tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79643056653702544202024-03-16T14:53:16.134-04:00Bibliophile By the Sea(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.comBlogger3937125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-17977436734461202882023-10-07T21:10:00.007-04:002023-11-12T15:20:22.052-05:00What Happened to Summer?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIPFirvaNHU70ckmU_Wio1xXfPHplzL7Fl81Qb6wt1VXrhxRXls2f_t2lqEZlDXIEZQWmPM2Rzr152OoxM2Ujd7gAdUddc-QSYxfbFtfJy5vpbYkGWO6Y4wvc6359G6jWGimg5UmNUo1bkfhkXEh8lG8dnn5Fk-idRfVJMZ6N82oedStCz1fOYAPYNRv0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIPFirvaNHU70ckmU_Wio1xXfPHplzL7Fl81Qb6wt1VXrhxRXls2f_t2lqEZlDXIEZQWmPM2Rzr152OoxM2Ujd7gAdUddc-QSYxfbFtfJy5vpbYkGWO6Y4wvc6359G6jWGimg5UmNUo1bkfhkXEh8lG8dnn5Fk-idRfVJMZ6N82oedStCz1fOYAPYNRv0=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div>Hello out there - yes, it's been (4) months since I last posted and I totally missed summer. It wasn't much of a summer - rain, rain, rain and lots of hot weather and humidity when it didn't rain. I did seem to keep busy with yoga, some cardio an a bit of strength training and (2) book groups. I've also been catching up with friends which included seeing a best friend from junior high and high school that I hadn't seen in 50 years! She was here from Austin Texas; she moved there for her husband to attend grad school and they never came back once he got a job with the state. We had a wonderful time catching up. Where did those years go? The granddaughters are back in school of course (2) in 4th grade and (1) in 6th. <div><br /></div><div>I'm sorry I haven't read many of your blog posts in the last (4) months. I hope to spend much of Sunday catching up.<br /><div><br /></div><div>NEW OBSESSION: I spent the summer collecting plants - lots of indoor houseplants with Hoya plants being my latest obsession. There are some 500 varieties so this may be a bad addiction here LOL . I have about (30) now. Most I buy as 2" to 4" starter plants and, I was lucky enough to have one arrive in bloom even. They will keep me entertained this winter as I learn more about each variety. </div><div><br /></div><div>My reading has definitely taken a hit with this new hobby. In fact I didn't read a single book in August but, I few months I did well. You can find my 2023 update on the sidebar or below.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdNnu3jzfBeAggeeMVrAvl10RPVCwaBZS04p3XJOMQz3tIIs2-rkizlfdhED5q9jVve3GDSn11G0QRUqRT1lKrvVgatlaim92OfTfGtWh-7Cqu_qCXlDrPzrzky4CxHqrAFW_K-iOAjUWS_5_svDlhfUGpC8VWymGf627Ar_unCNHP1f46cPaKvvrGNhg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdNnu3jzfBeAggeeMVrAvl10RPVCwaBZS04p3XJOMQz3tIIs2-rkizlfdhED5q9jVve3GDSn11G0QRUqRT1lKrvVgatlaim92OfTfGtWh-7Cqu_qCXlDrPzrzky4CxHqrAFW_K-iOAjUWS_5_svDlhfUGpC8VWymGf627Ar_unCNHP1f46cPaKvvrGNhg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My Hoya Multiflora</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(<a href="https://vermonthoyas.com/hoya-l-m/hoya-multiflora/">Link to a full grown one</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are what some of the blooms look like but, it could take years for some to blossom. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiblB7uMtb7Q-RpOd9tlxEtmSxroE3oyPEBgeEUBJxrDTgRJcoV70e1hXTAwX0Mn7HZqSEbjADMIMPvT58xgE85yUS5y2Wv0R9EC0tjBYsc0uKJSXCEHEa5fvdnPyX61cPzB-DunMFzV79l8eQ6BzEmbMaFfq10h2Yh7g7Rpk7C8hM2oR8S8SRtMKY7Yuk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1140" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiblB7uMtb7Q-RpOd9tlxEtmSxroE3oyPEBgeEUBJxrDTgRJcoV70e1hXTAwX0Mn7HZqSEbjADMIMPvT58xgE85yUS5y2Wv0R9EC0tjBYsc0uKJSXCEHEa5fvdnPyX61cPzB-DunMFzV79l8eQ6BzEmbMaFfq10h2Yh7g7Rpk7C8hM2oR8S8SRtMKY7Yuk=w400-h393" width="400" /></a></div> <div> <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1105680398/mixed-hoya-variety-seeds?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_ps-e-home_and_living-outdoor_and_garden-planters_and_pots-indoor_planters&utm_custom1=_k_CjwKCAjwg4SpBhAKEiwAdyLwvJUPUrA9XdHWhmU2SUn784_6gwFzxMjh_OHeAUVsiBWY4ZvKqnEzKxoCiIMQAvD_BwE_k_&utm_content=go_12567675501_120800537978_507300277181_pla-371220264397_c__1105680398_12768591&utm_custom2=12567675501&gclid=CjwKCAjwg4SpBhAKEiwAdyLwvJUPUrA9XdHWhmU2SUn784_6gwFzxMjh_OHeAUVsiBWY4ZvKqnEzKxoCiIMQAvD_BwE">Photo Credit</a><p><br /></p><li style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge_rEKJOCm3ZU-g28H3jzQIIFoncxpUcnKYtCIjTRiNJY55CMaY_g_kogN7Tqrek5vH2_G_pmCxxj7Bs2F1uYO6iyhqhm71MkKwcz1VueB8ic-EtUzlqBRm-uql1zOD3_76dOAOs59PimZOniLKW7Ne6XsXEAU1LYVKCdG1x4XLioLVO9qduYez0HA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge_rEKJOCm3ZU-g28H3jzQIIFoncxpUcnKYtCIjTRiNJY55CMaY_g_kogN7Tqrek5vH2_G_pmCxxj7Bs2F1uYO6iyhqhm71MkKwcz1VueB8ic-EtUzlqBRm-uql1zOD3_76dOAOs59PimZOniLKW7Ne6XsXEAU1LYVKCdG1x4XLioLVO9qduYez0HA" width="240" /></a></li><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard;"><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60588433">Night Shif</a>t; Robin Cook - audio - 4/5 stars (January)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40046077-women-talking">Women Talking</a>; Miriam Toews - audio - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27362503-it-ends-with-us">It Ends with Us;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Colleen Hoover - 4audio - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62917567-the-levee">The Levee</a>: a novella; William Kent Krueger - audio - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2013/05/looking-for-me-beth-hoffman.html">Looking for Me</a>; Beth Hoffman (reread for book group) - 5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60839440">Ms. Demeanor</a>; Elinor Lipman - audio - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/594500/rough-sleepers-by-tracy-kidder/">Rough Sleepers</a>: Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People; Tracey Kidder - NF/audio - 4.5.5 stars - February</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56382369-the-stolen-lady?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=i9JbZkWJMc&rank=1">The Stolen Lady;<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></a>Laurea Morelli - 3.5/5 stars (audio) book group read February</li><li style="text-align: justify;">T<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620332-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo">he Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Taylor Jenkins Reid - 3/5 stars - (book group) March</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58774738">The Couple at Number 9</a>; Claire Douglas - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61771675">Hello, Beautiful;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Ann Napolitano - 4.5/5 stars (April)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55711683">The Forest of Va</a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60913577">nishing Stars; Kristin Harmel - 4.5/5 stars (book group)</a></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60913577">The Half Moon</a>; Mary Beth Keane - 3.5/5 stars (audio) (May)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59912428-mad-honey">Mad Honey;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan - 5/5 stars (print/audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-kind-worth-saving-peter-swanson?variant=40515122987042">The Kind Worth Saving</a>; Peter Swanson - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.blackstonelibrary.com/the-soulmate?sp=426662">Soulmate</a>; Sally Hepworth - 4.5/5 stars - (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/696556/the-house-in-the-pines-by-ana-reyes/">The House in the Pines</a>; Ana Reyes - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123276443-a-house-with-good-bones">A House with Good Bones;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>T. Kingfisher - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/149638085-gone-tonight">Gone Tonight</a>; Sarah Pekkanen - 5/5 stars - audio (June) </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609326-what-comes-next-and-how-to-like-it">What Comes Next & How to Like It (</a>NF); Abigail Thomas - 4/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60611726-finding-me">Finding Me (memoir)</a>; Viola Davis - 5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59808037-how-not-to-drown-in-a-glass-of-water">How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water</a>; Angie Cruz (audio) 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61812308-small-mercies">Small Mercies</a>; Dennis Lehane - (audio) 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62357986-the-bird-hotel">The Bird Hotel</a>; Joyce Maynard - (audio) 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54809001-sunflower-sisters">Sunflower Sisters;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Martha Hall Kelly (book group- June) - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62699619-central-park-west">Central Park West;</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>James Comey - (audio) - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62873937-the-five-star-weekend">The Five Star Weekend</a>; Elin Hilderbrand - (audio) 4.5/5 stars (July)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61986136-the-guest">The Guest</a>; Emma Cline - (audio) 3/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58214328-what-my-bones-know">What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(NF); Stephanie Foo - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61271802-the-people-s-hospital">The People's Hospital: Hope & Peril in America</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(NF); Ricardo Nulia - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159108784-the-collected-regrets-of-clover">The Collective Regrets of Clover</a>; Nikki Brammer (audio) - 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79328894-how-to-sell-a-haunted-house">How to Sell a Haunted House</a>; Grady Hendrix - (audio) 2/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62874245-the-drowning-woman">The Drowning Woman</a>; Robyn Harding - (audio) 4/5 stars (September)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60657583-lucy-by-the-sea?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=BzhzkTFERc&rank=1">Lucy By the Sea</a>; Elizabeth Strout (reread - book group Sept)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241104-tom-lake">Tom Lake</a>; Ann Patchett (audio) 4.5/5 stars (October)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35995490-the-extraordinary-life-of-sam-hell">The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell;</a> Robert Dugong 4.5/5 stars - (Oct Bookgroup)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128496717-happiness-falls">Happiness Falls;</a> Angie Kim (audio - 3.5/5 stars - Oct</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Holly; Stephen King (current read - Nov)</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Ordinary Grace; William Kent Kruger - (current bookgroup read - Nov)</li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard;"><ul style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fiction - 30</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Non Fiction - 7</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Children's Books - </span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Print Books (includes ARCS) (my shelves) - </span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Print Books (library) - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eBooks/eGalleys (my shelves) -</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eBooks (library) -</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobooks (my shelves) - 6</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobooks (library) - 29</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Combo (read/listens) - 1</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Female Authors - 30</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Male Authors - 8</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">January Books Read - 6</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">February Books Read - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">March - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">April - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">May - 5</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">June - 8</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">July - 6</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">August - 0</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sept - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oct - 3</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nov - </span></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><b>DNF - </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><b>We Should Not Be Friends; Will Schwalbe -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>abandoned at 27% wasn't holding my interest (May)</span></span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;">The Book of Goose; Yiyun Li - audio abandoned at about 30% - couldn't connect with story (May)</span></span></li></ol></div></div></div></div></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-63973244461817774082023-06-04T13:58:00.001-04:002023-06-04T13:58:39.501-04:00Weekly Update - What I'm Reading<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAJ7PuqEdQ8XW28QL73EGw3civD3berc0Ylh8k7IVQfeGxlVPZn8BftylCNRLdf6QHt30FRXPeKnjbK1btUbjzdGLDnvAwAmX3GVRVBNoXe9cwamyCn7QX37MctZ-X1y4oyhqxTxDBeUubVtnZAZxoMqPhYDiJ0YoPCyRK7pdOMXwvb0eH4xzag3R/s400/WeekInReview2018-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="400" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAJ7PuqEdQ8XW28QL73EGw3civD3berc0Ylh8k7IVQfeGxlVPZn8BftylCNRLdf6QHt30FRXPeKnjbK1btUbjzdGLDnvAwAmX3GVRVBNoXe9cwamyCn7QX37MctZ-X1y4oyhqxTxDBeUubVtnZAZxoMqPhYDiJ0YoPCyRK7pdOMXwvb0eH4xzag3R/s320/WeekInReview2018-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, I hoped to get a post in during the week but it just never happened. The week flew by and it was a good kind of busy. Monday was a family get together at my son and DIL's house in the country. Plenty of good food and laughs and the weather was perfect. Everyone had a great time and it was nice to see how the (3) cousins, now 8,9 and 11 amused themselves. I also got together with (2) friends during the week which was so nice as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did manage to finish (2) books:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiseA80c4hbk8cLUVAObeRfMiqL_hHGWQ_LdiYwH_HPL1M_mOLIQPSxG2uuh23hYfO5nK2q9fdYPn3EII2MNrCIvFL_lK6qGfqRPpq4-WsMG4WSLsQCf0ta5GETWfm7m6tScR1USJfRQHGn59i86v9DyqS-UgNFqubj_XNZl25NfLTKeEkLNdxhInd_" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="722" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiseA80c4hbk8cLUVAObeRfMiqL_hHGWQ_LdiYwH_HPL1M_mOLIQPSxG2uuh23hYfO5nK2q9fdYPn3EII2MNrCIvFL_lK6qGfqRPpq4-WsMG4WSLsQCf0ta5GETWfm7m6tScR1USJfRQHGn59i86v9DyqS-UgNFqubj_XNZl25NfLTKeEkLNdxhInd_" width="159" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60784409">A House with Good Bones</a>; T. Kingfisher</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tor Nightfire - 2023 (library download)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Summer Reading List)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3.5/5 stars</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz9MwwoE18kOwvbGvkLjR8Wc_aD8GeOokxwxI1gcfXidlcwk9_35PVw3HW-89tyUm_UK4lZjUIz41nRCMSSZg9kdOAc93FvPd4HK_Up90GlUxivBLwiJqoIn291FKtwjSJ91VwQMWRwcaOPx_npcuaMzyzFP_L_MOCvj21aP_IGM8A6ujUVmdv-ge8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="344" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz9MwwoE18kOwvbGvkLjR8Wc_aD8GeOokxwxI1gcfXidlcwk9_35PVw3HW-89tyUm_UK4lZjUIz41nRCMSSZg9kdOAc93FvPd4HK_Up90GlUxivBLwiJqoIn291FKtwjSJ91VwQMWRwcaOPx_npcuaMzyzFP_L_MOCvj21aP_IGM8A6ujUVmdv-ge8" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61884937">Gone Tonight;</a> Sarah Pekkanen</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Macmillan Audio - 2023 (NetGalley)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4.5/5 stars</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>What I'm Reading Now</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnBYnxAmrYRGmXWydN1IVjIt-w7byOHD3G_fQM2rPerRASzC491suHyGssUVFm6YylogbvUYe5Hl9h-rVcVHd36UfZxhlMRN1pnVw7qc47A9UhwlPCFOmQ3f9lV56cmEu-_y2KuUSJ-xbmD1To_F0_1UF5J3Zvce7T96k4RPHWxxjbb8l5IklHJeZ/s400/what-comes-next-and-how-to-like-it-9781476785066_lg.