Book Review - The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud

 

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud is about a group of kids bonding over their love for comics. Makayla has tons of great ideas, but she struggles to put her ideas into a story. Howard loves drawing but he struggles to come up with ideas. His dad also thinks that comics are a waste of time and wants him to focus on other things.  Lynda loves drawing but she focuses on her mistakes and spends a lot of her time making sure everything is perfect. Art loves being creative and trying new things. The four students come together to learn how to make comics, using their imagination and create their comic adventures.

The graphic novel was a quick and fun read. I liked that it was both educational and fun. It was interesting learning details about comics like different drawing styles, how they are made, and other fun facts while reading about the students’ experiences with creating their masterpieces. I liked that the back of the book goes into more detail about the inspiration for the characters and educational tips. I also liked the personal stories from the authors and thought those added a bit of a heartwarming aspect to this lovely comic about friendships.

Book Review - All That Is Hidden by Rhys Bowen

 

All That Is Hidden by Rhys Bowen is about a husband and wife who try to solve the murder of a man who is accused of being corrupted. In 1907, New York, Molly Murphy Sullivan used to be a private detective. She is now content being married to her husband, Daniel, who is a police captain. They live in a small but beautiful home in Patchin Place in the West Village, which is close to her beloved friends. She is also the mother to a happy and energetic toddler, Liam, and adopted daughter, Bridie. Molly feels that she has a good life and her marriage to Daniel works well because they have a partnership where they trust and believe in each other.

On a family walk one day, Daniel surprises Molly by telling her that they will be moving into one of the fancy homes on Fifth Avenue. He also said that he is leaving his police captain job and running to be sheriff of New York. Molly is flabbergasted because she never knew of such a position, and the political party that Daniel is running for is filled with corruption and members taking kickbacks. She knows Daniel is against corruption and has fought tooth and nail to make people accountable. Daniel tells her to trust him, but Molly is unsure of how to feel with their new change of circumstances.

The novel is part of a series, but I was able to follow along and read it. There were some character nuances that I might have missed but it didn’t take away from the story. The book is a cozy mystery read. There would be pages where we would learn about Molly running her household instead of learning more about the mystery. I felt like she didn’t do much, but instead things fell into her lap. I also felt that the series is named after Molly, but she seemed to take a backseat approach to the investigation. The book felt boring to me and I thought that the book didn’t need to be as long as it was. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and could have been more intricate and had more flair. While I did finish the book, I don’t think I would continue reading the series as there are a lot more interesting murder mysteries out there.

Book Review - The Hellion and the Hero by Emily Sullivan

 

The Hellion and the Hero by Emily Sullivan is about two lovers who cross paths again. Lady Georgiana “Georgie” Arlington always puts the needs of her family before hers. She married a man that she didn’t love so she could save her family from financial ruin. After her husband’s death, Georgie feels stronger and bolder and decides to live her life as she really wants. She decides to run her family’s factory in a way which benefits the workers instead of the owners. Because of her bold plans, Georgie finds herself a target.  Georgie doesn’t want to bend to the threats but she starts to fear for her life when the threats escalate. Her family is desperate to find the culprit behind the threats. They reach out to the one man who left Georgie heartbroken years ago.

Captain Henry Harris met Georgie years ago when she was courting during her season. She was looking to find someone to help her family, and Henry was looking for someone who had money. After their brief encounter fizzled, Henry left the season and went on to become a decorated naval hero. He has no problem finding someone to marry but he still feels a pull and an attraction to Georgie. When Henry gets hired by Georgie’s family, he is torn by wanting to be a professional or following his heart.

The novel is a straightforward romantic read with some spicy parts. The book mostly focuses on their romance, and the mystery behind the threats is on the back burner. There were parts where the story moved very slowly and the pair was going back and forth following their desires. I thought the book was an okay read and I would be open to read more books by the author as I do find the book title to be fun.

Book Review - Punished by Ann-Helén Laestadius

 

Punished by Ann-Helén Laestadius is about five Sami indigenous children being forced to attend a government-run boarding school. In the 1950s in Sweden, there was a mandate that all the children of Sami reindeer hunters had to attend these re-education nomads boarding schools. Seven-year-olds Jon-Ante, Else-Maj, Nilsa, Marge, and Anne-Risten are attending the school together for the first time.

