The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This engaging story is pure magic from the first page. It is Alice Hoffman at her best: full of magic, love, hope, despair, and of course powerful women. Witches are among us! Published in 2017, it is a prequel to Practical Magic, published 14 years earlier and stands alone, but having read (and loved) the earlier book I especially enjoyed it. Frannie and Jet, the girls of this story become the aged aunts of the earlier novel. It is told over a generation of time, but the story also includes a brief fictional Owens family history beginning during the 1692 Salem witch trials. The characters are vividly drawn and the narrative compelling with many sweet surprises throughout the story and many life lessons. This is an enchanting escape into magical realism and like Hoffman's other novels, it is beautifully written. . . a wonderful, metaphorical story of love, fear, loss, and living. Highly recommend.

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The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I have been a Fannie Flagg fan, but was very disappointed with this last novel. It has a promising beginning with her quaint descriptions of small-town rural Americana and unique personalities, but it deteriorates into a boring assortment of births, comings, goings and deaths covering the period of a century. It includes a small mystery beginning in the last chapters, however the epilogue destroys any satisfaction therein with its ridiculous assertion that nothing on earth, or ever after, matters as even the bad guys live in happiness and bliss in an eternity of reincarnations. SERIOUSLY?! I think Flagg is trying to be Neil Gaiman, and she fails miserably.

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Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written, quirky adult fairytale. If you enjoy reading magical realism you will love this. The characters are likable and well drawn, the descriptive prose is lovely, and the story is just plain fun.

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A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Audible Originals for this free March short selection. This is a 1.5 hour story about Marie Sklodowska, a 25-year-old from Poland, before she married Pierre Curie and became world-renowned for her pioneering research on radioactivity. It's a believable story of what it was like to be a woman in the male-dominated world at the Sorbonne University, Paris, 1893. This is not a comprehensive story, but a microscopic view of a very small period of time in Madame Curie's life, with an endless scope of the future ahead of her. It is ta short story of a student, a scientist, a woman, forging her way against all odds, and how she came to partner with her husband. This definitely made me want to seek out a more detailed history of her life.
The narrator, Hillary Huber, was excellent.

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Science Fair by Ridley Pearson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry! You can't go wrong with either of these two very skilled authors. Ridiculousness abounds in a complex sci-fi adventure plot which involves a middle school science fair project, a teen who makes stupid choices, a comedy-of-errors mystery, and a surprise ending.
This is a very funny highly enjoyable read for all ages with over-the-top satire featuring social and global commentary. There is no inappropriate content in terms of sex or language, so it is suitable for most middle-schoolers and I believe even the child who is "allergic" to reading, will read this relish.

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The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW! Fantastic read! Of the many things we take for granted in the 21st-century electric power has to be at the top of the list. This captivating historical fiction set in New York City late 1800's, brings to life the personalities of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, and the battle between them to build the electrical system that would light the United States. The story is told from the point of view of 26-year-old Paul Cravath, an inexperienced but ambitious recent law school graduate who today is recognized as the inventor of the modern law firm. He was hired as Westinghouse's lead litigator in the largest patent infringement suit in U.S. history. In addition to the patent suit, a large part of the battle is the competition to win the public's perceived superiority between Edison’s direct current and Westinghouse’s alternating current.

Other players in this battle include eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell, and financier J.P. Morgan. The outcome of this feud between geniuses would reverberate for generations.
The brilliant men of that era were such an influence on science and investing and will always be remembered! This is not a dry history of scientists and courtrooms, but a completely entertaining story with wonderfully drawn true-to-life characters, famous inventors and major industry players. It includes historically accurate accounts of backroom dealings, attempted murder, private spies, and even a little romance. Best of all, the majority of personalities and events are true! It is a uniquely riveting, thrilling and fast-paced read which both fiction and nonfiction readers will devour. Many, many interesting facts and history lessons. As often occurs with historical fiction, I found myself searching the internet for more information and images of all the major characters. The Author’s Note at the end provides a detailed list of which episodes are true, what changes to time or place were made and what sources were used to flesh out the novel.

