The Tutor by Bonnie Dee

I've read and reviewed two other novels written by Bonnie Dee here on my blog; both of which I enjoyed very much. I've been meaning to read more of Bonnie Dee's works ever since.

With that in mind, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Tutor by Bonnie Dee and narrated by Ruri Carter. The Tutor by Bonnie Dee is a combination of three major genres (historical fiction, Gothic romance, and gay fiction), which made for an interesting, enjoyable listening experience overall.

Leading character, Graham Cowrie worked as a typesetter before coming across an advertisement to be a tutor for 9 year old twin boys at an estate in Yorkshire, England. He fakes his background and references to obtain the teaching position as he has never taught before. Graham comes from a working class background versus being from the upper class society, which plays into his doubts as to whether he can pull off being a credible tutor.

Becoming adjusted to life as a tutor starts out fairly rough for Graham due to many factors. The twin boys have lost their mother to a tragic death and also the master of estate, Sir Richard, isn't exactly a friendly figure at the start of the novel... Additionally, the rest of the household staff members aren't very welcoming towards Graham. Also, the eerie and foreboding sensations of otherworldly entities that seem to haunt the estate make it difficult for Graham to adjust to his role as the new tutor to the twin boys.

Despite Graham's rocky start and doubts about his ability to be a good tutor to the boys, Graham soon makes headway with the boys. He also makes headway with their widowed father, Richard, as both Graham and Richard begin an lurid affair halfway into the novel.

Then there is the evil spirit/presence that haunts the estate and the people that live there, which Graham picks up on early in the book and tries to figure out what exactly is happening. Graham has a feeling this evil spirit/presence has something to do with the death of Richard's wife and why the boys act so strangely towards their father since their mother's death.

For me, The Tutor by Bonnie Dee was a very predictable and very formulaic read. In the end, everything works out for the best and there is a very happy ending for all involved. If you want a lightweight read to pass the time, then The Tutor by Bonnie Dee is a decent read.

Listening time for The Tutor by Bonnie Dee is 7 hours, 30 minutes. 

Below is the plot summary for The Tutor by Bonnie Dee from Audible.

Gothic romance with a twist.

Elements of The Sound of Music, The Enchanted Garden, Jane Eyre, and "true" ghost hunting shows make this story feel familiar. Gay love makes it unique.

Seeing an ad for a position at a Yorkshire estate, typesetter Graham Cowrie decides to make an upward career move by passing himself off as a tutor. How hard can it be to teach a few subjects to a pair of nine-year-old boys? But on his arrival at the ancient house, he finds the staff creepy, the twins odd, and the widowed master temporarily absent.

His first meeting with brooding, stern, but oh-so-attractive Sir Richard doesn't go well, but with no other prospects vying for the teaching position, Graham manages to keep it. His mission soon becomes clear: break down the walls of reserve both father and sons have erected, and attempt to bridge the gap between them.

But strange sounds, sights, and experiences keep Graham on edge until he finally admits the Hall is haunted by two entities with very different agendas. Graham works to appease one and combat the other, while protecting the broken family he's grown to care for.

I am giving The Tutor by Bonnie Dee a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Buffalo Bayou by Tom Abrahams

 

I like crime thrillers, so I thought I'd give this new to me author Tom Abrahams a try as his novel Buffalo Bayou sounded intriguing. Plus, Tom Abrahams was being recommended to the fans of Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, and James Patterson. So, I figured why not give this noir crime thriller a try?

Buffalo Bayou by Tom Abrahams is a very dark novel set in Houston, Texas. I found the writing good, but can't say this is a must read for fans of Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, and James Patterson mainly because I can't recall reading anything written by Karin Slaughter or James Patterson... And I haven't read enough of Michael Connelly's works to know if this novel would be a firm fit for his fans.

Buffalo Bayou by Tom Abrahams is an interesting read... I liked it and it kept my attention overall. The two best features I liked about Buffalo Bayou by Tom Abrahams are ones that I feel would be spoilers for those that would like to read this novel. So that puts a damper on being able to state what I liked best about this read.

Below is the plot summary for Buffalo Bayou by Tom Abrahams from Audible:

Detective John Druitt is new to homicide. His first case is a young woman found in an urban bayou. He immediately sees clues that lead him places he doesn't want to go. But his own demons may be the clue to solving the mystery of the woman's death. And as the case widens, so do his new partner's suspicions about his past and motivations.

Buffalo Bayou is a dark, psychological thriller perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, and James Patterson.

I am giving Buffalo Bayou by Tom Abrahams a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo

 

With the month of November being Native American Heritage Month, I decided it would be a very worthwhile endeavor to read at least one book written by a Native American. 

