Essays for the Highs and Lows of Life

 

This collection of previously published books is about how you can deal with both the highs and lows of life. These books are not new they have been around for many years and people in all stages of life have found meaning in them.

My favorite was “The Game of Life”. Life is full of curve balls just when things seems to be going well you may have a catastrophe or at least a major stumble. Shin points out that most things are either good or bad depending on how you perceive them. If we see life as more positive than negative it will change how we view our experiences. I found this very helpful.

I highly recommend this book if you’re struggling with the problems of life, but it’s also a good thing to read when life is going well to gain perspective for the future.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this book.

 

In this addition to the Mike Bowditch Game Warden series, Mike and his fiance Stacey Stevens are celebrating their engagement with his stepfather, his stepfather’s new wife, and Stacey’s parents at his father’s lake front home. The party is interrupted when a crash signals that a boat has hit something in the water. Investigating, Mike and Stacey find a dismembered arm floating in the water and a submerged body. This is the beginning of an investigation that involves a wealthy home owner, his current mistress, and her biker husband.

This is a fast paced thriller. Mike, as usual, finds himself in life threatening circumstances from which he almost miraculously escapes. Stacey is supportive, understanding Mike’s need to solve the crime in spite of the danger. Mike also continues to build his relationship with his step father and his new step mother.

The plot is intricate. It’s hard to guess who the murderer is until the very end, although there are hints along the way. I thoroughly enjoy this series. The atmosphere of the Maine woods is a nice change from the big city or suburbia where most police procedurals are set. Although the book is part of a long series, it’s fairly easy to catch up with the back story. I recommend it for fans of police procedurals.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this book to review.

Nice neighborhood: Not so Nice People

 

It’s an incredible find, a fixer-upper, but it’s in a beautiful neighborhood just minutes from downtown Washington DC. It’s a stretch for Alexis and Sam, but it’s the chance of a lifetime. It could be their forever home.

Sam and Alexis are young and successful. He’s about to make partner in a law firm. She’s a business consultant. They have one child and another on the way. It seems like a dream come true, and at first it is. They meet the next door neighbors, Teddy and Blair. Teddy seems like a really nice guy and Blair and Alexis hit it off. Then the unthinkable happens. Teddy is found dead on the neighborhood path and the police don’t think it’s an accident.

The novel is not fast paced. It takes place over several years and is told in alternating chapters by Alexis and Blair. The perspectives of the two women are well done and make the ending much more realistic. I can’t say that I liked the main characters. Alexis seemed to have her insecurities close to the surface. Maybe she doesn’t really belong in this wealthy neighborhood. She’s a scholarship kid, raised by a single mother, and her skin color is dark. I couldn’t like Sam at all. He was mean to Alexis when there was no reason to be so hurtful. They went into the house together, but when the repairs mount up, he blames her.

This is a well done plot, but if you’re interested in murder mysteries, this one is more of a character study.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this book.

Building a Life During WWII and After

 

Like many women during WWII, Hazel Francis left Kansas and moved to California to take a job in the aircraft industry. She was good at the mechanical tasks and earned promotions, but in 1946 when the men returned to take the jobs, she found herself unemployed.

With nothing to return to in Kansas Hazel takes a bus to Laguna Beach to look for work. She finds an ad for an artist’s assistant. She lands the job with Hanson Radcliff, a cranky well-know artist. She becomes close to him and learns about the incident that soured his life. Hazel also gets involved with the community and is well liked. One of the people who is important to her is Jimmy the bartender at the Laguna Beach Hotel. They become involved in a romantic relationship. It’s a satisfying life, but Hazel still has dreams of working with airplanes.

Hazel is a good character, independent and adaptable. Although her life changes several times, she adjusts and makes a success of her new opportunities. The historical aspect of the book focuses on how women, who were asked to play significant roles during the war, had to reshape their lives and goals when the men came home. I thought the author did a good job illustrating this transition with Hazel’s challenges.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this book.

