REVIEW - The Amalfi Curse (ebook)

 The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is my first book by Sarah Penner. It had an intriguing premise with a dual timeline of Italian sea witches (streghe de mare) in 1821 and a contemporary nautical archaeologist in Positano, Italy. 

You had me at witches! Italian witches! Italian sea witches! 

Unfortunately, I liked this book, but I didn't love it.  

OVERALL REVIEW:    4.0 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing is good, descriptive, and uneven at times.

I felt like the 1821 timeline could have been elevated with more authentic language to the time and region by including more Italian phrases and dialogue. It felt too contemporary for me. 

Character development: 4.0 stars

The main characters are Mari (sea witch - 1821) and Haven (archaeologist - contemporary time).  

The secondary characters are Holmes (a good-hearted sailor), Matteo and Massimo (evil shipowners), and the other sea witches in Positano during the 1821 time frame.  

The tertiary characters Enzo (Haven's dive friend), Mal (Haven's good friend), and Savina (Enzo's eccentric mother) are in the contemporary time. 

There were just so many characters that were integral to the plot, yet they weren't developed enough. The most developed (and interesting) characters were Mari and Holmes, and they were great!

Storyline:  4.0 stars

The 1821 storyline is Mari and the other witches protecting Positano from pirates, thus the "Almafi Curse". Mari was a fascinating character who could have had the entire book about her.

The contemporary time is about Haven, who is researching and diving to determine how shipwrecks stack upon themselves. This work, along with Haven's character being a bit boring, didn't resonate with me. 

The location was the Amalfi Coast, primarily in Positano, Italy. 

Memorable/Informative:   3.5 stars

I had heard the term strega (witch in Italian), but streghe de mare (sea witches in Italian) and stregheria (archaic for witchcraft in Italian) were completely new terms for me. I loved learning a bit of Italian as a bonus. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous. 

 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

I'm torn on it!  

 

Definite recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner 

333 pages

Park Row

Release date: 4/29/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Sarah Penner

Goodreads review

Storygraph review

Park Row

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, witchcraft, gun violence, death, death of a parent, grief, medical content, blood, pregnancy, and moderate cursing.

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is ...

 Mean Moms by Emma Rosenblum (audiobook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Nothing More of This Land (audiobook)

 Nothing More of This Land by Joseph Lee (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is my first book by journalist Joseph Lee, who can write! This was an introspective and explorative search to find out what being Indigenous means to him. It was a personal quest that took him all over the world.

However, what was most personal to me is that Joseph is also half Cantonese (like my daughter), Japanese, and Aquinnah Wampanoag. The American dream!?!

This book is a fascinating, enlightening, and convicting book. Colonialism versus indigenous sovereignty is a heavy and difficult topic, but Joseph makes it understandable and relatable. We must do more for our indigenous peoples, but I fear that things will only get worse with the sweeping cuts of this administration. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars 

Joseph writes beautifully and from the heart. He is a gifted journalist and writer. I eagerly look forward to his next book!

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was not done by Joseph, which I prefer. However, Shaun Taylor-Corbett (I’Pyooksisstiiko’om) of the Blackfeet Nation narrated. Shaun is a professional artist and did an amazing job narrating.

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are the indigenous people around the world. From Joseph's own tribe to indigenous peoples in Sweden, Alaska, and Okinawa, to many others.  

The secondary characters are Joseph, his family, and his tribe. 

The tertiary character is Joseph's indigenous identity. 

There are many characters throughout the memoir, including all of the indigenous peoples, his large group of Aquinnah Wampanoag cousins, and everyone he meets along the way in this journey of discovery.

The character development was fantastic for Joseph and the indigenous peoples in the book. As he learns about his indigenous identity, so does the reader. Powerful!

 

Memorable:  5.0 stars

Where I live, there is a parcel of stolen indigenous land that was purchased by the Shonshone-Gabrielino tribe. It has been amazing to learn from the tribe and see the land returning to its former glory. But, of course, racism, entitlement, and colonialism have continued to raise their ugly heads.

