Virtual Mount TBR Challenge 2023 discussion

I'm going for 60 to start with hopes for higher, see you at the top!

Good luck with your climb!

Today's post is on The Croning by Laird Barron. It is 245 pages long and is published by Night Shade Books. The cover has the main character's wife on it showing her body long scar. The intended reader is someone who likes Lovecraftian horror and older protagonists. There is foul language, some sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Donald. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Strange things exist on the periphery of our existence, haunting us from the darkness looming beyond our firelight. Black magic, weird cults and worse things loom in the shadows. The Children of Old Leech have been with us from time immemorial. And they love us...
Donald Miller, geologist and academic, has walked along the edge of a chasm for most of his nearly eighty years, leading a charmed life between endearing absent-mindedness and sanity-shattering realization. Now, all things must converge. Donald will discover the dark secrets along the edges, unearthing savage truths about his wife, Michelle, their adult twins, and all he knows and trusts. For Donald is about to stumble on the secret of the Croning.

Review- This is an unusual horror novel as it not only the main character an old man, he's 80 in the present of the novel, the novel also moves back in time to fill in the gaps in his memory. Donald Miller has been married to the love of his life for almost 60 years, his children are grown, and he is just trying not to forget everything in his life. But strange things have happened around him and keep happening and Donald knows that there is more than he can remember. The time jumps happen at the beginning of new chapters, so the reader knows when and where they are. Donald is a good main character, he reacts to the strange things with reason and when reason does not explain them, he runs from them. The gaps in Donald's memory are not used to annoy the reader but make the reader understand what has been haunting and hunting Donald all his life. The horror is a slow build so when Donald and the reader understand everything, it is chilling. If you are a fan of Lovecraft and his style of slow horror, then you need to try this novel out.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on Resistance: The Underground War Against Hitler, 1939-1945 by Halik Kochanski. It is 936 pages long and is published by Liveright. The cover are picture of different resistance movements. The intended reader is someone who is interested in an in-depth guide into resistance movements outside of Germany during World War 2. There is mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- It’s almost shocking to think that now, more than seventy years after the Nazi surrender in 1945, there is not a single volume that has attempted to unify the resistance movements that convulsed Europe during the brutal years of occupation. In her extraordinary work, Resistance, Halik Kochanski does just that, creating a prodigiously researched account that becomes the first to bring these disparate histories into a single narrative.
Taking us from France in the west to parts of the Soviet Union in the east, Resistance reveals why and how small bands of individuals undertook actions that could lead not merely to their own deaths, but to the destruction of their entire communities. As Kochanski demonstrates, most who joined up were ordinary people who would not have been expected—even by themselves—to become heroes. Simultaneously panoramic and heartbreakingly intimate, Resistance is an incomparable history necessary for any home library.

Review- This is an extremely in-depth book about all the different resistance movements in mainland Europe. Kochanski's research is very through and at times can be overwhelming with all the information, the names and dates. But it is also fascinating to read about all the different factions within Europe that were fighting for freedom. Starting at the very beginning of the war and then following some of the bigger names all way to death. This book is not for light reading, this is for people who want to know more about forgotten history.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on All the President's Men Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. 349 pages long and is published by Simon and Schuster.. The cover is a picture of Richard Nixon and his closet aids. The intended reader is someone who is interested in one of the biggest scandals in American history. There is some foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The full account of the Watergate scandal from the two Washington Post reporters who broke the story. This is “the work that brought down a presidency— perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history” (Time, All-Time 100 Best Nonfiction Books).
This is the book that changed America. Published just two months before President Nixon’s resignation, All the President’s Men revealed the full scope of the Watergate scandal and introduced for the first time the mysterious “Deep Throat.” Beginning with the story of a simple burglary at Democratic headquarters and then continuing through headline after headline, Bernstein and Woodward deliver the stunning revelations and pieces in the Watergate puzzle that brought about Nixon’s shocking downfall. Their explosive reports won a Pulitzer Prize for The Washington Post, toppled the president, and have since inspired generations of reporters.
All the President’s Men is a riveting detective story, capturing the exhilarating rush of the biggest presidential scandal in U.S. history as it unfolded in real time. It is, as former New York Times managing editor Gene Roberts has called it, “maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.”

