West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Title:  West with Giraffes

Author:  Lynda Rutledge

Narrated by:  Danny Campbell

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 28 minutes

Source: Physical book from the Kewaunee Public Library and audiobook purchased from audible.com

Have you ever made a road trip with an animal?  Our previous dogs Samson (Keeshond) and Jack (Mutt) loved traveling and went on many trips with us.  Unfortunately, our current dogs are not good long-distance travelers. 

Woodrow Wilson Nickel is 105 and he is finally telling his story of an extraordinary trip he took in 1938 helping to bring two giraffes who survived a hurricane across the country to the San Diego Zoo.  The twelve days Woody spends driving the giraffes across America is the adventure of a lifetime.  Will he get the giraffes to the San Diego Zoo safely?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this book in September for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library. Everyone in book club loved it.  It is an engaging story that touched on a variety of issues that were important in the 1930s (and now).  The story was also positive and didn’t sink into the darkness that was Woody’s life during the dust bowl with dust pneumonia and the death of his family.

·       This was also the November pick for the Rogue Book Club.  We had a small meeting of four members with two of us finishing the book and loving it and the other two not finished and finding it a slow read.

·       I LOVED the audiobook narration.  The narrator sounded like an old timey news man.

·       This book did remind me a bit of Water for Elephants.

·       This was a great road trip book set during the great depression that featured The Great Hurricane of 1938.  I did not previously know about this hurricane.

·       This book was based on a true event.  Two giraffes were rescued after the Great Hurricane of 1938 and traveled across the country to the San Diego Zoo.  It was a positive news event for those that were living through the great depression.

·       I liked how Woody was able to convince the Old Man to help him to drive the giraffes.  The two of them together were a great pair.

·       Augusta Red is a spunky photographer that follows Woody and the Old Man.  Woody finds her exasperating and attractive.

·       I loved the love for animals throughout the book.

·       Belle Benchley was the world’s first female zookeeper and she worked at the San Diego Zoo.  She makes an appearance in this book.

·       Woody must confront his past in order to move on with his life.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end of the book on how she found newspaper clippings on this amazing story, and it inspired her to write the book.

·       There were also great historical notes too on the real-life people, places, events, etc.

·       I would classify this book as historical fiction, coming of age, adventure, romance, road trip, giraffes, and book club.

Overall, West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge was a positive historical fiction story on a previously unknown to me real life event.  It’s a great book club read.

Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pierce

 

Title:  Dear Mrs. Bird

Author:  AJ Pierce

Narrated by:  Anna Popplewell

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 48 minutes

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

If you time traveled to this book location, which sensory detail from the WWII era do you think you’d notice first? (The fashion, the food, the smell of the streets, or the lack of technology?)

Emmy Lake is helping with the war effort in England in 1940 as a telephone operator for the Auxiliary Fire Services.  She sees an advertisement to work at the London Evening Chronicle and she applies.  She dreams of being a hard-hitting reporter, but instead finds herself working for Woman’s Friend and a fierce older woman named Mrs. Bird who answers letters giving advice (like Dear Abby letters).  Mrs. Bird doesn’t want to help anyone that has anything “unpleasant” in the letters.  Emmy can’t stop thinking about the letters and decides that she will secretly take matters into her own hands.  Will Mrs. Bird discover that Emmy is answering letters on her own?  Will the war impact Emmy and her friends?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the October pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library. Sadly, I had to miss the meeting due to work commitments.

·       I was driving a lot for work this past month and listened to this book back in September which kept me awake and riveted.

·       The book described the terror of the Blitz and trying to live through it.

·       I loved the imagery of the young ignoring the air raids and going on with life…only to have it hit a club and ruin lives.  I keep thinking about it.

·       There was a great note on the history and inspiration at the end.

·       I loved that it was a great book on friendship and being there for your friends through thick and thin.

·       I loved Emmy’s work friend Kathleen, best friend Bunty, and Bunty’s fiancé William.  They were well drawn three dimensional characters that I cared about.

·       There was an enjoyable romance between Emmy and Charles, a soldier serving oversees.

·       I can’t believe this as a debut novel and that there are three more books in this series.  I’m very excited!

Overall, Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pierce as a wonderful historical fiction novel featuring great characters and friendship.  I can’t wait to read more about these characters!

