It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

Happy #bookbirthday to It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica!

What is the best thriller or mystery that you have read lately?

Courtney Gray is vacationing with her family and her brother’s family in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  The mostly peaceful family vacation is shattered when she discovers that her brother and sister-in-law have been murdered and her niece Reese is missing.  Did Reese have anything to do with the murders?  Where is Reese? Why were her parents murdered?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The story is told with short chapters from alternating viewpoints that keep the action moving.  It was a very engaging story.

·       Reese’s point of view (POV) is from the start of the vacation moving forward while Courtney’s POV is from the murder forward.  It was an interesting way to change the viewpoint.

·       Reese hates Wisconsin and describes everything at the resort as terrible.  I thought Mary Kubica did a great job of getting into the mind and character of a sullen teenage girl.

·       There were a lot of twists, turns, and red herrings that kept me surprised up until the end. 

·       I have enjoyed other Mary Kubica books in the past and this one was another great one by her. 

·       This novel was a great suspense thriller and domestic drama.

·       Courtney really starts to wonder if she can trust anyone.

·       I don’t want to spoil the book by going into more details, but it was excellent, and I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is a riveting suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Book Source:  NetGalley.  Thank-you!

The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz

 

Title:  The Belle of Chatham

Author:  Laura Frantz

Narrated by:  Pilar Witherspoon

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 22 minutes

Source: Physical review copy from @laurafrantzauthor @revellfiction @greatreadsbookpromo and audio review copy from @NetGalley.  Thank-you!

Do you have a favorite movie, show, or book that features the Revolutionary War?  I enjoyed the Kent Family chronicles series by John Jakes when I was a teenager.

Maebel and Coralie Bohannon live in the small town of Chatham, New Jersey. When American soldiers arrive, they open their home to American officers.  Coralie is enraged as she is a loyalist who is secretly engaged to a British lieutenant, Eben Gibbs.  Eben grew up in Chatham, but his family left and moved to New York City as the revolution broke out.  Mae and Coralie’s brothers are fighting on the American side.  Mae finds herself attracted to American general Rhys Harlow, who is staying with them.  She finds herself torn between her patriotism, growing love for the general, and her sister.  Will Mae find true love while also keeping the love of her sister?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was set in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War.

·       I loved the quotes at the start of each chapter from historical figures from the Revolutionary War.  It was a perfect read for the 250^th anniversary of the United States this year.

·       This novel had great themes such as romance, espionage, family bonds, sisters, and forgiveness.

·       I took turns reading the physical book and listening to the audiobook for this one.  The narrator was great.  Both formats were wonderful for this intriguing story.

·       There are not enough books about the Revolutionary War, and I was happy to read about it.  I also loved the real-life historical figures that were in the story, such as George Washington, and the facts, events, and battles

·       This was a Christian book and featured clean romance.

·       Mae was a strong character and stayed true to her believes and doing what was right.  I loved the romance and relationship between Mae and Rhys.

·       I enjoyed the side characters as well, especially Lucy.  Lucy is a forthright person who is there when Mae really needs her.

·       I have enjoyed every Laura Frantz book that I have read.  She writes excellent historical fiction with detail to bring me into that time period and also writes fascinating characters, moral dilemma, and romance.  I really need to read Frantz’s backlog. 

·       The tension between the two sisters felt real and palpable.  I loved this relationship and wish we had more follow-up with Coralie at the end.

·       The epilogue was great. 

Overall, The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz was an excellent historical romance set during the Revolutionary War with unforgettable characters, espionage, family drama, and forgiveness.

The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers

 

Who do you look to for words of wisdom for living your life?  While I tend to usually look first to the Gospels in the Bible, Fred Rogers or Mister Rogers was a Christian and good man who had many words of wisdom for being a good person and living a good life. 

Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister and was the host of the PBS TV show, Mister Rogers Neighborhood.  I sadly did not have PBS where I lived and did not become familiar with Mister Rogers until I was an adult.  Mister Rogers believed in “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and had a lot of thoughts on how we all could do this.

The introduction of this book was a sweet story by Joanne Rogers about her husband, how they met, their romance, and what kind of person he was, which overall, she said was a kind person.  I think we could all use this type of kindness in the world right now.  The book is a short book filled with quotes, observations, short stories, and anecdotes.  There is also a short biography of Fred Rogers at the end.

A few of my favorites:

“When I was a boy, I used to think that strong meant having big muscles, great physical power; but the longer I live, the more I realize that real strength has much more to do with what is not seen.  Real strength has to do with helping others.”

“There is no normal life that is free of pain.  It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.”

“Often our periods of losing come the greatest strivings toward a new winning streak.”

