The Bookstore Family by Alice Hoffman (ebook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, May 26, 2025
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
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
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mild swearing, drug addiction, medical content, classism, racism, sexism, pandemic
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Friday, May 23, 2025
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
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Rape, incarceration, pregnancy, physical abuse, adult-minor relationships, drug use, sexual situations, mild cursing, infidelity
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, May 22, 2025
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
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, gun violence, drug addiction, medical content, genocide, classism, racism, pandemic
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, May 18, 2025
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
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Guns, the Depression, tornadoes/dusters, mild cursing, pregnancy, infidelity
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, May 15, 2025
My next audiobook is ...
Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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