Van Zandt, Stevie: Unrequited Infatuations: A Memoir
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Mostly rock and roll, but somehow it lost the magic. As much as I love Stevie, Bruce, and the whole E Street Band as well as most of the performers of classic Rock and Roll, this book bored me stiff. I don't even know why I finished it. I've never heard of most of the people that Stevie talks about. Bruce (and even Stevie) takes up very little of the book. And the amazing Clarence Clemmons (the late E Street sax player) gets one whole paragraph. Unless you enjoy reading the intricate history, technicalities, and details of the greatest music genre in the history of the world, pass this one up and put on a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band album, and relax. (**)
Chesterton, R. B.: The Darkling: A Novel
R.B. Chesterton is the pen name of my friend and prolific writer Carolyn Haines. The book has now been published under her actual name, so if interested, you could find it credited to either name. I really liked this book. It is an engrossing and exciting story. I looked forward to the ending to have everything made clear. In that, I was disappointed. The ending cleared up nothing. In fact the ending left me scratching my head. Among several puzzles, I have no idea who was the bad guy (girl) and who was the good. I would rate the book up until the end as as 4 stars, but the ending gets no stars at all--just a big old "HUH?" (***)
Silva, Samantha: Mr. Dickens and His Carol
A fictional telling of the events in Charles Dickens's life that led to his writing A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Good story. (****)
Carson, Scott: Where They Wait: A Novel
This was a good book, a pretty unique plot for a thriller. In fact, I'm not sure I even understand what was going on, especially the ending. It was sort of like coming out of the theatre after the first time I saw "2001: A Space Odyssey." Everyone, including me, was wondering what the heck was that? That's sort of how I felt when I had finished this book. But, like "2001," I'm glad I had the experience. (***)
Charles Martin: Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery
Chase Walker was one of the lucky ones. He was in foster care as a child, but he finally ended up with a family who loved him and cared for him. Now, as a journalist for the local paper, he’s moved on and put the past behind him. But when he’s assigned the story of this young boy, painful, haunting questions about his own childhood begin to rise to the surface. (***)
Jiles, Paulette: Simon the Fiddler: A Novel
THe adventures of a group of ragtag musicians in south Texas as the Civil War comes to an end. This was my book club's pick for November. Excellent writing. The author really puts the reader in the story--and not all of it is so nice. (****)
Clark, Julie: The Last Flight
Two women, each finding herself in a desperate situation, meeting in the airport and decide to switch flights with each other in order to disappear and start new lives. Really good story. (****)
King, Stephen: The Breathing Method
A creepy short story by the Kind of Horror. A men's club of sorts meets to tell stories. The club is creepy, and so are their stories, espcially the last one.I read it online, but it's you can find the story in King's anthology DIFFERENT SEASONS. (****)
Miranda, Megan: Such a Quiet Place: A Novel
Hollow’s Edge use to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back. (****)
Newman, T. J.: Falling: A Novel
WOW! If, like me, you enjoy an exciting edge-of-your-seat thriller, you're bound to like this book. It had me holding my breath at times. Very exciting and well written. (****)
Trimnell, Edward: 12 Hours of Halloween: a novel
The year is 1980. Jeff Schaeffer, Leah Carter, and Bobby Nagel decide to go out for "one last Halloween" before adolescence takes away their childhood forever. But this Halloween is different. An outing that was supposed to be light-hearted and fun becomes a battle for sanity—and perhaps even survival. Pretty gorey and scary in places. (***)
Driscoll, Teresa: Her Perfect Family
family’s happiest days. But when she stumbles and falls on stage during the ceremony, a beautiful moment turns to chaos: Gemma has been shot, and just like that, she’s fighting for her life. Talk about some twists and turns! This is really an intriguing page turner. (****)
McNeil, Kelley: A Day Like This: A Novel
Annie Beyers leads a charmed like in her Upstate NY farmhouse with her husband and little girl. On her way to vist her daughter's pediatrician, Annie has an car wreck. She wakes up in the hospital to learned that she has never had a daughter, her farm house has been sold, and she is separated from her husband. This is a fascinating and wonderfully written story---the best on this subject Iand I won't say exactly what the subject is here) that I've ever read. (****)
Jewell, Lisa: Watching You: A Novel
The mysterious murder at the book's center unfolds gradually, as piece by piece the past and present relationships between its cast of characters begin to fit together. Not this author's best effort IMO. (**)