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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is definitely a 5 star book for adolescents (age 14+), and a 3 book for me. The writing is very good as it deals with all the universal angst of high school, with bullying, and with rape in a tasteful manner. The novel is written in first person, almost like a diary, but the voice seemed more like that of a 17 year old than of the 14 year old main character. There is resolution and the end when it seems everything is going to be okay, but for me it seemed rushed and was not a plausible ending. That being said, I would not hesitate to recommend it to young readers, It has won several literary awards and I am glad to see it is being taught in some schools.
quotes:
“When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.”
“Sometimes I think high school is one long hazy activity: if you are tough enough to survive this, they'll let you become an adult. I hope it's worth it.”
“THE FIRST TEN LIES THEY TELL YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL
1. We are here to help you.
2. You will have time to get to your class before the bell rings.
3. The dress code will be enforced.
4. No smoking is allowed on school grounds.
5. Our football team will win the championship this year.
6. We expect more of you here.
7. Guidance counselors are always available to listen.
8. Your schedule was created with you in mind.
9. Your locker combination is private.
10. These will be the years you look back on fondly. "

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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a charming mystery that may require two things of the reader to be thoroughly enjoyed: a recognition that it was written over 50 years ago, and the ability to suspend disbelief and not take things too seriously. It is a humorous, fun, old-fashioned spy novel which takes place during the Cold War. White-haired Mrs. Pollifax with her extravagant hat, resourcefulness, and her persistent optimism is such an endearing character and this particular adventure which takes place in Mexico City and then behind the Iron Curtain in Albania is very entertaining. This light read is the first of Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series and was so enjoyable that I will read the next one. The audio version contains no profanity, violence or gore, and is fun to listen to.

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The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a happy easy read book that delighted me, and although it's not great literature the entertainment value for me is deserving of 5 stars. It's a bittersweet, funny, and heartwarming story about a recently widowed man of 70 who is unable to really get through the days of loneliness. Upon the task of clearing out his wife's belongings, he discovers a hidden charm bracelet he had never seen before. Shocked that she had a life prior to him that he did not know about, he seeks to learn more about her. This search takes him to places far and wide and along the way he has adventures and makes colorful friends that were somehow connected with his wife. This is a sweet, poignant book which I would not hesitate to recommend to readers of any genre.

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The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo


Every fantasy book poses the following questions. Why not? What if? Could it be? and in this book every character is asking the same questions. Kate DiCamillo has the ability to take you on a great adventure where you're not paying attention to anything except what's in the book and again in this book is she does her own special brand of magic. Full of surprises and charming characters, this is a fun story about believing in the impossible and watching it happen right before your eyes. a spellbinding tale of love, longing, hope, finding home and forgiveness in long ago France.

Kate DiCamillo, is the author of the award winning Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Tiger Rising, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The 3 hour audio version narrated by Juliet Stevenson is superb.

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The Dream Lover: A Novel of George Sand by Elizabeth Berg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is biographical fiction about Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, best known by her nom de plume George Sand, history's first successful female novelist. Told in first person narrative, the story documents a woman who was perhaps the most unconventional person of her day. Born in 1797 in Paris, her parents were a French lieutenant from the aristocracy and his courtesan lover whom he married. This unusual beginning for the young Aurore, as she was called, was to set the tone for her entire life.
She married at the age of 17 and had children, but unsatisfied with her role, she left her husband, built a successful career as a writer, and sued her husband to get her fortune back. She changed her name to George Sand and was known as a sensational novelist (she wrote 80 of them), memoirist, and socialist. In the 1830's and 1840's she was considered the most popular writer in Europe, being more popular than both Victor Hugo and Honore de Balzac! Known now as the woman who was Frederic Chopin’s lover, she wore men’s clothing, smoked cigars in public and took multiple lovers without apology. She actually started wearing pants when she was hired to review the theater and could get cheaper seats if she sat in the men’s section.

I have read several novels by the author, Elizabeth Berg, and historical fiction is a different venture for her. The amount of research that must have gone into this book is staggering. Using Sand's own words (taken from the author's memoirs) in writing this first-person narrative Berg authentically and aptly portrays the passion, despair, hopes, ambitions and other emotions Sand faced as a world-class author and social star. Born in an age where women were to be largely ignored, she pushed back at every type of constraint and was centuries ahead of her time in advocating suffrage and equality between the sexes. The underlying theme of the novel is of a woman in 19th century France attempting to live HER life on HER terms. She rejected the role that society set out for her:

"Tell me, George. Do you wish you'd been born a man?" ...
"In my youth, I wished that. ... But now I find I don't wish to be either man or woman. I wish to be myself. Why should men serve as judge and jury, deciding for us what can and cannot be done, what is our due? Why should they decide in advance of our deciding for ourselves what is best for us; why should they decide what IS us?"
"But then you do wish to be a man!"
"Perhaps I wish to be a woman with a man's privileges." pg 151

It seemed that most of her life Aurore/George was trying to find an elusive meaningful "one love." She kept on going from relationship to relationship, and one love affair after another with famous men and possibly a one-night lesbian affair, with an actress. I think anyone who loves anything to do with France and the Parisian artistic elite, especially during the 19th century, will enjoy the fascinating account of those relationships, with contemporaries such as Jules Sandeau, Franz Liszt, Gustav Flaubert, Honore de Balzac, Turgenev, Dumas, Delacroix, Musset, Didier, Marie Dorval, and of course with Frederic Chopin. But it wasn't until her later years that she finally found the peace she had searched for throughout her life. In the novel she becomes her own self at last, through sheer courage and determination.