“All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world.  That’s one of things that connects us as neighbors – in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”

“We want to raise our children so that they can take a sense of pleasure in both their own heritage and the diversity of others."

“It’s very dramatic when two people come together to work something out.  It’s easy to take a gun and annihilate your opposition, but what is really exciting to me is to see people with different views come together and finally respect each other.”

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘ Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

Overall, The World According to Mister Rogers:  Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers is a book that I am going to keep in my nightstand for something to pull out and read when I need cheering up.

Book Source:  Gift from my mother-in-law. Thank-you.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

 

Title:  Beloved

Author:  Toni Morrison, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers - introduction

Narrated by:  Toni Morrison, Karen Murray

Publisher: Random House Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 33 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

What is the saddest book you’ve ever read?  I would rate this as one of mine.

Sethe was born into slavery but was able to escape with her children to Ohio.  When her former master finds her and her children, she makes a decision that will haunt her forever.  Now a ghost haunts her home.  When a girl appears with the name Beloved, the only word carved on the tombstone of her baby, is this girl the ghost of her child or an imposter?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the January read for the Back to the Classics Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  Only two of us braved the cold, but we had a good discussion on this complex book.  I selected this book as I’ve been too scared to read I on my own as I knew it involved the death of a baby.

·       Toni Morrison won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature, but this is only the second book of hers that I’ve read.  I really wish we would have studied her when I was in college.

·       This was a deep book that I keep thinking about.  It was written in a very unique way with a variety of narrators and a variety of time periods.

·       I really liked the intro and the ending.  The ending basically said that terrible things happen and are then forgotten.  They need to be remembered so we don’t repeat the terrible things in our history.

·       I was disturbed to find out in the intro that this book was based on a true story.

·       I listened to this book on audiobook.  It was very interesting.  I liked also having a physical copy of the book to read along with it.  I also stopped and looked up chapter summaries on SparkNotes as recommended by a book club member. It did help me to understand what I was reading.

·       This was a very sad novel describing the horrors of slavery.  It was so horrifying that you would kill your own child rather than have them be a slave.  Sexual abuse was used to control the women and it didn’t just break the women, it broke the men as well to see their wives, mothers, and sisters treated this way.

·       Schoolteacher talks about Sethe like she is an animal.  He compares her to a horse and says that you can’t beat a horse too much or you wreck it.  His nephew and others had stolen Sethe’s milk and then whipped her.  She does not want her children to go back to this kind of life.  Other people do not understand this.

·       The house is haunted, and no one will go inside due to what has happened to her.

Overall, Beloved by Toni Morrison was a haunting novel about a terrible part of our history.

A Little Paris Christmas by Jennifer Shirk

 

Do you have a favorite fictional dog?  I loved the dog character is this novel, but growing up, I loved Jack in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Sophie Dubois is the promotions director in Paris, Pennsylvania.  Tourism is down and the mayor has tasked her to drum up business for the town or risk losing her job.  While she works on a plan to save both her job and the town, she needs her handsome, but grumpy neighbor, bestselling author, Mason Haywood.  Will Sophie and Mason find love?  Will Sophie keep her job and help the town?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       A Little Paris Christmas was my last Christmas read for the season.

·       I won this novel from the TLC Book Tours book club giveaway as part of the Rogue Book Club.  We gave it out at our meeting in November.

·       I loved Mason’s dog, Gingersnap.  Gingersnap is a cute dachshund.  He brings Sophie and Mason together and also forces Mason to leave his home and get to know his community.  Gingersnap was my favorite character.

·       This is a fun, light, and cozy novel.  I loved the humor!

·       The Christmas spirit was great in this novel.

·       There was wonderful chemistry between Mason and Sophie.

·       This novel had the following tropes:  enemies to lovers, grumpy vs. sunshine, and opposites to attract.

·       I thought by the title that this book was set in Paris, France, but it is really set in Paris, Pennsylvania.

·       This was a closed-door romantic comedy.

Overall, A Little Paris Christmas by Jennifer Shirk is a sweet story with fun characters.  The lighthearted romantic comedy was perfect for this time of year.

Book Source:  Thank-you to author Jennifer Shirk and TLC Book Tours for the giveaway copy of this novel.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

Title:  The Housemaid

Author:  Freida McFadden

Narrated by:  Lauryn Allman

Publisher: Bookouture

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 46 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

Have you watched any good movies lately based on a book?  I am looking forward to watching the new Housemaid movie soon!

Millie Calloway has just recently been released from prison and feels lucky to have found a job as a housekeeper to the Winchester family.  On the surface, they appear to have the perfect life, but as things keep getting weirder, will Millie be able to figure out what is going on and stay alive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was the Rogue Book Club selection for January.  We all read the book and enjoyed it.

