REVIEW - The List (eARC/ebook)

 

The List by Steve Berry (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the twentieth or so book by Steve Berry I have read. I have read nearly all of the published books in the Cotton Malone series (thrillers with a historical bent) I immensely enjoy. But this is one of the few stand-alone books by Steve I have read that is unrelated to the Cotton Malone franchise. 

This was a perfect book for the long weekend! It was a fresh new book from Steve, and I really enjoyed the difference in the storytelling. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

Steve writes so very well. This book was quite different without the historical aspect with most of his books, but I enjoyed it. 

My only issue is that I found the descriptions of the mill, the paper process, and the operations uninteresting. 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters were Brent (a lawyer returning to his hometown), Hank (the electricians' union head), the fictional Southern Republic Pulp and Paper mill, and the three greedy shareholders/owners, Bozin, Lee, and Hughes. 

The secondary characters are Brent and Hank's friends and family, the various mill workers, and the townspeople.

The tertiary character is greed, and the incredible lengths that some will go to protect and increase their wealth.

Storyline:  4.5 stars

This is a contemporary thriller and was quite mind-boggling. But nothing that corporations do anymore shocks or surprises me.  

Brent and Hank unwittingly stumble into some horrible and criminal activities by the three owners/shareholders of the mill. By finding out this information, they put themselves and their families in danger. It then gets off and running, and the suspense doesn't stop until the end. 

As Steve indicated in his Writer's Note, this book was inspired by his law practice in a town similar to the fictional Concord.

The location was primarily the fictional Concord, Georgia. 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I had no idea that these paper mills existed in the South. With access to water, trees, and a relatively inexpensive labor force, they thrived in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now, with the advent of the digital age, paper isn't used nearly as frequently, which has helped cause the demise of these mills. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Okay, but meh.

 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Short and sweet!

 

STRONG recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

The List by Steve Berry

384 pages

Grand Central Publishing

FUTURE release date: 7/22/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Steve Berry

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Grand Central Publishing

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Murder, gun violence, pregnancy, physical abuse, sexual situations, mild cursing, infidelity, terminal illnesses, gore, and blood

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is ...

 Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Review - Where You Are Is Not Who You Are (audiobook)

Where You Are Is Not Who You Are by Ursula Burns (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

Malcolm Gladwell mentioned Ursula in his book, "Revenge of the Tipping Point". I wanted to know more about her (and do my own research), so  I found her memoir. 

I thoroughly enjoyed, but didn't love, this memoir. Ursula mentions she is best one-on-one, and I know I would enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with her! She reminds me of my late friend, Robin, who also came from New York. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing is strong, emotional, and personal. 

But, there was so much "Xerox speak". Ursula is also a mechanical engineer, so she is very technical (like my electrical engineer husband). 

Narration: 4.0 stars

Ursula seemed uncomfortable and tentative reading the book. Narration is not her forte. 

I recommend reading this book as either a digital or physical copy instead of an audiobook. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Ursula, as it is her memoir. But there are other important people in her life, especially her mother, Olga, with the book title and many chapters named after her mother's sayings. 

Ursula grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side, living in public housing. She used education to improve her life and is a true American success story. But that doesn't mean she didn't encounter racism, sexism, and classism. 

Ursula presents the good, the bad, and the ugly in this memoir. She discusses her strengths and weaknesses candidly. 

Finally, the memoir is in fairly chronological order, which makes it easy to follow her life trajectory. 

Memorable:  5.0 stars

As the first Black woman CEO to run a Fortune 500 company, she was a trailblazer. But the biggest takeaway was that she was technically proficient, mentored by the top leaders in the country, and exceedingly qualified for the position. 

It caused a lot of drama when she was announced as the Xerox CEO, but would the same have happened if she had been a white man? I think not, so that is definitely something to remember and consider. 

Entertaining/Educational:  5.0 stars

Ursula mentions impactful capitalism and believes the United States would be better off following this model. This business theory sounds fascinating and a real opportunity for positive change. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Great photograph. 

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfectly stated.  

