True Gretch: What I’ve Learned about Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between by Gretchen Whitmer

 

Title: True Gretch:  What I’ve Learned about Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between

Author:  Gretchen Whitmer

Narrated by:  Gretchen Whitmer

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 3 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

Do you do any research before you vote?  I like to read up on various candidates on their positions on topics and their lives if available.  I don’t vote straight party ticket and like to evaluate each person individually.  Gretchen Whitmer is the Governor of the state of my birth, Michigan, and she has been mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate.  I’ve already read Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, so I decided it was time to learn more about other potential vice-presidential candidates.

True Gretch by Gretchen Whitmer is a short, interesting memoir where Whitmer discusses her leadership experiences as a governor and her life. 

My thoughts on this memoir:

·       This was a very personal memoir.  Whitmer talks about being raped in college and how she used that experience to fight for reproductive health for Michigan’s women.

·       I enjoyed that Whitmer narrates the book herself.  The audiobook also has clips from her speeches and news clips.  This makes it an enjoyable audio experience.

·       Whitmer narrates some stories from her youth and how she entered politics.

·       I also enjoyed learning that she was named after her Grandmother and the origin of the nickname “Big Gretch.”

·       A lot has gone on during Whitmer’s term as a governor including COVID, protests, a school shooting, and a plot to assassinate her.

·       There was also an interesting look into sexism Whitmer faces as a female governor.  News interviews focused on her looks, size, breast size, etc., and people also commented on these items to her to her face.

·       It was scary thinking about being the governor with a family and having people protesting outside your home armed with AR-15s.

·       Whitmer keeps a gratitude journal and calls for more civility in public conversation.

Overall, I liked learning more about Gretchen Whitmer and her philosophy on life and being in politics. 

 

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

 

What is the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?  I started Just Another Missing Person last Saturday and had it finished up by Sunday.  It was the type of book that I stayed up too late to read as I really wanted to see what happened.

A case of a missing woman from the previous year has haunted Detective Julia Day as she was not able to solve the case.  Her marriage and home life deteriorated during this time.  When a twenty-two-year-old woman, Olivia goes missing, Julia is on the case immediately.  Her disappearance does not make sense, but Julia also realizes that there are many similarities to the disappearance a year ago.  She soon finds that her own family secret is wrapped into Olivia’s disappearance, and she must NOT solve the case to keep her family safe.  Can she go against her own ethics?  What about Olivia’s family?  Where is Olivia?

My thoughts:

·       This story was told through three points of view: Julia, the kidnapped woman’s father Lewis, and Emma, a mother who worries that her son may be involved in the disappearances.

·       The characters were very well developed and real. I could understand their motivations and felt like I was in their minds.

·       I liked the focus on motherhood / fatherhood.  How far would you go to protect your children? If your child does something terrible, do you protect them or protect others from them?  Julia, Lewis, and Emma are all motivated by their children in their actions.

·       This book had a moment in the middle where I was like, what the heck just happened? I had to reread what I had just read.  I love a book that can throw me off like that.  I couldn’t put the book down from that point until the end.

·       I enjoyed the mystery and how all the strands come together for a great ending.

·       Just Another Missing Person was well written and intriguing.

Overall, Just Another Missing Person is a great thriller and my favorite read from July.  I could not put this book down!

Book Source:  Giveaway copy from William Morrow Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Taken at the Flood

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 0 minutes

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

What time period do you like to read about?  I enjoy that Agatha Christie’s mysteries span through the decades and change with time.  I always think of Hercule Poirot in the 1930s, but he is in mysteries from the 1920s to the 1970s.  For a detective that was retired in the 1920s, he sure kept solving mysteries for a long time.

I read Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie this past month for #ReadChristie2024.  #ReadChristie2024 has a theme this year of through the decades.  January – March are books written by Agatha Christie in the 1920’s, April through June are books written by Agatha Christie in the 1930’s, and July through September are books written by Agatha Christie in the 1940s and 1950s.  Taken at the Flood was published in 1948 and was my July selection.

Gordan Cloade is a wealthy man who cares for his many family members and supports them financially.  In 1944, he meets a widow, Rosaleen, on a ship to New York and marries her.  He had only been in London for a few days with his new wife when a bomb hits their residence.  The only survivors are Rosaleen and her brother David.   Rosaleen is now the heiress to the Cloade fortune with nothing going to any of the other family members.  When a mysterious man arrives in town stating that he knows Rosaleen’s first husband is alive, the Cloades are a flutter.  When the mysterious man ends up dead, who among the many suspects is the killer?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Taken at the Flood was an interesting look at life right after WWII in a small town in England, and how people are adjusting to life after the war. 