Review- An interesting and through account from the two reporters who covered the Watergate scandal from the beginning. Bernstein and Woodward were two reporters that worked fort he Washington Post when they both noticed something odd about a break-in at the Democratic headquarters. Woodward was sent to cover the court proceedings and he noticed that someone from the White House was there on the defendants side of the court. From there he and Bernstein became invested in discovering what was really going on. This is the personal written account of what happened as Bernstein and Woodward investigated and what they discovered. The writing is good, the story, which I knew only a little of, was fascinating, and details are not overwhelming. If you are interesting in what Bernstein and Woodward were really trying to do and the story from their experiences, then you need to read this book.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. It is 401 pages long and is published by Nightfire. The cover is green with a man off center and he has birds coming from his face. The intended reader is someone who likes horror stories. There is sex and sexuality, foul language, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main characters, Sam and Nick. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- NATURE IS CALLING—but they shouldn't have answered.
Travel journalist and mountaineer Nick Grevers awakes from a coma to find that his climbing buddy, Augustin, is missing and presumed dead. Nick’s own injuries are as extensive as they are horrifying. His face wrapped in bandages and unable to speak, Nick claims amnesia—but he remembers everything.
He remembers how he and Augustin were mysteriously drawn to the Maudit, a remote and scarcely documented peak in the Swiss Alps.
He remembers how the slopes of Maudit were eerily quiet, and how, when they entered its valley, they got the ominous sense that they were not alone.
He remembers: something was waiting for them...
But it isn’t just the memory of the accident that haunts Nick. Something has awakened inside of him, something that endangers the lives of everyone around him…
It’s one thing to lose your life. It’s another to lose your soul.
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING SENSATION THOMAS OLDE HEUVELT comes a thrilling descent into madness and obsession as one man confronts nature—and something even more ancient and evil answers back.

Review- An intense and riveting horror novel about realizing your place on the earth. The story starts towards the end of the novel with Sam's sister Julia and something from the mountain that has come for her. The opening sets the tone for the novel and it is very intense. Then the story jumps back to Sam learning that Nick had been an accident up on the mountain named Maudit. But Nick shouldn't have been near the Maudit and what happened to his climbing partner? This horror novel is very unique, from the plot to the pacing, I enjoyed it very much. The mystery of what happened up on the mountain and what the mountain itself it was very interesting and I was pulled through this novel very quickly. If you are looking for nature horror, then you need to read this novel.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on The Vanished Collection by Pauline Baer de Perignon and Natasha Lehrer (Translator). The audiobook is 5 hours and 41 minutes long and it is published by Dreamscape Media. The cover is an illustration of a Paris apartment with an empty picture frame. The intended reader is someone who is interested in looted art, World War 2 history, and family memoirs. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back- It all started with a list of paintings. There, scribbled by a cousin she hadn't seen for years, were the names of the masters whose works once belonged to her great-grandfather, Jules Strauss: Renoir, Monet, Degas, Tiepolo and more. Pauline Baer de Perignon knew little to nothing about Strauss, or about his vanished, precious art collection. But the list drove her on a frenzied trail of research in the archives of the Louvre and the Dresden museums, through Gestapo records, and to consult with Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano. What happened in 1942? And what became of the collection after Nazis seized her great-grandparents’ elegant Parisian apartment? The quest takes Pauline Baer de Perignon from the Occupation of France to the present day as she breaks the silence around the wrenching experiences her family never fully transmitted, and asks what art itself is capable of conveying over time.

Review- An interesting memoir about family and discovering history. De Perignon learned that before the second world war, her family owned some very precious art and after the war, everything was gone. Then she starts to research what her family had owed and where it could have gone. This became more than just an interest in family history but a search for justice. De Perignon takes the reader from the beginning of her search all the way to a happy ending but this story is more than just about stolen art. It is about De Perignon learning about her family and herself. She had never thought about many things around her family or herself, like did she identify as Jewish or not. The translation is good, the narrator is good, and this is a very nice book to listen to. I would recommend this book both in audiobook and print version.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this audiobook from my local library.

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Today's post is on Lute by Jennifer Marie Thorne. It is 274 pages long and is published by TOR Nightfire. The cover is deep purple with seven figure in white with garlands around their necks. The intended reader is someone who likes traditional, folk horror. There is some mild foul language, some sexuality, and violence in this novel. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character, Nina. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- On the idyllic island of Lute, every seventh summer, seven people die. No more, no less.
Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored.
Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.
Then The Day begins. And it's a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it is also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When The Day ends, Nina―and Lute―will never be the same.