The children are forbidden to speak their native language and encouraged to learn Swedish norms and culture. They can only visit their families occasionally for some holidays. Their parents are not aware of the abuse the children face. The ones that do speak up, face repercussions that leave scars that are not just skin deep and they have lasting effects.

Thirty years later, the children have chosen different paths after spending their youth at the nomad school. Else-Maj is proud of her Sami heritage but she seeks solace in religion. Anne-Risten prefers to go by Anne to hide that she is Sami. Nilsa is a reindeer herder like his father and has a lot of anger issues like his grandfather. Jon-Ante struggles with a deformity he had received in school. Marge has an adopted daughter from Colombia, and she struggles to know if she made the right choice of taking her from her homeland.

While the five adults are still struggling with the past, they come across the housemother, Rita, from the nomad school. They had once feared her as children and she made their lives miserable. However, she is now a frail old woman who believes that God is on her side. She thinks that she didn’t do anything wrong when she was the housemother. They have never forgotten or forgiven her and now, they will need to decide how they act now that the roles have been reversed.

The novel is told from alternating narrators and time periods. The novel started off interesting but then it felt boring. It was interesting to see how the children were treated and how that affected them as adults. However, the re-emergence of Rita in their lives was a very small part of the story. I thought some of the characters would have more interaction or there would be dialogue/story about them coping with their feelings of seeing Rita again after thirty years.

I think I would have enjoyed the book if there were fewer characters. It was hard focusing on the many different characters along with their past, and present, and how they were connected. I felt like if there were fewer characters we could have connected more to the characters and their struggles. I would be open to reading more stories about Sami culture and people but I would be hesitant to pick up another book by the author.

Book Review - Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

 

 

 

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune is about two past lovers who cross paths with each other in the future. Fern Brookbanks had spent twenty-four hours with Will Baxter in her early twenties. He was an attractive and idealistic artist. Their chance encounter ended up spiraling into spending the entire day together in the city. The pair found themselves attracted to each other and spent every moment of the day sharing their inner thoughts. The timing at that point wasn’t the best, so they decided that they would meet up with each other one year later. Fern was excited and was counting down the days and couldn’t wait to see Will after a year of being apart. Unfortunately, Will never showed up.

Fern is now thirty-two and she is tired of wasting her time thinking of Will and what could have happened if he had shown up years earlier for their fated meeting. Fern’s life didn’t turn out as she thought it would. She was hoping to be living in the city, but instead she is running her mother’s lakeside resort. It was the one thing she never wanted to do. As she takes the helm, she realizes the entire place is in chaos.  Adding to her stress, her ex-boyfriend is the manager of the resort. Fern has no idea where she should begin.

Fern needs help getting the resort and her life sorted. However, she is surprised when Will shows up to the resort one day with a plan to help her. Fern is annoyed and wants nothing to do with Will as he is nine years too late for reconciliation.  Will Fern and Will be able to work through their past to save Fern’s resort?

The book was an okay read. It didn’t have any unexpected twists, and it was a straightforward read. The book is a cute romantic read even though I found it to be mushy at times. It plays to readers who are  into the love torn lovers trope.  I was not a big fan of the characters and thought the storyline was a bit unbelievable:Fern and Will spent one night together, and even though it was the best they ever had, it seems that they both never moved on even after all those years apart without any communication. It doesn’t even seem like they wanted to be together until they were thrown together. I am on the fence about if I would read another one of this author’s books.

 

Book Review - Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith

Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith is about parenting young children at an age when the word “fat” is considered a sinful trait and an insult. In the current landscape, kids and adults learned that being thin is in. They have learned to equate body size with value. Parents worry about the size of their children and the consequences of them being fat. 

The multibillion-dollar industry thrives on our fear of being fat. There have been countless wars on obesity for the past forty years, but research has shown that Americans haven’t gotten any thinner or happier with their bodies. Perhaps what needs to change is our biases.

I thought the book was an okay read. It addresses the biases that people have about being fat. I will admit it was hard coming to terms with a few things as an obese person myself. I found some of the information helpful and the author does provide parenting strategies to start a dialogue with their children about weight, health, and self-worth. I was conflicted on some parts of the book, as while the book is quick to point out biases and fatphobia, I feel like I was just as stuck on what to do as when I first started reading the book. I feel like at times the author was discouraging eating in moderation, being active, and other “healthy” behaviors. It was almost like I had permission to continue eating unhealthily and not exercising, and that the world should rather change its view of physical size. Personally, as a person who struggles with their weight, I do like the “body positivity” or not tying my worth with my size but continuing to have unhealthy eating habits and patterns doesn’t seem like a wise way to go either.

