Monday, January 28, 2019

The Crossing by Michael Connelly

Advance Reading Copy ~ Paperback Edition
I received an advanced readers copy of The Crossing by Michael Connelly through the Goodreads Giveaway program for FREE. This is the third novel I've read by Michael Connelly. I listened to and reviewed the audio versions of The Reversal and The Brass Verdict.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Crossing by Michael Connelly.

The Crossing by Michael Connelly is the 18th novel in the Harry Bosch Series. I enjoyed reading The Crossing by Michael Connelly. The storyline, characters, and plot are decent. But as much as I enjoyed reading The Crossing by Michael Connelly, I wasn't overly wowed by it. The first chapter, for instance, didn't hook me in right away and actually left me wondering what was going on. I actually didn't warm up to The Crossing by Michael Connelly until quite a few chapters into the novel... But then things took off and The Crossing by Michael Connelly picked up and kept me interested as to how things would finally turn out. 

The following is the plot summary for The Crossing by Michael Connelly from Amazon:
Harry Bosch crosses the line to team up with Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller in the thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly.

Detective Harry Bosch has retired from the LAPD, but his half-brother, defense attorney Mickey Haller, needs his help. The murder rap against his client seems ironclad, but Mickey is sure it's a setup. Though it goes against all his instincts, Bosch takes the case. With the secret help of his former LAPD partner Lucia Soto, he turns the investigation inside the police department. But as Bosch gets closer to discovering the truth, he makes himself a target.
I am giving The Crossing by Michael Connelly a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Friday, January 25, 2019

Unreliable Narrators


I enjoyed listening to this YouTube video about unreliable narrators in novels.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

13 Feminist Bookstore to Visit!

I came across an article on Electric Lit's website titled,
Give Your Money to These 13 Feminist Bookstores by Frances Yackel. In the article, Frances Yackel wrote the following:

Feminist bookstores create a safe space for the literary community to convene, where women readers and writers are seen and heard. Here are 13 bookstores dedicated to championing the literary works of women and non-binary authors.
Click on the above link to see which bookstores are featured in Frances Yackel's article. 

Sunday, January 20, 2019

A Skating Life: My Story by Dorothy Hamill


As a little girl, I remember watching Dorothy Hamill skate in the 1976 Olympics. I remember being enamored with ice skating after watching the 1976 Winter Olympics. I wanted to become an ice skater like Dorothy Hamill. It wasn't until approximately 3 or 4 years later that I ever set foot inside an ice skating rink and took my very first ice skating lesson. 

I loved ice skating and taking lessons. But my ice skating lessons were short lived as my mom was a single parent at the time with limited funds for lessons, ice skates, and so on. Additionally, we'd moved far from an ice skating rink, so my ice skating days came to an end. However, I feel blessed for the ice skating lessons I did take and the time spent ice skating. 

When I came across the paperback edition of A Skating Life: My Story by Dorothy Hamill at a bookstore back in October 2012, I could't resist adding it to my ever growing 'to be read' pile of books. Unfortunately, I didn't make the time to read A Skating Life: My Story until this year.

Other than knowing that Dorothy Hamill won an Olympic gold medal for figure skating in 1976, I knew nothing about her personal or professional life at all. So, reading Dorothy Hamill's memoir shed a lot of new to me facts about her life.

The major complaint I have about A Skating Life: My Story by Dorothy Hamill is the writing. It was a bit bumpy at times. I'm surprised this memoir wasn't written better, especially considering that Ms. Hamill had help writing her memoir.

The following is the publisher's blurb about A Skating Life: My Story by Dorothy Hamill, which I found on Amazon's website:
The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin. "America's Sweetheart" Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating. But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood--though she would not know about the depression that ran in her family until much later in life. Weeks and months away from home to train and compete took a difficult toll, yet little reprieve could be found in the tumultuous and fragile relationship she had with her parents. 
Dorothy went on to marry the man of her dreams, only to have the partnership end in heartache and a tragedy that almost pushed her to her breaking point. Then, just when a light at the end of the tunnel finally began to appear, a second failed marriage tried and tested Dorothy's trust and strength yet again--a travesty that could have led her to give up. But, she found a remarkable strength in what she did have--her greatest love, her daughter Alexandra. 
"Thank goodness, I had my skating. There was certainly a pattern to my life. When times were tough, I went skating. It was only while I was out on the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement and my love of music, that I was able to escape from my bottomless heartache." 
In her deeply moving and honest memoir, Dorothy opens up for the first time about love, family, courage, and what it means to truly win both on and off the ice.
I'm giving A Skating Life: My Story by Dorothy Hamill a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Friday, January 18, 2019

Little Free Library in Del Mar, California!!


