REVIEW - Walking with Ghosts

 

Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is a beautiful, albeit difficult, memoir to read. It primarily focuses on Gabriel's childhood and young adulthood, with important life experiences in his adulthood sprinkled throughout. 

I knew there was a difference between an autobiography and a memoir. But this link puts it succinctly, "A memoir is a nonfiction narrative in which the author shares their memories from a specific time period or reflects upon a string of themed occurrences throughout their life. An autobiography is a factual and historical account of one’s entire life from beginning to end." The more you know, LINK. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

Gabriel's writing is so poetic, lyrical, and beautiful. This is a very personal, real, and raw memoir - he spills all of his secrets, and it appears to have been cathartic for him. He has a gift for writing and should write more books, seriously. 

There are very few mentions of famous people or name-dropping, so if you are looking for that, this is not the book for you. Additionally, there are many triggers, so please be aware. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was done by Gabriel, and it was perfection. He read the truly horrific parts with raw emotion and sincerity. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Gabriel. 

The secondary characters are Gabriel's friends and family in Ireland, England, and the U.S. 

There are many Catholic priests and nuns, as they were at the heart of the Irish community at the time Gabriel was growing up. Also, some Hollywood hangers-on once Gabriel became a "name".  

The character development was incredible for Gabriel, specifically. The secondary and tertiary characters don't really change or grow much.  

Memorable:  5.0 stars

I was shocked at the ubiquity of alcoholism and depression in Ireland. It seems that the local pub is the heart and soul of the community, like the parish church. 

Entertaining/Educational:  5.0 stars

The abuse by Catholic clergy was horrifying. It included emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, which created shame and humiliation for Gabriel and all of the other boys involved. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect - loved the black and white picture.   

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

On point.  

Highly recommend

California Bookshelf borrow: audiobook

Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne

6 hours, 57 minutes 

Recorded Books, Inc.

Release date: 1/12/2021

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Gabriel Byrne

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

Recorded Books, Inc

California Bookshelf

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Death, grief, death of parent, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child-adult relationships, alcoholism, sexual content, cursing, drug use. 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is ...

 The Women at Ocean's End by Faith Hogan (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea💜

DNF - These Memories Do Not Belong To Us (eARC/ebook)

 These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma (eARC/ebook)

I will not be finishing this book. 

This book is set in a dystopian future where every citizen is equipped with a "Mindbank" that controls their memories. China is the victor of a war and now controls the U.S. There is no back story as the book is told in random memory vignettes. 

There was nothing wrong with the book - it just wasn't my type of book and may appeal to others!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

July 2025 - Amazon First Reads

Hi, booksbydorothea blog friends!

One of the perks of your Amazon Prime Membership is a FREE monthly Kindle book (and sometimes a short story)! The program is called Amazon First Reads, and you can find out more HERE.

The July email for Amazon First Reads was delivered, July 1st! There is a choice of two free Kindle books out of eight book choices (no short story this month). But, this was an easy month to choose my two picks to read!

My two free Kindle book choices for July 2025 are:

The Fourth Daughter by Lyn Liao Butler (Kindle eARC, ebook)

The Women of Arlinton Hall by Jane Healey (Kindle eARC, ebook)

The first book is a family drama, and the second book is a historical fiction. Please note, dear reader, that neither book is about World War II!

I am excited to read them both! Have you made your choices yet? I'd love to hear which two books you pick! 

Also, "buy" AND download the freebies from Amazon! You can't read a book that hasn't been downloaded! I am going to download them both NOW!

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

booksbydorothea - The Storygraph June 2025 Monthly Recap

Hi, booksbydorothea blog friends!

After using both The Storygraph and Goodreads in tandem for six months, there is no comparison in terms of quality or quantity. You can check out my profile, booksbydorothea, HERE. 

The FREE book statistics are beautiful, creative, and wildly informative. You can also sign up for more comparative statistics with the monthly Plus plan. Currently, the free account works well for me. Click here for the free statistics that I get HERE.

Come on over, please be my "friend" as I really want all of my friends (thank you, Chelsea for joining me!) on The Storygraph, as it is so superior to the "other site"! Click the LINK, which will direct you to the sign-in/sign-up page. 

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

California's Bookshelf and the Palace Project

 

Hi, book blog friends!

If you didn't know, Californians now have access to more library books! If you didn't know, no worries. I didn't find out until last night, and this program has been active since March 26, 2025! 