Review- This is a very engaging folk horror novel in the tradition of The Wicker Man. Nina came to the island of Lute seven years ago when she married the new lord of the island. Everyone on the island has told that until she experiences The Day, she isn't a real Luter. Told over the course of two days, this novel is an intense, atmospheric experience in classic style horror. The writing is tight and claustrophobic, focused tightly on Nina and her interactions with the other characters and The Day. The island of Lute itself is a character, it is, of course, the setting but it is also a character that interacts with Nina and some of the other characters. That magnifies the setting and it's place in the narrative. Thorne does a wonderful job with this novel and I highly recommend this novel for classic horror lovers.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on The Good Assassin: How a Mossad Agent and a Band of Survivors Hunted Down the Butcher of Latvia by Stephan Talty. It is 304 pages long and is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The cover is red on top with the title and on the bottom half a ripped photo of Herbert Cukurs. There is foul language, sex, rape, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The untold story of an Israeli spy’s epic journey to bring the notorious Butcher of Latvia to justice—a case that altered the fates of all ex-Nazis.
Before World War II, Herbert Cukurs was a famous figure in his small Latvian city, the “Charles Lindbergh of his country.” But by 1945, he was the Butcher of Latvia, a man who murdered some thirty thousand Latvian Jews. Somehow, he dodged the Nuremberg trials, fleeing to South America after war’s end.
By 1965, as a statute of limitations on all Nazi war crimes threatened to expire, Germany sought to welcome previous concentration camp commanders, pogrom leaders, and executioners, as citizens. The global pursuit of Nazi criminals escalated to beat the looming deadline, and Mossad, the Israeli national intelligence agency, joined the cause. Yaakov Meidad, the brilliant Mossad agent who had kidnapped Adolf Eichmann three years earlier, led the mission to assassinate Cukurs in a desperate bid to block the amnesty. In a thrilling undercover operation unrivaled by even the most ambitious spy novels, Meidad traveled to Brazil in an elaborate disguise, befriended Cukurs and earned his trust, while negotiations over the Nazi pardon neared a boiling point.
The Good Assassin uncovers this little-known chapter of Holocaust history and the pulse-pounding undercover operation that brought Cukurs to justice.

Review- This is a very interesting book about a small part of the greater story of World War II. This book is divided in two parts; the first part is during the war and what happened in Latvia, and the second part is about finding Cukurs and assassinating him. Both parts are interesting and both are necessary to understand the drives of the men involved with Mossad. The story is very intense with the hunt for Cukurs, the spy craft, and the fight to the death. There is also politics in the background that made this mission all the more important for the families of the Jews that Cukurs murdered. Talty handles this story with care and respect but he spares no details, so if you are more sensitive to war crimes, then have caution with this book.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev. It is 233 pages long and is published by Routledge. The cover is a painting by William Sidney Mount "Dance of the Haymakers". The intended reader is someone who is interested in Irish, American, and African American history. There is some foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Ignatiev traces the tattered history of Irish and African-American relations, revealing how the Irish used labor unions, the Catholic Church and the Democratic party to help gain and secure their newly found place in the White Republic. He uncovers the roots of conflict between Irish-Americans & African-Americans & draws a powerful connection between the embracing of white supremacy & Irish "success" in 19th century American society.

Review- This is a very scholarly book about the Irish in America during the 19th century. The way that the Irish emigrants were viewed, the Catholic prejudice in America and racial fears towards both the Irish and African slaves. But this book is not written for the average reader, as it is written in a professional, scholarly way. So some of the language can be very obscure. But if you are truly interested in the history that this book is about, you will find a very interesting resource. Ignatiev gives a very nuanced view of the world that the Irish were coming from and what they were arriving into in America. He does not hide from the racial prejudice towards both African slaves and Irish emigrants. Ignatiev does his research, his notes are excellent, and you can find all his resources if you want to read more about this subject. For the more scholarly, history minded readers, this is a good read. But if you are looking for some more generally approachable, then this book is not for you.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on Banned Books: The World's Most Controversial Books, Past and Present. It is 192 pages long and is published by DK Publishing. The cover is blue with a pile of books chained up in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes history and literature. There is some foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Which novel is claimed to have inspired an assassination? Why were Grimm's Fairy Tales once banned in German schools? Which book about censorship has routinely fallen afoul of the censors? Banned Books brings together some of the world's most controversial written works, from Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary to J>D> Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Shocking, scandalous, offensive, and often surprising, these books offer a fascinating insight into censorship, culture, society, and politics.

Review- An interesting look into banned books from around the world and why the books were banned. Each book is given at least a page to cover the basic plot and the controversy around it. The writing in this book takes a back sit to the books covered themselves. The point of this book is to educate the curious about the banned books and to encourage the reader to try one of the banned books for themselves and to make up their own minds. There is art accompanying the short essays and it adds a very nice touch to the book. I do recommend this book for everyone who wants to know what's the big deal?