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnBYnxAmrYRGmXWydN1IVjIt-w7byOHD3G_fQM2rPerRASzC491suHyGssUVFm6YylogbvUYe5Hl9h-rVcVHd36UfZxhlMRN1pnVw7qc47A9UhwlPCFOmQ3f9lV56cmEu-_y2KuUSJ-xbmD1To_F0_1UF5J3Zvce7T96k4RPHWxxjbb8l5IklHJeZ/s320/what-comes-next-and-how-to-like-it-9781476785066_lg.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Comes-Next-How-Like/dp/1476785066">What Comes Next and How to Like it;</a> Abigail Thomas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">( a memoir)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simon & Schuster - 2016 (library)<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0mvTkWEcbzi1CmGT3378LNNZjiYAjlxd3U47G3ihtFaSTy3lPasPjJtSDho3MKIQpKwxnTJmrSpXNO9gLHoJTxHzuDIek129qmVZwGCYqrgOLdr8c3uPId0B2BJT7qurO4ZHo29AACf9dWXtOw7TaMw-A6fuRzRhAYqqthYr7aMW_Be00bmHl9FLh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0mvTkWEcbzi1CmGT3378LNNZjiYAjlxd3U47G3ihtFaSTy3lPasPjJtSDho3MKIQpKwxnTJmrSpXNO9gLHoJTxHzuDIek129qmVZwGCYqrgOLdr8c3uPId0B2BJT7qurO4ZHo29AACf9dWXtOw7TaMw-A6fuRzRhAYqqthYr7aMW_Be00bmHl9FLh" width="154" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59808037">How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water;</a> Angie Cruz</div><div style="text-align: center;">Flatiron Books - 2022 (library)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Plans for the Week</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Since I haven't reviewed ANY of the books I've read in 2023, my goal for this week is to post mini reviews for at least (5) of the 19 books I've read so far this year.</li><li>Lunch with a few of my bookish friends on Wednesday</li><li>Final eye checkin on Thursday</li><li>Lunch with my SIL on Friday</li></ul><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">How was your week?</span></b></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-31185335799499835622023-05-27T07:00:00.001-04:002023-05-27T12:25:19.536-04:00It's Been a While - A Bit of Life and Books<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2lZXGi050wFD53b6tGonb_4_1xio_6XnG-GvK8SfaCtnIaw-ma5AlwQwcnyqcZ1jVr0PVR4NovGduaxkhNrJV6RW_0n0cnvwZkoGAM_8x-sCNMzLg14n4EFZg7_9OH0U6OFkeUtchBcw_1yqUTeXF8cZmRU3YcWw6eD1YxXuft6I_nLP0Cd0edzR/s296/Memorial-Day.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="296" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2lZXGi050wFD53b6tGonb_4_1xio_6XnG-GvK8SfaCtnIaw-ma5AlwQwcnyqcZ1jVr0PVR4NovGduaxkhNrJV6RW_0n0cnvwZkoGAM_8x-sCNMzLg14n4EFZg7_9OH0U6OFkeUtchBcw_1yqUTeXF8cZmRU3YcWw6eD1YxXuft6I_nLP0Cd0edzR/s1600/Memorial-Day.jpeg" width="296" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hello Out There, how are all of you doing? Do you have any plans for Memorial Day weekend?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend my son is having a cookout and the weather all weekend is supposed to be beautiful. So looking forward to getting together as 2023 hasn't been a great year for our family. Well to be perfectly honest, the past (14) months have been terrible, so blogging and reading have taken a back seat. Without getting too specific, I'll just say there has been illness, treatments and even a death in our family. I also lost my vision but fortunately (2) surgeries and lots of prayers has resulted in new and unbelievably improved eyesight.. It was really awful, not being able to read the iPad, computer and books. I wasn't even being able to read the license plate on the car in front of me, but now I'm safe on the road as are other drivers. I am fortunate in many ways but, life feels different these days. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I haven't been reading much (just 17 books this year) but, I'm slowly getting back. I haven't been to yoga in months but hope to resume that in June as I wasn't supposed to do a lot of bending up till now. Thank goodness for family, friends, pets and other book lovers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been sticking close to home and am grateful spring has sprung and summer will soon be here. I've been buying lots of plants for the deck as well as indoor houseplants. Of course, I've had to research non toxic plants as one of our two cats is a leaf lover. I've scared him off from the hanging plants by placing a tiny wind chime in each - he hates the sound :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel like I've missed out on keeping up with even the latest book releases and what has been going on in your lives but, I'm slowly trying to remedy that. Not sure how much posting I'll be doing but, I'm trying to get back into comfortable routines. <b>Have you read any good books lately?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't going to make a summer reading list but, then I decided it might be good for me even if I don't complete it. So here are the books that caught my eye:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1M8Q_5b97BqG14FOB-L0avSRb7gfSW0QF-5UE9pkbeOKyYp41by_xF74v6lN1DFVaFN6_uwAD3L170sW_HDJMvKclKwiwF0VxsNyirbw98DxIegvGyMExuOm0bDNY729SPgYn3zmTkKHz9thuINQEIgdbFK7AM5yaoPiSgFVXhyLTYz9AWr36l3V3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1M8Q_5b97BqG14FOB-L0avSRb7gfSW0QF-5UE9pkbeOKyYp41by_xF74v6lN1DFVaFN6_uwAD3L170sW_HDJMvKclKwiwF0VxsNyirbw98DxIegvGyMExuOm0bDNY729SPgYn3zmTkKHz9thuINQEIgdbFK7AM5yaoPiSgFVXhyLTYz9AWr36l3V3" width="276" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZb3L0QdZT4T04O6LNpIE5SX23b3REy_bcAgkS9Qpc1v6E6vD1gUuuitVyV7yTyTCKf0C2FMaYoV8muog_fPEa4Cq5hQziFrBwP8zXC75AdT3XLEP2xi7dSI8qmiCILAe4APjexL1QQu-D7w6oOQexpFWJY7agtTbGKLMDLrl3peqisLOfupfRn9d1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZb3L0QdZT4T04O6LNpIE5SX23b3REy_bcAgkS9Qpc1v6E6vD1gUuuitVyV7yTyTCKf0C2FMaYoV8muog_fPEa4Cq5hQziFrBwP8zXC75AdT3XLEP2xi7dSI8qmiCILAe4APjexL1QQu-D7w6oOQexpFWJY7agtTbGKLMDLrl3peqisLOfupfRn9d1" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/107525257-gull-island">Gull Island</a>, Anna Porter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simon & Schuster 9/2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitdFVhe2fOXKvQtUjcC7PkfAAXMwh4_UnQ1cSMP3puX2sD-wIdsX99HVEYk9j_2QjDTsJtzrU8OOcbf657-LyaHoMwNwKTSMo79x5SMJvNV-WTTRuZKTmpmU8b9ij2Zj6ib3GtiRZG5ZKB_t_BzVCmCo-PzBdWv1npt5emZmyTugccDcTrfm61wV_f" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitdFVhe2fOXKvQtUjcC7PkfAAXMwh4_UnQ1cSMP3puX2sD-wIdsX99HVEYk9j_2QjDTsJtzrU8OOcbf657-LyaHoMwNwKTSMo79x5SMJvNV-WTTRuZKTmpmU8b9ij2Zj6ib3GtiRZG5ZKB_t_BzVCmCo-PzBdWv1npt5emZmyTugccDcTrfm61wV_f" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58214328-what-my-bones-know?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2u6nPF8GhW&rank=1">What My Bones Know: a memoir</a>; Stephanie Foo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ballantine Books - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilM6NTRT85uzdSgtHjsgeO1L3wBwndsk4s5VChonX4HsYFRzAZS0MKs9zZiGk-4HZtoY8cDLT64JFLSdAs-73ZKiwScqOVFl9sRTVwzR7jwJbcRopvnYtfEQxxDPtVR1j2zO4LXZPopTASmC2YKvrqzXfpRkYUGl_qKjfFMhvax24Gz4ihcGHsl4XO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="636" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilM6NTRT85uzdSgtHjsgeO1L3wBwndsk4s5VChonX4HsYFRzAZS0MKs9zZiGk-4HZtoY8cDLT64JFLSdAs-73ZKiwScqOVFl9sRTVwzR7jwJbcRopvnYtfEQxxDPtVR1j2zO4LXZPopTASmC2YKvrqzXfpRkYUGl_qKjfFMhvax24Gz4ihcGHsl4XO" width="153" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.europaeditions.com/book/9781609458430/barbara-isn-t-dying">Barbara Isn't Dying</a>; Alina Bronsky</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Europa Editions 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKEPLdfdTWYh5s-iUM6kOMi5qOfIGm6tQ4LlfZF7iynAyaWI-GhnrvPFRvao2MxK2wx-tVlZYRFT9Xukl_QNCVE7JcqZ6Bgxhw1P2jePv_7H1QzimCwypoJKD_44je1vZyRy4k3btemB2FwQby3KYrfjuYfQCImrA7YJa353hmSZ4BjkHl9y3hfTT1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKEPLdfdTWYh5s-iUM6kOMi5qOfIGm6tQ4LlfZF7iynAyaWI-GhnrvPFRvao2MxK2wx-tVlZYRFT9Xukl_QNCVE7JcqZ6Bgxhw1P2jePv_7H1QzimCwypoJKD_44je1vZyRy4k3btemB2FwQby3KYrfjuYfQCImrA7YJa353hmSZ4BjkHl9y3hfTT1" width="158" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60784605">Maame</a>, Jessica George</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">St. Martin's Press - 2023</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgCS70GRaLB84Z5dU-xgf90-CST3GUff7L6_GrmvjhPDg4wBQ0tzuT3DQVI-bMrY08-qqxcQGdiVTLhfHNpEaGeLDxE1OiPOC1kT_aBm1XU5kjSktvo34l4FXKkHTDrI8dJ95rK5n6NXVq2JWOybvvc6GGK14o-g_76ELDhSch-RgbvFkkQlL8EDUe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgCS70GRaLB84Z5dU-xgf90-CST3GUff7L6_GrmvjhPDg4wBQ0tzuT3DQVI-bMrY08-qqxcQGdiVTLhfHNpEaGeLDxE1OiPOC1kT_aBm1XU5kjSktvo34l4FXKkHTDrI8dJ95rK5n6NXVq2JWOybvvc6GGK14o-g_76ELDhSch-RgbvFkkQlL8EDUe" width="160" /></a></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62196711-in-a-quiet-town?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=mFwmihxN6t&rank=1">In a Quiet Town</a>, Amber Garza</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">mira - August 2023<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59808037-how-not-to-drown-in-a-glass-of-water?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=iY0arzvVvr&rank=1"><img alt="" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4iI2oK8jMn23cOyzUiUUOXJwSBIfVHuHfh115yeeIB3cO2mOchCjpnBzdZeOPMPbAPHPtMFdFGrQU7LnUAx9t0YdMmYGbEoGjy-KxyTA4R4rEmMCFGVtsxSc5FIlGs67xoYq2oXK9RN8kIpeeV_R5XGTRMJDplVhyckwIWCEv9in9oUkhYfI7Dp-C" width="154" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59808037-how-not-to-drown-in-a-glass-of-water?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=iY0arzvVvr&rank=1">How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water</a>; Angie Cruz</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Flatiron Books - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbptMFiuWmhiTc9LyNSMiEwxKrcq-5YPMXR7H46tXJiOjb8NN8OoKd8HJA0VBRyJ42_d4tOl68ErF6BzwweK34swj1nl1l58xxZEm9z7uIK-Am1FM49Mu3D0UV9JeAptiBI8lilb1mfSp6W5wxqvPLPL1qCT8f_ewuNoYKp-W-0BBkVB7TUOuW_8t3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1701" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbptMFiuWmhiTc9LyNSMiEwxKrcq-5YPMXR7H46tXJiOjb8NN8OoKd8HJA0VBRyJ42_d4tOl68ErF6BzwweK34swj1nl1l58xxZEm9z7uIK-Am1FM49Mu3D0UV9JeAptiBI8lilb1mfSp6W5wxqvPLPL1qCT8f_ewuNoYKp-W-0BBkVB7TUOuW_8t3" width="159" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784409-a-house-with-good-bones?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pO53yKDLEw&rank=1">A House with Good Bones;</a> T. Kingfisher</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tor Nightfire - 2023</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgozRUUUibzIyzbpI1cNkHpdgxmU7UxWfNxrnF-zhn2B8AadAwokheLpQUmBOgYSM6F3OaOgt3Am5snuqhmX_YGhfDlOYunRFI8NnvCTXU5KSuN1lhKtVJZg-OKM-hkc42auDiHWWgpe6pGYs8GoG-R8ZY26vCYtmoqOBZ12rPFtLaLNqBH6kHzPGG5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgozRUUUibzIyzbpI1cNkHpdgxmU7UxWfNxrnF-zhn2B8AadAwokheLpQUmBOgYSM6F3OaOgt3Am5snuqhmX_YGhfDlOYunRFI8NnvCTXU5KSuN1lhKtVJZg-OKM-hkc42auDiHWWgpe6pGYs8GoG-R8ZY26vCYtmoqOBZ12rPFtLaLNqBH6kHzPGG5" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62357986-the-bird-hotel?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=W9AuY2v0TV&rank=1">The Bird Hotel</a>; Joyce Maynard</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Arcade - May 2023</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL4IZvqXGNvsaoAG1YY6DFyrWWyKQEMuAjpNYgfS8iQyBoA4YkXt2skg_9XcqmSpBLc7n4OuQlAn1Cx3j6c2LgGgTJgJuWTI3Xkhp5sjom-896D7mCYI-Lx08BKG1cg80A3BJxYc-tEwbFUYcffAeJSnjR3QBg2h5hkaKPV3cgbB7Jj7yOv0wFSQiR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="161" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL4IZvqXGNvsaoAG1YY6DFyrWWyKQEMuAjpNYgfS8iQyBoA4YkXt2skg_9XcqmSpBLc7n4OuQlAn1Cx3j6c2LgGgTJgJuWTI3Xkhp5sjom-896D7mCYI-Lx08BKG1cg80A3BJxYc-tEwbFUYcffAeJSnjR3QBg2h5hkaKPV3cgbB7Jj7yOv0wFSQiR" width="156" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60192876-maureen?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=9bEZ5kItOz&rank=1">Maureen</a>, Rachel Joyce</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dial Press - 2023</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixxDDzRVmnizt-6Tu17aI6s4XLC03KjszKxFubRlJ8nUezt4-VHvAfcqA26HRqV-MKatzcTcdVn9h0R3C99-ROuWTlwRW124kUktrUoAtbcXyq0a-BNX2cSwK2SeCLeepkxMbp7WSMp03TVwLpNHWsewRBgVIBA9jvme8tSzJ9GjthjxOYpoJ3Se0N" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixxDDzRVmnizt-6Tu17aI6s4XLC03KjszKxFubRlJ8nUezt4-VHvAfcqA26HRqV-MKatzcTcdVn9h0R3C99-ROuWTlwRW124kUktrUoAtbcXyq0a-BNX2cSwK2SeCLeepkxMbp7WSMp03TVwLpNHWsewRBgVIBA9jvme8tSzJ9GjthjxOYpoJ3Se0N" width="159" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241104-tom-lake?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=ZtB8p29fWX&rank=1">Tom Lake</a>, Ann Patchett</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Harper - August 2023</div></div></div><br /><b> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Have any of my picks made you TBR list?</b><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Remember......</span><br /></b><p></p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBxUbaxAdE3yfm0x5GTH7kmjKwnks4zVu5vThJ09yIh7gkyc1JHiDQCmDGNmPf0wAbMYClyEBsdwEIUZPmehTRrtk2spJ7I8zydxauMoocgj9np4Qk28vLdgkfOiKkctbrLNJgsb_BDws851hpf9W5QC0w-175wXaHRIDx5n5XYsLD8VCub4iF7jw/s300/images-8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBxUbaxAdE3yfm0x5GTH7kmjKwnks4zVu5vThJ09yIh7gkyc1JHiDQCmDGNmPf0wAbMYClyEBsdwEIUZPmehTRrtk2spJ7I8zydxauMoocgj9np4Qk28vLdgkfOiKkctbrLNJgsb_BDws851hpf9W5QC0w-175wXaHRIDx5n5XYsLD8VCub4iF7jw/s1600/images-8.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-24603717735747696862023-01-07T19:54:00.022-05:002024-01-01T18:37:49.471-05:00Books Read in 2023<p></p><li style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge_rEKJOCm3ZU-g28H3jzQIIFoncxpUcnKYtCIjTRiNJY55CMaY_g_kogN7Tqrek5vH2_G_pmCxxj7Bs2F1uYO6iyhqhm71MkKwcz1VueB8ic-EtUzlqBRm-uql1zOD3_76dOAOs59PimZOniLKW7Ne6XsXEAU1LYVKCdG1x4XLioLVO9qduYez0HA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge_rEKJOCm3ZU-g28H3jzQIIFoncxpUcnKYtCIjTRiNJY55CMaY_g_kogN7Tqrek5vH2_G_pmCxxj7Bs2F1uYO6iyhqhm71MkKwcz1VueB8ic-EtUzlqBRm-uql1zOD3_76dOAOs59PimZOniLKW7Ne6XsXEAU1LYVKCdG1x4XLioLVO9qduYez0HA" width="240" /></a></li> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60588433">Night Shif</a>t; Robin Cook - audio - 4/5 stars (January)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40046077-women-talking">Women Talking</a>; Miriam Toews - audio - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27362503-it-ends-with-us">It Ends with Us;</a> Colleen Hoover - 4audio - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62917567-the-levee">The Levee</a>: a novella; William Kent Krueger - audio - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2013/05/looking-for-me-beth-hoffman.html">Looking for Me</a>; Beth Hoffman (reread for book group) - 5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60839440">Ms. Demeanor</a>; Elinor Lipman - audio - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/594500/rough-sleepers-by-tracy-kidder/">Rough Sleepers</a>: Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People; Tracey Kidder - NF/audio - 4.5.5 stars - February</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56382369-the-stolen-lady?