"Every Californian with an email address and an internet connection can now visit California’s Bookshelf and access more than 300,000 eBooks and eAudiobooks." 

To learn more about this program, including the Palace project used to access the books, click HERE.

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is ...

Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne (audiobook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

booksbydorothea - June 2025 - Monthly Wrap-up

Hi, book blog friends!!

June 2025 is in the books! It was another busy and fun month for our family! My husband’s cousin celebrated his 90th birthday, my husband celebrated HIS birthday and Father’s Day, along with lunches with friends, movies, and school break for our daughter, and it is getting hot in Southern California (with high fire danger, already).  

As you probably know from reading my blog, since November 2024, I have been living in a bubble by avoiding the news and social media (except book-related accounts). However, due to the chaos in my beloved city of Los Angeles, I was using my personal Instagram account, but I am tapering off again. I am still not watching the news or using Facebook (as it doesn’t work for me anymore). My best advice is to use social media judiciously, as it is a time vampire and a mental health destroyer.

June was a fabulous reading month with seventeen books (audiobooks and ebooks; no physical books).

In June, there were eight five-star books: seven ebooks, one audiobook, and no physical books.

BEST BOOKS FOR JUNE 2025 (plus previous months) 

ebooks 2025

JANUARY (10)

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova

Paris Undercover by Matthew Goodman

The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman

Come Fly with Me by Camille Di Maio

The Memory of Cotton by Ann K. Howley

The Secret History of Audrey Jones by Heather Marshall

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

FEBRUARY (4)

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse

The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

The Dressmakers of London by Julia Kelly

MARCH (4)

This One Life by Amanda Prowse

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

Isola by Allegra Goodman

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

APRIL (7)

The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe

Marsha by Tourmaline

Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan

The True Happiness Company by Veena Dinavahi

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

MAY (7)

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

Homeseeking by Karissa Chen

These Heathens by Mia McKenzie

Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs

The Bookstore Family by Alice Hoffman

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams

JUNE (7)

Abscond by Abraham Verghese

Lightening in a Mason Jar by Catherine Mann

The Eights by Joanna Miller

Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes

The Names by Florence Knapp

A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan

The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

YTD TOTAL: 39

Audiobooks 2025

JANUARY (2)

Me by Elton John

Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen

FEBRUARY (3)

Never by Rick Astley

Unlovable by Darren Hayes

Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan

MARCH (0)

-NONE-

APRIL (4)

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

The Next Day by Melinda French Gates

Time to Thank by Steve Guttenberg

Change the Recipe by José Andrés

MAY (3)

Medicine River by Mary Annette Pember

Read This to Get Smarter by Blair Imani

Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish

JUNE (1)

Boat Baby by Vicky Nguyen

YTD TOTAL: 13

 

Physical books

JANUARY-FEBRUARY; APRIL-JUNE (0) 

MARCH (1)

This One Life by Amanda Prowse

YTD TOTAL: 1

 

2025 READING GOAL

My goal is to read 101 books in 2025. As of June 30th, I have read 93 books, or 92.0% of my goal.

 

JUNE 2025 STATISTICS

17 total books

12 ebooks; 5 audiobooks; 0 physical books

4 books - ARC (Advanced Reader Copy)

13 books - Library

0 books – Purchased

1 book - Amazon First Reads

2 books - Book Club Girl

0 books – author gifted

0 books – friend gifted

 

JUNE 2025 BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS 

ebooks 2025

5.0-star ebooks

Abscond by Abraham Verghese LINK

Lightening in a Mason Jar by Catherine Mann LINK

The Eights by Joanna Miller LINK

Smoke on the Wind by Kelli Estes LINK

The Names by Florence Knapp LINK

A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan LINK

The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman LINK

3.5-star ebooks

The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson LINK

The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin LINK

The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick LINK

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig LINK 

3.0-star ebooks

25 Alive by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro 

*PLEASE NOTE: There were no 4.5 or 4.0-star ebooks this month.

Audiobooks 2025

5.0-star audiobooks

Boat Baby by Vicky Nguyen LINK

4.5-star audiobooks

We Might Just Make It After All by Elyce Arons LINK

4.0-star audiobooks

The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles LINK

3.5-star audiobooks

Eternal Flame by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike LINK

*PLEASE NOTE: There were no 3.0-star audiobooks this month.

Physical books 2025

There were no physical books read this month. 