The Maid and the Socialite: The Brave Women Behind Green Bay's Scandalous Minahan Trials by Lynda Drews

 

Title:  The Maid and the Socialite:  The Brave Women Behind Green Bay's Scandalous Minahan Trials

Author:  Lynda Drews

Narrated by:  Megan Trout

Publisher: Tantor Media

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 29 minutes

Source: Checked out through Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library

Do you like to read or learn about your local history?  The Maid and the Socialite by Lynda Drews was a fascinating look into local to me, Green Bay, Wisconsin history.

Celebrated Green Bay surgeon John R. Minnehan had a complicated history.  Even though he helped to found St. Vincent’s hospital and his name was on many buildings around town, he used his power to abuse women.  He r$%^d his illiterate maid Mary, but she fought back in a court case.  His weapon was to accuse her of being a loose woman with syphilis.  After he was acquitted, he met and married his second wife, Mollie.  On their honeymoon, he accused her of infidelity and of having syphilis.  The verbal and mental abuse began at this point and didn’t end even when the couple divorced.  Why does a man’s word override a woman’s word?  Why are rich and powerful men able to abuse women without repercussions?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was the August pick for the Page-tuners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  It made for an interesting discussion.  I listened to the audiobook in July.

·       It really made me think about how scary it was to be a maid living and/or working in a private home.  You could be assaulted by the men in the household or guests and be blamed for your own assault.

·       There was a brief history of Green Bay at the beginning of the novel.

·       It really showed how if you were a man with money and important friends, you could get away with doing anything.  Sadly, this still seems to be true today.

·       It was interesting that this book got a started when the author bought a home in the Astor historic district in Green Bay and started researching the family of the man who used to own her home.

·       I would classify this book as nonfiction, history, book club, audiobook, and true crime.

·       It was strange that John obviously had mental problems but was still a prominent and respected physician.  His obsession with syphilis was also weird.  Did he have it himself?

·       What happened to his first wife?  She was locked up in an insane asylum with no record of her death.  Is this how he got rid of her?

·       Both Mary and Mollie were brave women.  Mollie had her wealthy family’s support which was a big help.

Overall, The Maid and the Socialite:  The Brave Women Behind Green Bay's Scandalous Minahan Trials by Lynda Drews was a fascinating look into local Green Bay history and the abuse of women and power by a wealthy doctor.

Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

Title:  Happy Place

Author:  Emily Henry

Narrated by:  Julia Whelan

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hour and 3 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

Where is your happy place?  Is it a place or a person?

Harriet and Wyn have been a couple since college and are a fixture in their group of friends.  They broke up five month ago and have not told their friends.  Now it is the annual getaway for their friend group in May and they are sharing a bedroom.  Will they be able to make it through and keep their friends?  Will they find love again?  Why did they break up?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am a mood reader, and I was not in the mood for this book.  I listened to it on audiobook.  The narrator was great, but the storyline and characters did not engage me.  I was annoyed at Harriet and Wyn for lying to everyone.  I really hated miscommunication in books.

·       This was my first Emily Henry book.  She is raved about on Instagram – is there a better book by her that I should read?

·       I did not really like the characters.  The side characters were all one dimensional and Wyn was not a great hero.

·       Spicy scenes were included.

·       I was let down when the book finally told why they broke up.  I was like, really?

·       This book could be classified as contemporary, fake relationship, second chance romance.

·       I loved that Harriet loved to read cozy mysteries.

·       This was the June pick for the Rogue Book Club and the July pick for the Page-turners book club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  Is this a great book club book?  I didn’t think so.  It was a book of mostly angst with not much action.

·       I thought the ending was a part of the living in a different world of privilege.  SPOILER ALERT:  Harriet is going to school to be a doctor and decides to leave it all to become a potter.  Most people I know would not be able to do this.  That’s a lot of money and loans to throw away and somehow must be paid back.  I do believe in second chances and making a change, but most people would need to finish up and work as a doctor for awhile to pay off this debt.

Overall, Happy Place by Emily Henry was an angsty book that wasn’t for me.  What book has disappointed you lately?

 

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

 

Title:  Lily and the Octopus

Author:  Steven Rowley

Narrated by:  Michae Urie

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 4 minutes

Source: Checked out in Libby from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

What is the last book that you read that left you with conflicted feelings?

Ted Flask has a special dog, a dachshund name Lily.  She has reached the end of her life and is struggling with a brain tumor.  This is the story of how Ted struggles with his life, the love for his dog, and the end of her life.

My thoughts on this book:

·       I read this book in June for the Page-turners’ Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  This book received a mix reaction from the club.

·       It was a unique book with the storytelling.  Basically, a man is trying to deal with the struggles of his life and his dog dying of cancer.  The octopus is Lily’s brain cancer.  Ted gives voice to the tumor, his dog, and has imaginary adventures.  It is hard to explain.