Sadly, I have learned from Joseph's book that this continual struggle with colonialism is common for indigenous people everywhere around the world. 

Entertaining/Educational:  5.0 stars

This memoir made me look at the history of indigenous people in a more nuanced way. There are so many layers to unwrap, including colonialism, sovereignty, tribal politics, the recovery of stolen land, and so much more.

I have recently been reading books by indigenous authors to learn, understand, and be a better ally. Unfortunately, I did not grasp the extent of the horrors endured by the indigenous people in California until I took a college course in California history. 

Of course, I did the obligatory 4th-grade "Mission Project" and learned the whitewashed history at the local mission. Thankfully, my daughter learned the truth about the slavery that the indigenous people endured under the mission system. We must continue to educate about history in the right way!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Beautiful.    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent.   

Highly recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Nothing More of This Land by Joseph Lee

7 hours, 43 minutes 

Simon & Schuster Audio

Release date: 7/15/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Joseph Lee

Goodreads review

Storygraph review

Simon & Schuster Audio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Violence, racism, colonialism, genocide, murder

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is ...

 The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Man in the Stone Cottage (eARC/ebook)

 The Man in the Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell (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 Stephanie that I have read. It was beautiful, lovely, and so very Brontë. I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights a very long time ago - it may be time to reread them.

If you loved the writing of the Brontë sisters, I think this love letter to them is just perfection and a must-read. 

OVERALL REVIEW:    5.0 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing is beautiful, descriptive, and just so lovely. Such a well-researched book, filled with incredible and lyrical prose. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are the three living Brontë sisters: Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. 

The secondary characters are Patrick (the Brontë sisters' father and town minister) and Branwell (the Brontë sisters' brother). 

The tertiary characters are people in the local vicinity of the town, the church community, people in the publishing world, friends, and family of the Brontës. 

The character development was strong. Of course, they all lived, loved, and died almost 175 years ago. It had to be speculative, but it was so beautifully and lovingly done.     

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline includes a short prologue in 1831, and the main storyline is only ten years from Summer 1843 to Winter 1853. The story begins with the family living in near poverty in the run-down parsonage before the Brontë sisters' books were published under pseudonyms. 

The locations were Haworth, Yorkshire, England; London, England; and Edinburgh, Scotland.   

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

Since I read the Brontë sisters so long ago and before the Internet, I had no idea about how difficult their lives were. Their lives were filled with so much constant and intense grief. 

The Brontë family endured so much, including tuberculosis (or consumption as it was called). This caused me to reflect on what I had learned in John Green's fantastic book, Everything is Tuberculosis. There is much to be learned from both books!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous. 

 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Not perfect, but perfectly fine!  

 

Highly recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

The Man in the Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell

277 pages

Regal House Publishing

FUTURE release date: 9/16/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Stephanie Cowell

Goodreads review

Storygraph review

Regal House Publishing

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Alcohol, alcoholism, drug use, death, death of a parent, grief, medical content, blood, mental health issues, sexual situations, pregnancy, and moderate cursing.

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

2025 Reading Goal is MET!! Storygraph AND Goodreads!

 

Storygraph

Goodreads

Yes, I have met my goal of 101 books (audiobooks, ebooks, eARCS, and print books)!! Yeah me!

Next year in January, I will add a "Pages Goal" and an "Hours Goal" to Storygraph. Since this is not something that Goodreads does, I will need some statistical data from Storygraph! One more reason to love Storygraph!!

Let's see how much more reading I can fit in and how many more wonderful books I can find. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is ...

 Nothing More of This Land by Joseph Lee (audiobook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Care and Feeding (audiobook)

 

Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This audiobook was good, but not great, for the first one-third or so. But, then it dissolved into a repetitive mess about her addictions, including graphic drug, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity. 

Since this book was presented as a candid and funny memoir, there is a big disconnect between the marketing and the actual audiobook itself. It was a horrifying and scary descent into the darkness of the restaurant world. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 3.5 stars 

Laurie writes well, but this book did not showcase her skills well. This book was circular and repetitive in its storytelling. It was the same drug, alcohol, and sex filled stories over and over. It really became tiresome and boring. 

