Grab a Book & Play Booktivity! discussion

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Read any good books lately that fit our monthly theme?

Here's the place to share your opinions / reactions / recommendations.

Our January theme was suggested by SouthwestZippy:
New Author - Read a book by an Author that you have not tried but been wanting to or someone has recommended to you.



Enjoy!

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Bottom Feeder - Matt Cole – (Pennsylvania)
4.5 ★
Deena Hopping, a Pennsylvanian divorcee, finally has a home again, a rental, but it's new and she is rebuilding her life. Yet there is something about the basement that troubles her besides the fact that her landlord lives in the basement. When women begin to disappear she suspects her landlord. Researching the history of the town, she learns that there were many mysterious disappearances throughout its history. When the police finally put an end to her landlord's reign of terror, she thinks all is well. But the real horror is hidden deeper in the earth, below the basement, a being of evil that will destroy the entire town if that's what it takes to feed its appetite.

This was a very weird, very creepy story…enough so that it just may have earned a future read from me. Great story for Halloween. Even the cover is chill producing to say nothing of the basement that got plenty of visits by the heroine and others unlucky enough to take the trip downstairs. I can’t remember when I have read details so vivid that you could almost smell and feel all the odors and slime described. This will certainly appeal to any horror story fan…and whatever you do…DON’T go down to the basement!!!

The Twenty-One Balloons – William Pène du Bois – 4****
This is a classic of children’s literature, for which du Bois was awarded the Newbery Medal. It’s a fantastical adventure story featuring Professor William Waterman Sherman, who leaves San Francisco on Aug 15, 1883, in a balloon, with the intention of going across the Pacific Ocean and enjoying some solitude. He wasn’t counting on Krakatoa’s explosive eruption, however… The illustrations (also by du Bois) provide a visual representation to go along with some of the detailed descriptions of the various inventions.
My full review HERE

So far, most of the books I've read in January are by authors I have not read before:

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, 4 Stars
All Systems Red by Martha Wells, 4 Stars
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, 4 Stars

These books are all so different from one another. I enjoyed them all, but would really recommend Oona Out of Order. Oona finds herself magically transported to a different year in her adult life every New Year's Eve, and thus is living her life "out of order". The concept is unique, the writing well done.

The Growing Season – Sarah Frey – 3***
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: How I built a New Life – and Saved an American Farm. Frey grew up on the family’s Southern Illinois farmstead, where she learned the value of hard work and determination. Wanting to leave the poverty behind, she was ready to move on, until she faced the imminent foreclosure on the family land, and decided she just couldn’t let it go. She’s a savvy businesswoman and a principled leader. Her story is interesting, but I found it somewhat repetitive.
My full review HERE

Norwegian By Night - Derek Miller – (Norway)
4.5★
The story is an intriguing offering that blended a mix of cultures and presented an interesting insight into life. Even though the beginning was rather slow…I’m glad that I kept reading. I really liked how the author led up to the search for Sheldon and the boy using the old man's long-buried military skills in the emergency situation. The character of Shelton takes some getting use to as the reader needs to be aware that he has “shifts” in his thinking that while making him an interesting and true to life character…it also makes him difficult with his bouts with dementia,…fantasy… hallucinations…and recall. The author does a fantastic job of writing a story that is, by turns funny…heartbreaking...and suspenseful.

Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart – (Scotland)
5★
The description pretty much sets the page for the reader. The mother is a walking accident looking for somewhere to happen…or perhaps a junkyard because she has already “happened”. It’s without a doubt the most intense and excruciating book that I have ever read…but just impossible to stop. It also creates an amazingly intimate… compassionate… and heart wrenching portrait of addiction, courage and yes…love… even though pain is what the reader feels literally blazing from the pages. You will either love the book or hate the book…no one can feel indifferent to it. One thing I can almost guarantee …no matter how you feel about the writing…the subject or the characters… you will never forget Shuggie Bain.

Ashfall – Mike Millens – 3.5***
As post-apocalyptic novels go, I found this one is pretty interesting, engaging and compelling. I was quickly drawn in by Alex and his situation. But the book really came alive when he meets up with Darla. I want to read more about HER!
My full review HERE

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, 3 Stars

This gets high ratings from others, but I just did not like the tone of the book. I listened to the audio version, narrated by the author, and felt another narrator would have been better. I also expected to read stories of undocumented Americans, but it was more the author's feelings about things. At one point she says she thought about cutting herself as a method of self harm, but ultimately chose not to because it is such a "white person thing". Maybe she is right, but it seemed an odd statement to me.