Book Review - Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood by Barry Sonnenfeld

 

Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time: True Stories from a Career in Hollywood by Barry Sonnenfeld is a biography about the famous and celebrated director, producer, and cinematographer.  Barry has worked in the industry for over four decades. He has worked on the Men in Black franchise, The Addams Family franchise, Pushing Daises, and RV. He talks about his experiences and projects that he has won and lost.

I have seen Barry’s name, and I am familiar with some of his works. However, I can’t say that I am a fan of his or read his other book, “Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother”.  So, this book was a new experience for me. I thought the book was an okay read. The first half of the book was overly technical. It might be interesting to those who are interested in learning more about cinematography or the movie process, but for the average person like me, it went over my head.

I liked reading his stories with other celebrities. I found those bits to be entertaining. I also liked reading about his triumphs and failures.  He also talked about the inner workings of the movie industry like how some movies get made before a script is even finalized! There were some parts of the book that I felt were fluff, and didn’t understand why Barry included them and what he was trying to get at. While I thought the book was a good read, I wish the book had come out earlier when some of the movies and TV shows were more recent. Sometimes, I would try to remember a scene that he was referencing, and I couldn’t.

Book Review - Homemade Love by J. California Cooper

 

Homemade Love by J. California Cooper is a collection of fictional short stories. The stories showcase different aspects of love in various relationships and center around the lives of black people.

The book was an entertaining read. It had 13 short stories and could be finished in a day. The stories are written in a conversational style, almost like your best friend is telling you a juicy bit of gossip. The stories are relatable even though the book was written in 1986. It does talk about adult themes, but I do like that it celebrates love, loyalty, and friendship in many various and entertaining forms. I would be open to reading other books by the author.

Book Review - The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave

 

The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave is about a new mom, Maya Patel, who struggles with the demands of motherhood, being a wife, and also in the work force.  Maya seems to be having it all. She is the CEO of a thriving start-up, she has a doting husband, and a beautiful newborn. Unfortunately, behind closed doors, her world is falling apart. She had a falling out with her best friend, her company is barely staying afloat, her son isn’t eating enough and it’s all taking a toll on her marriage. Maya feels that she is the reason everything is going wrong. She feels that if she were a better wife, mother, daughter, and boss, everything wouldn’t go wrong. She is struggling to manage feeling guilty all the time.

After a recent TV interview, one of Maya’s idols, Liz Anderson, reaches out to connect. Liz introduces Maya to a new experimental supplement that her company is working on that helps reduce the amount of guilt women feel. Maya is hesitant to try it at first but, after noticing how well the pill works for her self-blame and imposter syndrome, she is hooked. Maya feels that she can finally be the person she always wanted to be.  As Maya starts to feel more empowered, she realizes that she can’t have it all unless she is willing to risk everything she has built for herself.

I was a bit torn on the novel. It was a fast-paced and interesting book, but I thought the ending was a bit weird.  As a person who identifies as a melanated person of color, I thought the author throwing that twist in the ending was a bit odd. I feel like there could have been more to the ending. I did enjoy the book and liked reading how Maya was balancing her life and dealing with the struggles she was facing. I think it’s a relevant book that a lot of working mothers can find themselves relating to. I would be open to reading more books by the author. 

Book Review - Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary by Victoria Amelina

 

Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary by Victoria Amelina is a diary of the author’s experience during the war in Ukraine. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Victoria was a published author and an active member of the country’s literary scene. She was in the process of writing a new novel.  After the invasion, Victoria spent her time documenting and researching war crimes and extraordinary women who joined the resistance.

The book was published posthumously after the author had died during the invasion. Hence, there were parts of the books that weren’t finished, and it felt a bit fragmented, understandably so. Unfortunately, we need a book like this, to show the horrors that occur during war. While the book is an important read, I didn’t connect to it. Some of the parts felt like it was jumping around. Some sentences, thoughts, paragraphs, and even chapters were not completed. It was hard for me to understand where Victoria was going with a half-finished thought. It was hard to understand what the point of the book was. It felt like a diary but then a book showcasing other women. I feel like Victoria had started the book planned one way and then switched directions but unfortunately, wasn’t able to complete it.  I stopped reading the book around the halfway point. I believe readers who have more cultural or emotional connection to Ukraine might appreciate the book more than me.

