Map of the Heart by Susan Wiggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4+stars
This is a well written novel with a compelling storyline and mysteries to solve. It moves between present day and WWII. Dual storylines can often be bothersome and confusing but the author, Susan Wiggs, is gifted by an ability to write them so they are easy to follow, interesting, and well organized. Another of her gifts is creating believable, true-to-life characters and their relationships with each other. Kudos to her for a captivating story and respectable romance without gratuitous sex scenes and foul language. Although I am really tired of finding requisite lgbtq+ characters in nearly every novel, film, or sitcom I've experienced in recent years, Wiggs handles this tastefully. This novel is what I'd call a good beach read.

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Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.
Historical fiction, this is an account of an extraordinary woman, Australian nurse and journalist, Nancy Wake. A WWII heroine, she served in the French Resistance, and later the Special Operations Executive (SOE), and briefly pursued a post-war career as an intelligence officer in the Air Ministry. She was fierce, and she did amazing, unbelievable things, including killing a Nazi officer with her bare hands. She was irreplaceable to Britain's command and financing of the French Resistance. She operated under 4 different code names: LUCIENNE CARLIER, THE WHITE MOUSE, HÉLÈNE, and "as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces." The enemy was never able to figure out that the 4 names belonged to one and the same woman. She was so successful in her missions that the Reich had a five million franc price put on her head.
It is also a story of her courtship and marriage to French industrialist, Henri Fiocca.
The story itself is fascinating but the telling of it was frustrating with too much descriptive writing and its non-chronological jumping back and forth in place and in time, from 1936 to 1944, in between, and back again. There is an abundance of profanity and graphic scenes of wartime torture. I listened to the audio book.


You can read about Nancy here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/201...

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The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fun atmospheric thriller which takes the points of view of all the characters, interweaving them past and present, with their secrets, lies, fears, and jealousies in such a way as to make them all suspect. It could have been a 5 star rating if there had been more careful editing, but there were several plot holes and some incidents which just didn't match up in the end. Nevertheless I really enjoyed it and would not hesitate to recommend it. I listened to the the audio book which was well done.

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The Power of Stillness: Mindful Living for Latter-day Saints by Jacob Z. Hess
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This audio version of the book is an excellent example of why authors should *not* narrate their own book. There are exceptions, of course, but as one reader commented in her review, due to the male (author) narrator's monotone voice and very slow reading she would "recommend it only as a CURE FOR INSOMNIA." The female reader is much easier on the ears and on the brain, but after listening to 1/2 the book, for me that still was not enough to continue. So I did NOT finish.
The content of the book is good, and may be helpful for someone who is way-too-busy trying to be everything to everyone, or for someone whose current cup-of-tea is the very popular current trend of practicing &/or reading about the benefits of meditation, but I would not recommend it for the non-LDS reader. Your mileage may vary.

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The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book several years ago, shortly after it was published, and I loved it. Entertaining, uplifting, and incredibly inspiring, it is the true story of a remarkable mother of 10 children who held her family together financially by clipping and using coupons, entering contests, and submitting jingles for advertising contests. She is optimistic with a strong sense of humor: “Sometimes it feels like I live in a circus and all the animals are loose,” and there are some parts that are very funny. But there are also some sad ones. The book is written by one of her daughters who comments, “From then on, we knew there could never be a problem bigger than Mom's ability to solve it. . . we knew that as long as we used our brains, we were not victims. By striking out to write our own ticket, we would grow up to be like our mother, winners.” I highly recommend it.

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Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson by Sheri Dew
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my...THIS BOOK...I loved it. I don’t often read biographies, but Sheri Dew is among my favorite inspirational authors and Russell M. Nelson one of my most admired people, this biography was on my list. I appreciated the book's format: chapters are designated as episodes- short, clear, essay-like readings arranged chronologically, making it easy to read, set down, ponder upon, and pick up again. Like the prophet himself, the book is full of quotable gems. I listened to the audio version, but enjoyed it so much I just ordered the hardbound version.

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The Huntress by Kate Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is suspense-filled historical fiction with a compelling storyline told in alternating POV's by 3 intriguing characters. Like Kate Quinn's earlier novel, The Alice Network, this is not a story for the faint of heart. I was totally absorbed by both the storyline and the characters, and couldn't put it down. Also I learned a few things, which is always a plus for me. Although there is a fair amount of crude language, I applaud the author for using less in this novel than in the earlier one.

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The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2 stars=it was ok. For a business leader, sales manager, or organization president, there may be some really valuable helps, but I suspect there is little new here for an experienced or already successful professional meeting facilitator. For a homemaker- church goer -club member- empty nester - socializer like myself, I think a great party planner or game book might be more stimulating. However I did glean a few ideas I may possibly put to use in order to increase attendance and/or involvement at the next social event I'm in charge of . . .

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One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A predictable but fun & sometimes funny escape read. Stephanie Plum finds herself in all sorts of predicaments that she can't handle yet somehow makes it out alive with her team of guardian angels. The dialogue, characters and descriptions are had me laughing all the way through to the end of book. I will definite put the author, Janet Evanovich, on my easy beach reads list.

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Serena by Ron Rash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the best mysteries I've read in years. From the very first paragraph to the end, I couldn't put it down. I "read" the audio version which was expertly narrated. Set in the western mountains and hollows of North Carolina, the novel traces the villainous couple, Serena and Pemberton, as they slash and burn their way through timbered valleys, trying to stay one step ahead of the U.S. Department of Interior's push to acquire land for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There is a mythic quality to the story, especially in the superb conclusion and this is clearly intentional. It is my first reading of anything by Ron Rash and he is a skill fully storyteller.

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