The Insomniacs
by Allison Winn Scotch
The Insomniacs (5/14/2026)
This was my first book by this author and I intend to try some of her other books. This one was interesting but not compelling. It was well written but it just didn't grab me. There was a bit of a mystery and a bit of romance but none of the characters made me care much about them and a couple weren't very likable. Maybe it just wasn't quite what I was expecting.
Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known
by Scott Simon
Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known (2/28/2026)
I have long enjoyed Scott Simon on NPR and almost felt I could hear him reading this book. In fact, an audiobook with him reading would be great. This book included many of the running mates, as he calls them, of the Simon family as well as stories of other animals the author has encountered through work. The stories were funny, cute, touching, and sometimes sad. It was a quick and enjoyable read.
The House of Hidden Letters
by Izzy Broom
Read with a Box of Tissues (2/23/2026)
The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom
This author was new to me but now I will look for more of her books. This was a little slow going at first but after the letters were found and then when we found out why Skye left London, it got more interesting. I read the second half of the book much faster than the first half. For me there were a lot of tear jerking moments, especially during the wartime sections.
I did dislike the traditional romance trope of a late in the storyline upset between Skye and Andreas. But it was resolved very easily. I did enjoy the cohesiveness of the group of home buyers. Especially at the end where there was a very satisfying twist.
The Pie & Mash Detective Agency
by J.D. Brinkworth
The Pie & Mash Detective Agency (1/11/2026)
The Pie & Mash Detective Agency
by J.D. Brinkworth
Truthfully, I thought I would like this more than I did. The first 60 kept my interest because it was very funny in spots. However, if I had to deal with either one of these goofballs in real life there would probably be at least one actual murder. If you look at how busy and cluttered the cover of this book is that is a good indicator of the storyline as well. Nobody in this book had good sense and that includes the private detective teaching the class and the police detective who was a secondary character. It took me several days to finish this book because I kept putting it down to read something else. To top it all off the conclusion was kind of ridiculous. Maybe the two authors of this book should consider writing comedy or maybe I was just not the right audience. If you are an actual mystery lover this may not be for you.
Jackie & Me
by Louis Bayard
Jackie Pre Camelot (6/14/2022)
This book was good but not as good as his previous book Courting Mr. Lincoln. Maybe I expected too much because that previous book was so compelling. This was a bit pallid in comparison. I was a tween during the Camelot years and Jackie was interesting to me in the ensuing decades but maybe now I just don't care as much as I did. Also so, Lem was such a sad character that this book was a bit depressing. Not badly written but I just did not enjoy it as much as I thought it would.
Some of It Was Real
by Nan Fischer
Some of It Was Real (3/31/2022)
This is not a romance although there is a relationship. It is more of a dual coming of age in early adulthood for two people, each with a traumatic past. There is also a family saga involved for each of them. Along with some very poignant animal companion moments. I did cry at one point.
It took me a little while to really get into this book but then I was hooked and finished most of in one reading. It was a very compelling, fulfilling story.
The Lost Notebook of Edouard Manet: A Novel
by Maureen Gibbon
Manet's Diary (6/30/2021)
This fictionalized diary covers the last three years of the life of Edouard Manet. It was very poignant because of his physical suffering but uplifting because of his dedication to art and the beauty he saw in everything.
It made me want to read some of the books the author referenced for this work of fiction.
There was a line from the book that I particularly appreciated: "At a certain point, truth must give way to the illusion of truth."
Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters
by Jennifer Chiaverini
A Great Historical, A Different Perspective (9/2/2020)
This was a very enjoyable addition to this author’s several other historical novels from this period. It might have been a bit confusing for someone who hasn’t read any previous books about the Lincolns and Todds. It was a poignant story about what mental health issues can do to a whole family; especially during a period when there was no real treatment.
Piranesi
by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi (8/11/2020)
Amazing, puzzling, angsty at first. What is that thing about a puzzle wrapped in an enigma (or maybe the other way around)? Whichever it is, this book is it. Piranesi made me think of Candide. An optimistic innocent exploring the World (his caps, not mine). Then the puzzle begins to resolve and I felt relief and joy for this character, my friend.
Slightly confusing at first; hence the angst, but stick with it and you will be greatly rewarded. I want to read it again. Right now.
The Sun Down Motel
by Simone St. James
Vacancy! Cable TV! (11/7/2019)
As a fan of Simone St James, I was not sure I would like this book as much as the previous books of hers that I have read because the others were all set in the period between WWI and WWII. That time period seems a better milieu for her ghostly gothic novels.
However, within about 15 pages of reading, I was hooked on this one too. I could not put it down and I was totally taken in by the twist at the ending. Very satisfying read.
Beirut Hellfire Society
by Rawi Hage
Beirut Hellfire Society (5/18/2019)
Beautifully written but sad, depressing, nihilistic. I guess all of that is to be expected in a war-torn city at a time when anyone's life could be ended at any moment. I am glad I read it but I did not enjoy it.
Her Kind of Case: A Lee Isaacs, Esq. Novel
by Jeanne Winer
Courtroom Drama Deluxe (4/19/2019)
I really enjoyed this book and hated for it to end. I hope it is the beginning of a series. It reminded me of Kate Wilhelm’s legal series that began with the book entitled Death Qualified.
The Removes
by Tatjana Soli
The Removes (9/14/2018)
I too had mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting to read about Libbie Custer but with a historical novel of this type it is hard to know what is fact and what is fiction. My favorite part of this book was actually the illustrations. I really loved the end papers and the sketches on the first page of each chapter. These are based on the ledger art of Native Americans from the late 19th century. The photos added to the realism of the story too. In regard to stories of captured and returned females, I much preferred News of the World by Paulette Jiles.
Harbor of Spies: A Novel of Historic Havana
by Robin Lloyd
Adventure at Sea (5/14/2018)
I found this to be an interesting and informative adventure. It made me want to learn more about the history of slavery and the sugar plantations in Cuba as well as the blockade.
The addition of the actual murder and the fictional romance enhanced the story. Good for readers of the Master and Commander series.
Star of the North
by D.B. John
Star of the North (5/2/2018)
Gripping and timely story but also very informative about North Korea. Made me want to learn more.
America for Beginners
by Leah Franqui
Culture Clash (3/15/2018)
I finished this yesterday and still have feelings of ambivalence as to whether I really liked this book or not. The setting of a cross country trip was a good way to bring together these three characters who were as unlike as the situation would allow. It is a good debut novel but personally, I had difficulty with the prejudices of some of the characters. With time, some of these prejudices were overcome and some were not. The ending was hopeful for the most part but I still felt there was a pervading sense of melancholy even so. It was well written, a good book but it made me a bit sad. Maybe just not my cup of chai.
The Music Shop: A Novel
by Rachel Joyce
Better and better (3/13/2018)
In my case, Rachel Joyce has been an author whose work has grown on me. I read Harold Fry for a book club and did not really like it. Then I read Queenie Hennessy and I did that like that version of the same story. This book was a great pleasure for me and I loved the idea of the music on Spotify. I listened to it once before reading the book and once afterward. Maybe I skipped Sid Vicious but otherwise, great songs. Maybe the ending was not entirely realistic, but hey, fiction can be a bit unlikely. It was a very feel-good book and I liked it.