·       This book was a rough one for me.  My cat had just died the month before and I had just lived this experience with my own beloved cat.  It’s hard being an adult and having to see your beloved pets at the end of their lives.  There are hard decisions to make.  The book did shine at this point and really described how you feel at the very end of your beloved pet’s life.

·       At book club we thought this book should be classified as a mix of autobiographical fiction and magical realism.

·       The audiobook had a fantastic narrator who was the best part of the book.  I loved all of the voices he used and his great enthusiasm reading the story.

Overall, Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley had some strong points such a great audiobook narrator, and capturing the emotions of a beloved pet’s death, but I had a hard time reading this one.

A Mother’s Love by Danielle Steel

 

Title:  A Mother’s Love

Author:  Danielle Steele

Narrated by:  Dan John Miller

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 7 hour and 28 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com

What is the last book that disappointed you?

Bestselling author Hailey decides to spend her first Christmas alone in Paris.  Raising her twin daughters has consumed her life, but now her daughter Valerie is married, and her other daughter Olivia is going on a cruise with her sister and her new family for Christmas.  Hailey gets violently seasick and can’t go with them.  Haily has been single since her partner died years ago, but meeting Bart on the plane over, she considers that she might be open to a new relationship.  

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the May pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.

·       This was not a book club favorite.  Not much happens in this book at all. I read it all the way to the end waiting for the story to start.  There is a bit of action at the very end, but it was too little, too late.

·       It was hard to connect with the characters as they are living in a land of wealth that is so very different from my own life.

·       The title of the book did not go with the story.

·       The book was poorly written.  I haven’t read any Danielle Steel books since the 90’s.  Has she lost her touch?

Overall, A Mother’s Love by Danielle Steel did not connect with me. 

A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler

 

Title:  A Forty Year Kiss

Author:  Nickolas Butler

Narrated by:  Richard Poe

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 46 minutes

Source:  Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library

What is your favorite second chance romance book or movie?

Forty years ago, Charlie and Vivian divorced after forty years of marriage, mostly due to Charlie’s alcoholism.  He has regretted this divorce and now finds himself retired and alone.  He returns to Wisconsin to look for Vivian.  Will these two find a second chance at romance after a lifetime has passed?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This novel has two triggers in it:  alcoholism and abortion.

·       I liked the western Wisconsin setting. 

·       This was a very slow-moving novel.  It was a second chance romance and also domestic fiction for genres.

·       It was the February pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  We meet next week, and I’ll see what the rest of the book club thought about this one.

·       I figured out a plot twist almost right away, but it did overall play out differently than expected.

·       I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator was good, but I did bump up my listening speed to 1.5 as the story was so slow moving.

·       I enjoyed getting to know Viv’s daughter, Melissa, and her grandkids.

·       The writing in this novel was inconsistent.  Charlies is made out as being a more caring and compassionate man, but he also makes statements like that from Viv’s picture on social media, he can tell she takes care of herself because she dyes her hair.  Then later he talks about how he doesn’t dye his hair.  I really hate this type of sexist talk on women’s looks and expecting more than you are willing to give yourself.

·       The alcoholism storyline was weird as they divorced because of Charlie’s alcoholism, and he is still an alcoholic all these years later.  It seemed unrealistic that he would just be able to drop it after all this time.

·       Abortion is a hard topic, and I did not enjoy this storyline at all.  I especially didn’t like the keeping of secrets.

·       The book is mostly made up of conversations and not much action.

·       I did like that the book featured a love story between two mature, retired people.

Overall, A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler was a slow moving second chance romance that didn’t quite resonate with me.

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallory

 

How many books do you carry while traveling?  I usually bring several with me and my kindle.

Julie Parker’s kids asked her to skip Christmas this year.  She is okay with this plan as she is looking forward to spending Christmas with her much younger boyfriend.  Plans suddenly change when her kids want Christmas together at the family cabin to remember their father (Julie’s ex) who passed away during the past year.  Julie must change plans with her new boyfriend and get everything ready at the cabin.  As more guests keep being added, will the family have a merry Christmas together?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallory was the December read for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  There was mixed reactions from the club on this book.  Some loved it, some didn’t like it, some were just okay with it.

·       There was a small section in the book with dialogue for kids that threw me out of the story.  They talked like adults and not like kids their age.