Narration: 3.0 stars

The narration was done by Laurie, but it was so slow and lifeless. It really didn't have the emotion that I would expect in a memoir. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main characters are Laurie and her poor life choices. 

The secondary characters are Mario Batali and Tony Bourdain.

The tertiary characters are Alex (her husband) and Eli (her son). Notice that her work came before her family.  

There are many characters throughout the memoir, from culinary school, the literary/publishing scene, and her friends and family.  

The character development was okay for Laurie. But we never got into why she abused herself with drugs, alcohol, and sex.

 

Memorable:  3.0 stars

I could have been happy not reading this memoir except for two things. It confirmed that Mario Batali was a tool like I expected. Tony Bourdain was a wonderful human, and someone I would have enjoyed eating Los Angeles street food with.  

Entertaining/Educational:  3.0 stars

This memoir made me look at restaurants in a totally different way, and not necessarily a good way. 

Book cover: 3.5 stars

Okay.    

 

Book title: 2.0 stars 

This was not about Care and Feeding at all.   

Lukewarm recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever

12 hours, 45 minutes 

HarperAudio

Release date: 3/11/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Laurie Woolever

Goodreads review

Storygraph review

HarperAudio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Graphic alcohol use, drug use, sexual content, and cursing; death of an animal, death of a parent, suicide, mental illness, alcoholism, pregnancy, abortion, infidelity, eating disorder 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 The Man in the Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Girl in the Green Dress (eARC/ebook)

The Girl in the Green Dress by Mariah Fredericks (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 Mariah that I have read. Unfortunately, this book didn't hit the mark for me. I actually almost gave it up on two occasions, but I wanted to find out what happened to the characters. 

It was a slow slogging book with many real-life characters that I didn't like, including most of the characters. I didn't like the writing or writers, the Jazz Era, or much of anything from the 1920s. I'm really at a loss as to why I chose to read this book.

There are many notable characters, but other than the Fitzgeralds, I didn't know who they were. I had to research them all through the Author's Note. 

Side note - this is my one hundred book of the year!

OVERALL REVIEW:    3.5 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing is good, but so very descriptive. Normally, most writing is not descriptive enough for me, but Mariah is very descriptive. The overly descriptive passages and flashbacks really bogged this book down. 

Character development: 3.5 stars

The main characters are Morris Markey (newspaper reporter), Zelda Fitzgerald (yes, her), and Joseph Bowne Elwell (bridge coach).

The secondary characters are writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker, to socialites like Leonora Hughes and Selma Lewisohn. 

The tertiary characters include police, attorneys, politicians, neighbors, reporters, editors, service workers, and many others. An enormous cast of characters really slowed this book.  

The character development was adequate - it wasn't weak, but it wasn't strong either.    

Storyline:  3.5 stars

The storyline is the discovery of a body in a locked house (both inside and outside) in 1920s NYC. Then, utter chaos ensues and a new mystery genre is born.

There is also another short timeline in 1950, Virginia, at the beginning and ending of the book.  

The location was New York City and the surrounding areas.  

Memorable/Informative:   4.0 stars

I had no idea how depraved and excessive New York City was in the "Roaring Twenties". Wowza! 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous. 

 

Book title: 3.5 stars 

The title is a bit misleading.  

 

Recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

The Girl in the Green Dress by Mariah Fredericks 

336 pages

Minotaur Books

FUTURE release date: 9/2/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Mariah Fredericks

Goodreads review

Storygraph review

Minotaur Books

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Alcohol, alcoholism, murder, medical content, gun violence, death,  violence, sexual harassment, war, mental health issues, and moderate cursing.

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

 

Storygraph Audiobook Giveaway Winner!

YES!! My first win from Storygraph!

There are lots of giveaways at Storygraph - you can check them out HERE! While you're signing up for Storygraph and checking out the giveaways, don't forget to become my friend!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