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review links for each ebook or audiobook next to the book title and author (under JUNE 2025 BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS just above). Click on the specific book link to get to that book review.

What are the books you are reading by the pool, or audiobooks you are listening to on your vacation drive, or physical books you are reading at the beach? Please share!

Happy reading!

Dorothea 💜

P.S. For additional helpful tools on my blog, check out:

Book Rating Legend: LINK

Glossary: LINK

booksbydorothea social media: 

My next eARC/ebook is ...

 These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma (eARC/ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Year of Magical Thinking (audiobook)

 

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This is my first and last book by Joan Didion. Honestly, I do understand why she is so revered, as I found her writing to be boring, self-important, and self-aggrandizing.  

Apparently, she was part of the New Journalism literary trend in the 1960s and 1970s. I didn't like any of the other authors that I am aware of in this trend. Interesting. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

 

Writing: 2.5 stars

Joan's writing is just not for me. It is the lack of description, repetition, and sparseness. She writes like a journalist, and I don't read books for that - I read the newspaper.

Additionally, the place-dropping, name-dropping, and event-dropping were tedious and overdone. For me, I didn't have a clue who these people were, so it was unnecessary. 

Narration: 3.0 stars

The narration was not done by Joan, which is what I prefer. 

I felt that the narration was emotionless and flat, considering the subject matter of death and grief. 

Character development: 3.0 stars

The main characters are Joan (the author), John (her husband), and Quintana (her daughter).     

The secondary characters are Gerry (Quintana's husband), friends and family of the Didion/Dunn family, and the medical professionals. 

The tertiary character is death and grief. 

There is a huge cast of "famous" friends, but I really didn't know who they all were and really didn't care.  

The character development was poor. The three main characters seemed shallow, boring, and self-important. 

Memorable:  3.0 stars

What I remember from this book is that money doesn't buy happiness. Also, death and grief affect everyone in different ways. Joan wrote this book as a way to process her personal grief, but her writing about it didn't work for me. 

Entertaining/Educational:  2.5 stars

There really wasn't anything entertaining or educational. 

Book cover: 3.0 stars

Spare and boring like the book.  

 

Book title: 4.0 stars 

The best part of the book. 

Lukewarm recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

5 hours, 5 minutes 

HughBridge

Release date: 9/30/2005

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Joan Didion

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

HughBridge

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Death, grief, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness. 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Matchmaker's Gift (ebook)

The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is my second book by Lynda, and somehow, with the pandemic ending, I missed reading it!

This is the most beautiful and lovely book. It was what my heart needed, with the current chaos in the country. I loved it!

As someone who is married to an ABC (American Born Chinese), it was surprising to discover so many similarities with match-making in the two cultures. The ABC in the United States does not have an equivalent to a shadchan (male matchmaker) or a shadchanteh (female matchmaker). Interestingly, my Chinese-born in-laws had an arranged marriage, as did some of my husband's Chinese-born cousins. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing:    5.0 stars

Lynda writes so well that it is almost as if you are IN the story! She adds gorgeous descriptive details, sprinkles Yiddish throughout, and shares Jewish traditions, which I love! 

Character development:    5.0 stars

The two main characters are Sara (a first-generation immigrant from Kalarash and a matchmaker) and Abby (Sara's granddaughter and a divorce attorney). They are at the polar opposites of marriage!

The secondary characters are all of the matches that Sara has made over her eighty years of matchmaking. 

The tertiary characters are Sara and Abby's family and friends, the Lower East Side Jewish community, and Abby's boss and clients. 

The character development was excellent, especially as Sara had to fight to be a female matchmaker and Abby learned to be herself in her career. It was done so very well!  

Storyline:    5.0 stars

There are two storylines, but they do intersect. The first storyline is Sara's, 1910-1994, and the second is Abby's, 1994-1995, with flashbacks in both. 

The main location was New York City.   

Memorable/Informative:    5.0 stars

This was a beautiful education about the intricacies of Jewish culture. It was a fantastic learning experience!

 

Book cover:    5.0 stars

So pretty!    

 

Book title:    5.0 stars 

Perfect.  

 

Highly recommend

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: ebook

The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

320 pages

St. Martin's Press

Release date: 9/20/2022

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Lynda Cohen Loigman

Goodreads review

The Storygraph review

St. Martin's Press

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Alcohol, death of a parent, grief, infidelity, misogyny, anti-semitism, domestic violence, pregnancy.

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