A Puzzle that Draws You In

 

Mike Brink is a famous creator of puzzles. His ability to solve puzzles dates from a head injury that left him with this unusual talent. He suffers from acquired savant syndrome which gave him extraordinary cognitive abilities. Now he is being asked to use his ability to decipher puzzles to help Jess Price a woman accused of murdering her lover while staying in an eerie mansion.

Jess hasn’t spoken since the murder, but she has drawn puzzles. Her therapist believes that solving the latest extremely complex one can aid her recovery. Mike is fascinated not only by the puzzle, which is not an easy one to solve, but by the woman herself.

The book has multiple time lines and narrators. There are creepy mansions, strange porcelain dolls, and mysterious puzzles including the God Puzzle. The book is very well researched. I was fascinated by the amount of detail about puzzles and their construction.

The characters are interesting, but seem mainly to serve the plot. Mike Brink is a good character, but he is prinarily a person with a mission to decode a difficult puzzle. The transition between time lines works well. Although the book is long, it’s hard to put down and can give you a scare along the way. I recommend it if you enjoy Dan Brown type novels.

Thanks to Net Gallery and the publisher for this book.

Slavery and the American Catholic Church

In the 1800s, the Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to finance their most important mission which became Georgetown University. The author tells the story of these people by following the family of Ann Joice. She was an indentured servant, but when her master destroyed her papers, she became a slave. Some of her descendants like Harry Mahoney helped save lives and the church’s money in the War of 1812, but his descendants, two daughters Anna and Louisa, were sold into slavery. Through the author’s reporting members on the family were able to reconnect and share their story.

I found this story upsetting and difficult to read, but it’s part of the history of what happened to enslaved people and an important book. Although it’s difficult to think of the abuses of slavery as part of the history of the Catholic Church, it’s something that needs to be faced. The morality of slave holding was viewed differently in the 1800s, but it is still hard to understand how the church could preach the Bible and still rip families apart because they were viewed as possessions that could be disposed of.

This is a book that everyone concerned about the history of slavery in the US should read. It is well written and researched. The story is made more poignant because the author followed one family. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this book.

Desegregation in a Small Southern Town

 

In 1956 twelve black students attended the high school in Clinton Tennessee. Other towns in the country like Little Rock, Arkansas were covered in detail, but the events in Clinton were relatively unknown. Rachael Martin became interested in the Clinton High School’s desegregation when she was a graduate student. She remained interested in the story of the town eventually interviewing over sixty residents as well as the twelves students.

This is a sad and in some ways a brutal story with raciest actions, the KKK, beatings, and burning crosses. The story is filled with action, but for me it was hard to read about relatively normal townspeople becoming a vindictive mob.

I appreciated that the author looked at the events from the standpoint of the townspeople. They weren’t simple hatred filled people. They saw their way of life disappearing and lashed out. It is the history of a very sad time in our country. Martin’s research is outstanding and the story is told so that the average reader can appreciate the scholarship, and also understand the story.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this book.

A Fun Thriller Featuring Two Grifters

Summer and Leo, survivors of difficult childhoods, live together in a refurbished Land Cruiser. Summer is an experienced pick-pocket. She uses this skill to support them. Leo wants to do her share and decides on the long-con where she seduces rich men.

Leo meets a tech billionaire, Michael Forrester and succeeds in getting an invitation to his private island. She’s sure she’ll make a big score, jewelry to sell and possibly incriminating photos. Leo leaves with Michael promising to call the next day. When Summer doesn’t hear from her she decides to follow her to the island to make sure she’s all right, But she can’t find Leo and things on the island take a dark turn.

This is a fun thriller. The characters are well done. I particularly liked Summer. She’s a strong woman and a survivor. Leo is more subdued, but also interesting. The flashbacks throughout the novel give us insight into the girls’ backgrounds and increase our understand of their character. The plot is a bit fantastical, but it pulls you in making the book hard to put down. The pace is good It’s a little slow in the beginning, but picks up once the girls are on the island.