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on Deer Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta by Beverly Lowry. It is 354 pages long and is published by Alfred A. Knopf. The is a street with a map of Mississippi and garden shears. The intended reader is someone who is interested in historical murders and southern history. There is some foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The stunning true story of a murder that rocked the Mississippi Delta and forever shaped one author's life and perception of home.
In 1948, in the most stubbornly Dixiefied corner of the Jim Crow south, society matron Idella Thompson was viciously murdered in her own home: stabbed at least 150 times and left facedown in one of the bathrooms. Her daughter, Ruth Dickins, was the only other person in the house. She told authorities a Black man she didn't recognize had fled the scene, but no evidence of the man's presence was uncovered. When Dickins herself was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, the community exploded. Petitions pleading for her release were drafted, signed, and circulated, and after only six years, the governor of Mississippi granted Ruth Dickins an indefinite suspension of her sentence and she was set free.
In Deer Creek Drive, Beverly Lowry--who was ten at the time of the murder and lived mere miles from the Thompsons' home--tells a story of white privilege that still has ramifications today, and reflects on the brutal crime, its aftermath, and the ways it clarified her own upbringing in Mississippi.

Review- This is an interesting historical true crime and memoir of the author. She lived in the area when the murder happened and she remembers reading about it as a young teenager. The book starts after the murder then backs up to give content. The content is not just about the murder, the victim, or her family, but about the world of Delta Mississippi and how it worked. Lowry follows the case from beginning to end and adds in what was going on in her world as the same time. She discusses how being a white woman affected the case, from how long it took for her to be arrested, and how she was treated after. The writing was good, the research was good, and the examination of the southern Delta Mississippi at that particular time was very fasinating.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell. It is 579 pages long and is published by Simon Pulse. The cover is a world with different French landmarks on it. The intended reader is someone who likes young adult novels, romance, and reimagines of stories. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this novel. The story is told from three different perspectives of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A thief. An officer. A guardian.
Three strangers. One shared destiny . . .
When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.
Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…
Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spying on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.
Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a traitor. Groomed to command by his legendary grandfather, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when he discovers a cryptic message that only one person, a girl named Alouette, can read.
Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.
All three have roles to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.
Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece Les Misérables.

Review- A epic beginning to a trilogy that takes Les Misérables not only into space but into places never explored before. The story follows three very different characters with very different perceptions of life and their futures. Chatine only wants to get away from Laterre, Marcellus wants to be who his grandfather expects him to be, and Alouette wants to protect the hidden past without knowing her own. The three are on a collision course with planned revolution, old secrets, and murder. This was a good read with lots of world building, characters development, and fast pacing. The reader gets a handle on the world of Laterre and the people who live and die there. With the chapter heading telling the reader who perspective they are in, the reader sees Laterre from very different places and that adds so much to the world. I look forward to reading the next volume.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

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Today's post is on Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest. It is pages long and is published by Atria Books. It is the first in a new series called, The Booking Agents. The cover is dark blue with a woman's face wearing sunglasses with police car in one side and a bar in the other. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and mild violence. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the audiobook- Meet Leda Foley: devoted friend, struggling travel agent, and inconsistent psychic. Then Leda, sole proprietor of Foley's Far-Fetched Flights of Fancy, impulsively rebooks Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt's flight, her life changes in ways she could have never foretold.
When his original plane blows up on the runway, Grady begins to suspect that Leda's special abilities could help with a cold case he just can't crack.
Despite her scattershot premonitions, she agrees to join the investigation for a secret reason: her fiancé's murder remains unsolved. Leda's psychic abilities couldn't help that sad case, but she's been honing her skills and drawing a crows at her favorite bar's open-mic nights, where she performs klairvoyant karaoke- singing whatever song comes to mind when she holds people's personal effects. Now joined by a ragtag group of bar patrons and pals alike, Leda and Grady set out to catch a killer- and learn how to two cases that haunt them have more in common than they ever suspected.

