REVIEW - Pick a Colour (eARC/ebook)

 Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

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

This is the debut novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa. She is a Laotian-Canadian poet and short story writer. 

This is a quirky, funny, and pragmatic depiction of the day in the life of an immigrant nail salon owner. It is told in the first person singular from Ning's point of view. But this is one of those books that will not appeal to everyone. And some may find it offensive. 

I read this book in a day (I read a few pages last night). It is the best way to understand this short novel. It is a book you feel. 

OVERALL REVIEW:    4.5 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing was poetic and lush with descriptions of the most mundane things made important and interesting. Descriptions and observations are the heart and soul of this novel. Ning observes and describes almost everything in her day, but lets no one inside herself. 

There is also a dichotomy between the nail technicians and customers. All of the nail technicians are named "Susan" (not their real names) to avoid confusion with the customers. What does that say about racism and xenophobia? 

Character development: 4.0 stars

The main character is Ning, the owner of the nail salon (and former boxer).  

The secondary characters are Mai, Nok, Annie, and Noi, who are the nail technicians who work for Ning in the salon. Also, Rachel (Ning's former boss) and Murch (Ning's former boxing coach) round out the secondary characters.  

The tertiary characters are the customers - so many different personalities, yet so similar. 

The overall character development was okay. I wanted more about Ning and her backstory. At 144 pages, there cannot be that much character development, so the author may have done that to make us think about the characters more and come to our own conclusions.

Storyline:  4.0 stars 

There isn't a real storyline. 

This is why some will love this novel. It is very unique, different, and weird. It is more of descriptions and observations of the work, customers, and employee interactions as the day progresses. This is written in first-person singular by the immigrant nail salon owner. 

The primary location was unknown. It is set in an undesignated city in an unspecified Western country. My guess is that it is based in Toronto, Canada, with the immigrants from an unknown Southeast Asian country, I think. 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

Hearing "pick a color" at the nail salon will make me giggle every time in a nail salon.   

But this novel subtly covers racism and xenophobia for wealthier, presumably white customers with the nail technicians, identical in clothing, hair length, and name. This is being done to make it easier for the customers who cannot tell them apart. Seriously sad and ridiculous! We need to do better as human beings!

This book will stay with me for a very long time.

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Pretty.    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfection - so witty!  

 

Strong recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa

144 pages

Bloomsbury Publishing

FUTURE release date: 9/25/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Souvankham Thammavongsa

Goodreads review

The StoryGraph review

Bloomsbury Publishing

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Graphic cursing, sexual content, violence, xenophobia, racism, classism, blood, and violence. 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The First Witch of Boston (ebook)

The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano (ebook/Kindle)

OVERVIEW

This is a debut novel by Andrea Catalano. It was a great historical fiction novel about two specific years in colonial Massachusetts!

The title says it all-the first witchcraft victim in Boston was a real woman named Margaret Jones. She was murdered by hanging after a 1648 witchcraft trial in Charlestown, Massachusetts. 

If you are looking for a light and easy read, this is not the book. It is heavy but an important book to read. We need to remember our past to not repeat it in the future, especially with our country leaning so conservatively like the Puritans.

OVERALL REVIEW:    4.5 stars

 

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing was good. It was descriptive, with some beautiful descriptions of the Charlestown area. 

Additionally, this was a thoroughly researched book, and it shows in the details of the writing.

The dialogue was somewhat disjointed at times. There was code-switching between contemporary dialogue and then formal 17th-century language. Confusing. 

Also, the spicy sexual situations, including marital sex, rape, and drugged sex, are not my thing. It really didn't have to be that descriptive. 

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters are Maggie (a healer, midwife, and apothecary) and Thomas (a furniture maker), who leave London for the New World in 1646.  

The secondary characters are Samuel and Alice (Maggie and Thomas's friends). 

The tertiary characters are Maggie and Thomas's patrons, the citizens of Charlestown, the leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and many other characters (some good and some bad). 

The character development was strong for the main and secondary characters. 

Also, the Epilogue and Author's Note were informative and provided historical references.

Storyline:  4.5 stars 

The storyline revolves around an outspoken, honest, and atypical woman in Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony. She offends the sensibilities and sensitivities of the men in power. She knows who and what they really are. So the word "witch" is mumbled, and the rumors fly. The rest is expected, but horribly sad. 

It is also about an intense and equal marriage with a loving husband who supports, defends, and protects his wife during difficult times. 

The primary locations were Berkshire, England, and Charlestown, Massachusetts. 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

Men fear the power of women. It is a tale as old as time. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Gorgeous.    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.  