I found this a fascinating book to read but also difficult because of the alternating timelines, 1831–1876 and 1804–1831. The frequent back-and-forth between the two periods was disruptive and disjointed. Eventually the periods connect and it becomes a more cohesive story, but I did not enjoy this format, thus 4 instead of 5 stars. Also, I found the judgmental relationship with Sand's daughter, Solange, as problematic. Oh, and I really don't like the title. But I really like this work, am glad I read it, and would love to discuss it with like-minded persons. The audio version is read by Emily Sutton-Smith and is absolutely wonderful.

Victor Hugo said this about George Sands upon her death: “George Sand was an 'idea.' She has been released from the flesh, and now is free. She is dead, and now is living.”

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Still Me by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it, but did not read book #2. This is book # 3 and I thought it was a great read, even better than the first. Although the reader would get more out of this book if she/he reads the first two, this is so well done I found myself thinking it's not really necessary to read either of the first two books to understand and empathize with the characters and get really hooked into the story. Moyes is a fantastic storyteller who creates relatable characters, laugh out loud humor, and truly intriguing plot lines. Highly recommend.

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Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan


This is a historical/biographical novel about two very lively and difficult personalities: the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his tempestuous wife, Fanny deGrift Osbourne. It is a little slow at times but still a very interesting tale oft this well-known author and his colorful wife. I knew RLS wrote Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and A Child's Garden of Verses, but I knew nothing about him as a person or about Fanny, and I found their individual lives and their life together fascinating. I also really enjoyed reading about the locations and the essence of the late artistic and literary 19th century times. Many times while reading this book I found myself going to google to learn more. I like when a book I'm reading leads me to the internet for further research and inspires me to read other books I've subconsciously avoided, both of which this account led me to do.
Reading a biographical novel about any author or real person is a win for me, but I would have enjoyed this even if the characters had been completely fictional. Nancy Horan's research is impeccable and she has brought it all together in an absorbing story about love, passion, personal struggle, creativity, and compassion. Robert Louis Stevenson had a frail constitution and like many of his contemporaries spent much of his life trying to run away from tuberculosis. He finally found peace in the Samoan Islands where he spent a few happy years, only to die from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 44 . He wrote the following much loved and oft-quoted poem in Samoa and was buried in the very place where he had finally felt well.

Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.

--"Requiem" by Robert Louis Stevenson


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Stormy Weather by Paulette Jiles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the story of 4 plucky women hanging together through life's difficult turns on the backdrop of the dust bowl oil fields of drought scarred Texas panhandle during the Great Depression. I liked it but it was not a particularly compelling read, I kept putting in down, yet it was also easy to pick up again a few days later.

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I Found You by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a solid, compelling book that kept me guessing as I read. I was hooked from the beginning, a great page-turner that I couldn't put down. There are three storylines told in alternating chapters that gradually come together with many twists and surprises along the way. I kept changing my mind about what the outcome would be right up to the satisfying end when secrets are revealed and memories restored. Lisa Jewell’s books are filled with characters that are brilliantly formed. They’re very ‘real’ with history and depth which makes them relatable. You really get inside their heads which makes it a very powerful and quite fast-paced read as events unfold. She is a skillful storyteller. There is great dialogue, character interaction, and clear descriptive settings. Packed full of drama: threats, death, love, friends' and families' secrets and lies, and a lot of questions left unanswered, the book definitely held my attention from start to finish. I highly recommend this brilliantly written novel.

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The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic thriller with a surprise twist ending and it would have earned 5 stars instead of 4 if about 150 pages of meandering narrative and repetitious ruminating by the main character had been edited out. Still, it's a compelling fast read which I recommend to lovers of mystery stories.

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Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars...I round up. I really enjoy reading Elizabeth Berg novels because her characters are believable, the events accurate and settings memorable and because she is always able to keep the story flowing without the crude language & graphic sex that seem to be the norm in modern romance and historical fiction. This is a character study of how 3 sisters and their Irish-American family coped while their sons, husbands, and boyfriends were away during WWII. I found the book educational and appreciate the insight I gained reading about this period in my parents' generation. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author and it was exceptional.