Review- This is a fun new cozy mystery with good characters and a good mystery that kept me guessing. Leda's abilities are hit and miss but when they hit, they hit hard. She stops Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt from being involved in a plane accident, he wants her to try and help him with a cold case. Thus the plot begins but it is the characters that really shine in this book. Leda is very funny, she has very normal worries about both her travel agency and her psychic visions. The writing is excellent, the pacing was good, the setting was very easy to imagine, and the plot is a fun, fresh take on the cozy formula.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this audiobook from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on My Mother's War: The Incredible True Story of How a Resistance Fighter Survived Three Concentration Camps by Eva Taylor. It is 208 pages long and is published by Hanover Square Press. The cover has a woman in the righthand cover with planes overhead. The intended reader is someone who is interested in memoirs, women's history, and World War II history. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- After her mother’s death, Eva Taylor discovered an astounding collection of documents, photos and letters from her time as a resistance fighter in Nazi-occupied Holland. Using the letters, she reconstructed her mother's experience in the underground resistance movement and then as a prisoner in the Amersfoort, Ravensbruck and Mauthausen concentration camps.
The letters reveal an amazing story of life during wartime, including declarations of love from her fiancé before his tragic death as a Spitfire pilot, prison notes smuggled out in her laundry, and passionate but sometimes terrifying messages from a German professional criminal who ultimately would save Sabine’s life.
A one-of-a-kind story of survival, My Mother’s War captures a remarkable life in the words of the young woman who lived it.

Review- This is a moving story about a mother and her secret life. Taylor never asked her mother about her life doing the war. After she dies, Taylor finds many documents from her mother during the war. She then discovers what her mother survived, all the loses, the terror, and her bravery. Taylor gets to see and show the reader her mother, a woman who never lost faith in the future. This a moving book, Taylor learned so much about what drove her mother and why her mother acted the way she did when Taylor was a child. I recommend this book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on Poisoned Prose by Ellery Adams. It is 304 pages long and is published by Berkley. The cover is a couple of pretty buildings with a lighthouse behind them and a dog in front. As it is the fifth in the series, you need to have read the first four to understand the characters and relationships. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The intended reader is someone who likes cozy mysteries with good characters. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When Olivia Limoges and other Oyster Bay patrons of the arts sponsor a retreat for famous storytellers, one of them is going to have a very unhappy ending...
Olivia thought that gathering some of the most renowned storytellers in one place would be a nice, simple way for herself and the Bayside Book Writers to appreciate their talents. But things take a dark turn when the most famous storyteller in the nation - the captivating performer Violetta Devereaux - announces onstage that she will meet her end in Oyster Bay.
When Violetta is discovered murdered after the show, everyone involved with the retreat becomes a suspect. There are rumors that Violetta, who grew up in extreme poverty in the Appalachian Mountains, possessed an invaluable treasure. Now Chief Rawlings and the Bayside Book Writers must work at a frenzied pace to solve the crime before someone closes the book on them.

Review- Another good book in this series. The mystery is good and I didn't guess what the treasure was at all. The victim was a very interesting, Violetta was not in the novel very much but she was fully fleshed out and complicated. This series has many strengths but the character growth of all the characters is great, especially in Olivia. She has grown so much over the five books. The setting has grown too, getting fleshed out with new details and businesses. The longer this series goes, the more like a real place Oyster Bay feels like. I look forward to seeing what is going to happen next in Oyster Bay.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944 by Ronald C. Rosbottom. It is 480 pages long and is published by Little, Brown, and Company. The cover is a black and white photo of Paris at night during the occupation. The intended reader is someone who is interested in World War 2 history and the history of Paris. There is no foul language, no sex, and discussion of war violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The spellbinding and revealing chronicle of Nazi-occupied Paris.
On June 14, 1940, German tanks entered a silent and nearly deserted Paris. Eight days later, France accepted a humiliating defeat and foreign occupation. Subsequently, an eerie sense of normalcy settled over the City of Light. Many Parisians keenly adapted themselves to the situation-even allied themselves with their Nazi overlords.
At the same time, amidst this darkening gloom of German ruthlessness, shortages, and curfews, a resistance arose. Parisians of all stripes -- Jews, immigrants, adolescents, communists, rightists, cultural icons such as Colette, de Beauvoir, Camus and Sartre, as well as police officers, teachers, students, and store owners -- rallied around a little known French military officer, Charles de Gaulle.
When Paris Went Dark evokes with stunning precision the detail of daily life in a city under occupation, and the brave people who fought against the darkness. Relying on a range of resources -- memoirs, diaries, letters, archives, interviews, personal histories, flyers and posters, fiction, photographs, film and historical studies -- Rosbottom has forged a groundbreaking book that will forever influence how we understand those dark years in the City of Light.