Green, John: Turtles All the Way Down
The story centers on 16-year-old Aza Holmes, an American high school student with OCD and anxiety, and her search for a fugitive billionaire who happens to be a neighbor's father. I felt that the author concentrated too much on the OCD and not enough on the mystery. But still a good book. (***)
O'Farrell, Maggie: Hamnet
A fictional account of the life of William Shakespeare and his family during the Black Plague. Hamnet is the tutor's (Shakespeare's) son, and only one of so many children and other characters that I found it hard to keep everyone straight. This book gets great reviews so you might like it a whole bunch more than I di. (**)
Chizmar, Richard: Chasing the Boogeyman: A Novel
Small town evil set in the late 80s, disappearing girls, mutilated bodies--all elements for a good horror read. Well-used elements, I might add. I think Chizmar might be trying a little too hard to be Stephen King. Also, I had to check several times to remind myself whether this was fiction or non-fiction. The author uses a lot of his own life and experiences (even his very own hometown). I'm still not sure exactly how much is fiction. (***)
Walter, Susan: Good as Dead: A Novel
A hit-and-run driver takes Holly's husband but gives her and her daughter their dream home and everything they need for a luxurious life. Answers the question, can money make everything all right? Fast and exciting read. (***)
Marcott, Lindsay: Mrs. Rochester's Ghost: A Thriller
A modern retelling of Charlotte Bronte's JANE EYRE. Set on a rocky cliff above the crashing surf of Big Sur, the foggy climate is right, but somehow some of the spookiness is lost. Still a good story. (***)
Marrs, John: What Lies Between Us
Another dysfunctional mother/daughter story. And I would have considered it a darn good one if I could ever for a while forgot the fact that somebody is bound to notice when people disappear into thin air. (***)
Korelitz, Jean Hanff: The Plot: A Novel
Another story-within-a-story format, which became a little bit of a problem to me. I almost needed a chart to remember where each character belonged in the format. We have an unusual mother/daughter, and each one has three names, according to which version of the story she's appearing in. And they both turn out to be--well, best not go there. Also the entire tale is driven by a case of "plagiarism," which is not plagiarism at all. As is actually stated a few times in the novel, one cannot copyright a plot. And finally, I was expected some earth-shattering plot that would really be a surprise; didn't get one. But for all these problems, I still had a fun time reading this book. (***)
King, Stephen: Billy Summers
Billy Summers, Iraq war sniper turned professional hit man, it the leading man of this thriller (not horror as you might expect). When he rescues Alice after she has been gang raped, the young woman becomes Billy's partner. It's a story-within-a-story (Billy is writing and book based on his war experience), just might be one of King's best efforts yet. (****)
Jones, John Isaac: A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe
I love Poe. And I would have loved this book more except for the sloppiness. Typos, missing words, extra words, transposed words. No copy editor in evidence. This was the Kindle edition; maybe the hard copy editions are better. Be advised that this is a mixture of fact and fiction. So before you take any of it to heart, fact check. (***)
Hepworth, Sally: The Good Sister: A Novel
This book was a doozy of a page turner. Lots of twists. I can't say too much without risking spoilers, so I'll just add this: "A stunningly clever thriller made doubly suspenseful by not one, but two unreliable narrators." — People (***)
Brundage, Elizabeth: All Things Cease to Appear
Late one winter afternoon, professor George Clare knocks on his neighbor’s door with terrible news: he returned from work to find his wife, Catherine, murdered in their bed. Someone took an ax to her head while their three-year-old daughter, Franny, played alone in her room across the hall. I found only one thing to dislike about this book. The author insists upon giving every character a back story. This makes for a bit of a tedious read. But still worth four stars. And it's not the kind of ghost story that the Netflix adaptation presents it as. The ghosts in this novel are there, but there all right--but they "cease to appear." (****)
Latham, Irene: D-39: A Robodog's Journey
A dog pandemic has made dogs illegal and sent robodogs to serve as pets. A civil war has made life dangerous and difficult for all. In this environment, heroes emerge--one of them is a wonderful "robodog" named D-39. I loved this book. (****)
Henry, Christina: The Ghost Tree
Something terrifying is loose in Smiths Hollow. This monster makes Pennywise the clown look almost sweet. Surely this is the book that Stephen King wished he had written. It even scared me, and I'm not that easy to scare any more. Read it only if you aren't allergic to terror and gore. (****)