All in all, the book was a big disappointment.

by Mignon F. Ballard
book 3 in the Miss Dimple Kilpatrick series
3 stars

from my library's catalog: With the country in the midst of World War II, you can be sure the small town of Elderberry, Georgia, will pull together to find a missing child. And you can be equally certain that first-grade teacher, Miss Dimple Kilpatrick, will be in the search party - especially since Peggy Ashcroft is one of her students. Miss Dimple carves out a search path all her own and, once again, the sharp-as-a-tack teacher is right on point. But she finds Peggy too sick to walk and it's too dark for Miss Dimple to find her way back. Luckily, she comes upon the home of an elderly artist, Mae Martha, and her young companion, Suzy, who help ensure that Peggy returns home safe and sound. A few days later, however, Miss Dimple receives a frantic call from Suzy: Mae Martha has been murdered and Suzy is seen as the most likely suspect, because her family is Japanese. Miss Dimple and her fellow teachers, Annie and Charlie, don't buy it and set out to prove Suzy's innocence, only to discover danger where they least expect it.

my thoughts: I liked that the main character was a teacher, but she was characterized as the stereotypical old "school marm" She was the unmarried "know-it-all" that the whole town turned to in order to have their problems solved. She was supposed to be the worldly character who taught the town not to show racism toward Japanese-Americans in WWII, but at one point she tried to explain why the containment camps were set up on the Pacific Coast. It was a decent mystery though and I'll try another in the series.

by Priscilla Shirer
book 1 in the Prince Warrior series
4 stars

from my library's catalog: As brothers, Xavier and Evan are used to battling each other. But now they're discovering that there is a much bigger battle going on all around them. And it's their turn to fight. Xavier, Evan, and their friends have typical lives until they enter a mysterious land called Ahoratos. There they meet their guide, Ruwach, who offers wisdom and direction as the kids' initial adventure begins--an adventure filled with armor and danger and a very real enemy.

my thoughts: A great YA fantasy adventure. The plot was engaging. The adventures are appropriate for the target age, but still exciting enough to keep middle grade readers engaged. I like that mistakes were made and acknowledged. I also loved how the kids were able to get a do-over to follow the right path.

Hard Line - Pamela Clare – (Antarctica)
Cobra Elite series Book #5
3.5
As temperatures drop to one hundred below, the heat between Thor and Samantha flares out of control. But a killer is lurking on station, someone with an agenda that threatens not only the lives of every person there, but also global peace. It will take all of Thor’s skill and strength to stop the murderous traitor—and keep himself and the woman he loves alive.

The two main characters and the romance parts were very well done…but not overdone. Both Samantha and Thor were good together and their actions were believable. Being set on a distant, cold outpost in Antarctica there wasn’t many places for the killer to hide so the choices were narrowed down fairly quickly. The elements that make for an emotional well told story are here…friendship, love, hate, sorrow, comradeship, and as always, those sudden touches of humor.

More authors that I am reading for the first time this month are below. I recommend all of the 4 and 5 Star books.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 5 Stars

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier, 5 Stars

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, 5 Stars

Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park by Conor Knighton , 5 Stars

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel, 4 Stars

The New Me by Halle Butler, 3 Stars

Creatures of Passage - Morowa Yejide – (Washington D.C)
This book is skillfully written but sometimes takes off on whirlwind journeys that make it difficult to understand exactly what the author is actually trying to express. I have never before read anything by this author, but I do find that she is very good at bringing together a story that is both frightening as well as almost playful. The sum total is an unforgettable blurring of reality and genres. From the haunted Plymouth automobile to the mysteries in the fog in this alternate America and hidden Washington, DC filled with otherworldly landscapes… flawed super-humans…and reluctant ghosts, you will find that no matter what your feelings are about the content… you will know that you have never read anything quiet like it. That having been said...I believe it will take an audience with more Si-Fi tastes rather than supernatural preferences to really give it the appreciation that it deserves.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Akashic Books in exchange for an honest opinion. The views expressed by this reviewer are entirely my own.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, 4 Stars

Dead Anyway - Chris Knopf – (Connecticut)
5 stars
We meet Arthur who has a seemingly perfect life and then the next thing he knows he’s hiding from the bad guy that blew his world away by shooting Arthur and his wife. Arthur slowly recovers but revenge is always in the forefront in his mind. This is a new feeling and want for Arthur and he puts it to the bullet that was dug from his brain…new thought but not entirely unwelcome and so Arthur begins to use his computer skills and some new friends to se t in action a plan that may just finish the job that the shooter started…but does it really matter? He knows that he’s “Dead Anyway”. I thoroughly enjoyed the intricacies of the plot. It was witty and cleverly done and kept me guessing throughout yet the resolution of the storyline was weirdly believable. Not a heavy mystery but it was fun watching Arthur work.

Daisy Jones And the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid – 3***
A book within a book, that purportedly tells the story of a famous rock band of the 1970s, told as an “oral history.” It’s a love story, a history of the 1970s rock scene, a coming of age story, and a story of how addiction steals the best parts of our lives. I didn’t like the main characters. And as for plot – it just didn’t seem to be going anywhere, or at least not anywhere I wanted to go. And then I got to the ending and my breath was taken away. Those last twenty pages made me bump the rating up from 2 to 3 stars.
My full review HERE

The Darkness
2 stars
Taken from the back of the book. "The body of a young Russian woman washes up on a remote Icelandic beach. She came looking for safety, but instead she found a watery grave. A hasty police investigation determines her death as suicide and the case is quietly closed."

I had a hard time getting into story. Writing is good but storyline was not engaging and lacked focus at times. I hated how the book ended but it is a good lead into the next book so I will give the rest of the series a chance.