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=i9JbZkWJMc&rank=1">The Stolen Lady; </a>Laurea Morelli - 3.5/5 stars (audio) book group read February</li><li style="text-align: justify;">T<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620332-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo">he Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo;</a> Taylor Jenkins Reid - 3/5 stars - (book group) March</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58774738">The Couple at Number 9</a>; Claire Douglas - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61771675">Hello, Beautiful;</a> Ann Napolitano - 4.5/5 stars (April)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55711683">The Forest of Va</a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60913577">nishing Stars; Kristin Harmel - 4.5/5 stars (book group)</a></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60913577">The Half Moon</a>; Mary Beth Keane - 3.5/5 stars (audio) (May)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59912428-mad-honey">Mad Honey;</a> Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan - 5/5 stars (print/audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-kind-worth-saving-peter-swanson?variant=40515122987042">The Kind Worth Saving</a>; Peter Swanson - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.blackstonelibrary.com/the-soulmate?sp=426662">Soulmate</a>; Sally Hepworth - 4.5/5 stars - (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/696556/the-house-in-the-pines-by-ana-reyes/">The House in the Pines</a>; Ana Reyes - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123276443-a-house-with-good-bones">A House with Good Bones;</a> T. Kingfisher - 3.5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/149638085-gone-tonight">Gone Tonight</a>; Sarah Pekkanen - 5/5 stars - audio (June) </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609326-what-comes-next-and-how-to-like-it">What Comes Next & How to Like It (</a>NF); Abigail Thomas - 4/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60611726-finding-me">Finding Me (memoir)</a>; Viola Davis - 5/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59808037-how-not-to-drown-in-a-glass-of-water">How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water</a>; Angie Cruz (audio) 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61812308-small-mercies">Small Mercies</a>; Dennis Lehane - (audio) 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62357986-the-bird-hotel">The Bird Hotel</a>; Joyce Maynard - (audio) 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54809001-sunflower-sisters">Sunflower Sisters;</a> Martha Hall Kelly (book group- June) - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62699619-central-park-west">Central Park West;</a> James Comey - (audio) - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62873937-the-five-star-weekend">The Five Star Weekend</a>; Elin Hilderbrand - (audio) 4.5/5 stars (July)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61986136-the-guest">The Guest</a>; Emma Cline - (audio) 3/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58214328-what-my-bones-know">What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing</a> (NF); Stephanie Foo - 3.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61271802-the-people-s-hospital">The People's Hospital: Hope & Peril in America</a> (NF); Ricardo Nulia - 4/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159108784-the-collected-regrets-of-clover">The Collective Regrets of Clover</a>; Nikki Brammer (audio) - 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79328894-how-to-sell-a-haunted-house">How to Sell a Haunted House</a>; Grady Hendrix - (audio) 2/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62874245-the-drowning-woman">The Drowning Woman</a>; Robyn Harding - (audio) 4/5 stars (September)</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The Measure, Nikki Erich (reread- book group)</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Lucy By the Sea; Elizabeth Strout (reread - book group Sept)</li><li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241104-tom-lake">Tom Lake</a>; Ann Patchett (audio) 4.5/5 stars (October)</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell; Robert Dugong (current read - Oct Bookgroup)</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Happiness Falls; Angie Kim (audio) 3.5/5 stars </li><li style="text-align: justify;">Holly, Stephen King (audio) 3.5/5 stars November</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Metamorphosis, Kafka - 4/5 stars (audio)</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Beyond that, the Sea, Laura Spencer-Ash (book group) - 4/5 stars </li><li style="text-align: justify;">So Late in the Day, Claire Keegan - 4/5 stars December</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Elon Musk, Walter Isaccson - NF/Bio/audio - 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;">One of Our Own, Lucinda Berry - audio 4.5/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;">A Dream Life, Claire Messud - 3/5 stars</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The Mystery Guest, Nita Prose 4/5 stars (audio)</li></ol><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ul style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fiction - 38</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Non Fiction - 8</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Children's Books - </span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Print Books (includes ARCS) (my shelves) - </span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Print Books (library) - 5</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eBooks/eGalleys (my shelves) -</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eBooks (library) -</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobooks (my shelves) - 9</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobooks (library) - 35</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Combo (read/listens) - 4</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Female Authors - 34</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Male Authors - 11</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">January Books Read - 6</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">February Books Read - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">March - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">April - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">May - 5</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">June - 8</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">July - 6</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">August - 0</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sept - 2</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oct - 3</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nov - 3</span></li><li style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dec - 5</span></li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><b>DNF - </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><b>We Should Not Be Friends; Will Schwalbe - </b>abandoned at 27% wasn't holding my interest (May)</span></span></li><li><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;">The Book of Goose; Yiyun Li - audio abandoned at about 30% - couldn't connect with story (May)</span></span></li></ol></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2571628433760630076" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 762.255px;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ol style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 3em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear; vertical-align: baseline;"></ol></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-40094438992601809542023-01-01T10:37:00.002-05:002023-01-01T10:37:35.052-05:00Here's to a Better 2023 and Favorite Reads of 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrt1Yywxmb5jas7F8dhp28T0jtxc8oWTFaV2S70yl5BtknJS0_GhJviyXBIFaj9oXCrItAglCaH37Yo2R6YYW9zhgtv6WQ3vh38sRdZdpuaxUGCpV4sVl5fyNWKe6Yx0RxLjAIKdTMQJrlX5h_JsVQ3-NM4AtJzW7bPL512lGYNWDNfTsBQjipcxI/s1200/happy-new-year-2023.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrt1Yywxmb5jas7F8dhp28T0jtxc8oWTFaV2S70yl5BtknJS0_GhJviyXBIFaj9oXCrItAglCaH37Yo2R6YYW9zhgtv6WQ3vh38sRdZdpuaxUGCpV4sVl5fyNWKe6Yx0RxLjAIKdTMQJrlX5h_JsVQ3-NM4AtJzW7bPL512lGYNWDNfTsBQjipcxI/s320/happy-new-year-2023.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hello all! Please forgive my abrupt disappearance from the blog (and life in general.) 2022 has not been a kind year for our household. One bad thing after another and it even meant ringing out 2022 with my first case of COVID...Day 3 of isolation here. Here is to a much better 2023. I'm not planning on too much blogging at least the first several months of the year due to vision issues. I'm having some laser surgery in February and then need cataract surgery in both eyes as well. I've been just listening to audio books as a result.<p></p><p>I did want to do a final 2022 recap of how my reading year went.</p><p>I read or listened to 141 books (LIST & LINKS <a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/p/books-read-in-2022.html">HERE</a> in 2022 but, you can see below that as my vision worsen my monthly reads declined as well. </p><p></p><div class="post-footer" style="line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px;"></div><p></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8355375080575320493" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 762.2554321289062px;"><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style: disc; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fiction - 116</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Non Fiction - 25</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Children's Books - 12</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Print Books (includes ARCS)(my shelves) - 35</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Print Books (library) 12</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eBooks/eGalleys (my shelves) - 28</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">eBooks (library) - 2</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobooks (my shelves) - 40</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audiobooks (library) - 23</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Combo (read/listens) - 16</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Female Authors - 102</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Male Authors - 39</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Debuts - 19</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">January Books Read - 14</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">February Books Read - 12</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">March Books Read - 18</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">April Books Read - 15</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">May Books Read - 14</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">June Books Read - 16</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">July Books Read - 14</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">August Reads - 15</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">September - 9</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">October - 9</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">November - 2</span></li><li style="border: none; color: #444444; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">December - 3</span></li></ul><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"> FAVORITE READS of 2022 (no particular order)</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbswPT-RzME6AaCNsozRavdN65qIQX8lihbHVhADoPWmPNNYDf7u2J64eqbna8jMbZ-8tiRYi06fbb7LU68RQMvixCe2GMwwH5m4aC_vckXmQ-oFVXik5tOfbAnJ4BB050l35KK0Ot_aC9hZoAqU7Ph-R-1ZpcrI3_g4aeuqnMDtIcQyZr0aI6tm01/s400/9780385547000.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbswPT-RzME6AaCNsozRavdN65qIQX8lihbHVhADoPWmPNNYDf7u2J64eqbna8jMbZ-8tiRYi06fbb7LU68RQMvixCe2GMwwH5m4aC_vckXmQ-oFVXik5tOfbAnJ4BB050l35KK0Ot_aC9hZoAqU7Ph-R-1ZpcrI3_g4aeuqnMDtIcQyZr0aI6tm01/s320/9780385547000.jpeg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2023.</span></b></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-82925940276749052962022-10-25T00:00:00.002-04:002022-10-25T06:39:34.014-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Mad Honey; Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Welcome to</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter/Intros,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"> hosted by</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Yvonne @ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.</span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow3tUt6ND4Dl2iZMlKL34mOJg0eiUfg8EQeK1PuWEsK-ddqmE7g3Sm41TivYoX2zu5PLWQ_leIrXKs7jgFcXERvmPSmIjVbTlj0CjeOm-GV8l03cAZ9MV-F__DUpQHIbc4Y77iII04WchvUiW6weaWuoWRkc3A-0u-IK2ifxPhVeoM54XDahvh4ue/s500/51Vc5PWoN-L._AC_SY780_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow3tUt6ND4Dl2iZMlKL34mOJg0eiUfg8EQeK1PuWEsK-ddqmE7g3Sm41TivYoX2zu5PLWQ_leIrXKs7jgFcXERvmPSmIjVbTlj0CjeOm-GV8l03cAZ9MV-F__DUpQHIbc4Y77iII04WchvUiW6weaWuoWRkc3A-0u-IK2ifxPhVeoM54XDahvh4ue/s320/51Vc5PWoN-L._AC_SY780_.jpg" width="210" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59912428-mad-honey">Mad Honey</a>; Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ballantine Books - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Olivia </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">1</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">December 7, 2018 ...<i>the day of</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">From the moment I know I was having a baby, I wanted it to be a girl. I wandered the aisles of department stores, touching doll sized dresses and sequined shoes. I pictured us with matching nail polish--me, who'd never had a manicure in my life. I imagined the day her fairy hair was long enough to capture in pigtails her nose pressed to the glass of a school bus window: I saw her first crush, prom dress, heartbreak. Each vision was a bead on a rosary of future memories. I prayed daily.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">As it turned out, I was not a zealot...only a martyr.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">What do you think...read more or pass?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-72487532692718511822022-10-23T12:39:00.000-04:002022-10-23T12:39:28.547-04:00(2) Brief Book Reviews - Our Missing Hearts; Celeste Ng and Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life, A Memoir; Dwlia Ephron<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujWUawcS_znC57b8ZGeAIQuistVC879P2WWOztCFOG3eH1hbiOFDKvJFqLQkD_VmJFNa4gze_BzsWAObtxoiEcxE4FN1PEb9tRHl4ZUseM_UPzvN7juWmvVlHimCr7XP3v5PhiErXhl5I1PbF-CGSO6dVrrBlVgd24fi8siS_StOX6lKIRNuULjWp/s500/41DcviTHqCL._SL500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujWUawcS_znC57b8ZGeAIQuistVC879P2WWOztCFOG3eH1hbiOFDKvJFqLQkD_VmJFNa4gze_BzsWAObtxoiEcxE4FN1PEb9tRHl4ZUseM_UPzvN7juWmvVlHimCr7XP3v5PhiErXhl5I1PbF-CGSO6dVrrBlVgd24fi8siS_StOX6lKIRNuULjWp/w200-h200/41DcviTHqCL._SL500_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Our-Missing-Hearts-Audiobook/B09QH255KD?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&ipRedirectOverride=true&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhsmaBhCvARIsAIbEbH7eUPst8HhPK0au8MAcpT2m5BpWM8bSPVdKgGn0c-cfs-khUkls_CYaAgAjEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">Our Missing Hearts</a>; Celeste Ng</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Penguin Audio - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(library download) - 9 hours 51 min<span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span> </span>Narrated by: </span><span class="bc-letter-space bc-letter-space-micro" color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; width: 2px;"></span><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> Lucy Liu, Celeste Ng</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I've read and enjoyed everything Celeste Ng has written so I couldn't wait for my audio reserve of her latest book to become available. This book is quite different - a bit of a mystery with with a dystopian theme.