I've been interested in reading a book of poetry written by Joy Harjo for sometime now. Reading a collection of Ms. Harjo's poetry seemed especially pertinent considering that she is the current Poet Laureate of the United States and is the first Native American to hold this esteemed position. 

As a quick side note, I had the honor of hearing Joy Harjo speak virtually last November through the University of Iowa's 'Chat From the Old Cap' event where I learned that Joy Harjo earned her MFA from the Iowa Writer's Workshop in 1978. This virtual event was awesome and further sealed the deal in my resolve to read something written by Joy Harjo.

So, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo and narrated by the author. I prefer hearing poetry read aloud (especially by the author) verses reading it myself as I feel hearing poetry read aloud is more powerful.

I liked many of the poems written and read by Joy Harjo, but three of the poems that stood out were 'Granddaughters', 'For Those Who Would Govern', 'Advice For Countries, Advanced, Developing and Falling'.

Below is a YouTube of Joy Harjo reading 'For Those Who Would Govern':

Listening time for An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo is 1 hour, 41 minutes.

Below is the publisher's summary for An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo from Audible:

A stunning new volume from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, informed by her tribal history and connection to the land.

In the early 1800s, the Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their original lands east of the Mississippi to Indian Territory, which is now part of Oklahoma. Two hundred years later, Joy Harjo returns to her family’s lands and opens a dialogue with history. In An American Sunrise, Harjo finds blessings in the abundance of her homeland and confronts the site where her people, and other indigenous families, essentially disappeared. From her memory of her mother’s death, to her beginnings in the native rights movement, to the fresh road with her beloved, Harjo’s personal life intertwines with tribal histories to create a space for renewed beginnings. Her poems sing of beauty and survival, illuminating a spirituality that connects her to her ancestors and thrums with the quiet anger of living in the ruins of injustice. A descendent of storytellers and “one of our finest - and most complicated - poets” (Los Angeles Review of Books), Joy Harjo continues her legacy with this latest powerful collection.

I am giving An American Sunrise: Poems by Joy Harjo a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox

 

I first learned and blogged about Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox back in June 2018. This nonfiction book has been in my reading wishlist ever since until earlier this month, when I finally made the time to listen to the unabridged audio version.

I enjoyed listening to Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox, which was well narrated by Peter Forbes.

Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox is well organized and engaging. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

Listening time for Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox is 7 hours, 41 minutes.

Below is the publisher's summary for Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox from Audible:

“A wonderfully vivid portrait of the man behind Sherlock Holmes...Like all the best historical true crime books, it’s about so much more than crime.” (Tana French, author of In the Woods)

A sensational Edwardian murder. A scandalous wrongful conviction. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the rescue - a true story.

After a wealthy woman was brutally murdered in her Glasgow home in 1908, the police found a convenient suspect in Oscar Slater, an immigrant Jewish cardsharp. Though he was known to be innocent, Slater was tried, convicted, and consigned to life at hard labor. Outraged by this injustice, Arthur Conan Doyle, already world renowned as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, used the methods of his most famous character to reinvestigate the case, ultimately winning Slater’s freedom.

With “an eye for the telling detail, a forensic sense of evidence and a relish for research” (The Wall Street Journal), Margalit Fox immerses listeners in the science of Edwardian crime detection and illuminates a watershed moment in its history, when reflexive prejudice began to be replaced by reason and the scientific method.

I am giving Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Little Free Library Find in Lafayette, California

 

Over the weekend, we had beautiful, warm, and sunny weather

here in San Francisco's East Bay.

With that in mind, my husband I briefly visited Lafayette,

California, where I was able to leave four

books at a new to me Little Free Library.

Too bad I was unable to take a great photograph of

this Little Free Library. There was a Tesla parked at the

curb in front of the Little Free Library making it difficult to 

take a good photograph of the Little Free Library.

I didn't take any books with me in exchange for the ones

I'd left inside this Little Free Library as there wasn't much

of a selection to choose from.

Have you discovered any new to you Little Free Libraries?

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

 

Fright Fall Readathon October 2021 Wrap Up Post

I had a blast participating in my first Fright Fall Readathon!!

I finished listening to eight spooky themed reads during the month

of October as follows:

The Seance by John Harwood

The Wolf Hunt Trilogy by Jeff Strand

Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven

The Torment of Rachel Ames by Jeff Gunhus

Shadow on the Sun by Richard Matheson

 Dolly: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill

The Vampire's Assistant (Cirque du Freak #2) by Darren Shan

Ravens in the Rain: A Noir Love Story by Christie Santo & Jeff Santo

Click on the above links to read my review for each of the above mentioned books!