STRONG recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Where You Are Is Not Who You Are by Ursula Burns

7 hours, 39 minutes 

HarperAudio

Release date: 6/15/2021

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Ursula Burns

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

HarperAudio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mild swearing, drug addiction, medical content, classism, racism, sexism, pandemic

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 The List by Steve Berry (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Wayward Girls (eARC/ebook)

 

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

This is the first book by Susan Wiggs that I have read. The premise aligns perfectly with many of my recent reads. The fictional storyline was about incarcerated young women at a Roman Catholic Magdalene laundry in Buffalo, New York, from 1968-1969. 

The scary part is that this book is inspired by true-life accounts of what happened in these so-called laundries from the 1880s to the 1970s. Horrific! 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

Susan writes so beautifully with compassion but descriptively without being prurient. The storyline is difficult to read, but the writing makes it fascinating, although anger-provoking.

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters (in the 1968-1969 timeline) include the "wayward girls", the Our Lady of Charity Roman Catholic order, and the Good Shepherd Institute. The ridiculous reasons for these young women being incarcerated are unbelievable, and the horrible treatment that they receive is unconscionable. 

The secondary characters (in the 1968-1969 timeline) are the parents who send their daughters to the Institute, the girls' friends and partners, and the inept local Buffalo community that was supposed to protect them. 

The tertiary timeline (present time) is the new lives for the "wayward girls", their friends, family, and their friendships. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This is a historical fiction novel, but it is primarily about seven "wayward girls" and one nun. Their story ends in 1970ish at the Institute when six of the girls escape. Then everything explodes again when two of the girls rekindle their friendship many years later. Powerfully done! 

The location was primarily Buffalo, New York, and the surrounding area. 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I had no idea that these laundries occurred in the United States. I had heard of them in Ireland, But A Note from the Author indicates that there were at least thirty-eight of these institutions in our country. 

We need to remember this history and protect our daughters and granddaughters from this type of abuse from ever occurring again! 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent!

 

HIGHLY recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs 

400 pages

William Morrow

FUTURE release date: 7/15/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Susan Wiggs

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

William Morrow

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Rape, incarceration, pregnancy, physical abuse, adult-minor relationships, drug use, sexual situations, mild cursing, infidelity

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

My next audiobook is ...

 Where You Are Is Not Who You Are by Ursula Burns (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Revenge of the Tipping Point

 Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is only the second Malcolm Gladwell book that I have read. The other is "The Tipping Point," which I read fairly soon after it came out. But this book, unfortunately, is not "The Tipping Point, Part II. 

It was a disorganized audiobook, but there were good topics to research and verify.   

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing is good - Malcolm can write! But there were so many of his opinions, interpretations, and viewpoints in the book. It just didn't work for me with all the "Malcolmisms".

Narration: 4.0 stars

Malcolm has a nice voice for narration. 

The guitar music playing in the background made it difficult for me to concentrate. As a segue between chapters, it would have been fine. But there was music with the narration - audiobooks do not need a soundtrack.

Character development: 4.0 stars

There weren't characters per se, but there were characters within the stories. Having real people or actor-portrayals of these individuals was a nice touch.  

I disliked that the information was not presented in one chapter and done. It just was ill-conceived and messy.

Memorable:  4.5 stars

This audiobook gave me little tidbits of information I want to independently verify and research. The narcotic prescription three-part form was something that interested me due to the correlation to opioid epidemic deaths.

Entertaining/Educational:  4.0 stars

I feel like this book was a jumping point to dig in deep into many of the topics covered: Los Angeles bank robberies, Miami Medicare fraud, opioid crisis, "Poplar Grove" high school suicides, corporate boards, Harvard's rugby team, Will & Grace and "Holocaust: The Story of the Weiss Family", and COVID pandemic. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Okay.

 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

True, but not true. 

DEFINITE recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

8 hours, 25 minutes 

Little, Brown, and Company

Release date: 10/1/2024

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Malcolm Gladwell

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Little, Brown, and Company

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, gun violence, drug addiction, medical content, genocide, classism, racism, pandemic

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Review - Before Dorothy (eARC/ebook)

 Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

This is the third book by Hazel Gaynor I have read. As soon as I read the book's premise, I knew I had to read it. It is a prequel fairy tale ode to the original book that I loved, as imagined by Hazel!