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Noah Gardner (his mother calls him Bird) is a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his father in a dormitory at the university where his father works at the library. Their life is one of order and routine ever since the "Crisis" changed everything for their family and his mother, a Chinese American poet, disappeared from their lives. At school he is learning new things and around him things are happening which he is desperate to understand. For example, why Asian Americans like his family are looked down upon and viewed by others with a mistrustful eye. In school Noah hears the taunts that his mother is a traitor. The boy has no friends except for Sadie and, one day she mysteriously disappears. as well</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">This is a story though set in the near future seems frighteningly realistic as to what we've seen on television or read about happening here in some parts of the United States to targeted race groups including child parent separations. The audio book was mostly riveting; although a somewhat sad story, it is one that will stick with most readers I suspect.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span color="rgba(20, 20, 20, 0.65)" face=""Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f5f7f7; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4/5 stars</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.65); font-family: "Audible Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Length: 9 h</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3H70Ssx-cNbm1fzXiRBcoakZwph_eQ4NDbNdV3bH72ZI6j-xjneac9-kTZws9iDs8-fD4GxMe7Cv0T-pxmFTNppqDUMY2EL_hT4FQV9SInhxZHKVICdHtzLZpuK_T1x0o3N6m8hLTFwfqWhYaqyMYKz1LHykRIipLErC-Fla_InhhwebuE6IhXlXe/s240/unnamed%20(22).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3H70Ssx-cNbm1fzXiRBcoakZwph_eQ4NDbNdV3bH72ZI6j-xjneac9-kTZws9iDs8-fD4GxMe7Cv0T-pxmFTNppqDUMY2EL_hT4FQV9SInhxZHKVICdHtzLZpuK_T1x0o3N6m8hLTFwfqWhYaqyMYKz1LHykRIipLErC-Fla_InhhwebuE6IhXlXe/w200-h200/unnamed%20(22).webp" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/delia-ephron/left-on-tenth/9780316268875/">Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life;</a> Delia Ephron</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Little Brown and Company - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Library Download - 7 hours 39 min</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">read by author - good</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In her newly released memoir, Delia Ephron, successful novelist, screenwriter, playwrite and lover of all things that the Big Apple has to offer gives readers a glimpse at her second chance at life. </div><div><br /></div><div>After losing her husband Jerry to a cancer diagnosis, an op-ed essay that Delia wrote for the New York Times earned her a surprise contact by a man from her past and a second chance at love. Her new relationship is tested when Delia, like her sister Nora, learns that she has (AML) a fast progressing form of leukemia and that her only chance at survival is a successful bone marrow transplant. Instead of running away from the very ill 72 year-old-woman, Peter, her new found love, asks Delia to marry him.</div><div><br /></div><div>This memoir is indeed a second chance at love and life. Told with humor and, yes, there is at times some sadness too, but the writing was wonderful. I love that the audio was read by the author.<div><br /></div></div><div><b>RATING - 4.5/5 stars</b></div><p>Current Reads </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqO3MVN2ueyIktsiqFsF-GUp4RSNexq9jm5Q5g63IJAWPBKikABSLCeZSpTw89ZbSQPDPfzFGOFkEyPeB5OzMUol5hcsi0Nzvhdfovs2nECTzJlNcf5Gk2i2_DStlEza5rHmZaZgTM9117TKjtFDJO1SvKEp0z_iqtn9tI99Hv-Uov6syDi0pDJDn/s1120/9781797111230_1120.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1120" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqO3MVN2ueyIktsiqFsF-GUp4RSNexq9jm5Q5g63IJAWPBKikABSLCeZSpTw89ZbSQPDPfzFGOFkEyPeB5OzMUol5hcsi0Nzvhdfovs2nECTzJlNcf5Gk2i2_DStlEza5rHmZaZgTM9117TKjtFDJO1SvKEp0z_iqtn9tI99Hv-Uov6syDi0pDJDn/w200-h200/9781797111230_1120.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">90% completed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iIKUm-3QZJt8XRbI6WOl4_M88NevB-27nPxVokhPrFV0XwIF6WxZRGs-M31pXbV-KeFVx2NrHvhe-qnUu7ZgQEcM0vYawJWOtB4IZYrLCupFfHDdkVhG-W6JKsZStOqXiUBYYmpeshF6toHtWD8NIHQK4XX0K9hYVQjYe0NtJ6TpAjc9otJ0xV5M/s400/53137974._UY400_SS400_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iIKUm-3QZJt8XRbI6WOl4_M88NevB-27nPxVokhPrFV0XwIF6WxZRGs-M31pXbV-KeFVx2NrHvhe-qnUu7ZgQEcM0vYawJWOtB4IZYrLCupFfHDdkVhG-W6JKsZStOqXiUBYYmpeshF6toHtWD8NIHQK4XX0K9hYVQjYe0NtJ6TpAjc9otJ0xV5M/s320/53137974._UY400_SS400_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Book group read </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">75% completed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79MNVo_sKr4nd4D7QtauxYoWtghQRtAC_Mi-XCHe8MvNXY71HQo5-Ab1XVHZR4rAovxzMBMeuyvLpPuI3k6CQ9s7bpAPiJOUb-k5_O9cJtpvtEibuFGAgLMohvagmnrLTdAAfLPaYa1TGbKOhp4TulB4UamXP9ZZ_cruQu5SLNxPq7oge0V6-ujm8/s604/9781467146463.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79MNVo_sKr4nd4D7QtauxYoWtghQRtAC_Mi-XCHe8MvNXY71HQo5-Ab1XVHZR4rAovxzMBMeuyvLpPuI3k6CQ9s7bpAPiJOUb-k5_O9cJtpvtEibuFGAgLMohvagmnrLTdAAfLPaYa1TGbKOhp4TulB4UamXP9ZZ_cruQu5SLNxPq7oge0V6-ujm8/s320/9781467146463.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hope to Start Soon</div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-47679905585738507362022-10-19T06:27:00.000-04:002022-10-19T06:27:04.722-04:00Brief Book Review - The Old Place; Bobby Finger<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthDIukxSXOqxDLEzxiOFfGwOrEldSXxkm-ilyB-UJnmh1mwLYxGNb-F4b-dMDwTPXXXbYPqFGzEgoebtY7VyvmkZ17kCoiHze1yteSxht0kBnBehmg5EznnqBglEjHKae7hoMx-lvfgNLIDUJ5LYPtQzXNAsb5qfvWJJjODT_meEH193b8Z15JLek/s400/59764020.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthDIukxSXOqxDLEzxiOFfGwOrEldSXxkm-ilyB-UJnmh1mwLYxGNb-F4b-dMDwTPXXXbYPqFGzEgoebtY7VyvmkZ17kCoiHze1yteSxht0kBnBehmg5EznnqBglEjHKae7hoMx-lvfgNLIDUJ5LYPtQzXNAsb5qfvWJJjODT_meEH193b8Z15JLek/s320/59764020.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Old-Place-Bobby-Finger/dp/0593422341">The Old Place</a>; Bobby Finger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">G.P. Putnam - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>The Old Place</i></b> is a debut novel that takes place in a small Texas town. From the very beginning of the novel we get the feeling that protagonist ,Mary Alice Roth, is a troubled woman with secrets. She is a rather stern woman and a recently retired school teacher who has not made peace with being forced to retire. She isn't quite sure what she will do to fill in her free time without her job to go to. Once a wife and mother, there is a mystery as to what happened to the men in her life. Fortunately she is on good terms once again with her neighbor Elie now as they once had a falling out. Both women look forward to meeting for morning coffee and conversation. There is the planing of the annual neighborhood picnic and the delegation of tasks which is funny to read about. Just as Mary Alice begins to find a find a kind of rhythm to her daily routine, she has an unexpected visit from her sister who has some rather shocking news which threatens to uproot some things that perhaps were best left buried.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was a very good debut novel full of small town charm, pettiness and gossip and secrets around every corner. Although a bit slow moving at times, I liked the slower place and the way the secrets gradually emerged, In the end I was happy that I had a chance to read this one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4/5 stars</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>(NOTE: I received a copy of the eGalley from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.)</b></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-24410823650385870292022-10-18T00:00:00.001-04:002022-10-18T00:00:00.268-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros; Ghosts of Martha's Vineyard; Thomas Dresser<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Welcome to</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter/Intros,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"> hosted by</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Yvonne @ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqVf5S4Hc9TCkfO3KC3PH5MNUgdxo0LMhcoexEM-EkDzfH4UMSL5EdNp00QleGoWIngu9chdj28qNMc_f7gwBfjPJXQn0vbk4A_WD5B3Xl04FezK7p1UvX6-sVFdeWvmD5LLMdba43_umsCCWD2fjDGdRrh5YtmN0ReSxNm4fC9PgrkIaUDxd6VNi/s604/9781467146463.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqVf5S4Hc9TCkfO3KC3PH5MNUgdxo0LMhcoexEM-EkDzfH4UMSL5EdNp00QleGoWIngu9chdj28qNMc_f7gwBfjPJXQn0vbk4A_WD5B3Xl04FezK7p1UvX6-sVFdeWvmD5LLMdba43_umsCCWD2fjDGdRrh5YtmN0ReSxNm4fC9PgrkIaUDxd6VNi/s320/9781467146463.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Marthas-Vineyard-Haunted-America/dp/1467146463">Ghosts of Martha's Vineyard</a>; Thomas Dresser</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Arcadia Publishing - 2020</span></span></div><p></p><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">PROLOGUE</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Martha's Vineyard's history, along with its fair share of strange occurrences, make it a major hub for ghost hunters and local storytellers alike. Whether you're fully in touch with the spirit world or you're a little skeptical, the Vineyard is rife with amazing coincidences, strange experiences and unknown mysteries.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">That so many guests, employees, locals and visitors have experienced a visit from beyond gives credence to the basic premise that we we don't really know or understand everything that is happening around us.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div>I thought this would be a fun read during the month of October. I love Martha's Vineyard and am looking forward to reading about local lore. What do you think, read more or pass?</div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-73214948903059042772022-10-11T00:00:00.001-04:002022-10-11T00:00:00.275-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Good Sister; Sally Hepworth<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Welcome to</span></span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"> First Paragraph Tuesday Intros hosted by Yvonne@ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.</span></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjINcfh7wAYb9oBzpiaVcfK8sf3hGSFMCowfub3dBIPaakiw8a5THCsO0kJD-W0L6ydrG8U3rlA8DEw3EkT8Ccyur-ooK_qyMPUtdE_aAeL9j_kLOoEjHpAizrXK6EeBMvfdKxuFm_sj16ppXUpVNxYKOHzuIkru9g4-vn6FMgHHb6ALPg29z4bcqh/s400/53137974._UY400_SS400_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjINcfh7wAYb9oBzpiaVcfK8sf3hGSFMCowfub3dBIPaakiw8a5THCsO0kJD-W0L6ydrG8U3rlA8DEw3EkT8Ccyur-ooK_qyMPUtdE_aAeL9j_kLOoEjHpAizrXK6EeBMvfdKxuFm_sj16ppXUpVNxYKOHzuIkru9g4-vn6FMgHHb6ALPg29z4bcqh/s320/53137974._UY400_SS400_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The Good Sister; Sally Hepworth</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">St. Martin's Press - 2021</span></span></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-align: left; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;">JOURNAL OF ROSE INGRID CASTLE</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;">It's been three months since Owen left. Left. or left me--like so many things in the adult world, it's all a bit gray. e took a job in London; a work opportunity, ostensibly. It's not that I wasn't invited, but it was clear to both of us that I couldn't go. That's another thing about the adult world: responsibilities. In my case, one particular responsibility. Fern.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 13px;">This is our book group read for October. What do you think -- read more or pass? I hope to start it over the weekend when I finish up something in progress.</span></span></div></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-11306901758653099932022-10-08T18:21:00.001-04:002022-10-08T19:28:41.909-04:00(2) Brief Book Reviews - Fellowship Point; Alice Elliott Dark and The Night She Disappeared; Lisa Jewell<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycFz_xRoECqW68JpU4xAc3by9nXPcJAYmFl422uuYXh4oh4GZVFqoHTwySPsuKiCDnEhDLUcJ2Gh_X5TozVvJzCy34ynhbK7Ao9pAJiBJofskKLAVopXxVjZdzygpXqG49bSmvUWxfZwLRIZBiMPV7ANYjR8RvvHWvXjWogbXa3sffWSWMFTWH1Rq/s500/61Hh9-LaLrL.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycFz_xRoECqW68JpU4xAc3by9nXPcJAYmFl422uuYXh4oh4GZVFqoHTwySPsuKiCDnEhDLUcJ2Gh_X5TozVvJzCy34ynhbK7Ao9pAJiBJofskKLAVopXxVjZdzygpXqG49bSmvUWxfZwLRIZBiMPV7ANYjR8RvvHWvXjWogbXa3sffWSWMFTWH1Rq/w200-h200/61Hh9-LaLrL.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fellowship-Point-Alice-Elliott-Dark/dp/1982131810/ref=asc_df_1982131810/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=562736106474&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15655958021384526569&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001685&hvtargid=pla-1466473388570&psc=1">Fellowship Point</a>; Alice Elliott Dark</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books / Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Fellowship Point</i> is an expansive story (nearly 500 pages) about a lifelong friendship of two Quaker women who are now in the eighties. The women are Agnes Lee, a writer of children's series books entitled ...WHEN NAN.......... which was first published in 1965. She has also written another six adult novels under a pen name about individuals in her Philadelphia social circle. Agnes has never married and now in her twilight years has found out she has cancer. She is also being pressured by Maud Silver a publicist to write a memoir.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Polly Wister is a loyal wife and mother, her husband and adult son on the other hand are men who are best described as "difficult and self-centered." Agnes and Polly could not be more different but, their shared pasts and the fact that they have vacationed for years on <i>Fellowship Point,</i> a remote, coastal island in Maine. Now after all these years there is a fear that once the two women are gone their interest in keeping the island and cottages the way it has been dating back to the 19th century, may die with them. A developer has interest in purchasing the properties to develop a posh resort in place of the cottages and surrounding wildlife sanctuary. The land was purchased by Agnes' grandfather a wealthy merchant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although the first half of this novel moved somewhat slow for me, I loved the writing and depth as well as the build up for what what followed . I loved the way I felt swept away by the trials and tribulations of these women as I read and listened to this well-written novel. The audiobook was narrated by Cassandra Campbell who did an excellent job.