Title: Lucky Boy
Author: Shanthi Sekaran
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: May 12 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Soli (Solimar Castro Valdez,) Ignacio, Kavya and Sikki Reddy, Checo, Silvia
What happens? Soli leaves her hometown in Mexico and illegally emigrates to the US, gets pregnant with Ignacio, moves in with Silvia in Berkeley, becomes nanny for the Cassidy's. Kavya can't get pregnant, tries IVF, and decides to become a foster parent.
How long was this? 469 pages
Did I like this? Excellent literature, compelling, complicated, hard to read at times, painful. Really well done and thought provoking. Other than Soli's amazing luck at finding her way through adventures, very believable.
Overall grade: A
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman
Title: Hunting Badger
Author: Tony Hillerman
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: May 6, 2017
When was the book published: 1999
Main Characters: Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, Bernadette Manuelito, Louisa Bourbenettte (professor)
What happens? Three robbers hit a casino, and kill a guard and wound another. Chee returns from vacation and is relieved that the robbers have stolen a plane and gotten away, avoiding the 1998 mess when they had to search for a cop killer. They figure out that the plane was not stolen, and they have to go searching in the canyons.
How long was this? 275 pages
Did I like this? Very strong Hillerman entry. Full of Indian lore and great characters and a good plot.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Tony Hillerman
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: May 6, 2017
When was the book published: 1999
Main Characters: Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, Bernadette Manuelito, Louisa Bourbenettte (professor)
What happens? Three robbers hit a casino, and kill a guard and wound another. Chee returns from vacation and is relieved that the robbers have stolen a plane and gotten away, avoiding the 1998 mess when they had to search for a cop killer. They figure out that the plane was not stolen, and they have to go searching in the canyons.
How long was this? 275 pages
Did I like this? Very strong Hillerman entry. Full of Indian lore and great characters and a good plot.
Overall grade: B+
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline
Title: One Perfect Lie
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: May 1, 2017
When was the book published: 2017
Main Characters: Chris Brennan, pretending to be high school teacher, Susan and her kids Raz and Ryan, Heather and her kid Jordan, Mindy and her kid Evan, Abe the gay high school teacher
What happens? Chris is at a high school pretending to be a teacher and doing something involving a bombing and the young folks. Don't want to give away a cleverly revealed plot.
How long was this? 351 pages
Did I like this? Yes, Lisa S is hitting home runs, good stories, unique, deep in America
Overall grade: A
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: May 1, 2017
When was the book published: 2017
Main Characters: Chris Brennan, pretending to be high school teacher, Susan and her kids Raz and Ryan, Heather and her kid Jordan, Mindy and her kid Evan, Abe the gay high school teacher
What happens? Chris is at a high school pretending to be a teacher and doing something involving a bombing and the young folks. Don't want to give away a cleverly revealed plot.
How long was this? 351 pages
Did I like this? Yes, Lisa S is hitting home runs, good stories, unique, deep in America
Overall grade: A
Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
Title: Most Wanted
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 20, 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Pregnant lady, husband, serial killer who might be sperm donor, crotchety old lawyer
What happens? Lady gets pregnant with donated sperm, husband is insecure, (spoiler alert) lady sees serial killer on TV, thinks its him, goes to see him in prison, thinks he's innocent.
How long was this? 400 pages I think
Did I like this? Very good, unique plot, real characters. Liked it a lot.
Overall grade: A-
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 20, 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Pregnant lady, husband, serial killer who might be sperm donor, crotchety old lawyer
What happens? Lady gets pregnant with donated sperm, husband is insecure, (spoiler alert) lady sees serial killer on TV, thinks its him, goes to see him in prison, thinks he's innocent.
How long was this? 400 pages I think
Did I like this? Very good, unique plot, real characters. Liked it a lot.
Overall grade: A-
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
Title: Good as Gone
Author: Amy Gentry
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: August 16, 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Anna Devalos, mom, Julie, kidnapped daughter, Jane, younger daughter, Tom, the dad
What happens? Julie was kidnapped, as her sister Jane watched from a hall closet. Anna, the mother deals with it when she returns 8 years later. Is it her? What happened to her? What's going to happen to her?
How long was this? 273 pages
Did I like this? pretty good. very similar to "The Missing" season 2, except different. a little hard to follow the reverse time structure of the explanation for the 8 year missing period
Overall grade: B+
Author: Amy Gentry
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: August 16, 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Anna Devalos, mom, Julie, kidnapped daughter, Jane, younger daughter, Tom, the dad
What happens? Julie was kidnapped, as her sister Jane watched from a hall closet. Anna, the mother deals with it when she returns 8 years later. Is it her? What happened to her? What's going to happen to her?
How long was this? 273 pages
Did I like this? pretty good. very similar to "The Missing" season 2, except different. a little hard to follow the reverse time structure of the explanation for the 8 year missing period
Overall grade: B+
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Nutshell by Ian McEwan
Title: Nutshell
Author: Ian McEwan
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 12, 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Trudy who left John to be with his brother Claude, and the unborn baby who narrates
What happens? Trudy shacks up with Claude and plans to kill poet - husband John to inherit his house. All told by the unborn baby who observes the action from the womb.
How long was this? 197 pages. small.
Did I like this? Not one bit, painful - the whole premise, the rhodes scholar genius in the womb with the dense 1st person style, the whole plot. Disappointing after the great "The Children Act"
Overall grade: C-
Author: Ian McEwan
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 12, 2017
When was the book published: 2016
Main Characters: Trudy who left John to be with his brother Claude, and the unborn baby who narrates
What happens? Trudy shacks up with Claude and plans to kill poet - husband John to inherit his house. All told by the unborn baby who observes the action from the womb.
How long was this? 197 pages. small.
Did I like this? Not one bit, painful - the whole premise, the rhodes scholar genius in the womb with the dense 1st person style, the whole plot. Disappointing after the great "The Children Act"
Overall grade: C-
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Dead Letters by Caite Dolan-Leach
Title: Dead Letters
Author: Caite Dolan-Leach
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 6, 2017
When was the book published: 2017
Main Characters: Ava Antipova, twin Zelda, father Marlon, mother Nadine, paris boyfriend Nico, finger lakes boyfriend Wyatt
What happens? Ava leaves her dysfunctional wine growing family for Paris, and gets word that her sister has died in a barn fire on their property. Ava comes back home to an alphabet driven mystery led by her sister Zelda, who doesn't seem to be dead.
How long was this? 332 pages
Did I like this? Exceptionally good, great idea, fun plot, great real alcoholic characters. The ending seemed a little jumpy to me, but the rest of the story kept me riveted.
Overall grade: A-
Author: Caite Dolan-Leach
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 6, 2017
When was the book published: 2017
Main Characters: Ava Antipova, twin Zelda, father Marlon, mother Nadine, paris boyfriend Nico, finger lakes boyfriend Wyatt
What happens? Ava leaves her dysfunctional wine growing family for Paris, and gets word that her sister has died in a barn fire on their property. Ava comes back home to an alphabet driven mystery led by her sister Zelda, who doesn't seem to be dead.
How long was this? 332 pages
Did I like this? Exceptionally good, great idea, fun plot, great real alcoholic characters. The ending seemed a little jumpy to me, but the rest of the story kept me riveted.
Overall grade: A-
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