·       Lynn is a Wren who has experienced the world while she was in service.  She came back, but no longer loves the man who had to stay home and run the farm, Rowley.

·       Hugh Fraser is a great narrator of Agatha Christie’s books.

·       I really liked that unlike many of Christie’s books, you really get a sense of time in this novel.  You know this book is set right after WWII.

·       I didn’t like the ending of this one, but I don’t want to ruin it for others.  I’ll just say both the mystery and the romance were disappointing to me.

Overall, Taken at the Flood is a great look at Post WWII England, but I thought the ending was disappointing.

The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  The Mystery of the Blue Train

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 7 hours and 0 minutes

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

If you could take a train trip anywhere, where would you go?  I have always wanted to take a train west to the California and see the American heartland by rail.

I read The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie in April for #ReadChristie2024.  #ReadChristie2024 has a theme this year of through the decades.  January – March are books written by Agatha Christie in the 1920’s, and April through June are books written by Agatha Christie in the 1930’s.  The Mystery of the Blue Train was published in 1928 and was my March selection (read a month late in April).

Ruth Kettering, an American heiress is leaving her cheating husband and plans to take the Blue Train to meet her old love, the Comte de la Roche.  Ruth never makes it and is found strangled in her compartment.  Her famous ruby necklace, the Heart of Fire, is missing.  Ruth’s father, Rufus Van Aldin and his secretary, Major Knighton, hire Hercule Poirot to solve the case.  Poirot is retired, but because he was on the train, he takes the case.  Who murdered Ruth Kettering and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Hercule Poirot did not show up until around 25% into the book. 

·       Some terms in the book are jarring such as the use of the word “Jew.”

·       I thought I had finally solved this one, but I was wrong!

·       I enjoy how Christie uses trains in her mysteries for the setting.  They are romantic and provide unique clues in the puzzle.

·       Katherine Grey has been an old woman’s companion for ten years.  She recently died and Katherine unexpectedly inherits her fortune.  She decides to take a voyage to visit relatives in Nice.  The old ladies in her village are sure that she is too old to attract a husband.  I liked her character.  She is the last to see Ruth alive and one of the suspects is in love with her.  She is a smart and modern woman.  She uses her smarts to help Poirot to investigate the case.  I wish she could be Poirot’s side kick in other books.

·       Hugh Fraser is an excellent audiobook narrator for this Christie mystery as usual.

Overall, The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie has a great setting, wonderful characters, and another mystery that kept me guessing.

The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams

 

Have you ever learned that there is a new subgenre that is a perfect way to describe a book that you just read?  I just learned that a “popcorn thriller” is a “light, entertaining, and not too heavy suspense novel.”  That is a perfect description of The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams.

Jolene feels like her husband, Dominic, the current Governor of North Carolina, is hiding something from her.  When a mysterious woman starts showing up at campaign events, what secrets will start to come out?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This book kept me up way too late at night.  It kept me guessing throughout the novel – it was a roller coaster of a novel.

·       The story was told in alternating viewpoints that kept the story fresh and kept the reader guessing.

·       This was a domestic thriller with the story dealing with a married couple, their friends, and a few others in their orbit.

·       This was the first book I read by Shanora Williams, and it won’t be my last.

·       I listened to the Between the Chapters Book Club interview with the author this week.  It was interesting.  I learned a lot about the author and her writing process

·       I enjoyed that in this book everything was not as it appears, and the surprises kept coming. 

·       The author has a note at the beginning of the novel that discusses possible triggers in the novel.

·       I liked that the chapters were very short, which made this book very easy to read.

The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams is a perfect fun suspense thriller for the summer.

Book Source:  Giveaway copy from Kensington Books and the Between the Chapters Book Club. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

All the Summers in Between by Brooke Lea Foster

 Title: All the Summers in Between

Author:  Brooke Lea Foster

Narrated by:  Emily Ellet

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 27 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

What is your favorite thing about summer?  I love so many things about summer – camping, bonfires, flowers, water, vacations.  I also love to read summer themed books in the summer.

