Following a Dream in 1912 New York to become a Fashion Designer

Annie Wood, an English woman, started as a housemaid. She came to New York with high hopes, but things didn’t work as planned. Instead of returning to England to realize her goal of becoming a ladies’ maid, she found a job at Butterick designing patterns.

In this second book, Annie is married to Sean Culver, who also works at Butterick. Things are going well, but when Annie is given the chance to design clothes by a New York couple, her friend Maude with Sean’s blessing pushes her into taking the chance. Annie worries that they will fail and all be out of jobs, but Sean has faith and pushes her to continue when her first collection is not well received.

This is a story of faith and striving. Annie, Maude, Sean, and Edna, a mother figure, support each other and their strong faith keeps them together. They’re striving to do something they believe in. It isn’t easy. There are setbacks, but they don’t lose sight of what they want to do.

This second book relies on information from the first book, The Pattern Designer. I recommend reading that book first for full enjoyment of the second. The characters are people you’d like to know. They have a shared dream and together they are able to work through all the hardships to make that dream a reality.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

Romance During the French and Indian Wars

Mercy Lytton is the product of two cultures, her white mother and her Mohawk father. A very independent woman, Mercy was born with the gift of extremely good eyesight which gives her an advantage in acting as a scout for the British. She returns tired from a mission only to learn that the general has another mission for her. A wagon load of gold must be taken to a nearby fort. This is a dangerous mission, but even more threatening to Mercy is the stipulation that she must wed.

The choice of bridegroom is Elias Dubois. He’s been condemned as a traitor and is scheduled to hang. However, he’s given a reprieve to act as Mercy’s husband in the small contingent escorting the gold to the fort.

Mercy and Elias are sympathetic characters. Each is fighting inner demons. The attraction between the two is immediate, but neither is ready to accept it. I thought the author did a good job showing their growth during the novel.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is an interesting period. The French and Indian Wars saw two cultures, the British and the Mohawks, cooperating to drive out the French. It makes for a story with lots of cultural and historical detail.

I received this book from Barbour Books for this review.

Cases from a Bermondsey Crown Court Judge

Judge Walden, chief judge of the Bermondsey Crown Court, is basically satisfied with his life. He and his wife, the Reverend Mrs. Walden live in Bermondsey not far from her church of St. Althelbrugh and All Angels in Southwark. The three judges who staff the Crown Court and mostly compatible although Judge Walden occasionally has to settle spats, and his cases are satisfying since he knows the neighborhood well. The only unsettling aspect of his job is dealing with the Gray Smoothies, the bureaucrats trying save money for the public by squeezing the court ever harder.

The book consists of five cases. Each case is a complete short story in which we see not only the working of the court system, but also behind the scenes to the relationships between the judges and others working at the court as well as the politics engendered by the machinations of the Gray Smoothies.

I enjoyed each of the cases. The characters, particularly the defendants, are cleverly drawn. Even some of the jurors are amusing. The plot of each case may seem straightforward, but each ends with a twist. There is no violence or hot sex, but the stories draw you in. The writing has humorous passages as well as more serious takes on the legal profession. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories about the legal profession and the court system.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Voyage on the Alaskan Marine Highway Systemn

Mark Adams, a travel writer, was looking for a new adventure. One of the key moments in deciding where to go was seeing a totem pole at a busy intersection in Seattle, Washington. This pole was brought to the city after the Alaskan voyage of Edward H. Harriman and his crew of natural scientists in 1899.

Adams was taken by the description of the Harriman voyage. Harriman, a railroad tycoon, with the help of Merriam, editor of Forest and Stream, gathered a stellar group of naturalists to explore the outer reaches of the Alaskan wilderness from a steamship. The voyage was one of the major expeditions to Alaska and produced a multi-volume work on the terrain, animals, and vegetation.

Adams voyage followed the Harriman route, but used the public ferry system, the Alaska Marine Highway System. Like the Harriman expedition, he encountered incredible scenery, unusual characters and wildlife, including bears.

