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Little Souls; Sandra Dallas
Macmillan Audio - 2022
(audio narrator - Carly Robins - very good)
As I've mentioned previously, I don't read a lot of historical fiction but this premise appealed to me when I first read about it. Set in Colorado, 1918, WWI is happening and the flu pandemic is raging on. Little Souls is story about (2) sisters: Helen, a nurse and her husband to be, Gil, is a medical student. Luttie, Helen's 24 year old younger sister, lives with her. Luttie is a bit of a dreamer who has an interest in fashion design and works for a high end department store. Luttie's boyfriend joined the Army to do his part with the war effort. The sisters are very close. Dorothy is a 10 year old girl who lived with her parents in a small apartment located in the same house the sisters had shared. When both parents die, under very different circumstances, the sisters take the girl in wanting to make sure that Dorothy is loved and cared for after learning how she had been abused.
Once I started this story I found it hard to put down and it was very easy book to listen to on audio. Not only is this a story about sisters but, it is also a story about helping those in need and righting past injustices that occurred. I found the story kind of comforting even though there were some sad moments, tragic events, but, there was also a happier ending and a satisfying epilogue as well. Highly recommended to historical fiction fans.
Rating - 4.5/5stars
(NOTE: I received an audio download from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review)
Marrying the Ketchups; Jennifer Close
Knopf - 2022
Marrying the Ketchups was a book I became curious about by the unusual title and Jennifer Close being an author I enjoyed years ago but one that I hadn't read in a while.
It's a story of (3) generations of a large Irish Catholic family who run an Oak Park (Chicago) restaurant called JP Sullivans. The founders, Bud and Rose, opened the restaurant in the 1970s and in 2016 a few strange things had happened: the Chicago Cubs win a World Series, their first in 108 years, poor Bud dies unexpectedly and Trump wins the presidential election This complicated family must pick up the pieces and get their acts together and, they also must decide what is now best for mother Rose after Bud's death.
There are sisters: Gretchen - mid 30s, a bit on the wild side, lead singer in a band called the Donna Martin Graduates:) and Jane, a mother of two, successful, married to a wealthy man who just might be cheating on her. Then Teddy, a cousin who manages the restaurant. He's a people-pleaser with issues of his own and then we have Reilly, Teddy's teenaged half-sister.
This is a story about complicated families and the author does a great job helping the reader to get to know and understand these unhappy people and their issues. Well written, character driven, lots of funny moments even though most everyone is pretty miserable. I liked this book but, think I might have appreciated it even more if I were younger. The 2016 political aspects of the story were not overdone - thank goodness. Worth considering for readers who enjoy a character driven story about complicated families.
Rating - 4/5 stars
(Note: I received an eGalley download from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.)
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Xstabeth; David Keenan
Europa Editions - 2022
I loved Europa Editions and Xstabeth intrigued me when I read about it. I thought it seemed a bit unusual but worth trying especially because it was also a novella with fewer than 140 pages.
I'm really not sure how to classify this or even what to write about it as it was a bit too far out there for me. It's a story about a daughter, a father and the father's his best friend. The father is singer/songwriter, but not a very good one. His daughter, Aneliya, loves her father but, begins seeing her father's best friend Jaco, who is a better musician than the girl's father.
When I have to skim a novella, it's because the book is not a good fit for me and that was the case here. There were some explicit sex and, I just didn't get the whole point of the story unfortunately.
Rating - 1.5/5 stars
(Note: I received an eGalley of this novella from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.)
What Else I'm Reading
The Lost Apothecary; Sarah Penner
Park Row - 2021
Book Group Read - finished - no review yet
3.5/5 stars
Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient; Theresa Brown
Algonquin Books - 2022 (library book - hardcover)
(just started - page 57)
The Shore; Katie Runde
Simon & Schuster - 2022
(reading now - 27% mark)
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Klara and the Sun; Kazuo Ishiguro
Random House Audio - 2021
(starting soon)
Share your week by posting a link on Deb's Blog HERE
Little Souls sounds really good. I like that time period, too. :)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.