It was a wet and rainy day here in Southern California yesterday. However, that didn't deter me from finding a Little Free Library in the lovely coastal town of Del Mar, California yesterday afternoon... And what a cute Little Free Library it is!! There were plenty of books available at this particular Little Free Library to choose from, which made it a fun one to discover in my quest to find new Little Free Libraries.

As a side note, there was even painted rocks to take and doggie treats for one's furry four legged friends.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Little Free Library in Solana Beach, California!!


Yippee, I found another Free Little Library in Solana Beach, California yesterday afternoon by accident. Thank goodness I had another book with me to release at this particular Little Free Library. It's so fun to find Little Free Libraries on the fly. This makes the 9th new to me Little Free Library in the last month.

Have you found any Little Free Libraries lately?

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

A Limited Edition of Fahrenheit 451 That Can Only Be Read When On Fire!!

Well, here's the latest bookish gimmick to hit the retail sales shelves... I came across an article on Electric Lit's website titled, Buy a Copy of Fahrenheit-451 That Can Only Be Read If It’s on Fire

According to the above article, "For a mere $451, you can now own a limited-edition heat-sensitive copy of Ray Bradbury’s book." Click on the above link to read the full story.

Below is a video I discovered on YouTube showing footage of how a reader is able to read a copy of the limited edition of Ray Bradbury's novel, Fahrenheit 451.



Interesting concept for a book, but I'll pass on it!

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

Paperback Edition
Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach is a work of historical fiction that has been sitting in my 'to be read' pile since March 2013. Anyone who has been following my blog for awhile knows I'm a fan of historical fiction!! So, once again in an effort to read more of the older books I've acquired and not yet read, I made it a priority to read Tulip Fever in 2019.

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach is a little bit on the slow side in parts. Additionally, some of the storyline is also a bit predictable in parts as well. However, I did enjoy the short chapters. The characters are decent. The writing is good and the plot is interesting enough to keep you wanting to know how the novel is going to end... And Tulip Fever's ending is a good one.

Favorite quotes from Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach include the following ones:

"Life is short; time is fleeting. Grasp it while you can, said the painter. And for once Cornelis has to agree with him." page 271

"And love, as we know, is a form of madness." page 116

"There is no heaven, only a spilled deck of cards. Life is a gamble; it is nothing but a handful of tulip bulbs, a brace of kings. Even the righteous can draw the joker from the pack." page 104

"His world offers no vocabulary for doubt. He has not admitted it in so many words to himself.  All he knows is that loss has weakened rather than reinforced his faith, and the only sure thing to which he can cling lies in his featherbed. " page 22 

The following is a plot summary for Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach from Amazon:
In 1630s Amsterdam, tulipomania has seized the populace. Everywhere men are seduced by the fantastic exotic flower. But for wealthy merchant Cornelis Sandvoort, it is his young and beautiful wife, Sophia, who stirs his soul. She is the prize he desires, the woman he hopes will bring him the joy that not even his considerable fortune can buy.
Cornelis yearns for an heir, but so far he and Sophia have failed to produce one. In a bid for immortality, he commissions a portrait of them both by the talented young painter Jan van Loos. But as Van Loos begins to capture Sophia's likeness on canvas, a slow passion begins to burn between the beautiful young wife and the talented artist.
As the portrait unfolds, so a slow dance is begun among the household’s inhabitants. Ambitions, desires, and dreams breed a grand deception—and as the lies multiply, events move toward a thrilling and tragic climax.
In this richly imagined international bestseller, Deborah Moggach has created the rarest of novels—a lush, lyrical work of fiction that is also compulsively readable. Seldom has a novel so vividly evoked a time, a place, and a passion.
I am giving Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday - New-to-Me Authors I Read In 2018


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader GirlTop Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Here's my top ten list of new to me authors that I read this year!