In 1967, Thea and Margot meet each other while working in a record store in a seaside vacation town in the Northeast.  Thea is a poor local girl while Margot is part of a wealthy family.  They bond and dream of leaving to travel to San Francisco.  In 1977, Margot came back and asks Thea to hide her.  Thea is a housewife with a young daughter, while Margot has married the wrong guy and has lost it all.  Will Margot and Thea be able to determine what makes them happy in life?  What happened in 1967 that broke apart their friendship?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The narrator, Emily Ellet, of this audiobook does a good job of having a different voice for the two main characters.

·       Thea is struggling with what she wants from life in 1977.  She wants more than being a housewife.  I was frustrated with her at times as I wanted her to just talk to her husband about her thoughts.  Luckily, she finally does.  In 1967, you can see her and her husband’s relationship blossom.

·       I liked that while Thea had a troubled relationship with her stepdad, they were able to have a better relationship in 1977.  Thea understood him better and helped him out.

·       I didn’t understand why Thea thought Margo was a better friend than Midge in 1977.  Margo was only her friend for a few months in 1967 while Midge had been her friend for years.

·       This book was a mellow book for me which was interesting to listen to, but I didn’t feel tied to the characters if that makes sense. 

Overall, All the Summers in Between is a story of friendship and family relationships through good and bad times.  It was a good summer audiobook and an interesting historical suspense novel.

The Windsor Conspiracy by Georgie Blalock (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the review copy of The Windsor Conspiracy by Georgie Blalock.

Do you have a favorite color of flowers?  I love all flower colors, but red is one of my favorite colors.  I really like my red lilies that are blooming right now in my garden.  My lilies have been having a hard time this year as I have a couple of rabbits that are eating them.

Amelia Montague is a young cousin of Wallis Simpson.  After a personal tragedy of her own, Amelia leaves America to be a private secretary to her cousin Wallis in Europe.  She arrives just in time to witness Wallis Simpson marry Edward VIII after he has abdicated the throne of England.  The now Duke and Duchess of Windsor remain exiled in France.  Amelia at first is eager to learn about her new role and is touched at how Wallis helps her out of her difficulties.  As the world inches towards WWII, Amelia becomes concerned about the relationship between the Duke and Duchess and their friends in Germany.  Are they giving military secrets to the Germans?  Why are they banished to the Bahamas?  Are they still spying even in their banishment?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I have always found the love story between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson to be so romantic.  This story definitely took the stars out of my eyes as it detailed the callous way that Wallis treated the Duke as well as their traitorous activities with the Germans.  Both Wallis and the Duke were very self-centered people.

·       In the acknowledgement section at the end of the novel, author Georgie Blalock details the very real history she used to put together the story of the Duke and Duchess.  She also used various books about people who worked for the Duke and Duchess to come up with the fictional character of Amelia.

·       I especially enjoyed it when Amelia became a spy for MI5 and the FBI.  I did feel stressed though as Amelia spied on Wallis and tried to get the information to the proper people.

·       There is a light romance in this novel between Amelia and Robert, an employee at the American embassy.  I adored it.

·       The characters were very interesting and richly imagined.  It was quite the time to be living.  I found myself at first liking Wallis and then greatly disliking her.  She was an interesting multi-layered character.

·       I read this book quickly.  It was engaging and fascinating to read.

·       Favorite quote, “Wallis had said the best revenge was a life well lived.  She’d been right.”

Overall, The Windsor Conspiracy is an engaging story set before and during WWII focused on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and their traitorous activities.  I enjoyed Cousin Amelia’s spunk as she investigates them.

Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart

 

Title:  Rose Cottage

Author:  Mary Stewart

Narrated by:  Samantha Eggar

Publisher: Phoenix Books, Inc.

Length: Approximately 3 hours and 14 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!   I also purchased a hardcover copy of this book at the Milwaukee Public Library used book sale many years ago.

Do you like to read at the library?  I used to when I was younger, but now I go to the library to pick up books or attend book club meetings and read elsewhere.

Kate (Kathy) Herrick returns to her childhood home, Rose Cottage, on an errand from her Grandmother to receive some family treasures from a safe in the wall.  When Kate arrives, she discovers the treasures are missing.  Who took them and why?  Will family secrets from the past be resolved?

I read this book for a Mary Stewart Buddy Read that @deesreads put together on Instagram.  I’m late in the game, but I was glad to join.  Rose Cottage was the book for June, and I got to it a bit late at the start of July.  I read a lot of Mary Stewart’s novels when I was in college.  I found them to be great escapism reading for taking my mind off my engineering studies.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Rose Cottage is light romantic suspense set in the 1940s after WWII.

