Penance by Eliza Clark (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of Penance by Eliza Clark.

What is the last book that you read that disturbed you?

Penance by Eliza Clark was a disturbingly good novel.  I couldn’t put this book down when I was reading it.  I’m still thinking about it.  In 2016, in a small beachside town in England, a sixteen-year-old girl, named Joan Wilson, was beaten, set on fire, and left for dead by three other teenage girls. What would make these girls do this to another fellow human being that some of them called a friend?  Can we as readers trust the narrator of this novel, journalist Alec Carelli, who has lost a daughter of his own? 

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The format of this novel was very interesting.  It was basically a fictional journalist putting together what happened for this crime.  He divides up the book into sections for the different suspects.  There are interviews, journal entries, articles, the author’s notes, and the author’s fictionalized versions of what he think might have happened. 

·       The unreliable narrator is always intriguing to me.  The author talks about his daughter also having died to some of his interview subjects.  The why of her death was not revealed until the end.  It also was interesting as it reveals that many of the subjects of the book did not agree with how he wrote them and that he may have come by the journal entries through dubious means.  How much is the truth shaped by the person who writes the narrative?

·       I was horrified by the crime and automatically labeled the girls as evil.  As I read each of their stories and delved deeper into their characters, there was a lot more going on.  Each of them was damaged in some way, mostly abandoned by adult figures in their lives, and trying to find a way to cope.

·       One way to cope was that a couple of the girls basically went into dark places online and that translated to their reality.  They became obsessed with American school shootings and one in particular.  One of the girls started writing fan fiction about that particular school shooting.  The fictional slowly became their reality.

·       This really hit home with me as there was recently a school shooter in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.  He tried to break into the school with a weapon but was shot and killed by the police after he aimed his gun at them and refused to drop it.  It was discovered afterwards that he was obsessed with school shootings and had a false alter ego online that his family knew nothing about.  One of his last posts was that he didn’t know how to get help and get him out of this evil place.  This was exactly what happened to the girls in Penance.

·       It made me ponder, how do we help the youth of today with dealing with social media and mental health?

·       It also made me ponder Wisconsin.  This book was written by an English author and is set in England.  Yet the Slender Man stabbings are discussed a lot and the fictional crime in this book had some of the same elements.  The Slender Man stabbings occurred ten years ago in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  A famous Wisconsin serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer is also discussed.

·       Can we always trust true crime to tell us the truth of a story?  When does being interested in true crime cross the line into an unhealthy obsession?

Favorite Quote, “Even short lives are complex and rich.  Even dead children are full of contradictions and flaws and mysteries that will never be fully understood or solved.”

Overall, Penance was a compelling, complex novel that investigates the dark side of true crime fandom, social media, and how it can impact fragile youth.  It was a disturbing but thoughtful novel. 

Book Feature: A Spy Like Me by Kim Sherwood

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the review copy of A Spy Like Me by Kim Sherwood.  I read the first book in this spy thriller series based in the James Bond world last year and loved it.  I have started this novel and I am enjoying it as well.

What is your favorite James Bond movie?

#bookfeature

SYNOPSIS: 

An elite team of MI6 agents must go undercover to unravel a smuggling network funding violent terror in the second thrilling adventure in the acclaimed Double O series by Kim Sherwood.

James Bond is alive.

Or at least, he was when he left a clue at the black site where the insidious private military company Rattenfänger held him captive. MI6 cannot spare any more lives attempting to track down one missing agent—no exceptions, even for Bond. But Johanna Harwood, 003, has her own agenda. Sidelined by her superiors while she grieves the loss of a loved one, Harwood goes on an unsanctioned mission: to find 007. Meanwhile, MI6 has another problem…

A bomb has detonated in London.

Double O agents on the trail of the terrorists responsible acted quickly to prevent mass destruction and save lives. But MI6 failed to neutralize the nation’s enemies before they could strike, and one of their own was seriously injured in the blast.

They won’t fail again.

Assigned to root out the source of the terrorists’ funding, Joseph Dryden, 004, and Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, enter the field. Tracing clues from Sotheby’s auction house to Crete to Venice, they uncover a money laundering scheme involving diamonds, black market antiquities, and human trafficking. Once a major sale is made, a six-day countdown to the next terror attack begins. As the Double O’s follow the twisting trail, they find themselves unexpectedly inching closer to Bond…

What do you think?

Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title:  Every Time We Say Goodbye

Author:  Natalie Jenner

Narrated by:  Juliet Aubrey

Publisher:  MacMillian Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 37 minutes

Source: Thank-you to NetGalley for the audiobook review copy.  Thank-you St. Martin’s Press and Austenprose for the review copy of the physical book.

 

Are you a fan of classic movies?  I love classic movies and could watch them all day if I had the time.  Time seems to be a problem for me lately with my oldest son near high school graduation and us deciding to redo our hardwood floors. 

Happy #bookbirthday today to Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner. 

Every Time We Say Goodbye is the story of Vivian Lowry.  In 1955, she wrote a play that audiences loved, but critics loathed.  Following the recommendations of friends, Vivian travels to Italy where she works as a script doctor on a movie.  She also uses her time there to investigate the disappearance of her fiancé during WWII.  Flashbacks also tell the story of “La Scolaretta”, a schoolgirl who is also an assassin during WWII.  How are these two stories related?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       With my hectic schedule, I once again found it best to review this book as both an audiobook and a physical book.  It worked well.  Juliet Aubrey was a soothing narrator.

·       I felt immersed in 1950s Italy in this novel and loved the details of movie making in Italy during this time period.  It was fun when real life actors, such as Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner, made an appearance.

·       This is the third novel in The Jane Austen Society series, but the series is very loosely related.  Vivian is a character in the previous books, and in this novel, she gets her own story.  Other characters pop back up as well.  It’s fun if you’ve read the previous two books, but this book can very much be a standalone novel.

·       I thought it was interesting exploring how the Catholic Church was involved with the making of the movies during this time.  It was much more involved than I thought. 

·       I didn’t know how the two storylines were connected for a long time while reading this novel, but they came together beautifully at the end.

·       This was a thoughtful look at love and loss, how to best remember someone when they are gone, and how to move on from that loss.

·       I had a harder time engaging with the characters in this novel than I did in the previous novels. 

Favorite Quote:  “Yet in the end, goodness is fixed and steady, and not so difficult to spot.  It is evil that takes a bewildering number of forms and keeps changing its shape, tricking you with false promises and reasoning, taunting you into resignation.”

Overall, Every Time We Say Goodbye was a well written novel that gives the reader an immersive experience of 1950s filmmaking in Italy as well as a thoughtful look at how WWII impacted the people of that time.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls returns with a brilliant novel of love and art, of grief and memory, of confronting the past and facing the future.

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.

As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what really happened to her deceased fiancé. Every Time We Say Goodbye is a brilliant exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with dazzling characters both real and imaginary, from the incomparable author who charmed the world with her novels The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls.

AUTHOR BIO

NATALIE JENNER is the author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. A Goodreads Choice Award runner-up for historical fiction and finalist for best debut novel, The Jane Austen Society was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. Visit her website to learn more.

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @marinerbooks for the review copy of How to Read a Book by Monica Wood.  This book was published on May 7^th.

Did you have a special person in your life who helped inspire your love of reading?  My Great-Grandma Kile gave me Litte House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder for my 8^th birthday, and it started my passion for reading.  I sat immediately down and read it in one afternoon.  I had many beloved librarians who helped me along the way such as Mrs. Hamp in elementary school and Mrs. Mack in middle school.  Many teachers inspired my love of reading as well including my high school English teacher and friend, Mrs. Smith. 

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood is a beautifully written book that I literally could not put down.  Harriet Larson is a retired English teacher who has started a book club at a local prison for women.  She and the women all find themselves inspired by their reading selections and each other.  One young woman, Violet, gets released from prison.  She later meets Harriet in a bookstore, and she also meets Frank, a retired machinist, whose wife that she was in prison for killing during a drunk driving accident.  After this meeting, their three lives intersect in a fascinating way.  Will they all be able to find forgiveness in their hearts to move forward with life?

My thoughts on this book:

·       Wow!  This book was a tour de force.  It was a short book, but it packed in quite a story.