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I received an audio download as well as a hardcover copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4.5/5 stars</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RFA6-6VlsHNG0iEsZ-LTnz7-Myyx3rxv8QZb-RW234vCtwb7IZtRcs1FCsnwFZIfSU07tFEQ_7IlLLK5QCBuLLwjrfEji1osqCX73892uPf0J2ApVSRxfWz-10Qb9GTC76edDMcepwJehxVgP273vJ2Ir4OYs7OV0X75mdfBar96UHhX5FN2C1ir/s350/51LWodrrp7S._SL350_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RFA6-6VlsHNG0iEsZ-LTnz7-Myyx3rxv8QZb-RW234vCtwb7IZtRcs1FCsnwFZIfSU07tFEQ_7IlLLK5QCBuLLwjrfEji1osqCX73892uPf0J2ApVSRxfWz-10Qb9GTC76edDMcepwJehxVgP273vJ2Ir4OYs7OV0X75mdfBar96UHhX5FN2C1ir/s320/51LWodrrp7S._SL350_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Night-She-Disappeared-Novel/dp/1982137371/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G3OSK0MHYOSZ&keywords=the+night+she+disappeared&qid=1665231403&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjczIiwicXNhIjoiMi41NyIsInFzcCI6IjIuNDEifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=the+night+she+disappeared%2Cstripbooks%2C80&sr=1-1">The Night She Disappeared</a>; Lisa Jewell</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Atria - 2021</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The story begins in 2017 with Tallulah, a young mother who also attends college and her boyfriend Zach needing a night out. Tallulah's mother Kim agrees to babysits. In the morning when Kim realizes Tallulah has not come home, she begins making phone calls and the police become involved but, eventually the case is unsolved. The only lead they have is that the couple was never seen after a night of partying at a remote country estate where Scarlett, a wealthy college friend lives. Fast forward to 2019, a young mystery writer new to the town who lives on the edge of the woods notices a sign while out walking in the secluded area. The sign says "DIG HERE." Is this significant in regards to the missing couple?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one of those stories that kept me quickly turning pages and trying to find out what happened, I thought the dual time periods worked well and the story was well paced as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I received an audio download as well as an advanced reader print copy of this book from the publisher last year in exchange for my unbiased review.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4/5 stars</b></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-28734120793364558582022-10-05T07:40:00.000-04:002022-10-05T07:40:14.833-04:00(2) Brief reviews - Quartet in Autumn; Barbara Pym and Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendship; Nina Totenberg<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgxIiiUsQRR8Hd4zvfrhTL8vdM8EASQWti4lxVtBp3Z0BHY1yPzV70BxE-vB7Nh69QE6cf0fg5U1virgtjcSHjrIZH3K2uOUm_A88_VsYBrmmLDgsHY7vQdAss9HrLXbskXthkjxvHu1l7kVchOo2kHn1lc3aRsPTg4L4Cd-rvvG7j2tbtvuubqqa/s252/shopping%20(1).webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="177" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgxIiiUsQRR8Hd4zvfrhTL8vdM8EASQWti4lxVtBp3Z0BHY1yPzV70BxE-vB7Nh69QE6cf0fg5U1virgtjcSHjrIZH3K2uOUm_A88_VsYBrmmLDgsHY7vQdAss9HrLXbskXthkjxvHu1l7kVchOo2kHn1lc3aRsPTg4L4Cd-rvvG7j2tbtvuubqqa/s1600/shopping%20(1).webp" width="177" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227002.Quartet_in_Autumn">Quartet in Autumn</a>; Barbara Pym</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Plume - 1977</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a book I had on my <a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/08/my-bucket-reading-list-through-2023.html">2022 - 2023 Bucket list </a>and, I am happy I had a chance to finally read it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Quartet in Autumn</i> is the story of (4) older coworkers approaching retirement age: Edwin, Norman, Marcia and Letty. Each is single, lives alone and except for work lives a mostly solitary life. When the (2) women retire, the story takes a darker turn. Instead of the leisurely days one tends to associate with not having to get up ealy and go to work each day. the reader gets a glimpse at how sad and lonely a life without plans, dreams, hobbies or friends can be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I thought this story was very well written. Pym uses wry humor to which at times take away from what could have been a very depressing story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Rating - 4/5 stars</b> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Xjc2XYQKA19mUZ011pJm891Kw5gFL9oBBUXpk-J1RDBUYO2kospduEsczp4vptBtM6Ewa4nf6bUe1WXpaJPHjBPAwMWteh6tPI14STUo0EhCXWDcLU0SqtikYNMy06HXt7zhN1rG1s0BhaoDoE2a_wc8QdIeDDWQEZ62npI9RBqU1Fkpu9-f5G0Z/s3000/dinners-with-ruth-9781797147222_hr.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Xjc2XYQKA19mUZ011pJm891Kw5gFL9oBBUXpk-J1RDBUYO2kospduEsczp4vptBtM6Ewa4nf6bUe1WXpaJPHjBPAwMWteh6tPI14STUo0EhCXWDcLU0SqtikYNMy06HXt7zhN1rG1s0BhaoDoE2a_wc8QdIeDDWQEZ62npI9RBqU1Fkpu9-f5G0Z/w200-h200/dinners-with-ruth-9781797147222_hr.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dinners-Ruth-Memoir-Power-Friendships/dp/1982188081">Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendship</a>; Nina Totenberg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nina Totenberg had a long career as a prize winning reporter for the National Observer and NPR. Her professional career also led to a remarkable fifty year friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I was expecting a book that would focus mostly on the author's friendship and professional relationship with RBG that is only a small part of the story. This book is a memoir about Nina T and it is fairly well written. but just not what I was expecting. I admired how these women fought for a voice for advancing equality for women over the years. There were some heavier, more personal insights as well: both women had to deal with the illness and subsequent deaths of their spouses. While this memoir was interesting enough, I expect that readers who were looking forward to a focus on RBG will be somewhat disappointed. The audio is read by the author.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 3/5 stars</b></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-21915026139969857462022-10-04T00:00:00.001-04:002022-10-04T00:00:00.249-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Night She Disappeared; Lisa Jewell<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Welcome to</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter/Intros,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"> hosted by</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Yvonne @ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2tlI988Rt_0jjHw_nnhyAxzjmUQ2-0ypiIamRwglqfnQb9o-MFi8fPwJ_3E_CbvBka893GiBYZ56jc549CdddCoLmsrp_zcHpB3C1869uU2egtOZ4mfFcPZVpP_eFIUYRDeVuY8FGHd7srxqXjc8hs2GJkdx1YLn6ePsBGCN7EfHZ7_rhoCLQ5tM/s350/51LWodrrp7S._SL350_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2tlI988Rt_0jjHw_nnhyAxzjmUQ2-0ypiIamRwglqfnQb9o-MFi8fPwJ_3E_CbvBka893GiBYZ56jc549CdddCoLmsrp_zcHpB3C1869uU2egtOZ4mfFcPZVpP_eFIUYRDeVuY8FGHd7srxqXjc8hs2GJkdx1YLn6ePsBGCN7EfHZ7_rhoCLQ5tM/s320/51LWodrrp7S._SL350_.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55922299">The Night She Disappeared;</a> Lisa Jewell</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">Atria Books - 2021</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Part One</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">1</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">June 2017</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The baby is starting to grumble. Kim sits still in her chair and holds her breath. It's taken her all night to get him to sleep. It's Friday, a sultry midsummer's night and normally she'd be out with friends at this time. Eleven o'clock: she'd be at the bar getting in the last round for the road. But tonight she's in joggers and a T-shirt, her dark hair tied up in a bun, contacts out, glasses on and a glass of lukewarm wine on the coffee table that she poured herself earlier and hasn't had a chance to drink.</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: left;">I never got a chance to read this once last year when it was published but, it should be perfect this month for the RIP Challenge. Have you read it? Would you read more or pass?</div><br /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-15467187919415312272022-10-01T06:30:00.001-04:002022-10-01T06:30:00.254-04:00Goodbye September - October Reading Plans<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HJXdsy_P9mFghZhSN-e8deqIjR5GerO7gtwFkKafVNzvdRQhSrFYKZH7bIOjm8vP6FqrJJ7yxknCE7vY-Ttug36Z8bKXKrWuROZiiuc0iN-GRl8QpW2fFP7n5n84nivfpSvV2lc8ZkqKUl8Cx0CVwXaGBVx85kphhcrOuxRDVWb58cjxklJJsr-q/s1200/FAnRxltXoAMPY90.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HJXdsy_P9mFghZhSN-e8deqIjR5GerO7gtwFkKafVNzvdRQhSrFYKZH7bIOjm8vP6FqrJJ7yxknCE7vY-Ttug36Z8bKXKrWuROZiiuc0iN-GRl8QpW2fFP7n5n84nivfpSvV2lc8ZkqKUl8Cx0CVwXaGBVx85kphhcrOuxRDVWb58cjxklJJsr-q/s320/FAnRxltXoAMPY90.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">September was not the best of months for me for a number of reasons and, although I managed to read or listen to (9) books, September was also my slowest reading month of 2022. I did enjoy several of the books I read though so let's look at those.</span><div><br /><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Favorite Books of SEPTEMBER</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVcGNcmhP4hMnE4qC6Z50NWu3AwToxpyO3OvHElBjrgc1RPnftgsJDfb0F9wFE4Fv3qfOsb7ttF3EDIgHK-nzzLa7yq4chLd4qMfEnpNanHBv33oi5BMuUGVYlRXMuIzwPv7roOLg1mAAzgadrW7T9BMPo6IxrmZ5AQoPJD9oQR-N9QltTep-JQw1y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVcGNcmhP4hMnE4qC6Z50NWu3AwToxpyO3OvHElBjrgc1RPnftgsJDfb0F9wFE4Fv3qfOsb7ttF3EDIgHK-nzzLa7yq4chLd4qMfEnpNanHBv33oi5BMuUGVYlRXMuIzwPv7roOLg1mAAzgadrW7T9BMPo6IxrmZ5AQoPJD9oQR-N9QltTep-JQw1y" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">QUICK REVIEW</div></span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnr74Sfi_ftOFlDkOKV7Ciwi9s0TbpohKRmTKv_VTf5pgQLreeYG5Avt3r7iprAeX98t-WG-0sTX76yh7LSvAW69YIg05xNOw1ezxzVzX1uDd7NKepMcj3kWxBT90q8jEd3aSS7DNi3euYDEbvD3VYkX-88AawNoYIxlKBv1vOCHV47zjYr2Bnyug/s300/9781549159374.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnr74Sfi_ftOFlDkOKV7Ciwi9s0TbpohKRmTKv_VTf5pgQLreeYG5Avt3r7iprAeX98t-WG-0sTX76yh7LSvAW69YIg05xNOw1ezxzVzX1uDd7NKepMcj3kWxBT90q8jEd3aSS7DNi3euYDEbvD3VYkX-88AawNoYIxlKBv1vOCHV47zjYr2Bnyug/w200-h200/9781549159374.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Forsaken Country; Allen Eskens</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mulholland Books - Macmillan Audio - 2022</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(audio purchase and NetGalley (eBook)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(11 hours 10 min - Brian Troxell - narrator - very good </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Allen Eskens is one of my favorite authors and, I've read everything he has written since his first book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-We-Bury-Allen-Eskens/dp/1616149981">The Life We Bury</a> (2013). Forsaken Country is his latest release and, the story held me captive even though at times I had wished for a different outcome. I thought it was truly deserving of a 5 star rating.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Max Rupert is a former homicide detective in Minneapolis, MN. He is mourning the loss of his wife and, he is also haunted by an incident triggered by her loss. Lyle Voight is the former sheriff who is desperate to find his daughter, Sandy, and his six year old grandson, Pip, who have gone missing. Lyle believes his former son-in-law, Reed, is responsible for their disappearance and, he pleads with Max to help him investigate and locate them. What follows is an intense thrill ride with both nail-biting and tender moments. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Esken's characters have so much depth and, even some of the bad guys, men who have done terrible things show us that they have a soft side in this story. I love the way the author has a way of drawing you in and making you feel invested in the characters and their outcomes. While reading this one, I quickly. forgot everything I had planned to do as I just had to keeping reading/listening. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">BTW - For readers new to Allen Eskens, Max Rupert is a character that has appeared in other novels yet this book can be easily read as a standalone.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating - 5/5 stars</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsxdPm4oeCfJQNsEtIBu9n4b_JfhFz5o2c187DzPV6B5DgBZeaVJpJud6VC5mHQwWFQodtvAWc9SIDZpwn_C96gCHRsFSPPYt-njaiurzPl0MjJMSlTKSNo7uOeUfujJIdIZUJmB5iJ_gx5FGMBFQUto2V954yXfQW8t0VZYAyieI_pDQu3xPvnTl/s475/60631221._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsxdPm4oeCfJQNsEtIBu9n4b_JfhFz5o2c187DzPV6B5DgBZeaVJpJud6VC5mHQwWFQodtvAWc9SIDZpwn_C96gCHRsFSPPYt-njaiurzPl0MjJMSlTKSNo7uOeUfujJIdIZUJmB5iJ_gx5FGMBFQUto2V954yXfQW8t0VZYAyieI_pDQu3xPvnTl/s320/60631221._SY475_.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We Spread; Iain Reid</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simon ^ Schuster Audio - 2022</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(5 hours 58 minutes)</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Narrator - Robin Miles - very good)</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(audio download sent by publisher)</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Penny is an elderly artist who has lived in the same apartment with her long term partner for years and years. After her partner passed away, she felt comfort in the sameness of her days, surrounded by the things she loved and which brought her comfort. She felt happy and at peace despite the fact her partner had died.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a few incidents at the apartment, she finds herself uprooted from her apartment and the things that she loves to a strange but beautiful home occupied by several elderly residents her age and some kind staff. The group dines together, continues with hobbies and socializes. They are supervised by a caring staff who monitors their daily activities but, for Penny it is not the same as her apartment.</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This was quick, well-written novel that I very much enjoyed. It was one of those stories that as a senior myself, made me pause and reflect. It was hard to see many of Penny's prized possessions of her former life packed away as she was moved to her new residence. Her new life was often clouded by confusion yet it felt quite realistic.</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">RATING - 4.5/5 stars</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> S</span>EPTEMBER Reads</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-review-left-handed-twin-thomas.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">The Left-Handed Twin</a>; Thomas Perry - 4/5 stars - (September)</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/brief-book-review-woman-in-library.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">The Woman in the Library</a>; Sulari Gentill - 2.5/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-review-killers-of-certain-age.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">Killers of a Certain Age</a>; Deanna Raybourn - 3/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">Dark Tales: Storie</a>s; Shirley Jackson - 4/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">The Lost Girls of Willowbrook</a>; Ellen Marie Wiseman - 4/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">We Spread</a>; Iain Reid - 4.5/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six</a>; Lisa Unger - 3.5/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60021126-forsaken-country?