·       A character has IBS.  Her trials were discussed, and her mother-in-law makes sure she has food she can eat.  I related to this character as I have had a variety of gastrointestinal woes my entire adult life.  It’s hereditary and most of my family also has some combination of it as well.  It would be nice if people realized it is a real illness and tried to ensure you had food to eat rather than expressing that it is a “fake” illness.  I haven’t really read about a character with these problems where they aren’t just making jokes about it. 

·       The “cabin” made me laugh.  It was 6,000 square feet.  It was not what I think of as a cabin.  It had a lot of bedroom and bathrooms.  Yet everyone could hear each other’s conversations with the way it was designed.

·       Julie seemed very accepting of extra guests, even her boyfriend’s ex-wife.  Most in the book club did not think this was very realistic.

·       No one in book club seemed to think it was a big deal that Julie’s boyfriend was twelve years younger than her.  The only person that it seemed to bother was Julie herself in the book.

·       There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and lots of drama like a soap opera.

·       There were sex scenes, but also people getting caught having sex which was cringe worthy.

·       This was a middle of the road read for me.  I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it.

Overall, One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallory was a middle of the road Christmas family drama.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

 

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 

Title:  The Diamond Eye

Author:  Kate Quinn

Narrated by:  Saskia Maarleveld

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 51 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com

How many languages can you read in?  I can only fluently read English, but I still remember enough high school Spanish to translate it in books.

Mila Pavlichenko is a young single mother and history student. When WWII reaches Russia, she uses her hobby of sharpshooting to become a renown sniper.  She finds love and horror while fighting for her country, but she may find her most wily enemy yet when she goes on a propaganda tour of the United States and is in the path of a potential presidential assassin.  Will she be able to thwart him?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the November selection for the Rogue Book Club.  Sadly, I was the only member who read it, so we didn’t have a good discussion.  One of my other book clubs will be reading it soon so I’ll get to finally discuss it.

·       Author Kate Quinn is one of my favorite historical fiction authors.  I love all of her books.

·       It is amazing that Russia had women sharp shooters in WWII.  It’s especially amazing at a time when women in the military are being demeaned in our own country.

·       The novel is told through three point-of-views.  One is Mila in the past as she becomes a sniper. Another is an unknown assassin in 1942 trying to assassinate President Roosevelt.  The third is Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942 in her notes on hosting Mila and the Russian contingent.

·       The audiobook had a great narrator with voices and accents for all the characters.

·       Over halfway through the book, the two timelines caught up with each other.

·       I loved Eleanor.  She was an independent woman with a mind of her own that also helped Mila.

·       I enjoyed the train trip from Ann Arbor to Albion to Kalamazoo.  I was born in Kalamazoo!

·       The Golden Age of Hollywood Easter eggs were a lot of fun.

·       Mila is Ukrainian but considers herself Russian.

·       I was surprised to find out at the end that Mila and most of the characters in this story were real people and that most of the story was true.  I was amazed.  There is a great author’s note at the end describing all of this.

·       The book had a bit of a slow start, but there was much suspense at certain parts of the book especially at the end.

Overall, The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn was a fascinating novel about a famous Russian sharpshooter in WWII.    

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

 

Title:  Greenlights

Author:  Matthew McConaughey

Narrated by:  Matthew McConaughey

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 51 minutes

Source: Checked out through Amazon Music with physical book checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library.

What public figure would you like to read more about?

Actor Matthew McConaughey has kept diaries for most of his life.  He sat down, reviewed them, and wrote this unique memoir on his life from childhood, through marriage and becoming a father.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Greenlights was the October selection for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  I had to miss the meeting due to work but did get the book read.

·       The audiobook is read by Matthew McConaughey himself which I really liked.  He has a distinctive way of talking and I always enjoy when memoirs are read by the author themselves.

·       McConaughey had a crazy childhood. His parents divorced each other twice and married each other three times.  There was a lot of violence in his childhood home.

·       The memoir tells his story in a unique way including vignettes, poetry, words of wisdom/bumper stickers, etc.

·       This memoir was a little too personal at times.  He freely talks about his wet dreams and masturbation, and I really didn’t want to know about that.

·       I liked the details on his movies.  I would have liked even more discussion of his movies.

·       It was interesting how he used to live in a camper and traveled cross country in it for years.  He had many adventures.

·       This memoir as very funny.

·       He didn’t talk much about the time right before the book was published.

·       McConaughey also had a lot of self-help tips.  I didn’t like them as much as the personal stories of his life.

·       The greenlights are the title are things that move you forward in life.

Overall, Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey was an interesting memoir about a great actor.  I was entertained, but it’s not a book for everyone.ctor.  I was entertained, but it’s not a book for everyone.