This book combined several important things for me - The Wizard of Oz (books and movie), childhood favorites. The Dust Bowl in the 1930s affected my paternal grandfather, his mother (my Granny), and siblings left Arkansas and Oklahoma for a better life in California. I'm grateful every day that they left for more in my beloved state.  

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars.

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

Hazel writes beautifully. She wrote an incredible homage to the original book and movie. There are subtle references to the original book that are like finding Easter eggs throughout the book. The descriptions are so vivid, yet not overbearing. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Dorothy (yes, that Dorothy), her uncle Henry, and her aunt Em (the same ones). We discover why they are in Kansas, Dorothy lives with her aunt and uncle, and so much more!

The secondary characters are Annie (Dorothy's mom, Emily's sister, and John's wife), John (Dorothy's mom, Henry's cousin, and Annie's husband). Yes, Annie and Em did marry cousins!

The tertiary characters are the friends in Chicago and Kansas, Em and Annie's family from Ireland, unbelievable fleeting characters, and the Kansas prairie, including the Dust Bowl and the Depression.

Storyline:  5.0 stars

This is a historical novel, but a beautiful homage to The Wizard of Oz, as Hazel imagines. Beautifully done!

Several time frames are utilized to create this amazing prequel. Chicago 1922-1924, 1932; Kansas 1924-1929, 1932; and "many years later".

The Chicago years primarily cover when Annie and Em live together and work together as "Field's Girls". They meet and marry their husbands, and then their life trajectories change. Annie stays in Chicago while Em moves with Henry to Kansas. Then the story really takes off! 

The locations were primarily Chicago, Kansas, and some in Ireland.   

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I love how the author mentions in her Author's Note how Auntie Em kept whispering in her ear to write this book! I'm so glad that Hazel listened!

Hazel mentions watching The Wizard of Oz on Christmas Day in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was Easter Sunday evening! We watched it on different days with the same strong memories that books and movies can conjure! 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Short, but sweet!

 

HIGHLY recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

400 pages

Berkley

FUTURE release date: 6/17/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Hazel Gaynor

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Berkley

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Guns, the Depression, tornadoes/dusters, mild cursing, pregnancy, infidelity

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

My next audiobook is ...

 

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Read This To Get Smarter (audiobook)

 

Read This To Get Smarter by Blair Imani (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

First, I started following Blair Imani on Instagram for her amazing "Smarter in Seconds" reels. Then through her podcast,
"Thoughts About Feelings" with Mychal Threets, I learned about this amazing book. 

I must admit that each of the chapters on "Identity", "Relationships",  "Class", "Disability", "Race and Racism", and "Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation" taught me something new. The chapter on Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation educated me the most. Thank you, Blair, for making me smarter! 

As much as I enjoyed listening to Blair's narration, I would have retained so much more with a physical or digital copy. So there will be a digital copy to reread in my future!

Finally, as an aside, Blair grew up in San Marino, a town a few miles away from where I grew up. So proud of this local making it big!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing: 4.5 stars

The writing was not the most important part of this book. But it was strong, but not great literature (thank goodness). 

This book was written in an easy-to-understand style with so much passion and matter-of-factness. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

Blair narrated this audiobook in a personal, emotional, and real manner. As an educator, she made it so easy to follow and understand everything she was teaching (even if you didn't realize you were getting smarter). 

Character development: 5.0 stars

There really weren't characters per se, but Blair shared about herself, her family, and her friends. These personal and beautiful stories made this book so very special. 

Memorable:  5.0 stars

This audiobook taught me so much, even though I think of myself as an open-minded liberal mom who loves learning. 

Entertaining/Educational:  5.0 stars

This book dovetailed beautifully with These Heathens by Mia McKenzie, which I finished yesterday. It was about the race, class, gender, and LGBT+ intersectionality in 1960s Atlanta. 

Blair did a deep dive into the topics I had recently read about, and it made me even smarter! The bottom line is treating everyone with respect and dignity. 

Finally, I loved the Reflection Questions at the end of every chapter. It made me think and ponder these issues, which isn't always easy or pretty.

Book cover: 4.5 stars

Pretty!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent.

HIGHLY recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Read This To Get Smarter by Blair Imani

5 hours, 27 minutes 

Random House Audio

Release date: 10/26/2021

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Blair Imani

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Random House Audio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Minor negative references to all of the topics covered in the noted chapters above

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