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=DpKqL3QnHd&rank=1">Forsaken Country</a>; Allen Eskens - 5/5 stars</span></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dinners+with+ruth&i=audible&crid=OPX8YL8TJ6YP&sprefix=dinners+with+ruth%2Caudible%2C76&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">Dinners with Ruth</a>: A Memoir of Friendship (NF) ; Nina Totenberg - 3/5 stars (no review yet)</span></li></ol><div><b> (YTD - 127)</b></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><b>September Book Group</b> - I was able to make my book group lunch and meeting which was fun as always. We had several new members thia month who offered some interesting perspective on Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. <a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/08/my-bucket-reading-list-through-2023.html">You can read my review here</a>. While more than half of us were non-SF fans, we enjoyed the story anyways. Others, a few with a physics background enjoyed the SF aspects yet wanted more depth. </span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>Current Reads</b></span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58438505-fellowship-point?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=3muhtpnrWd&rank=1">Fellowship Point</a>; Alice Elliot Dark - almost done</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227002.Quartet_in_Autumn?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dQQkqFq6HF&rank=1">Quartet in Autumn</a>; Barbara Pym - almost done - <a href="http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/08/my-bucket-reading-list-through-2023.html">Bucket List Book</a></span></li></ol><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">October Reading Plans</span></b></div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59764020">The Old Place</a>; Bobby Finger</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55892263-the-maze?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=cFo5MC5mVc&rank=1">The Maze</a>; Nelson DeMille</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Last-Chairlift/John-Irving/9781501189272">The Last Chairlift;</a> John Irving</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Sister-Novel-Sally-Hepworth-ebook/dp/B08BYCWK6T">The Good Sister</a>; Sally Hepworth (book group read)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Copperhead-Novel-Barbara-Kingsolver-ebook/dp/B09QMHZ53K/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1YP31J2GLYAYL&keywords=demon+copperhead+kingsolver%2C+barbara&qid=1664557704&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjgyIiwicXNhIjoiMS41OCIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTcifQ%3D%3D&s=digital-text&sprefix=demon+copp%2Cdigital-text%2C86&sr=1-2">Demon Copperfield;</a> Barbara Kingsolver</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59464825">Because I Could Not Stop for Death</a>; Amanda Flower</span></li></ol><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>How was your month? Any exciting plans for October?</span></b></div></div></div></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-89487880845146858692022-09-27T00:00:00.001-04:002022-09-27T00:00:00.251-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - The Old Place; Bobby Finger<div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><p><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Welcome to</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter/Intros,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"> hosted by</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Yvonne @ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwaPaKFM_Dh83jy_NleB0-MRy7x5vxcJOrc2pX3XJGbYHtKfkOjGwkKsUBy_nyP7Zi7uVVhjkJOes_WDIuHWP3oACKRqFcam7bCvIYw8SXyMP5k9tyR96L3OuvQcdbp-GVhq9piK2f0blF8lSOVLsXtnJkHPpG7TgP_e_tQ04xExDv_5QAsheqt1u/s400/59764020.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwaPaKFM_Dh83jy_NleB0-MRy7x5vxcJOrc2pX3XJGbYHtKfkOjGwkKsUBy_nyP7Zi7uVVhjkJOes_WDIuHWP3oACKRqFcam7bCvIYw8SXyMP5k9tyR96L3OuvQcdbp-GVhq9piK2f0blF8lSOVLsXtnJkHPpG7TgP_e_tQ04xExDv_5QAsheqt1u/s320/59764020.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59764020">The Old Place;</a> Bobby Finger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">G.P. Putnam - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Mary Alice Roth woke up and stared at the the big old trunk, which may as well have been a reflection. Unmoved for years, the trunk of carved, glossy hardwood sat under the window in her bedroom because she'd lost the only people strong enough to lift it somewhere else. At her age, the number of able bodies in a house --hold doesn't tend to change, and neither does the way you sleep, which meant Mary Alice--the sole inhabitant of 4 County Road 1818 for over ten years and a left-sided sleeper since she was in a crib--knew that for the rest of her life, the first thing she'd see in the morning would be the hideous antique trunk she hated more than just about anything else in the world. And now she couldn't get rid of it even if she tried, unless she wanted to throw out her back and and spend hours moaning on the floor hoping someone would knock on the door and check on her. It was that sort of bottomless pit of fact that made her wish she were dead. Bur she wasn't, not today at least. So she silenced the buzzing clock and began another week of living. What else was there to do anyhow?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I forget where I read about about this books but, from the lengthy into, I'm curious to know more about Mary Alice. How about you read more or pass?</div><br /><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-75803463862697761342022-09-23T20:00:00.000-04:002022-09-23T20:00:58.521-04:00Some September Reading<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmV2qvlRdsRHPbNbvBjS-juisthXmfPIzr0WP_zXag8kjiLiOVbfXorm-DYzTYypMH0tUG4mOwJT5XwUTGLRkCP0R_R0YCmP9vgpOioilOlVhtgtpT72mpLkJTxDFWvGwaq0O5mIy6pw7MaCS7SOJkizhfcpR0Rg0ABOiFvj8ixMTFbExu_oEZFwYn/s612/istockphoto-1267485165-612x612.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="612" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmV2qvlRdsRHPbNbvBjS-juisthXmfPIzr0WP_zXag8kjiLiOVbfXorm-DYzTYypMH0tUG4mOwJT5XwUTGLRkCP0R_R0YCmP9vgpOioilOlVhtgtpT72mpLkJTxDFWvGwaq0O5mIy6pw7MaCS7SOJkizhfcpR0Rg0ABOiFvj8ixMTFbExu_oEZFwYn/s320/istockphoto-1267485165-612x612.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hey readers, this week finds me with enough energy to share some bookish thoughts on some more recent books that I've read or listened to in September (so that's progress.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxmC48M5HF4Jf-zcwc6gak8ZTkpw8QWOGYP0t2swuHEm6xKkjBu4vBvdpnbam-7fnJGZAzNbi2QLdFPkcqT-0afPqez-QHB7GKhrzuK_IF0_EJCqHg8Uf270jBiKIypDjhGixsdD9LKhYV6mN82uwBRL4h82k-YCYaP6r9vxwo4SH2RReoZxE6CLc/s500/51nXghlGFrL._SL500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxmC48M5HF4Jf-zcwc6gak8ZTkpw8QWOGYP0t2swuHEm6xKkjBu4vBvdpnbam-7fnJGZAzNbi2QLdFPkcqT-0afPqez-QHB7GKhrzuK_IF0_EJCqHg8Uf270jBiKIypDjhGixsdD9LKhYV6mN82uwBRL4h82k-YCYaP6r9vxwo4SH2RReoZxE6CLc/w200-h200/51nXghlGFrL._SL500_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Dark-Tales-Audiobook/0593555104?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&ipRedirectOverride=true&ds_rl=1262685&ds_rl=1258208&ds_rl=1261256&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj7CZBhDHARIsAPPWv3eYfpF_hAMQunjYQyxe1moDQoRwpXJnecgusDQs99t2DitVMfuBeXoaArZ8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">Dark Tales: Stories</a>; Shirley Jackson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Penguin Audio - 2021</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">)8 hours - multiple narrators - all excellent</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Tales </i>was a collection of (17) short stories. I enjoyed more than half of the stories and, although all of the stories were new to me, I didn't find them all that scary or creepy. If anything some of the stories that I didn't care for just seemed just kind of odd. The best part of the collection was the quality of the audio narrators: Ottessa Moshlegh, Kirsten Potter, Kimberly Farr, Karissa Vacker and Mark Deakins.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One very short but powerful story was called; <b>What a Thought, </b>which explored all the different ways a wife considers killing her husband who seems likely a decent guy. She is obsessed with these thoughts and the ending was shocking. <b> Louisa Please Come Home</b> was another one I liked. A younger girl isn't happy with her home life and runs away, changing her appearance many times. After being gone for over (3) years and no response to the reward the family has offered, a man she meets convinces her to go home so he can claim the reward. The family does not recognize their daughter with her changed appearance and the man who brings her home has a history of trying to claim rewards with other missing persons so in the end nothing has changed. The final one I will mention was <b>All She Said Was Yes - </b>A young girl's parents have died in a car accident and the neighbor takes the girl in until some family is able to take her with them. When trying to talk to the girl about her feelings about her parent's death, her response is a rather flat affect and the claim that she told her parents this would happen to them but, they didn't listen. The girl has other warnings including one for the neighbor who took her in but, will they heed her warning?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I liked the situations Jackson created with these stories, simple, everyday people and occurrences which suddenly take a darker turn and the reader can easily imagine that things will not end well. Other stories had a locked-room feel. It was fun to listen to a few of these at a time. Worth trying.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4/5 stars</b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DCqkFM6Cn64g2GXUjtI8QxX6RRR7BGn1Zew6K1fgRHu6D9IQue-8_yNJ-UOzkOKoCD7we6qgXPNLIhFI2_CY9lOJ6bOX9Wy4IcsNxZXjUMoojY2gw7d52YIaTMIdVjdmITTE3V2y-jwNqrRWOI4WGVbW3piqDoHmGTGD_zqDgLOGR-ENoQ-xXx3y/s400/60023131.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DCqkFM6Cn64g2GXUjtI8QxX6RRR7BGn1Zew6K1fgRHu6D9IQue-8_yNJ-UOzkOKoCD7we6qgXPNLIhFI2_CY9lOJ6bOX9Wy4IcsNxZXjUMoojY2gw7d52YIaTMIdVjdmITTE3V2y-jwNqrRWOI4WGVbW3piqDoHmGTGD_zqDgLOGR-ENoQ-xXx3y/s320/60023131.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Secluded-Cabin-Sleeps-Lisa-Unger/dp/077833323X">Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six</a>; Lisa Unger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Park Row - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(eGalley)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Three couples all family and friends escape to a luxurious, isolate cabin in Georgia, complete with all amenities including spa and personal chef. It isn't long before a dangerous storm take hold, internet is out and all communication to the outside comes to a halt. If things couldn't get much worse one of the group members goes missing.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>A thriller with a creepy, locked-room feel, this story is told from multiple POVs and past and present timelines which made this story all too much at times. All of the characters seemed spiteful and full of secrets (except for one individual). I found it hard to keep turning the pages at times and put this aside for several days at one point. I did love the set up and the setting but, the characters left me mostly disappointed.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 3.5/5 stars</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCLopZMwKBbIhRwYTRFXsVy5n18VMh7O3zW7R4Z7qco5rjmWMnZ9iUOlZarD8Webrs7dHdOKwVCkBG3Zpvl1HUl5A-im5v8WvDJvb93N8Okta08N68MuWSCUrCFmgpN5fSCaFpSJPb2mCo59noA4jeCHy6pRsxOt_IW3OMOPt9-7ojybhlfHtObb1/s1536/fpy9-square-1536.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCLopZMwKBbIhRwYTRFXsVy5n18VMh7O3zW7R4Z7qco5rjmWMnZ9iUOlZarD8Webrs7dHdOKwVCkBG3Zpvl1HUl5A-im5v8WvDJvb93N8Okta08N68MuWSCUrCFmgpN5fSCaFpSJPb2mCo59noA4jeCHy6pRsxOt_IW3OMOPt9-7ojybhlfHtObb1/w200-h200/fpy9-square-1536.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Girls-of-Willowbrook/dp/B09WJLQQZC/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1663891452&sr=1-1">The Lost Girls of Willowbrook</a>; Ellen Marie Wiseman</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Recorded Books - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Library audio download - 13_ hours - Morgan Hallett narrator - very good)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>This story is based in part on a true story surrounding The Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York in the 1970s.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Sage and Rosemary Winters ere identical twins who loved many of the same things, even though Rosemary had some developmental and emotional issues. At age 13, the girl's mother was killed in a car accident and Sage is led to believe by her step father that her twin sister died of pneumonia. The truth is Rosemary was sent to Willowbrook because he didn't want to deal with her after the mother's death.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>At 16, Sage discovers the truth and goes to Willowbrook to find her sister. At Willowbrook Sage is mistakenly believed to be Rosemary who had recently gone missing. While trying to convince staff that she isn't Rosemary she begins to witness first hand the horrors of how residents of the state school are mistreated and abused.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>This was a tough read at times to see how those trusted in the state's care were treated prior to this institution being closed in the 1970s. Although some of the story felt repetitive, I thought that the author did a good job emphasizing the abuses that took place and how administrators looked the other way. I was happy I decided to listen to the audio which was well done.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4/5 stars</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1Huymk9Z6WSfT24RInranT3z-1zeaGocMNJjJ3qzS733q3fTEneui_iD0GPFs6QiyMOxKU2kzfQomGoSQKHbHkXbgjo_ge9kcjAuL7P-7DMkKuAOTdu5ntLCE2hetcyUyQklUd0gWx6X_yuz2lCGGXN0uI-2JuMEvPM0bhuzhh5jKbTKylBgEuOz/s475/60631221._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1Huymk9Z6WSfT24RInranT3z-1zeaGocMNJjJ3qzS733q3fTEneui_iD0GPFs6QiyMOxKU2kzfQomGoSQKHbHkXbgjo_ge9kcjAuL7P-7DMkKuAOTdu5ntLCE2hetcyUyQklUd0gWx6X_yuz2lCGGXN0uI-2JuMEvPM0bhuzhh5jKbTKylBgEuOz/s320/60631221._SY475_.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Girls-of-Willowbrook/dp/B09WJLQQZC/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1663891452&sr=1-1">We Spread</a>; Iain Reid</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simon ^ Schuster Audio - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(5 hours 58 minutes)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Narrator - Robin Miles - very good)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(audio download sent by publisher)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Penny is an elderly artist who has lived in the same apartment with her long term partner for years and years. After her partner passed away, she felt comfort in the sameness of her days, surrounded by the things she loved and which brought her comfort. She felt happy and at peace despite the fact her partner had died.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a few incidents at the apartment, she finds herself uprooted from her apartment and the things that she loves to a strange but beautiful home occupied by several elderly residents her age and some kind staff. The group dines together, continues with hobbies and socializes. They are supervised by a caring staff who monitors their daily activities but, for Penny it is not the same as her apartment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was quick, well-written novel that I very much enjoyed. It was one of those stories that as a senior myself, made me pause and reflect. It was hard to see many of Penny's prized possessions of her former life packed away as she was moved to her new residence. Her new life was often clouded by confusion yet it felt quite realistic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 4.5/5 stars</b></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-73916010719631536682022-09-17T18:23:00.004-04:002022-09-18T17:49:26.060-04:00Quick Update and a blogging break<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTPKKaW_nSrDIU0Pra3l7zd9K0qERKPjqXROgbY-mzZyFcQFyyLLaMe4FUh1ccOG_X1Y4jgZrlwq2DDNZTdE_L8neDvowysHcSeEYUc7AIP8UNN2vGdOF8PHPbuHzoZ9iWwvdx5JCymBYIfPdiJBaMImIMGqQ9G9-_ObgDfttiCyaNJU5Qdzi9iWL/s600/depositphotos_31728677-stock-photo-iv-solution-in-patient-hand.