Backman, Fredrik: Anxious People: A Novel
This is a book about a bank robbery, a hostage situation, an apartment viewing, a suicide,a rabbit of sorts, and a bunch of other stuff. A mix of wry humor, human tragedy, and human compassion come together to make a wonderful read. I recommend highly. (****)
Siddons, Anne Rivers: The House Next Door
Stephen King described this books as "one of the finest horror novels of the 20th century." I agree. It is often described as a haunted house book, but I see it more as a book about a bunch of haunted people. Whatever, it's a good one. Kept me turning pages frantically. (****)
Kosa, S. F.: The Quiet Girl: A Psychological Thriller
Sort of a GONE GIRL, but with much more likeable characters and a much different kind of ending. Very suspenseful, well written. (***)
Williams-Garcia, Rita: A Sitting in St. James
A detailed and brutal look at slavery in 19th century America. Well written, well developed characters, and an important subject. However, I was shocked that this is listed as a book for teens. Some even rate it as a children's book. It contains frequent graphic, detailed, and sometimes violent sex. Parental guidance definitely advised. (***)
Kleier, Glenn: The Prophet of Queens
I liked everything about this book: the title (which is really what the story's about), the writing, the plot, the characters, the ending--everything. I've been Facebook friends with Glenn Kleier for a while without realizing he's an excellent novelist. When he told me he thought I would like this book, I groaned inwardly. A lot of times when friends suggest you read their books, it's not a pleasant task. This was pleasant, and not a tast. I LOVE THIS BOOK! (****)
Sittenfeld, Curtis: Rodham: A Novel
Having been an admirer of Hillary Rodham Clinton for many years, I expected to like this fictional account of her life. Boy, was I wrong! This is a ridiculous book. If you're a Hillary Hater or a lover of soft porn, you might like it. But I found nothing to like--especially not the image of a naked Bill Clinton serenading Hillary with this saxophone. The whole book is shameful. Minus 5 stars.
Connolly, John: The Dirty South: A Thriller (18) (Charlie Parker)
I had trouble with this book. The title should have tipped me off that it wasn't going to be kind of my part of the country. And I know that the south has problems, but probably no more than most other areas. This read almost as a satire of the South. From the unusual first names to the Boss Hogg type patriarch of the town, Connolly seems to take a very clichéd attitude toward these people. Also there were far too many characters and the book was too long. All that said, I think Connolly is an excellent writer. I just didn't like this one. (**)
McLain, Paula: The Paris Wife
A fictional account of the lives of Hemingway and his first (0f 4) wives Hadley. Didn't make me any fonder of Hemingway or his writing. He was a first-class s of a b, as far as I'm concerned. It also didn't endear me very much to Hadley. I thought that if she had stood up to her husband more and hadn't enabled him at every turn while he was young, he might have gone on to be a better mad. But, good book. (****)
Krueger, William Kent: Ordinary Grace
For me, this book got off to a slow start. But it picked up about halfway through and got much more interesting. That's when the murder takes place that is the subject of this murder mystery/coming of age story. I think maybe the book would have been easier for me to get into if the author had dealt with only one mysterious death instead of three or four. Still and all, it's well worth the read. (***)
Heller, Peter: The Dog Stars
I suppose the prose style of this book is part of the reason that I had trouble getting into it and sticking with it. Almost stream-of-consciousness. But it's also pretty much lacking in plot. Just a bunch of people who live (and die) after a deadly worldwide pandemic, and don't do much else. (I have previously read THE RIVER by this author, which I truly enjoyed.) (**)
Abrams, Stacey: While Justice Sleeps: A Novel
Until I saw this book advertised online, I had no idea that Stacey Abrams (lawyer, voting rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, etc.) was also a novelist. This book is an intriguing page turner. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys legal thrillers. Better than Grisham, imo. (****)
Paris, B. A.: Behind Closed Doors: A Novel
I read this book a few years back. For some reason, I thought I wanted to read it again. I think I must have liked it better the first time I read it. This time it sort of left me feeling meh. The "bad guy" is a bit one-dimensional and unbelievable. More caricature than character. Still it might raise your hackles a bit. I remember it made me irate the first time I read it. (**)
Weir, Andy: Project Hail Mary: A Novel
