Review: SWEET WATER by Christina Baker Kline

June 27, 2014April 28, 2019 / drbethnolan / 2 Comments

Several weeks ago I noticed that SWEETWATER was on major sale for kindle. Since I had really enjoy Ms. Kline’s ORPHAN TRAIN novel, I purchased this novel.

SWEETWATER, which was Kline’s first novel, tells the story of Cassie Simon, a New York artist who is surprised to find that she has been left a house by her grandfather. She leaves the big city (and a dead relationship) to head to Sweet Water, Tennessee, where she meets the extensive brood of her deceased mother’s side of the family. Cassie’s mother, Ellen, had been killed in a car accident when Cassie was three, and her grandmother never fully recovered from the shock of losing her. But this family is hiding a lot of secrets, and Cassie’s arrival stirs the pot of remembrance and brings a lot of old events into the light, causing her grandmother to face some harsh realities. Added to this is the mysterious drowning death of a woman, her grandfather’s mistress, many years before and a new love interest, who turns out to be a (non-blood) relative. Cassie seeks to understand and learn about her mother, while coming to know her family and creating a new life for herself in Sweetwater.

I enjoyed this story, as I did with ORPHAN TRAIN. Kline’s style of writing is very fluid and I thought her character development was strong. I also liked how some of the chapters were short excerpts told in her grandmother’s voice and filling in back story. I have to confess, though, I was a little taken about by how Cassie went off from a bar with a stranger and slept with him – then discovered he was her (non-blood related) cousin. Yikes! Overall, though, I liked how the story felt like it was partly mystery and partly Cassie’s story of changing her life.

While this story was completely different from ORPHAN TRAIN, if you like Kline’s writing, you will probably like SWEETWATER. I met her actually at BEA (I got a signed copy of ORPHAN TRAIN) and she was quite gracious and kind.

Kids’ Review: THE MEGASAURUS by Thomas Weck and Peter Weck

June 25, 2014April 28, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I recently received a copy of THE MEGASAURUS in the mail to review from Claudia, a publicist:

This children’s picture book (with illustrations by Len DiSalvo) is one in a series of books about the “Lima Bears”, small bean-shaped bears that live in the Beandom. Each book has a message and a problem that the Lima Bears must solve. In THE MEGASAURUS, the bears are being terrorized by the scary, large megasaurus monster who loves to eat beans. The kingdom must come up with a solution to this problem. Will they only listen to their wisest advisors? Or will they listen to one of the littlest bean’s idea?

This was a sweet book with a good message. I have to say that when the Megasaurus was wreaking havoc, I was a bit concerned that it might be too scary for the littlest ones, but there is a happy ending and all the “eaten” friends come back okay.

I think this book would be a good choice for a preschool or early grade classroom!

Here’s some information on Lima Bear Press:

http://limabearpress.com/

Review: CHINA DOLLS by Lisa See

June 18, 2014April 28, 2019 / drbethnolan / 2 Comments

I’ve been anxiously awaiting the publication of Lisa See’s latest novel, CHINA DOLLS. If you read me, you know I LOVE her works and have read them all. I particularly enjoy her historical fiction. CHINA DOLLS downloaded to my Kindle when it came out a few weeks ago, and I was so excited the day I turned on my Kindle and there it was! Ms. See hit it out of the ballpark again with this novel, telling the story of three young Asian women during WWII who are entertainers/dancers on the night club scene in San Francisco.

The story starts with Grace, one of the three voices portrayed in the novel. Grace has arrived in California from Plain City, Ohio, and she plans on being a star. Grace is escaping an abusive homelike, and she is sure her dancing talents and determination will be enough to get her to stardom. Next she meets Helen, who is still suffering from a past tragedy, and who lives with her family in a compound in Chinatown. Helen is pretty much only going through the motions of life, when she spontaneously decides to join Grace in her auditioning quest. At the dance call, they meet Ruby, a tough but sparkly young woman from Hawaii who is secretly hiding the fact that she is Japanese, not Chinese. The three become fast friends and vow to never let anything come between them.

Over the course of the book, the three women have a lot of trials and tribulations. Falling in love, lost love, betrayal, back-stabbing, and other relationship woes strain their friendships, and when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Ruby fears for her safety and is eventually arrested and sent to a detainment camp for Japanese Americans. The three girls mature into women who have to constantly balance their own needs with the needs of their families and their relationships and dance careers. The three strike a tentative balance among themselves, with the bond of friendship and love being the foundation on which they move forward with their lives.

