa (half in Hawaiian). My father-in-law (and my daughter's "Ye Ye" (father's father)), fought in WWII in the U.S. Army in Sicily. My husband and I would never have met without his sacrifice to come to an unknown land in search of a better life for his family. We are almost all immigrants to our beloved country even though mine came from Europe primarily in search of religious freedom and/or land many generations ago. My daughter is the culmination of her ancestors' wildest dreams on both sides!
Kristina mentions the beautiful book, hapa.me, by Kip Fulbeck as an inspiration for this novel. My daughter and I attended a hapa author's panel at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo (Los Angeles) in 2018. The panel was moderated by Kip and included Jamie Ford, Amy Hill, and Velina Hasu Houston who generously answered a very personal question posed by my daughter. My daughter's picture was even included as part of the ongoing exhibit!
So, yes, this novel is very personal to me and my family!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.
Writing: 5.0 stars
The writing was just so beautiful. I was touched by the addition of Cantonese throughout the novel which added a lovely touch.
Even though some of the language was horrific, it reflected the time and was racist and xenophobic. Sadly some of the language is still in use today. When will we learn from our mistakes?
Character development: 5.0 stars
The character development was excellent. The main character was Celia Hart Chung (hapa; daughter of a Chinese missionary family's caucasian daughter and a Cantonese father). Celia transforms from hiding her ancestry and "passing" as white to being a proud Chinese woman! Brava!
The secondary characters were the Bettencourt family (Celia's initial employer), Marie (a Chinese brothel madam and Celia's employer), Lettie (Cecilia's sex worker friend), and Owen (kidnapping victim).
The tertiary characters are Celia's parents, the city of Portland, and horrific historical events. There was also another character who will not be elaborated on to avoid spoilers.
There were two types of throw-away characters: those with a storyline impact or those for added interest.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
Celia works for the Portland mayor's family and then falls out of favor. She is then sent to work for a brothel madam as a housekeeper. Along the way, Celia discovers horrible things happening in Portland and the surrounding areas. She tries to correct these egregious wrongs but is "shanghaied" in the Portland tunnels with Owen. They are taken away on a ship bound for San Francisco. There is much more, but NO spoiler zone here!
The locations were: Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
This was a deep and dark historical fiction novel at times. It was difficult to read and horrifying to realize that so much of this happened only about 150 years ago in our country. But, if we only learn about hearts, flowers, and unicorns, we will not learn from our past!
This novel was a necessary read as two Chinese massacres occurred in cities near where I now live (Pasadena and Los Angeles). Appalling!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect!
HIGHLY recommend
NetGalley eARC/ebook
The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris
400 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
FUTURE release date: 5/20/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual content, pregnancy, adoption, xenophobia, racism, sex workers, murder, violence
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, April 7, 2025
REVIEW - Careless People (audiobook)
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
This audiobook was mind-blowing about Facebook (now META)! Yes, I realize this book is only from the author's viewpoint, but I believe her. #MeToo
So much of what Sarah discusses all sorts of issues from work calls on her maternity leave, work travel while almost full-term pregnant, personal questions by male colleagues, and sexual harassment rings true. Ask any woman over thirty if she has experienced any of these issues and sexual harassment will be the top issue. Sexual harassment is alive and well in corporate America, sadly. I don't have the answers to address this, but having ethics in human resources is a start.
Yes, this book spills a lot of tea. Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg do not come out well at all. History will judge them for their actions/inactions.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing by Sarah was good, but not great literature. It was not meant to be that, but to get the true story of Facebook out there.
She succeeded. I constantly had my jaw drop by the unbelievably ignorant and money-driven decisions at the expense of lives. Un-freaking-believable!
Narration: 4.0 stars
The narration is by Sarah, the author, which is my preference. My only issue was not understanding, at times, her New Zealand accent.
Character Arc: 4.0 stars
Holy crap on a cracker. The author actively seeks to work at Facebook in global public policy as she sees the impact social media will have. But, she has no idea the quagmire she is stepping into. It is all about money, money, money; work, work, work. Yes, start-ups are like this. But, Facebook was established at this point.
Sarah gives some background on her life experiences before Facebook and then starts sharing her chronological time working there until her firing.