DeleteOh I'm glad you reviewed the Ketchups. Not sure I like miserable big family stories but a little curious about the 2016 election aspects of it. So I might read it. The Little Souls novel sounds pretty good too. I like historical fiction, so I'll look for it.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Close really has a way of making the reader feel like they know her characters; the election part wasn't over done thank goodness.
DeleteI also meant to add that Little Souls was a pleasant surprise.
DeleteI like the sound of Little Souls too. Healing also sounds like it might be interesting. I'm reading my first ever David Baldaci, A Long Road to Mercy, which is excellent and a book about someone who is touring all of those countries that end in 'stan', Uzbekistan etc.
ReplyDeleteWOW on Baldacci being a first for you as he has been around a long time. I've read some of his early books but, I haven't tired anything in quite a few years.
DeleteThree out of four on the reviews is not too bad at all. Little Souls sounds pretty good.
ReplyDeleteYes, they can't all be winners but, I did like the variety last week.
DeleteI like the sound of Little Souls, too. I don't mind a story with sad elements as long as there are threads of hope in it. It sounds like that is the case here.
ReplyDeleteMy reading has slowed a bit with things going on, but I am reading Murder on Washington Square by Victoria Thompson this weekend.
Have a good week!
I agree, it's easier to take a sad read when the story leaves you with some hope. I haven't read anything by Victoria Thompson but, I know she is popular.
DeleteSometimes it feels so good to write some brief reviews and process a few books in one fell swoop. That first book sounds particularly good.
ReplyDeleteYes it does and I think that will be a game plan, at least the next several months.
DeleteSorry you didn't like the last one, but the others sound good.
ReplyDeleteSandra Dallas is an author who consistently knows how to tug on my heartstrings. It's been a while since I've read one of her books, so I'm glad to see that she is still writing, and still writing well.
ReplyDeleteMarrying the Ketchups appeals to me because of its focus on family and its Chicago setting. I'll look for it to accompany me on our next trip to visit our son there.
I really enjoyed Klara and the Sun. Hope you do, too.
Deb, I'm enjoying Klara and the Sun - so unique.
DeleteMarrying the Ketchups sounds like my kind of book. I need to start listening to audio books. I've tried in the past but find they are too slow for me. However, I should do it when I am doing chores.
ReplyDeleteI love audio books as long as there are not too many characters. I think about 50% of what I read is audio or audio/eBook combos.
DeleteI don't read much historical fiction either, but Little Souls sounds really good. I'll have to see if I can get it at the library.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, yes, Little Souls was a nice story and I was surprised how much I liked it.
DeleteThis is the first I've heard of Little Souls. I'm not a big historical fiction reader either, but this one sounds very appealing. Marrying the Ketchups does sound like my kind of book... and what an unusual title! I'll probably give that one a try eventually, too.
ReplyDeleteLittle Souls was a great read and, I think you might like Marrying the Ketchups even more than me as I think you tend to like those family stories - great character development too.
DeleteWhat a nice mix of books. The Lost Apothecary has caught my eye more than a few times.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking I'd like Lost Apothecary more than I did but the writing was problematic at times for me.
DeleteOh no. That's a bummer :(
DeleteI went on a Sandra Dallas kick a few years ago and read many of her books and then forgot completely about her. I should check out some of her recent books. Thanks for the reminder. My Sunday Salon post
ReplyDeleteThat was a nice change for me Anne. Yes, I yead a few of her earlier books years ago and then stopped. It was nice to get back to her.
DeleteToo bad about Xstabeth but the other two look interesting. The Lost Apothecary is on my radar because that cover is just so striking.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to like Lost Apothecary more than I did. I'll be curious to hear what other group members have to say next week.
DeleteIt's been a long time since I've read anything by Sandra Dallas. Little Souls sounds like one I might enjoy. I'm planning to read Klara and the Sun later this year for book group.
ReplyDelete