I just LOVED this book. Lisa See is an excellent writer. The story was engaging, but her writing itself flows seamlessly. Her depictions are so true to life, and she is spot on in how she portrays women and their relationships. I particularly liked how this story was told through three distinct voices.

I cant’ wait to see what’s next from this gifted author!

You can see this book on Amazon where I got mine.

YA Review: WATCHED by Cindy M. Hogan

June 11, 2014April 29, 2019 / drbethnolan / 1 Comment

I recently got this book free for my kindle as it was on sale. WATCHED is a YA suspense novel, telling the story of 15-year-old Christy, who wins a scholarship for a trip to D.C. While there, Christy and her friends witness terrorist activity, and the story becomes a big chase and escape until the end (when we discover that this is the first book in a trilogy).

Here’s the thing: I probably would have loved this book when I was 13. Christy is a smart girl, supposedly quite brilliant, but she is socially awkward. She has two boys attracted to her, for the first time in her life. She is trying to shake off her “really smart and not rich” persona to blend with her new friends. All the time, however, scary terrorists are looking for her and her friends and the FBI is protecting her. I would have lapped this up as a young teen!

To be honest, in the here and now I found Christy’s story rather boring and far-fetched. Christy’s angst over which boy to like went on for so long that it dragged the book down and bored me. There was a great deal of time and space devoted to “I can’t date until I’m 16 and that’s not until next month. How do I handle my emotions? What shall I do? What shall I do???” The whole terrorist/FBI piece was unbelievable and too incredible to be plausible. Personally, as a parent of two children, if my minor children were involved with terrorist plots etc etc while on an educational trip to DC and I was never told about it or notified?? Well, you get my point. The fact that this is book one in a trilogy made the reading feel prolonged, in my opinion; and I have a personal pet peeve about lack of resolution at the end of a book.

So I finished the book (thus the review), which is a good thing (if I really dislike a book I don’t finish it, and thus don’t review it), but I was rather disappointed. I think my younger self, though, would have looked past the shortcomings I found and enjoyed Christy’s story.

Quick Review: The Murder Farm by Andrea Maria Shenkel

June 9, 2014May 1, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I recently received THE MURDER FARM by Andrea Maria Shenkel through Net Galley. The synopsis of this book sounded similar to IN COLD BLOOD — true crime, murdered family on a farm, etc. This book takes place in the 1920’s and has been translated from German into English.

I had mixed feelings about this short novel. In one respect, it held my attention and kept me guessing. The chapters were told from all different viewpoints and perspectives, which, while slightly confusing, was creative. A prayer was interspersed throughout chapters (I’m sure it was relevant, but – full disclosure – I found myself skimming it in order to get back to the story).

When I reached the end of the this short novel, I was struck by the fact that perhaps the murder mystery wasn’t really the point of the story, and instead maybe it was a bit of a discourse on human nature, set within a nonfiction framework. Or maybe it was a murder mystery written in a new way.

Wish I had something more insightful and intelligent to add to this, so I’d welcome input from readers!

Have you read THE MURDER FARM? What did you think?

Review: TALES OF A JAILHOUSE LIBRARIAN by Marybeth Zeman

June 5, 2014May 1, 2019 / drbethnolan / 4 Comments

I recently received a copy of TALES OF A JAILHOUSE LIBRARIAN from my friends at Meryl Zegarek Publicists (just a note: anything I’ve ever gotten from MZPR I’ve loved!). This is a mini-memoir of one woman’s experience working as a library cart librarian and transition counselor in the juvenile section of a large prison in New York. For Marybeth Zeman, her relationship with the boys in this facility is centered around her library cart and the books and stories she brings to them each week. Reading, for these boys, is a sanctioned escape, a chance for the future, a little bit of freedom in their everyday life.

Told in short vignettes, Marybeth has captured numerous tales of different boys: how they came to be in prison, what their daily life is like, how bright or bleak their futures are. Their stories are touching, painful, and honest, and one is left with the knowledge that these boys are just a small percentage of the thousands of young men incarcerated in our country each year. Marybeth’s story highlights the workings of the justice system and shows where improvements could occur, especially in helping the boys to have the skills they need in order to not become repeat offenders. Most poignant of all, though, are the voices of the boys that stay with you long after reading this book.

I was so touched by this book that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Marybeth Zeman while I was in NY at BEA. We connected through her publicist and spent about 90 minutes together just chatting and talking about her work, the juvenile justice system, her experiences, etc. There was no formal interview, or a “how did you come to write this book” type of Q&A. Instead we were just two educators and readers, come together to discuss our concerns and feelings about these boys and our hopes for the future.