·       The plot moves along and is very engaging in this book.

·       I really enjoyed that the audiobook narrator has a New York accent.  The audiobook made my drives to work go by fast.

·       I did sad sigh while reading this book about some very poor decision making by characters.

·       There was great suspense this novel that kept me on the edge of my seat.

·       This was great escapism reading.

·       I want to read the rest of the series.

·       There was dark humor in this book.

·       I really liked the ending much more than I thought I would.  I guessed the twist but was pleasantly surprised by the ending.  I don’t want to say too much and ruin the story for someone else.

·       I felt like this was a grown-up version of the Fear Street or Christopher Pike novels I read as a teen.

·       This was my first Freida McFadden novel and I know she is well loved.  Do you have a favorite?

Overall, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was a fast-paced thriller and good escapism reading. 

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

 

Are you a cat or a dog person? I love both and currently have both a dog and a cat sleeping at my feet.

At a premier female boarding school, Meadowbank, in England, a teacher is found murdered in the Sports Pavilion.  Why was the teacher murdered and what does it have to do with a revolution in another country?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie was the November Read for the Read Christie 2025 challenge.  I’m behind and read it this month.  The 2025 challenge explored Christie’s canon through character and their careers.  November’s theme was Spies.

·       Hercule Poirot does not show up until the very end to solve the case.  I forgot it was a Hercule Poirot book until he showed up!

·       I was kind of disturbed that the school and detectives didn’t really seem to care that the foreign princess may have been potentially kidnapped.

·       This book mixed a school setting with espionage which was interesting and different.  A coup that happened in a fictional middle eastern country ended up impacting the school.

·       I liked Agatha Christie’s dry humor.

·       I liked how one of the students took matters into her own hands, figured out a major part of the mystery and left the school to get Hercule Poirot involved.

·       Poirot says the murderer is a cat among the pigeons, or a murdered among the innocent students and teachers.

·       The plot was very clever.

·       I was annoyed at one point where it seemed racist when the school staff was very concerned how a foreign princess is wearing what I think is a push up bra and how it was inappropriate for a girl her age . . . this did end up being an important plot point for later in the mystery.

·       There was a great surprise at the very end.

Overall, Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie is a clever cozy mystery that combines espionage and an English boarding school.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

Snowbound Regency Christmas by Carla Kelly, Joanna Johnson, and Samantha Hastings

 

Have you ever been stranded by a snowstorm?  I was once stranded at Detroit Metro airport for three days during a blizzard.

Snowbound Regency Christmas is three novellas including:

“A Christmas Houseguest” by Carla Kelly

Sailing Master Andrew Hadfield is back in England after two years being held captive by the French.  He is searching for the widow of a comrade to tell her the details of her husband’s death.  When his mail coach is caught in a snowstorm, fellow passenger, Rosie, takes him back to her family farm to stay and recover.  Will love find a way for two people who have given up on love?

“Their Yuletide Reunion” by Joanna Johnson

In the past, Jane had to say no to a proposal from Lt. Duncan Fitzjames due to family obligations.  Her feeling for him have not changed.  Now that her Great Aunt Deborah has passed away, her future is uncertain.  With Duncan back in town, will there be a second chance for love?

“The Christmas Husband” Charade by Samantha Hastings

On a mail coach, Devin finds himself traveling with a woman he despises. Julia jilted his brother years before.  Julia has been punished and sent away as a governess.  When they are snowed in and trapped at an inn, they must pretend to be married in order to have a safe place to stay and to protect Julia’s reputation.  Will the forced proximity cause them to come to a better understanding and perhaps find love?

My thoughts on these novellas:

·       I loved all three of these stories.  They were cozy and great escapism reading.

·       All three stories were forced proximity romances.  I also enjoyed the second chance romance and shades of Persuasion by Jane Austen in “Their Yuletide Reunion.”

·       This was a clean read.

·       Each story was unique and kept me engaged throughout!

·       The first story also have a PTSD storyline.

·       I read this book quickly. 

Overall, Snowbound Regency Christmas has three great Regency romance novellas that were a perfect comfort read on a cold winter’s night.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com

 

Evelina: Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World by Frances Burney

 

Title:  Evelina: Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World

Author:  Frances Burney

Narrated by:  Orson Scott Card, Emily Rankin, Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Length: Approximately 18 hours and 16 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

What is the oldest published book you’ve read (not counting the Bible)? Pamela by Samuel Richardson (published in 1740) is one of the oldest I’ve read, besides the Iliad and the Odyssey.  But do the Iliad and Odyssey count?

