Mattia Goddard

I've just completed a most beautiful literary journey. It's as though I myself am now returning from the 1930s town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. What a world James McBride has created! Winner of many accolades including the National Book Award, this book is full of the most delightfully fleshed out characters- each and every one. McBride does not hesitate to give his readers a quick side story about just about all of his cast of characters. It works precisely because his writing is lyric and lovely. There is xenophobia here-and nationalism- all as a precursor to World War II- but there is also human kindness and generosity and the understanding that we are all the same. Our wants and fears and dreams- our humanity binds us together. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming. This writer is a master storyteller. If character driven novels are your thing- this book is for you.

If you've been cheated on and fantasized about vengeance then this book is for you. This one borders on the absurd. There's a Category 4 Hurricane and the mistress comes to the husband's house when beckoned to ride out the storm together ... so you see there- the premise is wildly unrealistic. I don't remember who recommended this one to me and it's not really my cup of tea. I don't believe in blaming the other woman in these types of scenarios. But I will add the caveat that the author wrote this after finding out her husband had cheated. So I'm sure writing this was part of her “venting her spleen” as it were. I read it, I finished it and I thought- this is the plot to a Lifetime Movie.

This book is a delight. Three generations of women brought together first by disease, then by murder, chaos and secrets. The grandmother in this story- Lana- is a gem, a real Type A ass kicker, but classy! So when cancer knocks her down not only does she lose her mojo, but she has to rebuild her relationship with her family. This is one where I actually LIKED THEM ALL- all three of the women. That hasn't happened in a while. Too long really.

I was rooting for Lana and I loved her amateur detective moves. This story is not scary, not dangerous, not sexy. It is the story of a complex crime, buried in a small town that this trio of women have gotten embroiled in. Great debut novel, perfect palate cleanser after several of my dark Halloween reads. People die- but it somehow manages to have a feel-good comedy vibe. Ok, maybe a dark comedy vibe.

This is literally one of my all time favorite mysteries. I've recommended it to scores of people. It's one of two mysteries I've reread. That's how much I enjoyed it. The concept is so damn clever, so original.
If you can appreciate a diabolical plan to kill people in your life– this book is for you.

I see a sequel is coming out and I came back to book one to read my review only to discover I didn't write one. Damn. I remember this book clearly, particularly how much the children stuck with me. And the ending. I'm thrilled to hear there's a sequel coming. I want to know what Harry finds in Africa.

I started this book last year after the 20th anniversary and had to put it down. It's a tough read. I picked it back up a few days ago as a promise to myself to finish it before the date came again. Everyone remembers where they were the day the planes hit. This book tells you the story of what it was like for the people who were actually there. The people who descended 80+ floors before the collapse, and seeing firefighters going up. The airline employee who got the call from Todd Breamer on flight 93. Then his widow who explained the employee calling with Todd's message and final words, “Let's roll.” The people on Air Force One with President Bush, the firefighters who survived the collapse because they were in a stairwell. The capture and death of Bin Laden a decade later. It's all here and it is an astonishing collection. It is fascinating and devastating. It makes you proud to be an American. If you want to know what it was really like- pick up this book. Take your time with it. It's masterful. 5⭐️

Another good one. Ending tough but understandable.

This was our book club pick for the month of September and it absolutely delivered. So much to discuss. We were transported to the 15th century Ming Dynasty, where we were privy to the private lives of China's elite class. Imagine practicing medicine but never touching blood and male doctors never so much as looking at their female patients. This is how medicine was unless there was a female who practiced hereditary medicine. The protagonist here was a real person in the late 1400s who learned the practice of women's medicine from her grandmother who practiced that same medicine. The bound feet- that hideous torture done to Chinese girls from the 10th century until the 20th century- was well explored, both from a child's and mother's perspective.

This book is chock full of beautiful, profound quotes sprinkled throughout the dialogue about everything from friendship, marriage, relationships, childrearing, love, and a funny one concerning mothers-in-law and their relationships with their daughters-in-law. We were astounded at their cultural norms. The idea of never leaving your compound- never seeing the town or the outside world. Not attending your own wedding banquet. Buying a servant for your child, buying concubines for your husband, selling your extra sons to the emperor to become eunuchs. This book takes you through all of this and so much more.

This book will get you thinking and talking about what has changed for women and what really hasn't. We were glad to meet this rare woman doctor who had a life so much fuller than the typical woman of her time and stature. The women in her part of China lived better and longer lives because of her.

The four phases of a woman's life- She begins the book with this and ends the book with it.
Divided this way:
the milk days,
the hair pinning days,
the rice and salt days, and finally,
the sitting quietly days.

Well if that doesn't say it all.
Excellent read. One of our liveliest discussions yet. Highly recommend.

My husband asked me what this book was about and I burst into tears. I cannot believe it took me this long to read this book. It took me a day- one because it's short and two because it is enthralling. He's a brilliant writer with a devastating and insightful store of life experience and intellect. This book is a blood letting. His fear for his young son, to whom he writes this, is palpable. His wisdom and rage both feel like living things. What a triumph.

loved it. excellent unraveling of the story. great wrap up of the mystery. excited to find out the next pieces in the over arching sub plot that he has begun but not finished. I'm eager to read the next book in this new series.

Before I joined the 52 Book Challenge I had never heard of Octavia Butler and I certainly did not pick up dystopian fiction intentionally. And this is why I joined the challenge because Wow what a ride! This book is outstanding and terrifying. Butler wrote it in 1995 and it takes place in California in 2025- in a falling society. Government is ineffective, water shortages are the norm, corporations have pushed the country to dangerous levels of greed and corruption. Failed biotech has created a dangerous and highly addictive drug. I could go on and on. The narration by 15 year old heroine Lauren is unemotional, stripped of any joy and very little optimism. It's a world of survival and of building a community out of ruin. Fantastic read. Highly recommend.