Marybeth’s story is one that deserves to be told. Readable, touching, and unforgettable, her TALES OF A JAILHOUSE LIBRARIAN reveals an intimate portrait of what life is like for many of our nation’s young citizens. And Marybeth is a spunky narrator, both in the book and in real life! I can’t believe I’ve heard the last from this woman — she is going places and, as her subtitle suggests, she is “challenging the juvenile justice system one book at a time”.

Here is a picture of Marybeth from our time together:

Quick Review: ON MOUTAINEERING by Radford C. West

May 24, 2014May 1, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

My friends at Smith Publicity sent me this small volume to read and review. ON MOUNTAINEERING is part memoir, part travel guide, part tips and suggestions all related to mountain climbing. Radford West started mountain climbing after returning from duty in Vietnam in the early 1970’s. He covers seven different climbs, complete with pictures and his personal journal entries from the times he climbed them. Since they read almost like individual vignettes, you can easily pick up this book for a short time and revisit it later without losing the flow. The entire volume is only a bit over 100 pages.

Inspiring, interesting, and informative, ON MOUNTAINEERING is a fine read for those interested in mountain climbing – both in real life and through armchair travel!

Thank you, Kendell at Smith Publicity, for my copy.

YA Review : WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart

May 23, 2014May 1, 2019 / drbethnolan / 1 Comment

I had heard some buzz about this book, so I ordered it from Amazon for my Kindle for when it was released earlier this month. This is the kind of book that people say, “I can’t talk about it without giving it away”. Okay – that’s true, but I can say this: this was one of those books that you start to read and can’t put down. I read it almost entirely straight through as I was trying to figure out what was going on. It’s memorable and heart-breaking and just really, really good – all at the same time.

In WE WERE LIARS, Cadence Sinclair has grown up as the eldest grandchild of the wealthy and well-known Sinclair family. They spend their summers together on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. They play, they argue, they exist as a big sprawling family. Cadence spends her long summer days with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and their friend Gat. Then one summer, while they are in their teens, things change. Decisions are made and actions follow which have devastating consequences.

Loved loved loved this book. I’d suggest it for older teens (and adults – if you read YA, and you should!).

Can’t say more without spoilers, but I’ve added a You Tube clip of the author reading from the novel:

Review: THE BOY WHO STOLE FROM THE DEAD by Orest Stelmach

May 16, 2014May 1, 2019 / drbethnolan / 1 Comment

This book takes up where THE BOY FROM REACTOR 4 leaves off (reviewed here: https://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/review-the-boy-from-reactor-4-by-orest-stelmach/ ). Bobby Kungenook is accused of murder and his guardian, Nadia Tesla, is 100% sure that Bobby is not a killer. Bobby, though, is not talking to anyone and refusing to see Nadia, so she goes on a quest to prove his innocence. Travelling to the Ukraine with her brother, Nadia tackles some tough Russian mobsters, all the while learning more about her new employer. Did Bobby really kill an English businessman? Who exactly was he? What is the connection to Russia and Chernobyl? Will she be able to save Bobby?

I thought this book did a great job picking up right where the last book left off (and apparently there is another book on its way at the end of the year). I often don’t enjoy sequels as it feels like they are just pulling out the action and are almost an afterthought, but this novel continues the action started in the first book, does a full plot, and then sets up the next story in the saga.

I also love the character of Nadia because she’s so smart and strong – a great combination!

Thanks, Net Galley, for my copy! If you enjoy mysteries and action, you will most probably enjoy these books.

QUICK REVIEW: Berried to the Hilt by Karen Mac Inerney

May 13, 2014May 1, 2019 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’ve enjoyed other “Grey Whale Inn” mysteries, so I was thrilled to find this one in the Kindle shop. These stories take place on Cranberry Island, off the coast of Maine, and center on a B&B owner, Natalie Barnes, who just so happens to run into murders/dead bodies/etc. In this installment, a sunken ship is located off the coast of the island and it’s a race to see who can claim it: a university team or a private treasure hunters’ group. Then one of the searchers is found dead. They’ve all been staying at the Grey Whale Inn, so Natalie has plenty of opportunity to sleuth around and establish motives and means (of which there are many!). However, will Natalie find she’s the next victim?

I do enjoy this cozy mystery series which comes with recipes at the back of the book (they are featured in the story). Natalie is a far nosier innkeeper than I would ever be, but it keeps the plot moving. I could see these stories being made into a BBC series.