·       The story was told in alternating chapters from either Violet, Harriet, or Frank’s viewpoints.

·       The characters were all wonderfully developed, engaging, and complicated.  For instance, Frank is hiding the fact that he felt relief when his wife died in the car accident.  She was on her way to a divorce lawyer to start the divorce proceedings as she was having an affair.  He feels very guilty for feeling this way.

·       I always love the themes of forgiveness and second chances.  Harriet sees the women in the prison for who they are, individual women who have made a mistake, but that deserve a second chance in life.  She listens to them and respects them as no one else seems to do in prison. 

·       I also enjoyed the look at letting go of your guilt.  Frank feels guilty for his feelings about his wife’s death and Violet feels guilty for both killing Frank’s wife and for her mother’s death from cancer while she was in prison.  They both go through the journey of moving on from their guilt and helping each other to do it.

·       I always love books about books.  I love Maya Angelou and loved that the prison book club enjoyed her poetry.  They also really enjoyed The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.  I remember learning about this book and reading a short snippet in American Literature, but I have never read the entire book.  This inspired me to move it further up my list!

·       I also enjoy second chance romance, which this book also had.

·       Violet gets a job working with Grey African Parrots and I loved it and learning more about the parrots.

·       This book really showed how having compassion for your fellow human beings helps not only them, but yourself as well.

·       The humor in this book gave me many a good chuckle.

·       This is a feel-good story, and I loved the ending.

Favorite Quotes:

“The line between this and that, you and her, us and them, the line is thin.”

“I’m just a person who hopes to be a good person.”

“I can accept your apology, which isn’t necessary.  But I honestly don’t know how to accept your forgiveness.”

Overall, How to Read a Book by Monica Wood is a beautifully written book about forgiveness, second chances, empathy, and the complicated feelings of being human.  I couldn’t put this book down and I highly recommend it.  It’s one of my favorite books of this year so far

The Women by Kristin Hannah

 

Do you have any must read authors?  Authors that you must immediately read their new releases?  Kristin Hannah has become that kind of author for me after I read The Nightingale around ten years ago for my Rogue book club.

The Women is an intense story of a nurse, Frankie, who served on the frontlines of the Vietnam War only to return home to a changed America that does not welcome home its veterans.  How can Frankie find peace and a way forward in her civilian life?

·       The Women was an immersive story that made me feel like I was experiencing the changes that the Vietnam war brought to America in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  I loved in the author’s note at the end of the book Hannah lists her extensive research list and also explains that she had real Vietnam War nurses and veterans review the rough draft of the novel to critique it and provide real world details.  That really shines through in this book.

·       I really liked that the book didn't end with Frankie’s return from Vietnam, but went through her struggles, PTSD, and treatment after the war.

·       I enjoyed learning about the nurses that served during the Vietnam War.  I had never really thought before of how they had experienced the trauma of the war and that they were not recognized as veterans when they returned home.

·       This book NEEDS to be a movie.  I have read that the movie rights have already been sold.  I hope it actually does become a movie.  I am still waiting for The Nightingale to become a movie.

·       This book made me cry.  Kristin Hannah is good at making me feel the emotions of a story.

·       While I loved the historical fiction aspects of the story, the romance story fell flat for me.  I don’t want to ruin the story, but I loved it all until the very end.  SPOILER ALERT:  I could believe one dead great love being alive miraculously, but two was too much for me.  SPOILER END.  As with The Great Alone, sometimes Hannah has problems ending a great book with a believable ending.

·       I find it interesting that while most people really love Kristin Hannah, there are some that really don’t like her books and hate her for being a popular, best-selling author.  If you didn’t enjoy her other novels, you will probably not enjoy The Women.

What has been your favorite book of 2024 for far?  While I did not enjoy the ending, The Women was my favorite book of 2024 so far.  I learned a lot about the Vietnam War and the men and women who served.  It was an intense story.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Madame Pommery: Creator of Brut Champagne by Rebecca Rosenberg

 

Title: Madame Pommery:  Creator of Brut Champagne (Champagne Widows Novels)

Author:  Rebecca Rosenberg

Narrated by:  Katherine Anderson

Publisher: Lion Heart Publishing

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Review Copy from author Rebecca Rosenberg.  Thank you!

