What a lovely book to honor all those "lovies" we welcome into our lives to love. A lovely illustrated graphic novel/picture book for adults and children both, it discuss how pets permeate our lives and how much they are cherished. This book addresses the loss of a pet, and how little reminders will tear at your heart.
Having lost more pets over my 60+ years than I care to remember, pet grief is real. They become your best friends, your soulmate, your priest and your partner in crimes. My Sadie, who was 16 when we had to put her down due to doggie Alzheimer's disease, was with me longer than my kids at the time. It was one of the most difficult times in my life, so much that it took me two years to be ready to have another lovey in my life. This book addresses that grief. This might be a good book to discuss with children when a family loses a pet, as it talks about the pets that leave paw prints on your hearts. I can see it as a place for a family to grieve for a newly lost pet. Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for a free ecopy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. #PawPrints #NetGalley
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Booker Prize. Orange Prize. Was this a book that holds up to all of that?
Milkman is one of those books that is similar to "Lincoln at the Bardo". Lots of avant garde and some readers left puzzled. While I too, had difficulty with Lincoln, I loved it. Once I got the rhythm and cadence, it was on. Milkman is similar. Once you get that, one, this is set in Northern Ireland , two, it's stream of consciousness writing, and three, you get that NOBODY has a name, it's really quite good. The book, written while the author sofa surfed, couldn't have a better ending. Meaning, she made a ton of money and will likely be published often from here on. The book reflects the chaos of the Northern Ireland problems of the 70's, where trusting was non-existent and fear was ever present. Try it. You might be surprised. “That was the thing about lies: they demanded commitment. Once you lied, you had to stick to your story.” What a great line!
Miracle Creek is described as a “literary courtroom drama”, and it is, but it is so much more than that. There is enough medical and legal drama in this to feel a bit like John Grisham, yet better constructed for suspense. Immigration, insurance fraud, interracial families, and infertility are themes. But, the theme that runs throughout the book is one of “autistic moms”, and their quest for a “cure” for autism. As a speech language pathologist, I understand and have witnessed many families who literally mortgaged homes running after the next big thing in autism “therapies”. Miracle Creek addresses one, hyperbaric chambers and pure oxygen treatment. Initially created for healing wounds and treating the bends in divers, this treatment is supposed to help children, on the spectrum , “heal”. This book starts with an explosion of the chamber, which kills several people who were inside at the time of the “dive”. We, as readers, are given several points of view and attempt to figure out who set the fire to blow up the chamber. Elizabeth, who has been a “find the cure” mom for autism, is on trial for the arson and murder of her own child who perished in the fire. The author describes very well the feelings and desperation of those who buy into all the treatments. Pak Yoo, the owner of the business, is also suspected, and we find out just who is behind this vicious crime. For a debut novel, this is simply a fantastic start to this author’s career. You will not be disappointed in the roller coaster of the book. Release date is 4/16/19 Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC to review in exchange for an honest review. Pick up a copy and let me know how you like it. Traveling expands your imagination and world views. Living in South Florida these last few years, I have grown to love the diversity and excitement of other cultures. Today we are in middle Florida at the Kissimeee State Park. It's very different than our world and one, which honestly, takes us back to a time which I had hoped wasn't repeated. Floridians either embrace their culture or forcefully denounce it. Let's let the pictures speak for themselves. I have to agree with Barrack Obama. This is a great book. Lauren Groff's writing just is gorgeous, a beautifully flowing style, sometimes staccato, sometimes a bull's eye of descriptions.
I can see why some wouldn't like this book. First, it's written in two chapters, one from the husband's point of view, and the second from the wife's. I happen to love character rich prose that makes me feel that I know the characters. I don't need a lot of action in a book to enjoy it. And I think that is where some would decide it's "boring". The book is a life long story of a couple, Lotto and Mathilde. First, those names are just a little too....precious. I do wonder about the symbolism of his name. The two meet in Vassar and marry quickly, after two weeks. From Lotto's point of view, things are lovely, and he does great things. He becomes a fledging actor, a playwright and becomes pretty famous. Where things become interesting, is from the wife's point of view. You learn about her background and the reader sees the marriage from a different angle. There are lots of twists, but essentially the book is an exquisitely written character study. Five stars, but it's not for everyone. We are camping at our favorite space, WP Franklin Corp of Engineers Campground in Alva Florida. We loved it Lots of reading and relaxing, as we were both sick. But, isn't it gorgeous?
See ya on the road. Good Kids, Bad City is another in an unfortunate series of books that address race and incarceration in this racially divided United States. This is an extremely well researched book that addresses the history of racial uprisings based ,this time, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ricky Jackson and Ronnie and Wiley Bridgeman were good kids. Cleveland, Ohio, a bad city, known for it’s corruption and crime. Cleveland’s racism was in part caused by extreme segregation, resulting in more racism and a government that protected white communities. This served well in the white neighborhoods, but devastated the black sections. When a salesman was robbed and murdered, three young men were nowhere near the crime, but were arrested in order to close the crime. In 1975, these three boys were convicted in spite of conflicting witness testimony primarily on the evidence of a 12 year old boy, who wanted to be “helpful” to the police. Sentenced to death, they were reprieved when the Court determined Ohio’s system of sentencing was unconstitutional. It took thirty nine years for the young boy, now in his 50’s to recant his “eye witness report”. Good Kids, Bad City makes any reader sickened when the realization occurs that these boys did more time than any other people who were eventually exonerated. It brings to the surface how the systematic racism that is our Justice system, does much injustice to communities of color. I am still angry how long it took the twelve year old witness to come forward to exonerated these young men. So many lives wasted. Every white person who thinks racism is dead in the US should be forced to read this book, among others that accurately describe how there are two separate justice systems, one for whites, and the second, and much more severe, for people of color. Shame on all of us! Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. #GoodKidsBadCity Two young women, friends from a small Midwestern college, are pulled from the frigid winter waters of a Minnesota river, one dead and the other barely alive. The incident-which is no accident-recalls a similar tragedy 10 years earlier in the same Iowa town on the Minnesota border. The survivor, whose father is the former sheriff in the border Minnesota town, soon realizes their stories have deeper connections than just the river. Small towns with secrets is a territory that many writers employ, but Johnston takes his characters to a new level, fully realized characters, each filled with currents of love, regrets, and grief. Tim Johnston is a master at peeling back his carefully plotted story, one piece at a time. The Current is a sometimes bleak read, that will bring a feel of a Minnesota winter seem so real, you will want a fire, a quilt, and a cup of hot tea.
The Current had some moments of overwriting, in my opinion, and could have done with some skillful editing. I found myself trying to get through some of the back and forth and felt that some writing could have been omitted. Overall, a four star book, and I will be reading more from Tim Johnston. Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review. |
AuthorReader, Traveler, Reviewer. Come join us as we travel the US in our RV. I review books. Archives
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