I recommend this for a good summer read if you enjoy thrillers.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

Mothers and Daughters Reveal Secrets at a Summer Wedding

 

Three women, mothers and daughters, come together in their island home on Martha’s Vineyard. The occasion is the wedding of grandmother, Cora, to Max, a man she was rumored to have feeling for during her marriage. Hedy, her daughter, is still grief stricken by the death of her beloved father, three years ago. Mickey, Hedy’s daughter, is a chef. She and her partner, also a chef, have a restaurant earning rave reviews, but due to Mickey’s mismanagement, the restaurant is in the red.

Summer on the island is full of clambakes, parties on the beach and relaxed living. Since both Cora and Mickey love to cook, the summer is also full of delicious food and the delights of cooking with someone you love. The story is told in two timelines. Cora’s story, which holds the plot in place, begins in 1948 with her recent marriage to Henry and her attempt to fit into his circle of friends. The 1999 timeline belongs to Mickey and her problems with the restaurant and her desire to work things out with her partner.

The book is an excellent beach read. You can feel the sun, smell the salt air and feel the sand between your toes. I thought the author did a good job presenting the delights of Martha’s Vineyard without taking away from the stories of the three women.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

An American Socialite in WWII Italy

 

A refuge from the dust bowl, Sally Brady, is abandoned by her parents in California and forced to earn her own living. Luckily she is adopted by a movie star, but reverses in the star’s life have them moving to Italy. There the star becomes a gossip columnist. Eventually Sally takes over writing the column. This is all light and frothy, but dark times are coming.

After Pearl Harbor, Mussolini expels Americans from Italy. Sally is caught up in the exodus, but not allowed to leave immediately because she is identified as a spy. She eventually is granted exit be convincing the authorities that she she is a reporter. Almost free, Sally gives up her place to help a Jew escape. Now she’s on the run in Italy.

She receives help from many people including Laco and his son. Laco is a writer married to and American. His son is against the Mussolini government, but being a young man he is forced to serve in the military Their stories are featured in the second half of the book.

The early part of the book is all fun. Sally is bright and always ready for a joke. I enjoyed this part. It is the contrast with the latter chapters that save the book from being too light. The second half of the book brings home the horrors of wartime in Italy. I recommend this book. The contrast will make you think.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

The Difficulties Faced by a Woman Entering a STEM field

 

As a child, Serafina loved watching the stars with her father and learning about the universe. Those nights gave her an intense desire to know more and eventually to become an astrophysicist. However, it wasn’t an easy road. Women are more accepted today in fields where science and math are important, but many girls are still told that science and math are too difficult for girls. Serafina persisted and her story is an inspiration for any young girl with a burning interest in science.

The book covers not only Serafina's early struggles, but the problems encountered in adult life from a cancer diagnoses to abuse by a partner. Through it all her desire to be herself is apparent. It’s an example of how to deal successfully with the many problems life throws at us.

Serafina starts each chapter with an exploration of the universe. These sections are written for a general audience and are appropriate for young readers although some of the later parts of the memoir are on topics that may be difficult for younger children to understand. I enjoyed this memoir and recommend it, particularly if you’re a woman planning a career in a STEM field.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

The Naivete of Summer Love

 

Seventeen-year-old Rachel and her friend Caroline were on the trip of a lifetime. They were nearly ready to return home when they visited a Greek Isle. The scenery was spectacular, but so were the lavish parties where drugs and alcohol were abundant. Then for Rachel, there was Alistair, a charismatic older man who she feel deeply in love with and has been unable to forget.

Now fifteen years later she is married to Tom, a mild man quite different from Alistair. Their marriage is rocky and this trip to the same Greek island is an attempt to see if it can be saved. On the island she reconnects with a girl she knew that fateful summer. The island brings memories and a desire to reconnect with Alistair, but not all the memories are good and Rachel’s life begins to unravel.

This debut novel addresses interesting issues of young love, manipulation, and memory. I did not like Rachel’s character. I thought she was a woman trapped in the romantic fantasies of a young girl. However, that was what made the plot of the story. She was still trapped and still making the same bad decisions she’s made as a teen.

The descriptions of the island are wonderful. In fact, I thought they were the best part of the book. The plot is suitably atmospheric with a building awareness that things are not exactly as Rachel remembers. The pace is good. If you enjoy psychological novels, you may enjoy this one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.