If you’re an armchair traveler, this is an excellent book. Not only does it follow the Harriman expedition, but Adams adds commentary from his adventure and includes information on economic conditions, as well as the history of the areas he visits. I particularly enjoyed his description of glaciers and the fact that they were receding in the 1800’s well before our current climate crisis.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Sabbatical in Bali

Ben Feder loved the excitement of his job, taking over companies and making them profitable. His coup was the takeover Take Two Interactive, publisher of the video game, Grand Theft Auto. Once the takeover was successful, someone had to run the company, and Ben was elected. For awhile it was great, but after four years he was suffering from burnout. His wife was unhappy with their lack of communication, and his kids hardly knew him.

After much discussion and soul searching, Ben and his wife, Victoria, hit on an idea. Why not take a sabbatical in a foreign country. After searching a variety of locations, they settled on Bali. There was a school, the Green School, for the children, the weather was great, and it was affordable. The time in Bali changed their lives.

This book is the author’s first hand account of the family’s eight-month sabbatical. It follows them from the decision to take a break to the changes in lifestyle they experienced in Bali. Instead of going to the office every day, Ben was free to focus on yoga and meditation. The diet consisted of much fresh food and at the end, they felt healthier.

The book also follows what happened after the magical time in Bali. It’s not always easy to reintegrate with your company after an experience like that, but Ben had grown and was able to find a way to a more successful life. If you’re feeling burnout in your job, this is a great read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

An Island Summer

Cara Rutledge is back on Isle of Palms, a small barrier island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, in the house she inherited from her beloved mother, Lovie. Cara has always loved coming to the beach house, but now there’s a difference. She has an adopted baby. Cara is an experienced business woman, but she’s finding a baby, even a delightful baby like Hope, to be a challenge. She needs the support of friends and family.

Linnea, Cara’s niece, has just graduated from college. She’s back in her beautiful Charleston home, but being home also has responsibilities that Linnea isn’t ready to accept. When Cara offers her a job taking care of Hope for the summer, she jumps at it.

This is a beautiful story of women finding themselves. Cara, in addition to the baby, is trying to recover from her husband’s death three years ago. Linnea feels the weight of family expectations and wants to discover who she is and what she wants. The beach house is a catalyst for recovery from grief and anger. Family and friends join in supporting the new mother and her niece, and there are the turtles.

This is the fifth book exploring the lives of the Rutledge family of Charleston. It can be read as a standalone, but the family is so entertaining, you may want to go back and meet them in the previous books.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Summer in a Wealthy Long Island Beach Colony

Ruthie Beamish loves her house on the Long Island shore near the Hamptons. She’s used her creative energy to turn the house into a showplace. Unfortunately, she, her daughter, Jem, and ex-husband, Mike, can’t enjoy the house during the beach season. In-order to afford to live in the house the rest of the year, they have to move out and rent it to a wealthier tenant.

The summer starts well. The house is rented for the entire season. Adeline Clay, widow of a famous painter, and her son, Lucas, have taken the house for the whole summer. In addition, Ruthie and Jem have been invited to stay in the guest house on a friend’s estate.

As soon as Adeline arrives, things start to go awry. Adeline flits shamelessly with Mike. Ruthie tells herself she shouldn’t mind. They’re divorced after all, but as Adeline usurps more of Ruthie’s life, she becomes angry. To top it off, her job as a museum director is threatened by a staff coup. No job, no house, no husband. It’s shaping up to be a very difficult summer for Ruthie.

This book is overflowing with plot and characters. At least three plot lines are woven through the book, one told mostly in emails. If you enjoy reading about very rich, beautiful, nasty people, they’re abundant. None of the summer people are very nice and Ruthie succumbs to the temptation to act as badly as they do.

This book is primarily about Ruthie’s metamorphosis. I couldn’t blame her with all the obstacles thrown at her in the summer, but I didn’t care much for the way she handled them. The descriptions of the house, town, and beach were delightful: the characters not so much so. They’re greedy, narcissistic, and generally unpleasant. Still, it’s an interesting book to take to the beach.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Biking Adventure Along the Continental Divide

If you want adventure and a hard physical workout, there’s noting like riding a bike across country, or in the case of John and Carrie Morgridge along the Continental Divide. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) runs through North America from North to South from Canada to the Southwest. The route is also the site of the hardest mountain bike race in North America.

The book details John and Carrie’s preparation including amassing supplies, training, and travel. Once on the trail Carrie describes each day complete with pictures and notes from John. The country is beautiful, so I was delighted to see the pictures. They make you want to take the ride. However, the description of the difficulty of the trail may have you rethinking the idea.