If you thought The Martian was good (and I did), just wait till you read Project Hail Mary. One of the best books I've read this year. And one of the most appealing characters you'll ever meet--if you can get over how he looks. I happily give this book five stars. I'd give it more if there were more to give. (*****)
Bohjalian, Chris: Hour of the Witch: A Novel
17th-century Massachusetts is not a safe place for women. as 24-year-old Mary Deerfield learns when she tries to divorce her cruel, lying, drunkard husband. This is the first book I've rated five stars in some time. (*****)
Foley, Lucy: The Guest List: A Novel
Take one rugged island off the western coast of Ireland, complete with jagged cliffs, peat bogs, and a roaring storm. Add 150 drunk wedding guests, many of them harboring dark secret pasts and grudges against one another. You know somebody's going to be murdered. But who and by whom? I loved this one. (****)
Jackson, Joshilyn: Mother May I: A Novel
To get her son back alive, Bree must complete one small but critical task. It seems harmless enough, but this one action comes with a devastating price. And now Bree finds herself complicit in a terrible crime, caught up in a tangled web of secrets that threatens to destroy the perfect life she has built. In my opinion, this is Ms. Jackson's best book yet. (****)
Hemingway, Ernest: The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Following the PBS Hemingway series, my book club decided that we would each read a Hemingway selection and discuss them at our May meeting. I chose this the short story The Snows of Kilimanjoro. Hemingway is, to say the least, not my favorite writer, and I didn't want to get bogged down in one of his long, angsty, narcissistic tales of male dominance and adventure. I'm glad this one was relatively short. It was the knowledge that I didn't have far to go that kept me reading. In Snows, we have a man lying on a cot in camp at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, dying of gangrene after scratching his leg on a thorn and failing to treat the scratch. While he lingers, with his current wife (he has had several) by his side, he reminisces about the book he didn't write and the women he treated like s--t. The end. (*)
Haines, Carolyn: The House of Memory (Pluto's Snitch Book 2)
I've read several of Carolyn Haines's books, and so far, to me, this is the best. Haines gives us ghosts of murdered young women, a haunted insane asylum, an antebellum house where evil lurks, and a still-living young woman threatened by human and superhuman forces.
Two of Alabama's favorite daughters, Tallulah Bankhead and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald are main fictional characters in this spooky tale. (****)
Hardiman, Rebecca: Good Eggs: A Novel
When Kevin Gogarty’s irrepressible eighty-three-year-old mother, Millie, is caught shoplifting yet again, he has no choice but to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on her. Kevin, recently unemployed, is already at his wits’ end tending to a full house while his wife travels to exotic locales for work, leaving him solo with his sulky, misbehaved teenaged daughter, Aideen, whose troubles escalate when she befriends the campus rebel at her new boarding school.
This Irish family seems to have more than its share of problems, especially poor old Kevin. I loved this book. It was a nice change for me from murder and mayhem. (****)
Swanson, Peter: Every Vow You Break: A Novel
This is definitely one of the best thriller/mystery novels I can remember reading. It's bookish, engrossing, not overly gory and impossible to solve. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I found out I didn't. It's cliche to say "I couldn't put it down," but I couldn't--except when absolutely necessary. I also have to say that I've always thought Sting's "letter from a stalker" song would make a good novel. Peter Swanson proved I was right. (****)
Flynn, Gillian: The Grownup: A Story by the Author of Gone Girl
The first line of this book is definitely adults only. So if you're easy to shock or somewhat prudish, pass this one by, because it gets even more shocking. But it's a good, fast-paced novella narrated by an unnamed, born-and-raised scam artist who sees a chance to leave light sex work behind for a career in what she does best, reading people and telling them what they want to hear. But, often happens in a Gillian Flynn story, things are not what they seem (or course). (***)
Kiernan, Caitlin R.: Low Red Moon (A Chance Matthews Novel)
Psychic Deacon Silvey and his wife Chance are on the hunt for an inhuman serial killer--or is she on the hunt for them? One of Kiernan's best books. Exciting, compelling page-turner. (****)
Mandel, Emily St. John: Station Eleven
Set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. Reading this book during a pandemic told me that things could be so much worse. (****)
Jewell, Lisa: The House We Grew Up In: A Novel