 

Do you like champagne?  I think champagne is nice for special occasions.  I love to try out different types of wines and this book made me realize I should be trying out different types of champagne as well.

In 1860, Madame Pommery lost her husband and became a widow at only forty.  Needing to support herself and her children, she sells off her husband’s wool business and decides to focus on his wine business.  She does not really like the red wine that has previously been made, so she focuses on making champagne that is not as sweet as the typical drink.  She wants to be able to drink it all through dinner.  Will she be able to make a success of her new champagne business?  Will she be able to find love again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Madame Pommery was a fascinating woman.  I thought she was a woman that should be admired.  I like how she ran her husband’s business during a time when that was not common, and she was not afraid to try new things.

·       I thought the descriptions of the champagne making process were fascinating.  I thought it was very interesting that Madame Pommery’s idea for dry champagne was so radical for the times.  The descriptions of the dry crisp taste really make me want to search for a bottle of Brut Champagne.

·       I also was fascinated by the descriptions of her carving out old chalk caves that were being used as a garbage dump in order to store her champagne.  They became tourist attractions and I really want to travel to France to visit them.

·       I also enjoyed the romance in the novel as Madame Pommery must decide if she wants to reunite with an old flame or find love with someone else.  Her daughter, Louise, also has her own charming romance.

·       This is the first historical fiction novel I read that described the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and I found it fascinating.  Although my Great-Great Grandpa was on the Prussian side of that war, and this book did not paint the Prussians in a very good light.

·       I loved the description of her dining with French royalty, and with British high society.

·       This audiobook was a very enjoyable read.  I loved the narrator’s French accent, and she did great voices for all of the characters.

·       This is a standalone novel but is a part of the Champagne Widows series.  I need to read the previous book, The Champagne Widows now.

·       There is a great author’s note at the end of the book to describe the real history on which the story was based.

 Overall, Madame Pommery: Creator of Brut Champagne was an intriguing historical fiction novel that told the story of a fascinating real-life woman, Madame Pommery.  The audiobook is excellent with a great narrator.

The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the review copy of The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini.

Do you quilt?  Quilting is something I’ve always wanted to do, but it is going to have to wait until my kids are out of the house.  

Summer Sullivan has returned to Elm Creek Manor for the summer.  She is hoping the manor will help her with her writer’s block so that she can finish her master’s degree in history.  While there, Summer discovers that antique quilts have been found in the old Union Hall building built in 1863.  The Waterford Historical Society is headquartered there, but a local developer wants to rip down the historic structure.  As Summer researches the antique quilts and history of the town, she discovers unsettling secrets from the towns past.  The local leaders want these secrets taken out of the antique quilt exhibit as they don’t show the community in a positive light.  Will Summer be able to save Union Hall and keep the antique quilt exhibit open, while keeping true to the town’s history?  Will she be able to finish her master’s degree?

My thoughts on the book:

·       This is the 22^nd book in the Elm Creek Quilts series.  I read the last book in this series, The Christmas Boutique, but I haven’t read the rest of the series.  This book can be read as a standalone.  It gives enough background to get into the story, but I’m sure if I read the rest of the series, I would get even more out of it!  I need to start reading this series at book one.

·       Even though I am not a quilter; I find it fascinating and love reading about these women.  The women at the quilting camps at Elm Creek Manor come from all back grounds and range from master quilters to beginning quilters.

·       Elm Creek Manor and all the ladies are very welcoming.  Reading this book makes me want to go on a retreat. It was a very cozy read.

·       I also love historic buildings and the saving of them.  Elm Creek Manor itself was saved and repurposed, but I enjoyed reading about the Union Hall and the history of the antique quilts.  Summer wrote about both historical accomplishments and failures, and it caused strife in the town. I thought it was interesting to think about how sometimes when we find out that history is not all positive that we would like it to be, we want to cover it up.  I’d rather learn all the history and be able to learn from mistakes. 

·       I enjoyed reading Summer’s descriptions of the quilts that was interspersed between chapters.  The historic quilts and her search to find out their history was fascinating.  I especially loved the author’s quilt which had blocks with famous authors’ signatures from the 19^th century.  What a treasure that would be.  It made me wonder, are there quilts stored at museums or by historical societies? 