The Morgridges camped out, but also had more civilized nights in hotels along the way. One of the difficult parts was having to push on rather than stay and enjoy a place they’d found. In addition to the beautiful scenery, they met many kind people along the way. The book is full memories to last a life time.

The book is an inspiration if you want to take a bicycle tour. Carrie doesn’t minimize the soreness of her body, or the difficulty of getting underway each day, but the result was worth the discomfort. I enjoyed the book and recommend it if you’re looking for adventure, even an armchair adventure.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

Unexpectedly Becoming a Caregiver

CJ and Joe had a life they loved. Above all Joe enjoyed cycling. He even rode coast to coast with a group. Suddenly, Joe was ill. Blood tests confirmed that he had a rare form of leukemia, and he suffered two strokes. CJ was thrust into the role of primary caregiver.

Many people have experience with being caregivers for small children, but adults are more difficult. They’re used to running their lives and doing what they want. When one partner is stricken with a serious illness the brunt of the care falls on the other partner and strains the relationship.

CJ tells her story well. I liked the picture of their marriage before Joe’s illness. It made it clear how much they loved each other and how difficult it was to adapt to a serious illness. In the beginning, she made the mistake many caregivers do: trying to be there 24/7. It’s a quick way to burn out. She also learned how to interface with the medical personnel. It’s very important when you’re ill to have someone to interface for you and understand what is happening.

One of the delightful parts of the book is CJ’s inclusion of emails she sent to family and friends. It’s an immediate picture of the ups and downs of adjusting to new limitations. Too often we feel that we must keep a stiff upper lip. CJ admits she lost it occasionally, but didn’t let it lead to feeling of inadequacy. She got up and tried again.

The main message of this book is that caregivers must take care of themselves, too. You can’t give one-hundred percent all the time. It is important to take time for yourself. I recommend this book for anyone with aging parents or faced with the illness of a spouse. It will give tips for how to manage being a caregiver, but also remind you that you don’t have to be perfect.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

Friendship Overcomes Despair

Harley Cain strokes his .45 automatic. He’s decided life isn’t worth living. The gun will make a quick end to it. He raises the gun testing the feel against his temple. Before he can pull the trigger, he hears screaming tires and a crash. He races across his front yard and finds a destroyed pickup truck. A fifteen-year-old boy is slumped against the wheel. He’s drunk, but not badly hurt. When Harley gets him into the house and cleaned up, the boy admits he too wanted to commit suicide.

This encounter changes their lives. The boy stays with Harley and an enduring friendship is born. The background is West Texas, an area where cowboys ride horses, thieves steal horses, and riding through the landscape encourages thoughts about how life works. Harley is a fount of homely wisdom. As the pair ride and encounter danger, they realize how sensible his aphorisms are.

The characters, Harley, and the boy, Dodger, are very alive. They feel like real people. It’s a coming of age story, and a story of an old man helping a boy find a place in life. The descriptions of West Texas form a background that is atmospheric and gives substance to the story.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it if you enjoy character driven novels with a plot that pulls you into the action.

I received this book from Turner Publishing for this review.

Scars of Independence in Paperback

Scars of Independence  by Holger Hoock is now available in paperback. I reviewed it last year. It's an interesting take on the early days of our country.

A Medical Student in the Crimean War

When Tsar Nicholas recruits medical students for the Crimean War, Audrey thinks he’s finally gotten lucky. He’s hungry and this job promises food, but the promise doesn’t hold up. When Audrey finds himself en-route to the Crimean War, he’s cold, more hungry than ever, his clothes are threadbare, and he has no idea why he agreed to go to war as a surgeon.

In the Crimea in 1854, Audrey encounters horrors that threaten to unhinge his mind. Soldiers are dying from wounds he can’t repair. Amputations are done with no anesthetic. He’s so tired he’s afraid of killing his patients.

When the war ends, he just wants to get away from people, including Maria, a nurse he met in the Crimea. It takes a long time, but Audrey begins to come back and find a calling in helping people.