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTPKKaW_nSrDIU0Pra3l7zd9K0qERKPjqXROgbY-mzZyFcQFyyLLaMe4FUh1ccOG_X1Y4jgZrlwq2DDNZTdE_L8neDvowysHcSeEYUc7AIP8UNN2vGdOF8PHPbuHzoZ9iWwvdx5JCymBYIfPdiJBaMImIMGqQ9G9-_ObgDfttiCyaNJU5Qdzi9iWL/s320/depositphotos_31728677-stock-photo-iv-solution-in-patient-hand.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello readers, I've been missing from the computer and blogging in general but, life threw me an unexpected curveball.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Friday, 9/2, I woke up with low blood pressure and a high heart rate, felt a little little headed and ended up passing out in the kitchen and banging my head on the ceramic floor. My doctor was concerned about a brain bleed so wanted me to go to the ER. Good news, no head injury, bad news they found other areas of concern including a blood infection, low BP, elevated heart rate. I spent (4) nights in the hospital after almost constant IV antibiotics and fluids. They believe dehydration lead to the passing out incident. I have had other issues I've been dealing with so, this was just another unexpected setback.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Needless to say,, I came home very weak and am slowly trying to regain my energy. I'll be following up with a few different doctors over next few weeks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">On a positive note I have finished (2) audio books. (1) I started and finished in the hospital and the other since I've been home - both very good.</span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19EgYPcoQ9bodj4B9LLc59mXLLpylIaJ4CqMSd6-AQKubDRQ4kn4LFxiRW5RlQFw771JkXoqje2sgFPGpN3uGIzVMsXsSB4DgjbP7PPY4AVp4rzl5615f3BbzBb3QRHRXc0kNo1lsvRXhxGGbv9IiLhOjiOPge3pgAR5pcxkQdQ2HbbQDd7xG6Qll/s475/60631221._SY475_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19EgYPcoQ9bodj4B9LLc59mXLLpylIaJ4CqMSd6-AQKubDRQ4kn4LFxiRW5RlQFw771JkXoqje2sgFPGpN3uGIzVMsXsSB4DgjbP7PPY4AVp4rzl5615f3BbzBb3QRHRXc0kNo1lsvRXhxGGbv9IiLhOjiOPge3pgAR5pcxkQdQ2HbbQDd7xG6Qll/s320/60631221._SY475_.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781797144252-we-spread">We Spread</a>; Iain Reid</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">RATING - 4.5/5 stars</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Narrator - Robin Miles - excellent</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(review at a later date)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChfytPcPl0w7yKx2uhBOG8ULFswzbjSSuj74sKZxtuVJ3EFUAHgBa3d411lnqDdLl2FYFSJysy6Xh1cgD8IztOLMtCeUAhMqRdVXdkIL_UzfSfiVzxsZg0Ji9ELRTHYDwW6NImEg2EYVJiNe7ubBAYMvX7sSWtw0Raum_Wj0n5ozPTxtHiRopotYz/s1536/fpy9-square-1536.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChfytPcPl0w7yKx2uhBOG8ULFswzbjSSuj74sKZxtuVJ3EFUAHgBa3d411lnqDdLl2FYFSJysy6Xh1cgD8IztOLMtCeUAhMqRdVXdkIL_UzfSfiVzxsZg0Ji9ELRTHYDwW6NImEg2EYVJiNe7ubBAYMvX7sSWtw0Raum_Wj0n5ozPTxtHiRopotYz/w200-h200/fpy9-square-1536.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/the-lost-girls-of-willowbrook.aspx?campaign=p-max&source=google&medium=ppc&gclid=CjwKCAjw4JWZBhApEiwAtJUN0GcTd048trLCZla6BgBDv2Jc1iMaWQI9s8t1J05YYvd50DjgOBEOPxoCVTAQAvD_BwE">Lost Girls of Willowbroo</a>k; Ellen Marie Wiseman</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Recorded Books -2022 (library loan)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> RATING - <b>4/5 stars</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Narrator - Morgan Hallet - very good</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>review at a later date<br /></span><div><br /><div><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></b></div><div><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>UPCOMING READs</b></div></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_IILeoWHYqQdfBkGjc_LQ236tNs7cqAMQ-1P4_sdaD5uw0ro7GQgfdXDvY9sQtWZVjIjoBiB76O1PAmeekWSbXnedMudu5fyIO5l_V-JJRA0_XhSGcVVnJu2pi2UXhHt1_T7DJmaBKB2SXnvMTMGQHoZTjXdFjvLqSDcwfsQSK0Vvllej21LTXu2/s240/unnamed%20(21).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_IILeoWHYqQdfBkGjc_LQ236tNs7cqAMQ-1P4_sdaD5uw0ro7GQgfdXDvY9sQtWZVjIjoBiB76O1PAmeekWSbXnedMudu5fyIO5l_V-JJRA0_XhSGcVVnJu2pi2UXhHt1_T7DJmaBKB2SXnvMTMGQHoZTjXdFjvLqSDcwfsQSK0Vvllej21LTXu2/s1600/unnamed%20(21).webp" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That's it for now. I'll post some reviews when I feel up to it otherwise you can check my 2022 Books Read Tab to see what I've read.</div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-80908337833321754612022-09-07T09:00:00.001-04:002022-09-07T09:49:03.047-04:00Book Review - Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodG3bE2jl77-gnqAO74E3LxE8iDm0kaGdbJ7yWgWJmSvhqrmGtJDFXmC34N6nU2sUdWlA6kDI3SnoO_SJElJ4VRV2hRf7aTmC2zp9RxKMtGWLqnT8yoHXJeqXDlPXDPZHzp8BrdXmrCFxzgDL7xqSx7MV5T79VZHjdxMndlzMtYsv_Vu6GqSAG_Yb/s499/41TF0zcR4rL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodG3bE2jl77-gnqAO74E3LxE8iDm0kaGdbJ7yWgWJmSvhqrmGtJDFXmC34N6nU2sUdWlA6kDI3SnoO_SJElJ4VRV2hRf7aTmC2zp9RxKMtGWLqnT8yoHXJeqXDlPXDPZHzp8BrdXmrCFxzgDL7xqSx7MV5T79VZHjdxMndlzMtYsv_Vu6GqSAG_Yb/s320/41TF0zcR4rL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59816863-killers-of-a-certain-age">Killers of a Certain Age</a>; Deanna Raybourn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Berkley - 9/2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is my first time trying this author and the appeal of this book for me was the fact that the main characters were women who were easing intro retirement in their 60s after a career in a non traditional female field - 40 years as female assassins. The all female team worked for a group called The Museum, originally tracking Nazi but over their tenure as the as the world changed so did the kinds of people they went after such as drug smugglers and human traffickers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie are on an all expense paid cruise but, when they spot a former assassin from the Museum among the ship's crew something doesn't feel right and the women wonder if they are suddenly not on a leisurely cruise but targets. Can this group of savvy women use the skills that honed over the years to stay alive? Why has the Museum turned on the women?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The story is told from the POV of Billie and takes the reader into the past as we learn about some of their missions over the course of their career. but, more of the book was set in the present day. It was easy to get a feel for the individual strengths of the relationships of the women. I felt the story moved along at a good pace but, I was surprised by the darker details the storyline took at times. There were some moments that made me smile but, the story wasn't at all light and humorous either. I can't really say that I would even classify this as a mystery. In the end this was just another case of a book that wasn't a good fit for me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 3/5 stars</b></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-31750109441013331922022-09-06T06:30:00.000-04:002022-09-06T06:43:00.154-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intro - Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six; Lisa Unger<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Welcome to</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter/Intros,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;"> hosted by</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Yvonne @ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.</span><div><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLWrmGVuJHVvy2HBm2CIcuiPdBk-U_eye35STPAuhCb4Wz4vlVMtDMCl2aMutzANFouVREDRzElhTnVfzcbBSpIUTW7kU8XGkdSZBCzqnzi9YN7YITX6jf68em9KW1Y1-b9u0QCsufNDyo3p5kqimCELJPG4M3zFYT6auspbLp8HvYjAL2CbXCJh8/s400/60023131.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLWrmGVuJHVvy2HBm2CIcuiPdBk-U_eye35STPAuhCb4Wz4vlVMtDMCl2aMutzANFouVREDRzElhTnVfzcbBSpIUTW7kU8XGkdSZBCzqnzi9YN7YITX6jf68em9KW1Y1-b9u0QCsufNDyo3p5kqimCELJPG4M3zFYT6auspbLp8HvYjAL2CbXCJh8/s320/60023131.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60023131">Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six</a>; Lisa Unger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Park Row -2022</div><p><b style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Prologue</b></p><p><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Christmas Night 2017</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">The carcass is spread in the middle of the table. Carved, flesh torn away, eaten, ribs exposed. The turkey when it was removed from the oven, is now just a pile of bones. Plates are smeared with gravy, wineglasses empty, stained red. A swath of maroon lipstick mars a white cloth napkin. The lights from the Christmas tree blink, manic.</span></p><p>I used to read everything Lisa Unger wrote but, it's been a while. This catchy title had somewhat of a creep factor for me so I added it to my RIP Challenge list. What do you think, read more of pass?</p></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-83580424305708891502022-09-05T14:35:00.000-04:002022-09-05T14:35:08.551-04:00Brief Book Review - The Woman in the Library; Sulari Gentill<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaAatdhDq4TkBan8DLzbZh13_kayFmewxzX0QY4oEzEAKb6IAw5Y186OEbBCMDU4BJ78gFG8DuTs4EcJg8g_mifCfc2RID8JAqzjd-9jHB72KsH1ckJ4niTYPQcXMTl_V_vXuvIuZE0lHK08jmOpVgz_5N_sTmYBvQauioAtcnUMfFg4Rv86pCdmC/s346/51iLYfjy9KL._SY346_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaAatdhDq4TkBan8DLzbZh13_kayFmewxzX0QY4oEzEAKb6IAw5Y186OEbBCMDU4BJ78gFG8DuTs4EcJg8g_mifCfc2RID8JAqzjd-9jHB72KsH1ckJ4niTYPQcXMTl_V_vXuvIuZE0lHK08jmOpVgz_5N_sTmYBvQauioAtcnUMfFg4Rv86pCdmC/s320/51iLYfjy9KL._SY346_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56803179">The Woman in the Library</a>; Sulari Gentill</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Poison Pen Press - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(library Loan)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was a book that I passed on initially but, my self-imposed pressure, based on reviews from some who enjoyed it, and the setting of the Boston Public Library held lots of appeal.. Unfortunately, this book was a struggle and ultimately a disappointing read for me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The setting of the Boston Public Library, a blood-curdling scream early that ultimately ends in the murder of a young woman, makes fast friends of four strangers sitting at the same table who bond after the crime. The more the group discusses what they recall the plot thickens and suspicions intensify. Hannah Tigone is a mystery writer based in Australia who shares the book she is writing with a Boston based mega fan named Leo who critiques her work it for locale and other accuracies, since the pandemic has preventing Hannah from coming to Boston herself. Her novel is shared basically through email exchanges at the ends of the chapters and the whole correspondence gets very odd and uncomfortable as well at at times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not a fan of a story within a story kind of novel and found this one hard to get into and even confusing at times. I think I was expecting more of a traditional mystery. I'm not even sure this can be classified as a traditional mystery as it also seemed heavily character driven. I especially found the correspondence distracting and felt it added very little to the mystery overall. Sorry readers I can't recommend this one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>RATING - 2.5/5 stars</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-45103342816040707982022-09-04T07:00:00.001-04:002022-09-04T07:00:00.254-04:00Book Review - The Left-Handed Twin; Thomas Perry<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp76MauG2qSVtYJBbz0y11-LMEk78My2gZKq1nT5MuTGwqsE6KKtQ0EHSLgcmu8Y_pgheFWvTORqY0VnkjmZgzjafwy_fk2ZY2OJEmI1EWdl1u7SR2j-qTwQ2fVYcKL7HN9LDiVSK8OAa1xzZjS8d8sTepgzvbWRAWXmKEiiHJ_BU_GV5Tv81OyXS6/s500/51sj01ItU6L.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp76MauG2qSVtYJBbz0y11-LMEk78My2gZKq1nT5MuTGwqsE6KKtQ0EHSLgcmu8Y_pgheFWvTORqY0VnkjmZgzjafwy_fk2ZY2OJEmI1EWdl1u7SR2j-qTwQ2fVYcKL7HN9LDiVSK8OAa1xzZjS8d8sTepgzvbWRAWXmKEiiHJ_BU_GV5Tv81OyXS6/w200-h200/51sj01ItU6L.webp" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Left-Handed-Twin-Jane-Whitefield-Book/dp/B09L5D4Y9B">The Left-Handed Twin</a>; Thomas Perry</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Highbridge Audio - 2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(audio purchase - 8 hours 49 minute)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Joyce Bean - Narrator - good)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jane Whitefield a 30-something part Seneca woman who is married to a surgeon. she has a unique gift and has helped about 100 people terrified people safely escape their former lives often when it is a life or death situation. After taking a break from her work for a bit, she is asked by a friend to help a young woman named Sara who testified against he badass boyfriend in a murder trial. The former boyfriend is acquitted and he is looking for Sara and even has the help of the Russian mob who are more interested in finding Jane than finding Sara. They have an interest in finding out the real names of the people that Jane has helped start new lives over the years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From upstate New York, New Hampshire and even along the Appalachian Trail, Jane seems to keep just one step above her pursuers. The pace of this story is fast and the tension nail biting at times including the story's terrifying conclusion. This is book #9 of the Jane Whitefield series but, it can clearly be read as a stand alone novel. There is plenty of backstory, almost too much at times IMO. I've read a few of the previous series books but not in order and, I like Jane's character. She is a smart, strong and fearless sort of woman who is dedicated to what she does. I think new readers will find the information she provides about charging identities and staying under the radar interesting as they read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I purchased this audio download and although I've enjoyed Joyce Bean as a narrator previously, her voice to me sounded like a much older woman who did not fit Jane's part as a woman who was in her 30s. A decent thriller overall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Rating - 4/5 stars</b></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-46383515197264634212022-09-03T07:55:00.000-04:002022-09-03T07:55:13.203-04:00Book Review - Fairy Tale; Stephen King - release date September 6th<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVSZC2vUXoDPcNCgP9xzwhalZ__XhPL-Wtynfy4oUMtEJAKNh7aApGkfoL4-E-o2oYJpiKASmY8UXm1_YUnX9-H_yjX67zrqy1Rk3fFNIyrjalcDpDQlYcuUN44lyCtzUho_mWrKF1hrJIv236ApDcgXllUitVS2AB-SnSxOHNq76oNVv_vuHnZBJ/s240/unnamed%20(18).webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVSZC2vUXoDPcNCgP9xzwhalZ__XhPL-Wtynfy4oUMtEJAKNh7aApGkfoL4-E-o2oYJpiKASmY8UXm1_YUnX9-H_yjX67zrqy1Rk3fFNIyrjalcDpDQlYcuUN44lyCtzUho_mWrKF1hrJIv236ApDcgXllUitVS2AB-SnSxOHNq76oNVv_vuHnZBJ/s1600/unnamed%20(18).webp" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60177373">Fairy Tale</a>; Stephen King</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Scribner and Simon & Schuster Audio - 9/6/2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Narrators: Seth Numrich and Stephen King)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(length - 24 hours)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Stephen Kin's latest novel which releases on September 6th we meet Charlie Reade whose life hasn't been easy. His mom died when he was a young boy after being hit by a van. His dad tried to do the best he could but instead he drowned his grief in alcohol until he eventually found the help he needed to get sober. Charlie in turn for a number of years became the responsible one in the household. He was also a good student and talented athlete.