Review- An interesting and in depth review of a the most famous city in the world during occupation. Rosbottom does a wonderful job giving the reader an eye into Paris and the Parisians who lived there during the war. He discusses with first hand objects, newspapers, journals, etc., what life was like in Paris from 1940-1944. From those hiding from the Nazis to famous artists who were just trying to work and not be killed for their modern art. The writing was good, very easy to read, and to absorb what the city was like. The photos add to the text, from people to the buildings, they give a sense of time and place. I would recommend this book for a deeper look into the French Occupation during World War 2.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on Hitler's Boy Soldiers: How My Father's Generation Was Trained to Kill and Sent to Die for Germany by Helene Munson. It is 366 pages long and is was published by The Experiment. The cover is two pictures of boy soldiers and the author's father. The intended reader is someone who is interested in War World 2 history. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The true, untold story of how Germany's children fought in WWII.
Helene Munson resurrects her father's WWII journals and embarks on a meticulous investigation, exposing how the Nazis trained 300,000 impressionable children as soldiers.
In 1937, Munson's father, Hans was enrolled in an elite German school whose students were destined to take leadership roles in the Reich. At fifteen, he was drafted as an antiaircraft gunner- along with the rest of the Hilter Youth- and assigned to an SS unit. As the was was being lost, Hans and his schoolmates were ordered to the front lines. Few returned.
A personal lens into a nation's shameful past, Hitler's Boy Soldiers documents the history of the largest army of child soldiers in recent memory. Munson explores the lifelong effects on brainwashed children coerced to join a party they didn't understand. Both a modern narrative and an important historical contribution, Hitler's Boy Soldiers grapples with inherited trauma, the nature of being victim or perpetrator, and the burden of guilt.

Review- A moving story of a boy trying to survive then a daughter trying to understand her father and what made him. Munson did not start investigating into her father's life during the war until after his death. Soon this desire to know her father better became an all consuming quest. She not only read his journals, letters, and other first hand documents; she also sought out others who experienced the same things during the war. If you want to see the war from Germany's perspective but not from a member of the Nazi elite but an innocent child, then you need to read this book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas. It is 311 pages long and is published by Custom House. The cover is a close-up of a gate. The intended reader is someone who likes speculative fiction mixed with horror. There is mild foul language, sex and sexuality and no violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character, Ines. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the world’s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three years—summers included—completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises its graduates a future of sublime power and prestige, and that they can become anything or anyone they desire.
Among this year’s incoming class is Ines, who expects to trade blurry nights of parties, pills, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual discipline—only to discover an environment of sanctioned revelry. The school’s enigmatic director, Viktória, encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find themselves and their place within the formidable black iron gates of Catherine.
For Ines, Catherine is the closest thing to a home she’s ever had, and her serious, timid roommate, Baby, soon becomes an unlikely friend. Yet the House’s strange protocols make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when Baby’s obsessive desire for acceptance ends in tragedy, Ines begins to suspect that the school—in all its shabby splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled decadence—might be hiding a dangerous agenda that is connected to a secretive, tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and mysterious curriculum.

Review- An interesting speculative fiction novel that leads nowhere in the end. Ines is on the run from everything, her mother, her old school, and from the hotel room with a dead girl in it. All she wants to is disappear and she hopes that Catherine House can help her do that. But Catherine has it's dark secrets and they include Ines. This novel follows Ines during all three years of her time at Catherine and all the oddness that she witnesses there. But in the end the reader does not really learn anything about what is really going on at Catherine and what the end goals are. Lots of mystery but little payoff in the end, which to be fair is what Ines has in the end too, mysteries and no answers. If that sounds appealing to you, then you should try this novel. But if you like more hard resolutions, then give this novel a pass.

I give this novel a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

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Today's post is on Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson. It is 349 pages long and is published by BenBella books. The cover is white with a photo on the top left ripped in half. The intended reader is someone who is interested in modern history, frauds, and true crime. There is some foul language, discussion of sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Two teens. Two diaries. Two social panics. One incredible fraud.
In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, Go Ask Alice terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous.
But Alice was only the beginning.
In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis—adolescent suicide—to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities.
In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards.
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed "the fraud capital of America." It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire.
Unmask Alice . . . where truth is stranger than nonfiction.