Evelina Anville has left her secluded county home to visit London for the first time. While there, she discovers there is a lot she doesn’t know about proper behavior at dances and in society.  She also finds she has feelings for the handsome and very nice Lord Orville, but she is also pursued by others she finds despicable such as Sir Clement Willoughby.

Evelina has a tragic past as her mother married Sir John Belmont who then cast her pregnant mother off when they returned to England.  She has been raised by Reverand Aurthur Villars per her mother’s request.  Will Evelina ever get her birthright and be recognized by her father?  Will she find love?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was the JASNA Northwoods read for January.  The book club enjoyed it, and it prompted a good discussion.

·       This novel was published in 1778 and was a best seller.

·       It is an epistolatory novel, or a novel written as letters.

·       It is a true comedy of manners novel.  It was interesting how Evelina tried to navigate the social rules in London.  I was confused on why no one taught her these rules and left her on her own to figure it out.

·       I think we all feel like Evelina at times, trying to figure out how to not dance with the creepy guy.

·       This novel had romance, comedy, and some melodrama.  It was a “sentimental” novel at times, but it really shone more in the everyday exchanges.

·       Evelina meets her Grandma (mother’s mother), Madame Duvall, who was over the top with her behavior.

·       The characters in this novel were real-world three-dimensional characters with real problems, especially Evelina.  This is in stark contrast to other 18^th century authors such as Samuel Richardson and his novel Pamela.  Pamela is more discussed and exalted in our modern age, but I felt it was an inferior book with cardboard characters and slapstick situations.

·       Evelina by Frances Burney was one of Jane Austen’s favorite novels and our book club first read about it in Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney.  We are hoping to read more of the books mentioned in Romney’s intriguing nonfiction investigation the books that Austen read.

·       I felt like I could see inspirations for Austen in this novel including a villain named Willoughby, eccentric relations, a young girl going to the big city for the first time, etc.

·       I enjoyed this book and would like to read more by the author.

·       The audiobook was great with a different narrator matching the author of the letters, typically letters between Evelina and Rv. Villars.  I did get confused about the different characters at times and had to stop and look them up.

·       There was a great note at the end of Orson Scott Card read by the author himself.  He described his love and admiration for Jane Austen and how that led him to Fanny Burney and Evelina as Burney was Austen’s favorite author.  He said she wrote the best epistolary novel he had ever read.  One that read like real letters with an authentic voice.  He said it is too bad Burney isn’t read on her own merits as she is an excellent author who deserves to be remembered.

Overall, Evelina by Frances Burney is a classic that deserves to be remembered.  If you enjoy Jane Austen’s novel, I highly recommend reading Evelina by Frances Burney.

 

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen

 

If you could travel to a different time period to experience a holiday, which time period and holiday would you chose?  I would chose either a Regency or Victorian Christmas.  A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen is set during the Regency time period. 

Sarah Summers was attracted to widower Callum Henshall on his previous visit to the family’s guest house.  She discouraged his attentions because she felt it was her duty to help her family maintain their living through running the guest house.  Callum lives in Scotland, nowhere close to her family in Sidmouth.  Now it’s Christmas and Callum and his daughter are back for a visit.  Will the two finally be able to find the romance and happiness that alluded them in the past?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a novella and a quick read set during the Regency era from October 1820 to January 1821.

·       I loved that Sarah made the first move by going with her sister Claire on her wedding trip to Edinburgh.  They tried to visit Callum only to discover that he was away.

·       The youngest sister, Georgiana gets a start of a romance of her own, which I enjoyed.  I really want this developed in a book of her own.

·       I loved that Georgiana requested a very festive Christmas and Sarah goes all in to make it so.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the decorations and the twelve days of Christmas festivities.  Great historical detail was included.

·       I also enjoyed the descriptions of the English country dances in the novella.  My husband and I just danced the dances mentioned at Jane Austen’s birthday party put on by JASNA Wisconsin in Milwaukee in December.

·       I have grown to love the Summers family and people of Sidmouth as I have read this series.  I love them all and they are like old friends.

·       I recommend reading the entire series “On Devonshire Shores.”

·       The afterward said this is the last “On Devonshire Shores” or Sea View novel.  NOOOO!!  I was hoping for Georgiana’s story next.  I love these characters.

·       “Reddup” was used in this novel.  We said this in my family growing up all of the time when it’s time to clean up after a meal.  My husband had never heard this term when we got married and had no idea what we were talking about.  I ended up looking it up and it’s an old English term. 

·       This novella is a clean read.

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen is a quick, sweet romance with wonderful characters and great Christmas spirit.  I highly recommend this entire series!

Book Source:  Thank-you to @julie.k.klassen, @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review Copy from NetGalley as part of the Happy Holidays Instagram Book Blast & Giveaway tour through #greatreadsbookpromo.