Book Review - The Swindler's Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee

 

The Swindler's Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee is about a young woman, Lillian Doyle, who finds out her father, Lloyd, leaves her a windfall inheritance that can change her life. Lillian has been surrounded by high society with her widowed mother. She believed her father had died years ago. However, when she receives a letter, she finds out that her father had only recently passed away in jail and he left her a business and all his earthly possessions. Lillian is heartbroken by the news and disappointed that her mother lied to her. .

Lillian travels to a small Georgia town to sort out her inheritance. She is dismayed to discover the house she inherited desperately needs repair. When she tries to open the door to her new home, she comes face to face with another woman, Melanie, who claims the house was already promised to her son, Jonah.

Lillian is desperate to sort through the mess so she can go back home to Atlanta. However, while she is sorting out her father’s affairs, she meets a family that she never knew existed. And to add to her troubles, the business that Lloyd left her seems to be dabbling in illegal affairs.  Will Lillian be able to sort through her father’s troubles before it’s too late?

The book was a straightforward and okay read. It didn’t have many twists or turns. It was easy to guess who the main villain(s) were. I thought the book would have a bit more of a mystery aspect to it. Even the title gives away one major spoiler. I have read the author’s other book, “The Secrets of Emberwild”, and I liked this book better. I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

 

Happy Place by Emily Henry is about a couple who broke up months ago and made a pact to pretend date for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in Maine.  Harriet and Wyn had fallen head over heels with each other when they first met. They have been together since they were in college, but they broke up six months ago and have kept it a secret from their best friends and have refused to talk to each other.

On their retreat, they find themselves in their current unfortunate situation of sharing the largest bedroom which also has an open plan for the bathroom area. There is no privacy in the bedroom and nowhere to spend a moment alone.  Both Harriet and Wyn along with their four other best friends, look forward to spending this annual retreat with each other and it’s their chance to unplug and bond with each other.

Since Wyn and Harriet haven’t told their friends the truth about their relationship, they have to lie and pretend that everything is okay and that they are still together. To add salt to the wound, this is their last trip to the cottage as it is going on sale, and it will be the last time they are all together in one place. They don’t want to ruin the last trip for their friends, so they pretend to still be in love.

I heard many great things about this author, and I was kind of disappointed by this book. I felt like it was unnecessarily long and very boring, at times. There were a few funny moments sprinkled in but for most of the book, my eyes just glazed over. None of the characters felt well developed and they were boring. Originally, I had given this book three stars but eventually, I realized that I could have gone without reading this book and I wouldn’t have missed it much. I did enjoy some things in the book but the romance between Wyn and Harriet and the cast of subpar secondary characters wasn’t enough for me to reach for another one of the author’s books.

Book Review - The Whisper Man by Alex North

The Whisper Man by Alex North is about a serial killer who stalks his prey by whispering by their windows, luring them out in the open.  Tom Kennedy feels that he and his young son, Jake, need a new beginning after the sudden death of his wife. They decide to move to a new house and new town, Featherbank, where they can start over.

However, Featherbank has a dark secret and past. Around twenty years ago, a serial killer, Frank Carter, kidnapped and murdered five young boys. He was nicknamed “The Whisper Man," as he would whisper to his victims at night before kidnapping them.

As Tom and Jake start settling into their new home, another young boy disappears. His disappearance is very similar to Frank Carter’s crimes. When Frank was caught decades earlier, there were rumors that he worked with an accomplice.  Detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis are assigned to find the missing boy and prevent another child going missing. Pete is desperate to find the truth behind the young disappearance even if it means visiting Frank Carter in prison and asking for help.  Pete and Amanda are running against the clock when Jake starts acting weird and hearing voices outside his window at night.

The book was an interesting read. It had a few twists and turns that were unexpected. The book was an okay read, but it wasn’t a scary thriller. I was expecting a few more creepy elements. I was also expecting more backstory between some of the characters and their motives. At times, I was left wanting more. I did enjoy the book and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

 

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo is about a female fox spirit, Snow, who wants to avenge the death of her child. In 1908, in Manchuria, a courtesan is found frozen to death in the doorway of a prominent restaurant. The shop owner fears that her death is a bad omen especially since rumor has been circling that it is the work of foxes. Foxes are believed to have the ability to trick and lure people into doing their bidding because they transform themselves into beautiful and alluring people.