·       There is a bit of a sweet light romance in this novel as well.

·       This is a clean read.

·       Jennifer Chiaverini is a Wisconsin author based out of Madison.  She also writes wonderful historical fiction novels that I also enjoy, including her latest, The Canary Girls.

Overall, The Museum of Lost Quilts was a perfect cozy read with great characters and message.  I’ve been super busy and stressed lately and this was a perfect escapism read.

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano (Austenprose PR Book Tours)

 

Do you like silent movies?  I didn’t really like them when I was a kid, but now as an adult I find them fascinating and inventive.

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano is the story of silent film actress Lily Temple.  It’s 1903 and famous sapphire, the Briarwood Teardrop has been missing for years, but Lily Temple is wearing this famous sapphire.  Peter Driscoll is an underground investigator and asks for her help on the case of the missing sapphire.  What is the truth and what is fiction when it comes to Lily Temple?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved the time period and setting.  I could definitely see this book as a future movie. 

·       I enjoyed the quotes that started each chapter and varied from such works as Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Grimm fairy tales, etc.

·       A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a favorite of mine, and I like how Lily uses it to tell her own story.  I just overall loved how storytelling was featured in this novel to advance the plot.

·       This was a story of loss, love, and redemption.  Lily has lost her trust in God and through the course of the book, she finds her faith again.

·       I greatly enjoyed the mystery in this novel, and it kept me guessing.  I love well written historical mysteries.

·       I enjoyed the author’s note on historical research.  St. Anne’s Well Gardens is a real place and George Smith was a real editor. 

·       The sneak peak of the The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano looks fascinating.

·       This book is a clean read.

Favorite Quote:  “I, however, never let facts get in the way of a good story.  Like water, innocuous and common, a good tale rushes forward, carving its own path through rock and hill and sod, sculpting the earth into a bold new landscape before anyone knows what is happening.”

Overall, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple is a beautifully told story of redemption. It’s a unique and wonderful story that uses the power of storytelling to push the plot forward.  It is also an intriguing historical mystery.

Book Source:  Review copy from Revell Books as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sharing Too Much by Richard Paul Evans

 

Title:  Sharing Too Much

Author:  Richard Paul Evans

Narrated by:  Richard Paul Evans

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Length: Approximately 4 hours and 34 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

 

Do you like to read memoirs?  What type of memoirs do you like to read?  Movie stars, pop singers, everyday people, etc.?  I enjoy them all.

Richard Paul Evans is a must-read author for me.  I LOVE his Christmas books and enjoy reading one of his books every year for Christmas.  I especially love them on audiobook.  Sharing Too Much is Richard Paul Evans memoir and thoughts on life.  My thoughts about this audiobook:

·       The memoir contained personal snippets about his life, growing up, life right now, living with Tourette’s Syndrome, and what is important in life.

·       I really liked his message that the problem with youth is that you are blinded by bling rather than what is important In life.  It’s more important to be kind than to be clever or rich.

·       I loved the story about his wife’s new dog, a cockapoo.  She named him Beau for Beau Brummel.  I felt like I could be friends with this wife.

·       This audiobook also had me crying when he told the story of his childhood dog Gertie’s death.  He called her from across the road and didn’t see the car coming until it hit her right in front of him.  He held her while she died.  Then his mother made him go to school and told him to bury Gertie when he returned home.  I told this story to my daughter, and she burst into tears too.

·       He talked about how dogs have unconditional love for you.  As an animal lover myself, I felt this.

·       He also described moments/experiences where a premonition or feeling helped him himself or to make a difference in another’s life.

·       There were also discussions of spirituality and having a relationship with God.  He had an interesting discussion about visions and end of life experiences.

·       I really loved learning thoughts about Christmas from my favorite Christmas author.

·       Inspirational fictional stories were sprinkled throughout.

·       Best of all, Richard Paul Evans himself read his own memoir.  I love when the author reads their own memoir.  It feels like a very personal story.

Overall, Sharing Too Much was a wonderful, interesting, and inspiring memoir.  I was left wanting more!