Read this book immediately. It is one hundred percent worth the hype as it currently perches at #8 on the NYTIMES Bestseller List. Lisa Jewell has outdone herself with this one. I spent the hurricane reading this one. I even read by candlelight because we lost power during Idalia. It was unputdownable. Best to go in knowing little to nothing about it. I'll leave it at that. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

This book was not what I expected- not a great super sleuthy murdery story. It was way more Devil Wears Prada but with legit fashion insider details. I loved reading about their magazine work and shoot prep and especially Fashion Week in Paris. Plus all the fashion nonsense that we all see on the runway. I found this to be an entertaining and interesting read. Seriously, I saw it at the library and judged it by its cover. Glad I did.

I've been around this genre a little too long for this one. Yes, well written, great back story set in Louisiana- in a town whose pride is in being the crawfish capitol- with all the great small town character that implies. The issue I have is that with a finite cast of characters the reader easily figures out what the protagonist cannot. And speaking of the protagonist- she is quite the flawed character, which is not a bad thing, it's actually a solid layer, just reader beware. This serial killer story is messy. While I easily figured out who the bad guy was, I really felt the characters as the writer drew them. In particular, the teenage victims. They jumped off the page.

This is one of those books that sticks with you. So many small character traits and quirks that give them all such depth. It's really something how she's built complex mysteries into and around a very rich set of characters. A novel that's also several mysteries in one. Thankfully our hero Jackson Brodie susses it all out, well mostly anyhow, and the tying up of each bit is quite satisfying.

I really enjoyed this book. There was so much going on with these characters. They were all interesting and funny and neurotic in their own interesting and original ways. There was a definite moral gray area in this story that I've thought about over the years and some heartfelt realizations that these characters wrestled with. I enjoyed the unraveling of this family's chaos and secrets and silliness among the sadness.

I enjoyed this book. First, the title. Who exactly are the soulmates? In this story we get two marriages, both from the outside, look storybook perfect, two couples ideally suited. Then Sally Hepworth does her beautiful work of layering the issues, the cracks, the history. And it gets oh so juicy. I find her characters particularly well written, realistic in the examination of their daily lives and then also mental health issues. She handles it here with such deft. There is also intrigue and mystery and really great alternating POVs. I do love the Australian setting. Another good one.

I don't know how I came across this book as I usually do not pick up YA. There's a reason for that. This book is for your teenager- a young teenager. There is no cursing and no sex which is exceedingly rare and thus I know it will appeal to parents of readers. I did not love this book mainly because the main character was so self-involved, which is not unexpected in a 15 year old who has suffered trauma. So I think this book is excellent for teenagers, just not for this 40-something year old. One thing I loved- the map of the private island at the front of the book. I needed help visualizing all the houses and spots the narrator referenced. The map was a great choice.

This book rocked my world. It's a 5 star read for me but it is not for everyone. Winner of Japan's Grand Prix Award for Crime Fiction, there is nothing conventional about this story. Reader beware- there are details on hacking up a corpse, misogyny in the Japanese workplace, women in dead end factory jobs, awful marriages, prostitution, the yakuza, loan sharking, rape, murder and the spiraling unintended consequences of some very ordinary women. This was my first foray into Japanese crime writing and I cannot remember who recommended this one to me, but I am so glad I read this.

This story opens with an unlikeable character - a writer- which of course, I love. In short order she manages to become rather grudgingly likable. In dual timelines, she takes us on a mournful retelling of her experiences with young love, and naïveté, then early parenting trouble. But then the story morphs into one of lies and secrets and eventually tragedy. All of this done with one of my favorite techniques- the book within a book. And wow did it work. It pulled me in and wound me up. The last 30 pages were so unexpected, so surprising, so intense. Great read.

This book does a solid job of starting as one thing and slowly evolving into something altogether different. I particularly enjoy stories with past timelines where the narrator travels back to high school. These were the days of InSYNC and cheer squad tryouts- before cell phones became ubiquitous and the world was not under constant surveillance. Those were easier times- for teens getting into trouble and criminals getting away with dirty deeds. Fast forward to modern day and this mother daughter duo finds themselves at a crossroads. I listened to this one on a long solo car ride- not my favorite way to absorb a book but a really great way to pass the miles. This one is a good mystery- full of secrets- and a great ending.

Cosby has done it again. This might be his best yet. I am already a huge fan of his characters, his rural Virginia settings, his always powerful choice of dialogue, the situations he puts his people into, but most of all I'm a fan of his almost poetic writing style. The words sing off the page. Just gorgeous, even when violent and full of bloodshed. He is fast becoming my favorite author. This book tackles topics that are both timely and timeless and crime noir lovers everywhere, heads up, this one is chef's kiss.

I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I knew nothing about competitive gymnastics and it was fascinating to read. This was my first book by this author and I loved her narrative style and how she describes everything. It's unusual and compelling. I did not know where this mystery was going but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the outcome.

This book took me almost 2 weeks to read which that in itself is a bad sign. The middle dragged and I didn't care about any of the tenants and what was going on. It didn't even feel suspenseful. Not a fan.

Vera Wong is adorable and I wish she was my auntie. This book is clever, with such an original plot, interesting characters-all hailing from different countries in Asia. I adore reading about the customs in Asian cultures and families. The idea of disrespecting your elders is anathema and I love that. Lastly, this book made me so hungry- she cooks up a storm and every dish sounds incredible. If you're looking for a light mystery with plenty of funny bits- then I highly recommend this one.