Memorable: 4.0 stars
The focus on "What Mark or Sheryl wants, Mark or Sheryl gets" at Facebook was ridiculous. They had many advisors who were experts in their fields, but they always seemed to know more. The issues with China, Myanmar, and the U.S. elections are troubling.
Social media has become too powerful without any checks and balances. We need strong controls now, especially for young people ages 13-25. It is unbelievable that children and young adults are being exploited with targeted advertising. Disgusting!
I was one of those people who didn't buy into Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In" manifesto. From what Sarah indicates, I had good instincts in this regard.
Some of the stories that Sarah shared made my blood boil! I only wish that she had left sooner before her health was affected.
Entertaining: 4.0 stars
At times, the stories that Sarah shared were funny!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
Book title: 5.0 stars
On point!
DEFINITE recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Macmillan Audio
13 hours, 16 minutes
Release date of 3/10/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS
Sexual harassment, pregnancy, medical content, blood, cursing
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Saturday, April 5, 2025
My next eARC/ebook is...
The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris (eArc/eBook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - The Wandering Season
The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan (eBook)
OVERVIEW
This book was lovely, fun, and thought-provoking! I loved how the author introduced Ancestry-type DNA tests into the story. With the advent of low-cost tests, I have personally heard my share of "surprise" relatives!
It was just what I needed during a few challenging days - I could escape into the main character's life! This was also my first novel by Aimie and it won't be my last!
The premise was terrific, but I must be careful not to spoil several plot twists. However, the novel delivered and fired on all cylinders!!
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.
Writing: 5.0 stars
The writing was just so lovely. It reflected the time and place of the story without being heavy-handed or tiresome. The beautifully written descriptions of clothes, food, and locations were well done!
I now have even more places that I want to visit! Adding to my bucket list!
Character development: 5.0 stars
The character development was perfect! The main characters were: Veronica (food sourcing contractor), Avery (Veronica's younger sister), and Stephanie (Veronica's best friend).
The secondary characters were: Veronica's mom and dad, Niall (Veronica's friend), and Caitlin (Niall's sister and Veronica's friend).
The tertiary characters are the DNA test There were also a few other characters, but listing them here would be spoilers in this no-spoiler zone.
There were a few other throw-away characters, but they were not incredibly important to the storyline.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
So Avery gives her family DNA tests for Christmas. Of course, there is a plot twist. Veronica then takes an extended vacation to Europe gifted by her parents, Avery, and Stephanie. There are many stories behind the trip, but again spoilers!
The locations were: Denver, New York, Ireland, France, Italy, and Denmark!
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
I thoroughly loved learning about the incredible food, places, and clothes that Veronica enjoyed on her trip. Sadly, I'm jealous of Veronica's travels!
Interestingly, the author and I share some similar DNA ancestreal locations which is always fun!
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Pretty!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent!
HIGHLY recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: eBook
The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan
400 pages
Harper Muse
Release date: 4/1/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual content, cursing, misogyny, abandonment
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, April 3, 2025
REVIEW - The Language of the Birds (eArc, eBook)
The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson (eArc/eBook)
OVERVIEW
This book is difficult to explain and categorize. It is like the Cotton Malone Series by Steve Berry meets the Robert Langdon Series by Dan Brown on steroids. It is full of clues, ciphers, and puzzles - OH MY!
The premise was fantastic, but the execution was lacking in the puzzle-solving sections. The puzzle-solving and use of different methods including a cipher disk made my head spin and were difficult to follow. This may be the author's method to make us understand what Arizona must endure day after day. Food for thought!
I ultimately enjoyed the book without fully understanding the specifics of puzzle-solving. But, I did figure out a few clues before the protagonist did which was fun!
I especially loved the main character of Arizona. The character is so interesting and unique that I would love to read a series about her.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars.
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing is strong with many creative references to other famous pieces of literature and poetry. That was beautifully done.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The character development was strong. The main characters are: Arizona (a bright and quirky neurodivergent seventeen-year-old), Lily (Arizona's new friend), and Mojo (Arizona's boxer).
The secondary characters are: Arizona's mom and dad, the bad guys, and the good guys. (Being vague to avoid spoilers). Italian soldiers, the other Jewish captives, and the local villagers.
The tertiary character is the confluence of Death Valley, the greater Las Vegas area, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
There were only a handful of throw-away characters.