Horror doesn't always involve monsters, and haunted houses don't always house actual ghosts. This faults and troubles this family suffered numerous and indeed horrible. The worst of which, to me, and the one that all the other horrors connect to, was the mother's addiction to hoarding. She turned her lovely home into death trap, which had devastating effects on her family and friends. (****)
McBride, James: The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
Interspersed throughout his mother's compelling narrative, McBride, the author of GOOD LORD BIRD, shares candid recollections of his own experiences as a mixed-race child of poverty, his flirtations with drugs and violence, and his eventual self- realization and professional success. This book was well written and interesting, but I got often got confused with characters. There were so many of them. (***)
Flagg, Fannie: The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop: A Novel
More about Idgy, Ruth, Bud, Evelyn, and all the Whistle Stop characters that we first met in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It took me a while to get into the one, but about halfway through, things picked up. (***)
King, Stephen: Later
He sees dead people, Jamie does. And it gets him in a bunch of trouble. This was a fun read, and not nearly as long as most of S.K.'s books. (****)
Pinborough, Sarah: Behind Her Eyes: A Suspenseful Psychological Thriller
I was interested in watching Netflix's miniseries based on this book, but decided I first wanted to read the book. About 50 pages into it, I started having serious deja vu. I did a bit of research and found that I had read it in 2017. But I didn't remember that controversial ending at all. After finishing the book, I still don't remember it, and I don't like it at all. In fact, I hate the ending. I've started on the series now. But I don't think the ending is going to change there. I'm giving the book four stars, but the ending gets only 1. (****)
Torre, Alessandra: The Ghostwriter
Romance writer Helena Ross, with the help of her competitor and most ardent critic (who turns out to be not quite what she seems) is about to begin the last story she'll ever write. As far as I'm concerned, this is a must-read. It's not a ghost story, and it's not a romance. It's the story of a mother who is living with a load of guilt and grief that would destroy many. Read it and weep. I did. (****)
St. James, Simone: The Sun Down Motel
The Sun Down Motel has a very bad reputation. Even the owner tries to stay away from the place. But it still has its guests, some of them not quite in this world. Carly Kirk has taken a job at the motel, the same job her aunt held 35 years prior when she disappeared. Carly is determined to find out what happened to her Aunt Viv. But to do so, she has to do battle with some some pretty angry and evil spirits. The Sun Down gives the Overlook Hotel quite a run for scariest haunted hotel. (****)
Haines, Carolyn: A Gift of Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery
No. 19 or 23 Sarah Booth Delaney mysteries, set in the Mississippi Delta. Christmas is just around the corner and Sarah Booth and her friend and partner Tinkie are preparing for a festive holiday season. Sarah Booth and Sheriff Coleman Peters have finally got together, and this is the first holiday they’re celebrating as a couple. But just as the hall-decking gets going in earnest, Sarah Booth's friend Cece Dee Falcon shows up needing Sarah Booth’s help. Cece's very pregnant cousin Eve has been abducted. Eve's due date is Christmas Eve, so time is of the essence. (****)
Walker, Wendy: Don't Look for Me: A Novel
They called it a “walk away.” The car abandoned miles from home. The note found at a nearby hotel. The shattered family. It happens all the time. Women disappear, desperate to start over. But what really happened to Molly Clarke? This is a very fast paced page-turner. Good book! (****)
Wright, Lawrence: The End of October: A novel
It is truly uncanny how the plot of this story so closely resembled what the world has been experiencing since early 2020. Our plague has, thank God, not been quite as bad as the Kongoli virus that the world of this novel suffers, What turns out to be the source of the virus isn't revealed until the very end of the book. Don't tell and spoil the fun. This is a very good book. (****)
Willett, Anna: Dear Neighbor
When Amy and her abusive, loser boyfriend Zane move into a house together, she hopes they can put their rocky past behind them. She gets a job and befriends the older couple who live in the house next door. The couple and Amy eventually develop an almost parent/child relationship.
Zane's hold over Amy has been strong, yet cracks are beginning to show. When a policeman knocks on Amy's door one day, it is the start of series of events that will make the two households clash together in a fatal entanglement. (***)
![](<center><a href="http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m636/Beeinmybonnet/lorisbutton-2.png"/> </a></center>){kind=link}
![](<a href="http://www.modabakeshop.com"><img border="0" alt="Moda Bake Shop" src="http://www.unitednotions.com/banner_modabakeshop_basic200x200.gif"/></a>){kind=link}