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The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa See has taken historic events like China's one child policy and woven them into a story of family, forgiveness, and finding your way through this crazy life. I loved learning about the Akha (Chinese ethnic minority) people, their culture and traditions, and about an amazing, very expensive, chocolate flavored Pu'er Tea. The history and culture are well-researched, placing the reader right in the middle of all the growth and changes in the characters, the times, the opening up of relations between the U.S. and China, and in the country. Some readers have found fault with the story because of unlikely coincidences, but in the beginning the stage is set when the mother tells her family, “No coincidence, no story.” This is a beautifully told story with wonderful prose and it is an absolutely immersive read.

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The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A beautiful story about family, identity, love, friendship, belief, grief, and pain written in lyrical prose with magical realism.

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The Library Book by Susan Orlean
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2 stars= it was okay.If I were a librarian I would probably have loved it, but I'm someone with very little free time who loves to read and although the author's research, compilation, and presentation of facts is impressive and commendable, I was looking for more story and less information. I did learn many things about libraries & books and the 1961 burning of the Los Angeles library in particular, but for my interests it was TMI. I am in the minority because all my peeps gave it 4-5 stars, so don't reject the book based upon my review.

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo




I LOVED this sweet, meaningful story so much that as soon as I finished the library's audio version (which is VERY well done) I purchased the hardbound copy for my own library! Edward Tulane is quite the dapper china rabbit, and he knows it. He's loved dearly by Abilene, the little girl who owns and cares for him so carefully, but he has a heart as cold as the china he's made from and loves only himself. Then he abruptly loses his privileged life and finds himself adrift in the real world where he must adapt and survive with help from the diverse and memorable people who cross his path. Along the way, Edward is brought low by circumstances, but he learns humility, how to survive, and eventually how to find his way home.

Although this may have been written for younger readers I believe it will be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you don't cry at some point you're as heartless as Edward is in the beginning. However, despite the tears, you will be left with a happy ending. I have to admit that I bawled like a baby when I finished this book, a modern classic.

This is a WONDERFUL, worthy read, the story will touch your heart, and the illustrations are lovely.
Kate DiCamillo is also the author of The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn Dixie and over a dozen other books.
quotes:

“I have been loved, Edward told the stars. So? said the stars. What difference does that make when you are all alone now?”
. . .

"I'm done with being loved," Edward told her. "I'm done with loving. It's too painful." . . .

"Open your heart," she said gently. "Someone will come. Someone will come for you. But first you must open your heart."



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The Library Book by Susan Orlean
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2 stars= it was okay.If I were a librarian I would probably have loved it, but I'm someone with very little free time who loves to read and although the author's research, compilation, and presentation of facts is impressive and commendable, I was looking for more story and less information. I did learn many things about libraries & books and the 1961 burning of the Los Angeles library in particular, but for my interests it was TMI. I am in the minority because all my peeps gave it 4-5 stars, so don't reject the book based upon my review.

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Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This slave narrative was a hard book to read and I kept putting it down because of its depressing nature, and because I felt the story was told in a dry, exacting, and punishing tone. But finish it I did, and I feel like I am a better person for what I gained in knowledge, understanding and the appreciation of my many blessings. Well researched historical fiction, it is the amazing story of a fictional 11-year-old African girl stolen from her family and sold into slavery. The incidents are taken from actual events. It tells of her horrendous journey from Africa to South Carolina, to New York where she eventually gains her freedom, to Nova Scotia where there was an actual community for freed black slaves, to London, then back to Africa, and again to London where she is instrumental in helping to secure freedom and rights for the Negro people there. The title for the book comes from the ledger that the British used to record "loyal" slaves who were set free and sent to a black settlement Nova Scotia where they were welcome until an economic collapse brought about the first white attack on a black settlement. I felt the "happy" ending was a bit unrealistic and too contrived. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and would specifically like to learn more about slavery and Black history.
It made me appreciate all the wonderful blessings I have in my life. Overall, this was a great book.

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The Cenote by Chelsea Dyreng
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! What a great book! This debut novel is a beautiful allegorical tale, a mystery which takes place in a unique ancient Meso American setting. At only 256 pages it is a fast read, and is rich with symbolism and metaphor. It is well constructed multi-layered solid writing. The story is compelling and the characters with their alternating points-of-view are endearing. It is a clean read with mature themes relevant to our times. This is an inspiring novel with insightful life lessons, sadness that made me cry, and refreshing humor that made me giggle and laugh out loud. With themes of compassion, fidelity, sacrifice and loss, redemption, forgiveness, family relationships and marital honesty it would be a great read for book club discussion. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and am looking forward to reading her newest book, The Last Messenger of Zitol.
favorite quote:
"...the deepest, most powerful love stories did not happen before the wedding but after. Perhaps we do not hear those stories because they are far more sacred and only meant for two hearts."

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