Review- This book is about the truth behind the most famous dairies in current print. Emerson starts at the very beginning of Beatrice Sparks life and why she would want to be famous. Then he jumps to the original people that Sparks based her work on and the lives that were lost. Using first hand resources, interviews, newspaper, and other documents, Emerson takes the reader through a very twisted story. Sparks took real diaries from trouble teens and she made her stories and money. Sparks did not care about the real teens, their families, or what would happen to them after she wrote her books. Emerson does not hold back his personal dislike of Sparks but it is easy to understand why he feels that way. A very interesting and quick if you have read the book Go Ask Alice.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. It is 512 pages long and is published by Harper Voyager. The cover is a beautiful art piece with the moon, flower, and the main character, Xingyin in the center. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this novel. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy novels, Chinese fantasy, and reimagining of mythology. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character, Xingyin. There Be Spoiler Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor's son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

Review- This is a marvelous, sweeping, epic tale of a young immortal trying to get justice for her mother and find herself in the process. As a huge fan of Chinese mythology and storytelling, I had a wonderful time with this novel. It is has everything I wanted- from epic battles, first love, impossible quests, and magic. Xingyin is the hidden daughter of the Moon Goddess and a heroic human. The Celestial Empire cannot even know of her existence. But when she is forced to flee her home, she decides to make her own way and free her mother. Everything about this novel is just the best. The story, the writing, the characters, I loved it all and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second volume. If you like fantasy at all then you need to read this novel.

I give this novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the Movies by Paul Fischer. It is 416 pages long and is published by Simon Schuster. The cover is a black and white picture of Louis Le Prince. The intended reader is someone who likes historical true crime. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The year is 1888, and Louis Le Prince is finally testing his “taker” or “receiver” device for his family on the front lawn. The device is meant to capture ten to twelve images per second on film, creating a reproduction of reality that can be replayed as many times as desired. In an otherwise separate and detached world, occurrences from one end of the globe could now be viewable with only a few days delay on the other side of the world. No human experience—from the most mundane to the most momentous—would need to be lost to history.
In 1890, Le Prince was granted patents in four countries ahead of other inventors who were rushing to accomplish the same task. But just weeks before unveiling his invention to the world, he mysteriously disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Three and half years later, Thomas Edison, Le Prince’s rival, made the device public, claiming to have invented it himself. And the man who had dedicated his life to preserving memories was himself lost to history—until now.
The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures pulls back the curtain and presents a “passionate, detailed defense of Louis Le Prince…unfurled with all the cliffhangers and red herrings of a scripted melodrama” (The New York Times Book Review). This “fascinating, informative, skillfully articulated narrative” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) presents the never-before-told history of the motion picture and sheds light on the unsolved mystery of Le Prince’s disappearance.

Review- An interesting and well written book about the making of motion pictures and the disappearance of the man who did it first. Fischer takes the reader from the beginning of Le Prince's life all the to the last time he was seen alive. The reader gets to the know his family, friends, and his creative genius. We are also shown the other people who worked on creating the moving pictures and who might have cheated Le Prince's family out of their rights to the money from the invention. But the final theory about Le Prince's death is one all too real and easy to believe. The writing is good, the notes at the back provide excellent insight into the people and their time. Fischer does good research, so the reader wants to learn more about the other people involved in the creation of motion pictures, the notes are a good places to start. I would recommend this book for people who like true crime.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on Harleen by Stjepan Šejić. It is 208 pages long and is published by DC Black Label. The cover has Harley on it grinning. The intended reader is someone who likes Harley Quinn and beautiful art. There is foul language, sex, and violence in this graphic novel. The story is told from third person of Harley. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Dr. Harleen Quinzel has a theory: mental illness is a survival mechanism. As she seeks to help the broken souls of Gotham City piece together their sanity she will become the one thing she fears the most: one of them. A bold new retelling of the tragic origin of Harley Quinn told through the eyes of the only person who knows her better than anyone: Harleen.
A young psychiatrist with a potential cure for the madness that haunts Gotham City, Dr. Harleen Quinzel must prove her revolutionary theory to a skeptical establishment by delving into the disturbed minds of Arkham Asylum's deadliest inmates. But the more time she spends with her criminally insane subjects, the closer she is drawn to one patient in particular--and the further she falls away from reality. The birth of legendary antihero Harley Quinn and the shocking origins of her twisted romance with the Joker are revealed in Harleen, a stunning new tale of love and obsession written and illustrated by renowned comics storyteller Stjepan Sejic.

Review- This is a great re-imagining of Harley's origins. Harley is trying to understand why some people become killers and others don't. But as she gets closer to her study subjects, she begins to slip herself. Joker is there to help her understand the criminal mind, of course. While the story is good, the art is incredible, just gorgeous. If you are a fan of Harley, then you should check out this graphic novel. But if you are a fan of incredible art, you need to check out this graphic novel and meet Stjepan Šejić, his art is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I would love for him to write more with Harley and maybe with Ivy too.

I give this graphic novel a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this graphic novel from my local library.