·       This novel was written towards the end of Mary Stewart’s life in the 1990s.  This novel was much more of a cozy read than her earlier works.  The entire novel had a sense of nostalgia woven into the story.

·       The mystery was ever evolving.  First it was, what happened to the valuables in Grandma’s safe, but overall, it was, who is Kathy’s father?

·       The romance was sweet but was more in the background of the story.

·       The book was a very short and quick read.

·       There was great character building and background in this short novel.  I enjoyed all the characters in the small village.  It was great for Kate to return to the place she grew up in after being widowed in WWII.

·       The audiobook was excellent.  Narrator Samantha Eggar did a great job of acting out the characters voices.

Overall, Rose Cottage is a short light romantic suspense novel that is a good comfort read.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

 

Title: One Perfect Couple

Author:  Ruth Ware

Narrated by:  Imogen Church

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

 

If you could be on a reality TV show, which would you like to be on?  I always thought it would be fun to be on The Amazing Race.

Lyla is a post-doctoral researcher.  Her boyfriend Nico is an actor.  He receives an opportunity to join the cast of a new reality show, One Perfect Couple, but only if Lyla goes with him.  She decides to join him to help out his career.  They must compete against four other couples for a prize.  Unfortunately, Lyla finds out that individuals are voted off and that the point of the show is to recouple.  She is not happy that Nico left this detail out of the explanation.  A horrific storm hits the island where the show is filmed in the Indian Ocean, and all of the teams are cut off from the world on a desert island with limited food and water.  As people start dying one by one, are there more sinister forces at play?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book is survivor meets Lord of the Flies meets Agatha Christie’s And then There are None.

·       This was a very engaging audiobook.  I enjoyed the thrilling suspense.

·       Lyla is the narrator of the story, and Imogen Church did a great job of providing her voice in the audiobook.

·       Lyla is also my favorite character.  As a woman in STEM myself, I enjoyed her perspective on everything, even though I wanted to sit down and have a serious talk with her about her relationship with Nico.

·       I loved the tropical Indian Ocean setting. 

·       I enjoyed the surviving while deserted on the island scenario as well as the bonding between the characters that took place on the island.

·       All the couples have various problems that come to head in such a tense situation.

·       I don’t want to get too much into the plot and ruin the story.  I finished this audiobook quickly and greatly enjoyed the thrill of the story.

·       I wasn’t wowed by the ending, but it worked okay for me.

Overall, One Perfect Couple is another great suspense thriller from Ruth Ware. 

 

You Never Know by Tom Selleck

 

Do you have any comfort shows? 

During the COVID shutdown, my family rediscovered the original Magnum PI series from the 1980s.  I hadn’t watched it since I was a kid.  It held up well as a fun show with mystery and heart.  We all especially loved the Vietnam flashbacks.  I jumped at the chance to review Tom Selleck’s autobiography.

You Never Know is Tom Selleck’s personal story of his life and career mostly focusing on his acting career from the start through the 1980s. 

My thoughts on this memoir:

·       The book had a riveting start detailing an accident that Tom Selleck was in as a high schooler.  He was lucky to survive.  Did I hear the Magnum PI theme song in my head as I read this?  Yes, I did.

·       Selleck detailed his time as a college basketball player and in the National Guard.  He had moving thoughts on his college friend who died in Vietnam and finding his name on the Vietnam Memorial.

·       This book was an easy going read which matches Tom Selleck’s personality.

·       Great pictures were included.

·       This book detailed his acting career, mostly at the start and 1980s.  There is a little about his personal life including his ex-wife and son.  There was a lot more on the romance with his second wife; meeting, dating, and marriage.

·       The book had a lot of detail on the making of Magnum PI.  It was perfect for a lover of Magnum PI with all the details on how the overall show and individual episodes were made.

·       In the last chapter, Blue Bloods and the rest of his life is discussed.  Will there be a book two with more detail on his life after the 1980s?

·       I found it all to be fascinating.

·       It was fun reading about all the stars he worked with including a date with Mae West when he was a young man.

·       This was a polite book and I liked that.  Don’t read this book looking for dirt.

Overall, You Never Know by Tom Selleck is a fun, fascinating memoir for anyone that loves Tom Selleck and/or Magnum PI.

Book Source:  Review copy from Deyst an imprint of William Morrow Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.