5.
When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams
3 stars
I enjoyed reading about the era I was born in. I was born in 67 so I was too young to remember or to have been involved in a lot of what was being talked about and my parents weren't into that type of music so was not introduced until my late teens. The book has a nice flow and does not do any bashing, I like that. Just an open and honest view on things and book of reminiscing.

by Hallie Ephron
4 stars

from my library's catalog: Los Angeles 1986: When Deirdre Unger arrived in Beverly Hills to help her bitter, disappointed father sell his dilapidated house, she discovers his lifeless body floating face down in the swimming pool. At first, Deirdre assumes her father's death was a tragic accident. But the longer she stays in town, the more she suspects that it is merely the third act in a story that has long been in the making. The sudden re-surfacing of Deirdre's childhood best friend Joelen Nichol like more than a coincidence. Back in 1958, Joelen confessed to killing her movie star mother's boyfriend. Deirdre happened to be at the Nichols house the night of the murdeŕ??which was also the night she suffered a personal tragedy of her own. Could all of these events be connected?

my thoughts: This was a decent mystery set in the Hollywood of the 80s. The plot had weird twists and turns, but they were totally appropriate for the decadence of the time period. The ending was not what I have wanted, but, again, it made perfect sense to the story. I enjoyed it very much.

Ancient Enemy - Mark Lukens - (Colorado)
5★
As a fan of the strange, unexplained, and the unusual, I’ve read many stories dealing with the mysteries of the native peoples in the Four Corners region of the United States. These tales are usually about the lost Anasazi...skinwalkers... and Chaco...and of course evil spirits. What the "Ancient Enemy" actually is never really personified. It's never seen and is never given a name. It does have talents that you wouldn't want anything or anyone to process, much less use. It can animate the dead...put people into a trance when they are vulnerable...and kill at will. What this very talented author has done is create a very chilling tale of supernatural horror, with a storyline that will keep the reader riveted. His character development...both the protagonists and antagonists... is absolutely top notch. There are very few slow spots in the pace of the story and the conclusion of the novel just opened the door for a sequel. Since this book was in my box of books from my two friends and is an entirely different genre than the others I will have to buy the second book. Amazon...here I come!

by Eugenia Kim
4 stars

from my library's catalog: A sweeping debut novel inspired by the life of the author's mother, "The Calligrapher's Daughter" follows a young woman who dares to fight for a brighter future in occupied Korea.

my thoughts: This was an interesting story about a Korean woman trying to find her identity during tumultuous times (surrounding WWII). She lived in a time where her subservience was expected, but she found a way to politely rebel. Her brother annoyed me as a character, but that seems to have been his purpose in the story. He showed the difference between what was expected by each gender in society, and showed how both genders were stifled by these expectations. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Korea's rich history, and its animosity with Japan.

Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits by Russ Giguere
3 stars


The book started out good with a lot of name dropping and nostalgia for the 60's music scene, but after that it is mostly about the author and doesnt go into a lot of detail about the other members of the group. At times I thought he dwelled a little too much on each individual song to the point where it seemed more like filler to make the book longer. I saw The Association in concert a few years ago and they were soooo good and worth it if you get a chance to see them.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, 4 Stars
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, 3 Stars
Lies by T.M. Logan, 4 Stars
Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl, 4 Stars
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, 4 Stars
Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer, 4 Stars
Permanent Record by Edward Snowden, 5 Stars
The Soldier's Wife by Joanna Trollope, 3 Stars
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré, 4 Stars

This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith and Life by Gavin McCleod
4 stars


For those who are not familiar with Gavin McCleod he is a prolific actor who is best known for Mary Tyler Moore Show and Love Boat. I found the real life actor to be just as likeable as his television characters. He comes across as a gentle, loveable guy who fell along the way and picked himself up and brushed himself off and started over. It was almost but not quite annoying how he can come up with so many adjectives for how wonderful, talented, amazing everyone is that he meets but he truly seems to like almost everyone. The cast of the Mary Tyler Moore show really does appear to be as close in real life as they are on the show. A coincidence maybe, but the day I finished the book was also the day that his co-star on the Mary Tyler Moore show died. Sadly, the book is 8 years old so a lot of the people mentioned in the book have passed on since it was written.

Under the Mercy Trees – Heather Newton – 3.5***
Oh, what a tangled web we weave… There are so many things going on, so many secrets, so many betrayals. We have people consumed by alcohol (and/or drugs), mean-spirited control freaks, unfaithful spouses, guilty consciences, mental (and physical) illness and abject loneliness that comes with keeping all that bottled up. I’m exhausted by the effort required by these characters to hide so much and still co-exist in such tight quarters. This is Newton’s only novel; I wish there were more for me to read.
My full review HERE

4 stars
A collection of short stories about bear attacks. If this book does not give you respect or more respect for bears after you are done reading it, then you don't need to go anywhere bears live, you are going to for sure become a bears next meal/toy. Some of the stories talk about what did and did not work on their quest to survive the attract. A couple stories are little gory but overall not to detailed with gore. It does have expert advice on how to avoid attacks and advice on what to do if you do get attacked.