1. Wendy Walker ~ All Is Not Forgotten
2. Deborah Coonts ~ Wanna Get Lucky?
3. Jana Deleon ~ Louisiana Longshot
4. Victoria Helen Stone ~ Half Past
5. Ariel Lawhon ~ I Was Anastasia
6. Ann Howard Creel ~ The Whiskey Sea
7. Natalie Baszile ~ Queen Sugar
8. Raina Telgemeier ~ Drama
9. Ariel Levy ~ The Rules Do Not Apply
10. Andrew Sean Greer ~ Less

Have you read any books written by the above authors?

Saturday, January 12, 2019

The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt


I read the hardback edition of The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt in record time! This memoir has been on my reading wishlist since its release and I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book at a Little Free Library in Solana Beach, California earlier this month. I knew the basic outline of both Anderson Cooper's life and Gloria Vanderbilt's life, but learned so much more about each of their lives in this memoir that showcased their relationship as mother and son. I enjoyed how their memoir is written in the form of emails to each other. 

The following are some quotes I found interesting that Gloria Vanderbilt expressed in The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss:

"Death is the price we pay for being born." page 13

"Without plans, I believe in dreams, even if sometimes they melt like ice cream." page 171

"Hope has energy and its own life force to make dreams come true." page 277

The following is a summary for The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt from Amazon:
Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a year-long conversation unlike any they had ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other. 
Both a son’s love letter to his mother and an unconventional mom’s life lessons for her grown son, The Rainbow Comes and Goes offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating life stories, including their tragedies and triumphs. In these often humorous and moving exchanges, they share their most private thoughts and the hard-earned truths they’ve learned along the way. In their words their distinctive personalities shine through—Anderson’s journalistic outlook on the world is a sharp contrast to his mother’s idealism and unwavering optimism. 
An appealing memoir with inspirational advice, The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a beautiful and affectionate celebration of the universal bond between a parent and a child, and a thoughtful reflection on life, reminding us of the precious insight that remains to be shared, no matter our age.
I am giving The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Paperback Edition
I've been meaning to read the paperback edition of Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson since it landed in my possession in December 2013. 

I first became acquainted with Joshilyn Jackson as an author when I listened to the unabridged audio version of her novel, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming in 2013, which I loved by the way. Because I enjoyed reading a prior novel by Joshilyn Jackson and also in an effort to read older books in my 'to be read' pile, I decided to make Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson my first read of 2019!! I am so happy that I did read this contemporary fiction novel as it had me captivated from start to finish.

The writing, the storyline, and characters for Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson are splendid! I enjoyed the alternating chapters that blended the past with the present to help propel the plot forward for Gods In Alabama and helped build suspense as the plot unfolds... And of course, the first paragraph for Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson hooks you in immediately; "There are Gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus. I left one back there myself, back in Possett. I kicked it under the kudzu and left it to the roaches."

The following is a plot summary for Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson from Amazon:
For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. Arlene loves him dearly but knows her lily white (not to mention deeply racist) Southern Baptist family will not understand her relationship with an African American boyfriend. Reluctantly, Arlene bows to the pressure, and she and Burr embark on the long-avoided road trip back home. As Arlene digs through guilt and deception, her patched-together alibi begins to unravel, and she discovers how far she will go for love and a chance at redemption.
I am giving Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Little Free Library in Solana Beach, California!!!


This is a new Little Free Library that has recently popped up in Solana Beach, California. I found it by accident this afternoon on my way to the grocery store. It's always fun to find Little Free Libraries unexpectedly. Especially when I have a book ready for such an occasion.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Books Read in 2018


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader GirlTop Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I've read or listened to 89 books this year! I had a difficult time narrowing down my top ten favorite books read in 2018 as I read many wonderful books this year.

I've attached a link to each of my book reviews. This way you can read more in depth detail about my thoughts on each of my favorite books of 2018! 

I've included both fiction and nonfiction books to my list for this week's post.

1. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay
2. All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
3. Half Past by Victoria Helen Stone
4. I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
5. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
6. Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King Jr
7. Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy by Eric Hansen
8. The Coming Storm by Michael Lewis
9. Life's Work: A Moral Argument For Choice by Dr. Willie Parker
10. The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

Share some of your favorite books of 2018 in the comment section below.

Happy New Year!!


Wishing you all a happy, healthy, prosperous 2019!!

I appreciate all of my blog readers and blog followers.
Thank you for helping my blog be a success.
I enjoy reading your comments to each of my posts &
I look forward to embarking on my 8th year 
of blogging this year.
I can't wait to see what the year ahead has in-store
for me in terms of reading and blogging.

So here's to the year ahead!