UPDATE 12/1/19: 11/20/19 - MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

UPDATE: 12/1/19 - Unfortunately, I had to return this book to the library as I had NO time to read it due to the Thanksgiving holidays. It has NOT been read by me!

The Guardians John Grisham.

All of John Grisham's books are very entertaining, interesting, and thought-provoking. I hope that this book is as good as the previous books that I have read by him!

If you want to know more about The Guardians, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - THE 19th CHRISTMAS

3 STARS

This series is an enjoyable guilty pleasure for me. I enjoy the characters, setting, and storyline. This is NUMBER 19 in this series. Unfortunately, I find that the writing is just not as strong and interesting as the first books in the series.

I will continue to see this series to the end! I want to know what happens to the characters!!

Recommend ONLY if you have read the other 18 books in the series!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

11/16/19 - MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

The 19th Christmas by James Patterson.

This series is one of my guilty pleasures! I normally read books in the series VERY quickly! We shall see if this is true for the 19th book in this series!

If you want to know more about The 19th Christmas, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - THE WHISPERS OF WAR

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Julia Kelly, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was SO very good!! This book was about the time right before WWII in Great Britain and during the very beginning of the war. It was such a great historical novel about one of my favorite time periods to read about in historical fiction. It also had some FABULOUS twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. LOVE!

As in every book that I read, I found out something that I did NOT know! OMG!! I never knew that Great Britain interred German, Austrian, and Italians during WWI and WWII.

The biggest take-away is that you can develop strong and deep friendships that are just like family. The main three characters all had reasons to become a family of three. They showed what REAL love and family are all about.

This was a lovely book and I highly recommend it!!

Happy reading,


Dorothea 💜

11/8/19 - MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly.

This is another ARC by NetGalley and also about WWII. MY genre again for several books in a row!!

If you want to know more about The Whispers of War, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - THE LIGHT AFTER THE WAR

4 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Australia through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Anita Abriel, Simon & Schuster Australia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.


First off, I must say that I keep getting pulled back into stories about pre-WWII, WWII, and post WWII. It seems to be the flavor of book that I am most enjoying.


I really loved that this book was based on a true story about true Jewish friends from Budapest. The most beautiful thing that the themes throughout the book were friendship, family, and love.


The experience of Hungarian Jews and their journey was very interesting to me. I always learn something new from every book that I read and this novel was no exception!


Definite recommend, but most especially for WWII nerds like me!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

111/1/19 - MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel.

This is another ARC by NetGalley and also about WWII. It is MY genre!!

If you want to know more about The Light After the War, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - HOUSE ON ENDLESS WATERS: A NOVEL

Unfortunately, I abandoned reading House on Endless Waters: A Novel by Emuna Elon. This is another ARC by NetGalley.

Since this is my first abandoned book since I started my blog, here is my reasoning for abandoning the book:
This book just didn't work for me. It was confusing as it went back and forth in time periods with little to no context. The first several chapters were super-interesting and I really wanted to learn more about the story. Unfortunately, I just couldn't continue to read it. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and best wishes to Emuna Elon on her latest release.

If you want to know more about House on Endless Waters: A Novel, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

OCTOBER 2019 WRAP-UP

Wow, this is my THIRD monthly wrap-up for my blog, Books by Dorothea. 

However, the last two weeks of the month had a huge distraction:

Please meet Penny! She is our almost 10-week-old rescue puppy. Keeping her occupied, entertained, and somewhat potty-trained is taking up almost ALL of my time.

Unfortunately, I have only read THREE books this month. October should be MUCH better, hopefully!

Here are my THREE September reads:

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

10/25/19 MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

House on Endless Waters: A Novel by Emuna Elon. This is another ARC by NetGalley

Of course, I am back to reading WWII books which is my go-to genre lately so I am eager to read this novel!!

If you want to know more about House on Endless Waters: A Novel, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - HILL WOMEN: FINDING FAMILY AND A WAY FORWARD IN THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Ballantine Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Cassie Chambers, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This non-fiction book excited me from the minute that I read the synopsis. I felt like I knew or was related to many of the people in the book - they could be MY people too. Although the book is primarily set in Appalachia, my paternal side comes from the Ozarks with the same issues facing the author's friends and family. The BIG difference is that my ENTIRE family left the Ozarks and moved to California during the Dust Bowl. Without that impetus, I might be living in Arkansas in the Ozarks today.

Anyway, back to THIS book. Cassie Chambers has a REAL way of writing. It is raw and elegant but still inviting. Her style greatly reminds me of Michelle Obama's style in her book BECOMING. Personally, I would love to share a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with this author. She sounds interesting, fun, and true.

Please read this book. These women of the hills are the foundation that our country was built upon. They are the United States. 

Highly recommend!!

Happy reading,


Dorothea 💜