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One day Charlie, now 17, is riding his bike by the home of a recluse named Howard Bowditch. The man's barking dog summoned Charlie to see that Mr.Bowditch had fallen off a ladder and couldn't get up. After Charlie calls for help and Mr, Bowditch is hospitalized for a fractured hip, it's clear the older man will require a lengthy period of rehab, home care and someone to feed Radar, his German Shepard while he is away from home. Charlie steps in and an unlikely bond of trust and respect is formed between Charlie, Mr. Bowditch and Radar. Things at Mr. Bowditch's home are a little retro to say the least but, the most mysterious of all are the contents of a safe and a mysterious backyard shed that leads to an alternate universe where those who enter will grapple with good versus evil. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Mr. Bowditch dies and Charlie is left a cassette tape from Mr. Bowditch explaining several thing as well as inheriting the property and his elderly dog Radar, the reader will wonder whether Charlie and Radar have what it takes to survive the battle that they will be forced to face.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best described as a dark fantasy kind of thriller, something I sometimes grapple with, this story pulled me in immediately. Charlie Reade was such a likable character, the kind of teen you would be proud to have for your son and mature beyond his years. Charlie had a heavy burden to carry sacrificing much to be of service to others. I loved <span style="text-align: center;">Radar the senior dog and his bond with former master and then with Charlie was heartwarming. This book is very good and I never found it disturbing either. Once again it amazes me just how very wild and imaginative King's mind is. In this case he created several deeply complex and memorable characters, a </span><span style="text-align: center;">unique and odd alternate universe</span><span style="text-align: center;"> complete with a beautiful palace, glass towers, and even a magical sundial that could turn time around. King fans will not be disappointed. The audio version was excellent.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><b>Rating - 4.5/5 stars</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><b>(NOTE: </b>An audio download was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.)</span></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-25716284337606300762022-09-01T11:16:00.003-04:002022-10-08T09:53:10.082-04:00RIP XVII Challenge - September 1 through October 31, 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdO70lYTDmWFNtHj1Zrg3zBsRK_jO98EqxaycY4Bx8O3H6KjYFSo6STrZkBiw1WdFMWxTSf0OlwrnbthQ3tm0dYhPEYU2h_r2mSM_4WHcV2SXEStyiVAQnQu_H76O9rj0s6pHtQ4dGHS9Q_ssGfz0eOBMm13Sw-EQbGAigrvrfdLjp_kICjTc9Dq6/s300/ripxvii.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdO70lYTDmWFNtHj1Zrg3zBsRK_jO98EqxaycY4Bx8O3H6KjYFSo6STrZkBiw1WdFMWxTSf0OlwrnbthQ3tm0dYhPEYU2h_r2mSM_4WHcV2SXEStyiVAQnQu_H76O9rj0s6pHtQ4dGHS9Q_ssGfz0eOBMm13Sw-EQbGAigrvrfdLjp_kICjTc9Dq6/s1600/ripxvii.webp" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><p></p><ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 3em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grab your spooky books, because it’s the <span style="font-weight: 700; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s;">best time of year</span> again!</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To join the R.I.P. Challenge, just read as many mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, dark fantasy, supernatural, or Gothic books as you’d like <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;">September 1st – October 31st</span>, and post/discuss them on your blog, Instagram, or Twitter. The group is also on Discord!</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Use <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;">#RIPXVII</span> to connect with other challenge participants.</span></li><li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out this link for all of the challenge details: <a href="https://linktr.ee/perilreaders" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s linear 0s, background-color 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;">https://linktr.ee/perilreaders</span></a></span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit;"><div><b>Possible RIP Choices</b></div><div style="font-weight: inherit;"><br /></div><div style="font-weight: inherit;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55922299-the-night-she-disappeared?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=HaHuOxB8es&rank=1">The Night She Disappeared</a>;</strike> Lisa Jewell - 4/5 stars</li><li><strike><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html">Secluded Cabin Sleeps </a>Six; Lisa Unger</strike> - 3.5/5 stars</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Couple-Number-Novel-Claire-Douglas/dp/006313814X">The Couple at Number 9</a>; Claire Douglas</li><li>T<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D48LPM/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title?pldnSite=1">he Hunchback of Notre Dame</a>; Victor Hugo (bucket list book)</li><li><strike><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html">Dark Tales;</a> Shirley Jackson</strike> - 4/5 stars</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/355730.The_Haunted_Hotel">The Haunted Hotel</a>; Wilkie Collins (bucket list book)</li></ol></div><div style="font-weight: inherit;"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: inherit;">I’ll be tracking my RIP books for this challenge on this post and on my sidebar:</span></span><div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><strike><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html">Dark Tales;</a> Shirley Jackson</strike> - 4/5 stars</li><li><strike><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55922299-the-night-she-disappeared?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=HaHuOxB8es&rank=1">The Night She Disappeared</a>;</strike> Lisa Jewell - 4/5 stars</li><li><strike><a href="https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2022/09/some-september-reading.html">Secluded Cabin Sleeps </a>Six; Lisa Unger</strike> - 3.5/5 stars</li><li></li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ol style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 3em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.3s linear 0s; vertical-align: baseline;"></ol></div></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-77716957758133167482022-08-31T18:20:00.000-04:002022-08-31T18:20:22.870-04:00A couple catch up reviews - A History of Wild Places; Shea Ernshaw and Dark Matter; Blake Crouch<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBso-KyK_JELKTCjKEzgKe7JE-gwrLxAGWR3U4FyfTsl2SGJLVzykq32XO1-vmE4dFUzHw9UEA8g6KYeA4h-oVUKxg7N4IqXNL-tXQ3RgHBXzDO_HY9vuqtB7Ja1Bky0wXJabDRlRvp8y3AcLpbnIwpMa7HPetJExmovp6NhKRSrsDHsO3Ia4_p6C1/s225/download%20(30).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBso-KyK_JELKTCjKEzgKe7JE-gwrLxAGWR3U4FyfTsl2SGJLVzykq32XO1-vmE4dFUzHw9UEA8g6KYeA4h-oVUKxg7N4IqXNL-tXQ3RgHBXzDO_HY9vuqtB7Ja1Bky0wXJabDRlRvp8y3AcLpbnIwpMa7HPetJExmovp6NhKRSrsDHsO3Ia4_p6C1/s1600/download%20(30).jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56898223-a-history-of-wild-places?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=CRnTqBSedT&rank=1">A History of Wild Places;</a> Shea Ernshaw</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simon & Schuster Audio - 2021</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(5) different narrators including Cassadra Campbell - very good)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(11 hours - 59 minutes)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Travis Wren has a talent for helping the police find missing persons. Hanging out in places the missing have frequented, holding on to a piece of clothing or possession of the missing has been helpful in giving Travis a feel for what went on in the person's life when they went missing. Unfortunately, Travis is still haunted by the fact that he was not able to prevent his own sister from taking her own life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Travis was hired by the family of Maggie St. James, a children's author known for her darker stories. Maggie has been missing for (5) years. Travis travels to Pastoral, a commune community led by a man named Levi who isn't welcoming to outsiders. In addition to Levi, there is a married couple name Theo and Callie and Callie's blind sister, Bee, who is in love with Levi. Bee has a keen sense of observation as a blind person. So when Travis appears to have gone missing as well, I was drawn into the cult-like mystery anxious to uncover the darker side of this commune.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is book that my husband and I started out enjoying but, then the story turned in a darker fairy tale like storyline that left me puzzle and I didn't figure out. I did find it difficult to connect with any of the character except perhaps Bee. This was definitely not the type of book I'm drawn to but thought it was well written, descriptive and atmospheric. I wasn't a fan of the paranormal aspects of the story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Rating - 3.5/5 stars</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Note: This audiobook download was made available by the publisher in exchange for my unbiasaed review.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgPAhw31fp1HA3oRr0z-_D0zne2u0lL1HLPRCXI1Mg96zoAZ_czVlWlyhQhc2wfUYkt5Oo3te-Hg8C1Ut8kRJVAUtzs_1zb3NCC1RcvS_b2p90sEdGnqvuUL2ey8Rvxx3kPmc0uDlMrDZHjumXuL9xy3bHiihviu2upRE7mPzCtSq0CLhGAGgae5J/s240/unnamed%20(19).webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgPAhw31fp1HA3oRr0z-_D0zne2u0lL1HLPRCXI1Mg96zoAZ_czVlWlyhQhc2wfUYkt5Oo3te-Hg8C1Ut8kRJVAUtzs_1zb3NCC1RcvS_b2p90sEdGnqvuUL2ey8Rvxx3kPmc0uDlMrDZHjumXuL9xy3bHiihviu2upRE7mPzCtSq0CLhGAGgae5J/s1600/unnamed%20(19).webp" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833670-dark-matter">Dark Matter</a>; Blake Crouch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Penguin Random House Audio - 2016</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Narrated by Jon Lindstrom- very good</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(10 hours - 8 minutes)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Matter </i>is my book group's pick for September and, it's one of those books that I would have been unlikely to have picked up on my own but, I am so happy that I tried it; a riveting story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As the story opens we meet Jason Dessen, a devoted family man and college professor. His wife Daniela is the love of his life as is his teenaged son Charlie. Thursday evenings are family night where the family gathers around the kitchen preparing a meal together while catching up on their week. Since the meal would not be ready for a while, Daniela convinces Jason to run out to congratulate an accomplished former associate who has just been given a prestigious award. When Jason fails to return home when expected, no one could have predicted how his life would be turned upside down. Jason is abducted, drugged and wakes up in a life totally different from the one he knew having him question everything he knew to be true.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What follows is a foreboding SF thriller, but one that is not too heavy in effects for readers like me who generally shy away from that genre. It is a fast paced, addictive story with a theme that explores ambition, past decisions, what constitutes happiness and the road not taken. Told from Jason's POV, his character is well-explored and one I found easy to feel for. His wife and son's character could have been explored more deeply. This was an easy story to get pulled into from the very beginning, I had to pace myself and I can't wait to discuss this one in a few weeks with my group. Highly recommended.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Rating - 4.5/5 stars (library download)</b></div><p></p>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964305665370254420.post-66591956533057183492022-08-30T00:00:00.001-04:002022-08-30T00:00:00.269-04:00First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros - Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s266/tuesday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #3778cd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cGkXHzb2mRZJJocznyXg1rKNo_6VRRSfki44mbva9ZvAaLw2I9Do2V3JzTELyoF0GCDhmB3taM7s_pc33L9eIjnFJscC5oavRzkcfj2MwpdOIo-OnnClm7tXRcG6-VElMxyA7HiqrT8rvpCPDPeB6VU42oQzRSu-KwiwMEaJS8hRme2dT3ckuI8/s1600/tuesday1.jpg" style="background: transparent; border-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Welcome to</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">First Chapter/Intros,</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> hosted by</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-weight: 700; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> Yvonne @ <a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d469c; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;" target="_blank">Socrates Book Reviews</a>. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;">Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqNh6fUQd_tw_Qgjnk_KSmuoAFdn4QFGtMM0GPZvHB1_4OX9E3wHAV_ugSWK33TYXDfQ38Et-ejm1Mw5UTS1dINwWJ5qUevEL7iNuUj09sJe2otYzBX1QAccjNcS8tolAI7gAL3cvBxDfaCps9DD6OH79IWpJuF3bKzfitqSDoyK1Hsf-6mkKMGmI/s499/41TF0zcR4rL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqNh6fUQd_tw_Qgjnk_KSmuoAFdn4QFGtMM0GPZvHB1_4OX9E3wHAV_ugSWK33TYXDfQ38Et-ejm1Mw5UTS1dINwWJ5qUevEL7iNuUj09sJe2otYzBX1QAccjNcS8tolAI7gAL3cvBxDfaCps9DD6OH79IWpJuF3bKzfitqSDoyK1Hsf-6mkKMGmI/s320/41TF0zcR4rL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn">Killers of a Certain Age</a>; Deanna Raybourn</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Berkley - 9/5/2022</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Chapter One</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">November 1979</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">"My mothers always says it's common as pig's tracks to go around with a run in your stockings." Helen says, eyeing Billie's ripped hosiery critically.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Billie rolls her eyes. "Helen, it's murder, not cotillion."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">"It's not murder," Helen corrects. "It's an assassination, and you can make an effort to look nice. Besides, they're supposed to believe we're stewardesses and no stewardess would be caught dead with torn pantyhose." Helen brandishes a familiar plastic egg. "I brought spares. Please go change while you still have time. I'll start the coffee."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What do you think --read more or pass? I've been so looking forward to this one. Not only is is supposed to be funny, these women are older as well - something we don't see that often in fiction.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book releases next Tuesday.</div><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-align: start; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></div>(Diane) Bibliophile By the Seahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10519875632878992728noreply@blogger.com20