This is Jane Marlow’s second book about Russia in the 1800s. She does an excellent job showing what conditions were like. In fact, the writing is so realistic that the book is hard to read at times. Conditions in the Crimea were brutal and Marlow doesn’t sugar-coat the description.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in Russia in the 1800s. It’s not always an easy book to read. Living through the horrors with Audrey can be hard to take. However, the history is well done and presents a thoughtful picture of the savagery

of war.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

A Missing Girl DS Aector McAvoy Can’t Forget

Detective Sargeant Aector McAvoy is picnicking with his family. It should be a relaxing afternoon, but Aector is obsessed. Hannah Kelly disappeared nine months ago. She is presumed to have been in the place where Aector and his family are enjoying the afternoon. Aector can’t stop going over the facts of her disappearance. He wants to find her, but he fears she’s dead. Then his phone rings. Another girl, Ava Delaney, has been found dead in circumstances similar to Hannah’s. When he gets the facts, he feels the two cases are connected.

Aector’s boss Trish Pharoah also has problems. She’s drinking too much. Her teenage daughter is rebelling, and her husband has suffered a stroke and needs constant care. On top of this Trish’s career is in danger. Ruben Hollow has just been released from prison. Trish put him there based on tainted evidence for a murder that turned out to be self-defense.

The book starts rather slowly. We’re introduced to Aector and his obsession with the dead girl. Then there’s a lengthy description of Trish’s problems. However, when the action starts the pace increases. As the threads come together, it’s hard to put the book down.

Aector is a gentle giant who is almost too good to be true. He loves his wife and family and is dedicated to his job. In many respects, Trish, who has many conflicts, is the more interesting character. This book is a somewhat unique police procedural where character development is on a par with searching for the murderer.

I enjoyed the book. The plot has several threads and may seem confusing at first, but the author deftly weaves them together for a satisfying ending.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

A Lady Makes a Daring Escapes from an Insane Asylum

Desperately afraid of being caught after her escape from a private asylum, Adelaide Blake settles in Burning Cove, California. In the 1930s, Hollywood starts, gangsters, and money men visited the beautiful area and were in need of the herbal tonics Adelaide knows how to prepare.

She finds work in an herbal tea shop where she attracts regular customers for her hangover cures and other remedies. One of these is Madame Zolanda, billed as psychic to the stars. Adelaide doubts her claim to being a real psychic, but she’s a good customer, and Adelaide tries to please her.

JakeTruett, an attractive divorced man, is another favorite customer. He’s supposedly in Burning Cover getting a rest, but Adelaide suspects that there’s more to it. She enjoys his company and begins to think she’s falling for him and the attraction is mutual. At Madame Zolanda’s invitation, they attend one of her performances which ends in a dramatic prediction. Someone is going to die.

Beautiful setting, delightful characters, and a clever mystery make this another must read book by Amanda Quick. This is the second book in the Burning Cove series, but it can be read as a standalone novel. Some characters appear in both books, but Adelaide and Jake’s story is their own.

Jake and Amanda are likable characters. You can’t help but root for Adelaide after her escape from the asylum. The book is filled with suspense and danger. The plot moves quickly with plenty of twists to keep you wondering what will happen. The budding romance is a nice counterpoint to the action.

If you enjoy mysteries with great background and interesting characters, I recommend this book.

I received this book Berkley Publishing Group for this review.

Why can Humans Hit a Baseball?

It may seem pointless to ask why humans can hit a baseball. They’ve been hitting balls successfully for a long time. However, not all humans, including baseball players, are uniformly successful. When Michael Jordan tried to transfer his skills from basketball to baseball he ran up against a limitation. No matter how much he practiced his batting average was .200 or less. Jordan is a superb athlete so what made the difference? The answer lies in the body-brain connection.

That question got Jason Sherwin and Jordan Muraskin interested in developing a technique to look at how a batter processes information in the laboratory. They convinced a minor league team to let them test the players with the equipment they had developed and then used the information to track results in practice. Their neurological data was helping to pick good hitters.

Much of the book revolves around Sherwin and Muraskin and their startup deCervo. In the book, we get to know the two entrepreneurs. The story of their friendship and building the company gives a human element to what could be a rather dry scientific book.

In addition to following the work of deCervo, the author discusses other prominent researchers and their research interests. The book gets rather technical in some of these discussions, but it’s worth it to struggle through to learn new concepts. Studying the brain-body connection is in the front of neurological research today. Looking at the practical application in baseball is fascinating.

If you’re interesting in baseball and the brain-body connection, this is a great book.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.