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Today's nonfiction post is on The Hitler Years: Triumph, 1933-1939 by Frank McDonough. It is 496 pages long and is published by St. Martin's Press. The cover is a picture is a Nazi rally. The intended reader is someone who is interested in what was really going in Germany during the lead-up to World War II. There is no foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- From historian Frank McDonough, the first volume of a new chronicle of the Third Reich under Hitler's hand.
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed the German chancellor of a coalition government by President Hindenburg. Within a few months, he had installed a dictatorship, jailing and killing his left-wing opponents, terrorizing the rest of the population, and driving Jews out of public life. He embarked on a crash program of militaristic Keynesianism, reviving the economy and achieving a full employment through massive public works, vast armaments' spending, and the cancellations of foreign debts. After the grim years of the Great Depression, Germany seemed to have been reborn as a brutal and determined European power.
From 1933 to 1939, Hitler won over most of the population with his vision of a renewed Reich. In these years of domestic triumph and cunning maneuvers, pitting neighboring powers against each other and biding his time, we see Hitler preparing for the moment that would realize his ambition. But what drove Hitler's success was also to be the fatal flaw of his regime: a relentless belief in was as the motor of greatness, a dream of vast conquests in Eastern Europe, and an astonishingly fanatical racism.
In The Hitler Years, Frank McDonough charts the rise and fall of the Third Reich under Hitler through Germany's comprehensive military defeat of Poland in 1939.

Review- A very interesting way to read about World War II, year by year following Hitler and his closest followers. The book starts with some background in Germany and Hitler before he came to power. Year by year, the book goes from all the events that helped build Hitler's power both in Germany and on the world stage. The notes at the back are very useful and provide good insight, not only into Hitler but those closest to him. With many excellent first hand documents, McDonough presents the reader with a very comprehensive piece about World War II and Germany from the inside. I would recommend this book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

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Today's post is on The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould. It is 368 pages and is published by Wednesday Books. The cover has a cabin at the base with smoke coming up and forming two girls' faces. The intended reader is someone who likes teen horror and mystery with a mild touch of romance. There is foul language, no sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the main characters, moving from chapter to chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.
Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.
Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

Review- This is a good YA novel with a good mystery at the heart, add in a little LBGT+ romance, you have a good strong novel. Logan has always been on the road with her dads as the film their show ParaSpectors. But one of her dad has been in Snakebite for months and no new episode yet. So Logan and her other dad head there and Logan learns more about her dads and her own forgotten past. Ashley is just trying to sense of a world without her best friend and she is certain that the Ortiz-Woodleys have something to do with it. With both girls hunting for the truth, what will they do when the truth coming hunting for them? This was a good mystery, I was guessing about what was really going on. Is there some evil force in Snakebite or just evil people? Gould did a wonderful job on her time out and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

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Today's post is on Goodnight, Vienna by Marius Gabriel. It is 379 pages long and is published by Lake Union Publishing. The cover has a woman and a girl facing away from the reader with war planes above them. The intended reader is someone who likes historical fiction. There is some foul language, mild sexuality, and some violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of main character, Katya. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the novel- Katya never wanted to look after Gretchen. Now she’s the young girl’s only hope of survival.
1937. Katya Komarovsky is studying medicine in Glasgow, living among friends and eager to begin her career as a doctor. But when her spendthrift parents announce that they’ve run out of money and are facing ruin―and that she’ll now have to support them by working as a governess in Vienna―the life she’s dreamed of goes up in smoke.
Furiously resentful, Katya rages at her wealthy employer, Thor, for stealing her future―and saddling her with twelve-year-old Gretchen, a deeply troubled child who has only a blazing musical talent to redeem her. Yet as Katya grudgingly digs into her reserves of compassion, she finds herself losing her heart to both father and daughter.
Storm clouds are gathering, though, and when Hitler annexes Austria, patriot Thor is arrested, leaving Katya wholly responsible for saving ‘imperfect’ Gretchen from being forced into a Nazi medical research laboratory. With the terrifying uncertainty of the new world order, can Katya and Gretchen flee to safety? And dare they dream of ever seeing Thor again?

Review- A very engaging historical fiction. Katya is almost done with medical school when her parents need her to quit and work to save them from bankruptcy. She goes and starts the adventure of her lifetime. She finds love in both father and daughter. This is a love story but not between Katya and Thor but between Katya and Gretchen. They find a deep mother-daughter love that saves them both from despair. I enjoyed this novel, it was very well written, the descriptions of the characters and the setting so well. The sexuality is brief and not descriptive but the violence from the Nazi's were at times stomach turning. That is where the foul language and violence are in the novel. If you like historical fiction, then you should give this novel a try.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

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