Bao is an amateur detective that people hire when they want to find people. He has the ability to tell if someone is lying or if they are telling the truth. He was hired by the shopkeeper to find the dead woman’s identity so she could get a proper burial and not haunt his shop. Bao has always been intrigued by fox gods since he was a child. He is excited that he finally might get his chance to meet one now.

Snow is a fox spirit haunted by the death of her child. She is searching for the man responsible for her child’s death. She is traveling from northern China to Japan searching for the truth. Unknowingly on her trail Bao is determined to find out the truth behind the dead woman.

I found the book to be an entertaining read. It was filled with emotion and well-developed characters. While the book was predictable, I still found myself wanting to read what happened to the characters. I loved reading about the fox spirit mythologies, but I just wish the book had a quicker pace. I liked that the book was told from alternating points of view. I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - The Californians by Brian Castleberry

 

The Californians by Brian Castleberry is about a young man, Tobey Harlan, trying to escape from a wildfire, the events that happened a hundred years ago, and how they affect the present. Tobey has just been dumped, and to make matters worse, he lost everything he owned, even his job, to a Northern California wildfire.  He decides to steal three paintings by a popular artist Di Stiegl from his father’s house, in hopes that with the money he gets from selling the painting, he can move somewhere no one can find him.

A hundred years earlier, German Jewish immigrant, Klaus Aaronsohn was in love with silent cinema. He manages to gain access to a film studio in Astoria, Queens and changes his name to Klaus von Stiegl, and crafts a persona of a mysterious German film director. His popularity soared and he became well-known and famous. He ends his career directing a notorious 60s-era detective show.

The novel is told from alternating points of view of the different characters and time periods. I was excited to read the book but after a few chapters, I decided this wasn’t the book for me. The book had too many characters and it was difficult to keep track of them and how they all related to each other. The writing style was confusing and tedious to read. The book would jump between characters and periods and it wasn’t always clear when the change was being made. After reading more than twenty-five percent of the book, I stopped reading because nothing was going on that kept my interest.

Book Review - Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz

 

Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz is about a young woman, Amelia Hernandez, who was recently dumped and her subsequent ploy to become the ultimate girlfriend.  Amelia was excited to see her girlfriend until she was unexpectedly dumped right after Amelia confessed her feelings to her.  Amelia feels that her family curse caused her relationship to dissolve. The rumor is that every romantic relationship that a Hernandez woman is in will eventually end. Amelia’s sisters, mom, and aunts seem to be okay with the curse and have accepted it, but Amelia wants to be in a relationship and wants to break the curse for herself.

Amelia feels that she is the reason why her relationship doesn’t work. She is determined to find a way to fix the issue. Together with her sisters, mother, and aunts, they hatch a plan for Amelia to re-date her exes and figure out where she went wrong and how she can become the perfect girlfriend. Unfortunately, her plan hits a snag when she is reunited with Leon. Leon was the ex that Amelia is still not over. She decides the best way to get over Leon is to show him the perfect girlfriend she is and break his heart in the process.

The book was an okay read, but it was much longer than it needed to be, as well as boring and repetitive at times. There were too many characters and they felt one-dimensional. The book was very predictable and had all the common romance tropes. Amelia was hard to understand and like as a character. She could be fun at times, but then she did some silly things out of nowhere. I did like the family dynamics between the different characters and enjoyed reading those parts. I think if the novel had been edited down and fine-tuned, I would have enjoyed it more.

March Empties 2025

 

It's been a while since I did an empties post! Oh wowzie I had finished a lot of things in the last few months. I do need to try and stay on top of cleaning and throwing these out. There were a few things that I liked and a few things I wouldn't try again. 

The Hair Toss Empower-mint Conditioner was a basic conditioner but I wouldn't mind trying the other scents. The conditioner came in a giant squeeze bottle and had a pleasant minty scent. It was very affordably priced even though it wasn't on sale.

Frankly Butter So Much Cream was so hydrating and it wasn't too heavy or greasy. I do wish that the dispenser was a bit better though. It had a small nozzle and sometimes I would oversqueeze and too much product would come out. 

The Goldfaden MD Supreme Serum was an overpriced waste. I didn't notice a single difference while applying this serum. Also the dropper didn't even work. The serum was too thick. For something this expensive I would expect a lot better. Even the bottle felt cheap and dingy.  