 

Strong recommend

Amazon First Reads ebook (Kindle) 

The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano

326 pages

Lake Union Publishing

FUTURE release date: 9/1/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Andrea Catalano

Goodreads review

The StoryGraph review

Lake Union Publishing

Amazon First Reads

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Graphic cursing, sexual content, rape, child sexual abuse, drugged sex, child death, grief, xenophobia, mental health issues, religious bigotry, and suicide.

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook read is ...

 The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano (Kindle ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Review - Bad Date (short story)

 Bad Date by Ellery Lloyd (short story)

OVERVIEW

This is a short story by Ellery Lloyd, the pseudonym of husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos. This short story was offered as an Amazon First Reads FREE short story for August 2025. If you have Amazon Prime, you can also get this short story HERE. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was not my favorite. It was just boring. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main characters are Fay (a C-list celebrity) and Poppy (her BFF and assistant).    

The secondary characters are Wolf (Fay's son) and Ollie (Fay's date). 

There really are no other characters. The characters were horrible people at the beginning and the end.  

Storyline:  3.0 stars

What an unbelievably awful story about a parent assisting her son to be a horrible person. That's all I will say in case you choose to read it.  

The main location is England.  

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

We need to ensure that children are not on social media or online unsupervised because they are being brainwashed by so-called influencers and social media.  

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Icky and creepy.  

Book title: 3.0 stars 

A little inaccurate!  

Lukewarm recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Amazon First Reads ebook Kindle short story 

Bad Date by Ellery Lloyd

58 pages 

Amazon Original Stories

Release date of 9/1/2025

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Ellery Lloyd

Goodreads review

The StoryGraph review

Amazon Original Stories

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Graphic cursing, death, murder, divorce, stalking, abandonment, mental illness, drug use, violence, and alcohol.

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next short story is ...

 

Bad Date by Ellery Lloyd (short story)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - All That Life Can Afford (ebook)

 All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the debut novel by Emily Everett. It was a good first attempt, but something seemed off. Oh, yeah, it was all the Jane Austen references. This is another book, unsuccessfully, attempting to copy Jane Austen. It didn't work well.   

This was a light and fluffy book, which was a good palate cleanser. But I had to wait four months to get this from the library!

Again, this was another celebrity book pick. I am detecting a pattern of not liking most of these picks!

OVERALL REVIEW:    3.0 stars

 

Writing: 3.0 stars

The writing was meh. It appeared as if the main character was speaking in a breathy, Valley Girl-esque Boston accent. "Like everything in like London is like so great!" is how I pictured this first-person speaker about her life. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main character is Anna (an American student and tutor in London).  

The secondary characters are Pippa (Anna's tutee); Faye, Callum, and Theo (Anna's wealthy friends); and Andre and Liv (Anna's normal friends). 

The tertiary characters are the wealthy social circle, neighbors, co-workers, other tutees, and Pippa's parents. 

The character development was weak. In the end, everyone showed their true colors, as expected. 

Storyline:  3.0 stars 

The storyline was all about Anna (the poor American student), who gets her chance to hang with the rich kids in Saint-Tropez, France. She is tutoring Pippa, and then everything goes sideways. You can guess the rest!

The primary locations were Saint-Tropez, France, Lisbon, Portugal, and London, England, with reference to Northampton, Massachusetts.    

Memorable/Informative:   3.0 stars

The only memorable thing was that I want to add Lisbon, Portugal, to my bucket list! 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Pretty.    

 

Book title: 3.5 stars 

Okay.  

 

Lukewarm recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett 

384 pages

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release date: 4/1/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Emily Everett

Goodreads review

The StoryGraph review

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Graphic cursing, sexual content, alcohol, death of a parent, grief, xenophobia, panic attacks, and toxic relationships.

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is ...

 The Ten by E. A. Hanks (audiobook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Good Neighbor (audiobook)

The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

First off, let me be perfectly clear. Fred Rogers was an amazing educator who loved children unconditionally. Everyone was his friend and neighbor, including the "adult children". What a national treasure! 

This biography by Maxwell King was disappointing. It was poorly written, repetitive, and not the tribute to Fred Rogers he deserved. The only thing that saved this audiobook was the incredible narration by LeVar Burton. A digital or physical book wouldn't have this. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 2.0 stars 

Maxwell writes in a non-emotional, monotone way that may have been to model or pay tribute to Mr. Rogers. It didn't work. 

Additionally, much of the material was cut and pasted from other sources. This caused so unnecessary and bothersome repetition, which was annoying. 

In the extra End Credits, the author is interviewed. He states that he only talked to Fred Rogers twice - once for about an hour and a half, and the other for a brief hello. This biography really should have been written by someone who understood the nuances, quirks, and uniqueness of Mr. Rogers. I hope that another writer steps up and writes the definitive biography of Fred Rogers.