Storyline: 3.0 stars
The story is about Arizona whose father dies in a motorcycle accident. Arizona and her mother travel to his favorite places to spread part of his ashes. When they visit the ghost town of Bodie, California, Arizona's mother is kidnapped. Arizona is forced to solve a series of complicated ciphers for the kidnappers in exchange for her mother.
The puzzles take Arizona all over California and part of Nevada. She must visit historic sites and remote locations to find clues. Arizona uses the clues from the visits and detailed research to solve the puzzles.
The puzzles were way above my knowledge base so the storyline was sometimes difficult to follow. This was the only part of the book I had issues with. I probably need it explained so simply that a preschooler would understand!
The locations were: California and Nevada
Memorable/Informative: 4.0 stars
I enjoyed how this book of puzzles, ciphers, and clues was wrapped up so beautifully.
I want to visit the California locations mentioned in the book, especially Lone Pine and Bodie. Unfortunately, the locations are somewhat remote, but would be worth a nice road trip. I'm inspired!
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Nicely done!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect!
STRONG recommend
NetGalley eARC/eBOOK
The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson
392 pages
Ballantine Books
FUTURE release date: 5/13/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNING: Death of a parent, violence, gun violence, kidnapping, incarceration, cursing
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
REVIEW - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (audiobook)
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver (audiobook)
OVERVIEW
This is a really hard audiobook to review. I really wanted to love it, but I liked it instead.
Barbara's writing was fantastic, but a bit overbearing and preachy. The asides from her husband, Steven, and daughter, Camille, were even more preachy.
I expected more of a how-to book on how to be a better locavore. It had some of that but also included gardening, canning, animal raising, freezing, and farmer's market forays for a year. They live on a farm in a rural area in SW Virginia - we cannot do the same type of locavore eating. But there were limited suggestions for city dwellers.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing by Barbara was strong, as always, because she is a fantastic author! She was very aware of her wording when discussing animal reproduction or harvesting. I appreciated that!
Her husband and daughter's asides were not written as well as Barbara's and broke up the book's rhythm. Plus, do I really want to know what they ate for dinner with sample menus?
Narration: 4.0 stars
The narration by Barbara was good - I didn't realize what a lovely Kentucky accent she has.
But, the other narrators and chicken noises throughout the book grated on me.
Another issue for me is that the audiobook had no chapters or breaks in the book audio stream. There was no table of contents like other audiobooks. It was hard to find appropriate places to stop; however, the author did highlight the chapter title when narrating. Weird.
Character Arc: 4.0 stars
The audiobook is chronological and aligns with their journey to only eat locally. The book starts in April and ends the following April.
There are no real characters and the book is more of a memoir, per se.
This book is also about eighteen years old so it is a bit dated.
Memorable: 3.5 stars
The book was rather preachy overall. If an individual, who didn't believe in global warming, read this book, they may be put off. It is like anything, you win more bees with honey than vinegar. I wanted suggestions and help to navigate eating more locally rather than telling me how awful it is to buy bananas.
I totally support eating in-season produce to avoid the increased carbon footprint. But what do city folks do? We cannot only buy from expensive farmer's markets even though Barbara's were not costly. We also have limited space to garden as most urban dwellers do.
Since so much produce is grown in the San Joaquin Valley or Oxnard Plain about 100 miles from me, we attempt to buy local produce.
So what is the solution? What else can we do?
Entertaining: 4.0 stars
The book was funny at times, but it was more educational.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Perfect.
Book title: 5.0 stars
On point!
DEFINITE recommend
STATISTICS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver
Harper Audio
14 hours, 35 minutes
Release date of 5/1/2007
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
TRIGGER WARNINGS
Animal mating, animal death
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
The Storygraph March 2025 Monthly Recap
Hi, booksbydorothea friends!
If I didn't LOVE The Storygraph enough, look at this beautiful graphic! It was automatically generated for me and is easy to download. The analysis closely mirrors my personal Excel spreadsheet tracking, unlike other sites. Love, love, love!💜
Here is the link to my March 2025 Wrap-up HERE.
Please check out The Storygraph! You can even upload your data from Goodreads! What's not to love?💜
Happy reading,
Dorothea💜
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