I love the Starface Moisture on Mars! It is one of the most lightweight and soothing cream. The cream isn't heavy and leaves skin feeling like butter. I am so disappointed that they don't make this cream anymore.

I love the Lancome Hydrazen serum oh wow this made my skin feel and look radiant. It gave me an amazing inner glow. It is so lightweight but it left my skin feeling like silk. I loved this.

Was there anything you finished this month that you liked?

Book Review - After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot

 

After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot is about a woman, Emily Leland, returning home after the death of her husband. Emily is hopeful to be returning home to Sweetwater Crossing after her abusive husband dies in a bar fight. She is hoping to reconnect with her sister, Louisa, and father. Emily receives more bad news instead of the warm welcome she was expecting.

She discovers that her father has died but the circumstances and story don’t add up to Emily. She believes there is more at play than the sheriff and the townspeople believe. To make matters worse, Louisa doesn’t believe that there was more to their father’s death. She feels that Emily is drumming up drama and shame for the family instead of accepting the circumstances of their father’s death.

Craig Ferguson is the new schoolteacher and also new to the area. He and his son moved to the Sweetwater Crossing after his wife died in an unexpected accident. As they enter the town, the house they are going to stay in burns down, leaving them homeless. Emily decides to turn her family home into a boarding house and welcomes Craig and his son into her home.

Louisa is upset that Emily just arrived in town and decides what to do with the family home without consulting her. She decides to leave town and learn the midwife trade in another town. Emily tries to make the best of the situation but feels lonely and lost. Craig who is still bereft from losing his beloved wife, understands her pain and the two find themselves growing closer. As the pair grow closer, a few strings of deaths occur which makes them suspicious that there might be a killer among them.

While the book does have some mystery pieces, I found it to be more of a cozy romance read. I felt like the murder mystery portion took a backseat to the budding romance between Craig and Emily. I thought the book was an okay read. I felt like the pacing was slow and I found my eyes glazing over a few times. The book does have one major twist, but it was mostly predictable. I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - Cabaret Macabre: A Locked-Room Mystery by Tom Mead

Cabaret Macabre: A Locked-Room Mystery by Tom Mead is about mystery novel about events that happened in the past and the consequences it has in the future. Victor Silvius has spent nine years at The Grange, a private sanatorium, as an inmate. He was sentenced thereafter for attacking Judge Sir Giles Drury. The judge’s wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that Victor is the one responsible for sending her husband death threats. Lady Elspeth wishes to avoid another scandal; she reaches out to a retired stage magician Joseph Spector. She knows he can be discreet as Joseph was involved in another case in which Sir Giles presided over.

Victor’s sister, Miss Caroline Silvis, believes her brother isn’t safe at the sanatorium. She feels that someone is trying to kill him, and she suspects that the judge is plotting Victor’s murder. She feels that Sir Giles has gone out of his way to make sure Victor’s life is a living hell at the sanatorium. She decides to hire Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard to investigate.

As Joseph and George begin working on their respective cases, they end up at Marchbanks, the Drury family home for over four hundred years.  There the pair discovers a body in the middle of a frozen pond but have no way of getting to it there. Then a rifle is fired through a closed window and kills a man without shattering the glass. As they continue to investigate, the long list of suspects is dwindling. Will the two detectives be able to figure out who is behind everything?

I was a bit disappointed in this novel. I love a good murder mystery. The book has an interesting plot and premise and many twists. However, I had a hard time getting into the book. Even though it is a part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. I felt that there were too many characters, and it was hard to keep track of all of them. I also felt that the writing style was so dreadfully bland. I felt like I was reading a documentary. The novel failed to keep my interest, and I don’t think I would be reaching for another one of the author’s books.

Book Review - The Brave In-Between: Notes from the Last Room

The Brave In-Between: Notes from the Last Room by Amy Low is a memoir about Amy navigating life after going through a divorce while battling stage four cancer.  Amy is in a hospital room which will be the last room she will reside in. Her doctors told her that there is no cure for Stage IV metastatic colon cancer and the odds of long survival are very slim.  However, it is now four years after her diagnosis, and that has changed her outlook on life.

I thought the book was an okay read. I usually don’t like reading a lot of memoirs, but I was curious about this one. I felt like I could have gone without reading it. At times, I was trying to understand what the end goal of the book was. I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a self-help book, a guide, or a memoir. The book does have religious elements and talks about the author coming to terms with her life. If that is something that interests you, you might enjoy the book more than I did.