Finally, a good copywriter and editor were desperately needed for this book. The audiobook is over fourteen hours long!

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was beautifully done by the multi-talented and multi-hyphenated LeVar Burton. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main character was Fred Rogers. 

The secondary characters include many family members, friends, mentors, colleagues, and everyone who ever met Mr. Rogers in his life. I'm exaggerating, but it is fairly accurate.

The tertiary characters are the television product development, television production, television stations, educational television, and PBS television. Yes, there was a lot of television, which Mr. Rogers had nothing to do with and didn't tell much about him. It was extraneous fluff.  

The character development could have been better for Fred Rogers. He was a deep, complicated, and cerebral person. The addition of more about his personal life, including his immediate family, wife, and close friends, would have been lovely.  

 

Memorable:  3.0 stars

There was so much about Fred Rogers that I wanted to know, and it wasn't covered. Where did his passion for children come from? Why was he a vegetarian? What were his sons' and grandchildren's relationships like with him? On and on ...

Entertaining/Educational:  3.0 stars

There were many rumors about Fred Rogers that I had never heard. 

It was funny to think that there was a rumor about his being in Special Forces, seriously? Or being a convicted child molester, no way! Where do these crazy stories come from? 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect.    

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent.   

Lukewarm recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King

14 hours, 7 minutes 

Oasis Audio

Release date: 9/4/2018

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Fred Rogers

Goodreads review

The StoryGraph review

Oasis Audio

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS

None

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is ...

 All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - How To Kill A Witch (eARC/ebook)

  How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi & Claire Mitchell (eARC/ebook)

OVERVIEW

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

Following the successful Witches of Scotland podcast and campaign by Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell, this book was born. OMG! This incredible book will stay with me forever. The subtitle says it all: "The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women".

Salem, Massachusetts, receives all the publicity, but around 4.000 people (mainly women, of course) were accused of witchcraft for a much longer time in Scotland. This non-fiction book explores the histories of primarily Scotland as well as Salem, England, Norway, and the current day (yes, you read that correctly). 

I'm in awe of these two courageous, outspoken, and amazing women. I would love to be their friend, but since that is unlikely, I will settle for "being a quarrelsome dame" against the patriarchy!

OVERALL REVIEW:    5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

The writing is excellent, tongue-in-cheek, and incredibly sarcastic. Be still, my witty heart! 

Both of the authors are top-notch writers who write beautifully about a horrific subject matter that is an obvious passion project. This is strongly researched material, but in no way read like a boring textbook!

The explanatory footnotes throughout the book are at the end of each chapter. So you can toggle back and forth in your reading, or read them all at the end of the chapter. Such a lovely touch! 

Since this is a highly researched non-fiction book, there are a lot of resources, including a Reading Group Guide, Information About the Witches of Scotland Tartan (I had seen this on Instagram and hadn't put it together), Glossary of Scots Words, Select Resources (by chapter), and Image Credits.

Character development: 5.0 stars

There are thousands of characters in this book. Accused, convicted,  condemned, and executed witch hunt victims (actually murder victims in my viewpoint). If available, the accusers and judges (powerful men and religious leaders who salaciously examined the accused for prurient reasons for the "mark of the Devil") are named, as well as the location.  The biggest commonality is that the vast majority of them were women. Patriarchy, much?

Unfortunately, due to non-existent, "lost", or never created court records so long ago, some of these victims have no names, backstory, location, or ending to their stories. Hopefully, this information will someday be found and these victims acknowledged and remembered.

Storyline:  5.0 stars 

The storyline is brilliant! It explains the reasons these victims were accused and what a money-grabbing racket it was. Many of these victims have their accusations, backstories, and murders explored and explained. 

Geez, I would have been in big trouble during these witch hunts as I am outspoken, have moles and skin tags, can be quite quarrelsome at times, and am a woman.

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

The biggest takeaway is that a witch hunt does not mean what politicians (cough, right-leaning) such as #47 use it for. Not shocking, at all!  

Also, as someone with about 21% Scottish ancestry, I am pretty certain that I had someone in my family who was accused or an accuser. What a sad legacy!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect and powerful!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

The Title and Subtitle are on fire!  

 

Highly recommend

NetGalley eARC/ebook

How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi & Claire Mitchell

315 pages

Sourcebooks

FUTURE release date: 9/30/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Zoe Venditozzi

Claire Mitchell

Goodreads review

The StoryGraph review

Sourcebooks

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Violence, violent murder, executions, sexual content, sexism, misogyny, suicide, grief, war, classism, xenophobia, and graphic cursing and sexual content.  

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