Review: The Curiosities

The Curiosities by Susan Gloss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

I really enjoyed this book, set in Madison, because it allowed me to imagine the places I've been within town.

Nell and her husband have been trying all possible ways to have a baby after losing their first. What Nell hasn't told her husband is that much of the cost of IVF and other interventions wasn't covered by insurance and is now on credit cards. When the latest attempt fails to end in a pregnancy, Nell start searching for a job to fill the void. She comes across something that may be the perfect job at a new nonprofit called the Mansion Hill Artists’ Colony. Before she knows it, she's the Director and welcoming the first artists into the mansion.

I really enjoyed getting to know each of the artists. Annie is a well-known artist, but wants to break out of the medium she's known for. Odin is an up-and-coming metal sculptor who has recently had tragedy in his life. Paige is a student at UW-Madison who is proficient in many art mediums, but she hasn't found her voice.

I really enjoyed the story. I hope to see more of the artists in future books! I also really liked how she was able to have a quick tie-in to her first book, Vintage.

View all my reviews

Review: An Unexpected Peril

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

Veronica Speedwell is at it again! Another mystery to solve and another possible chance encounter with her estranged family.

Veronica and Stoker are asked to help set up a display of artifacts at the Curiosity Club for the late Alice Baker-Greene, a world renowned hiker who had recently fallen to her death while climbing in Alpenwald (a tiny, fake country between France and Germany). While unpacking crates, they come across a few clues that make them feel that the fall may not have been an accident.

Loved the twists and turns of the story, and, as always, I didn't see the solution to the mystery until it was upon me.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy.

View all my reviews

Review: A Study in Scarlet Women

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

Charlotte Holmes is not like other women. She doesn't love fashion and only wish to be a wife and mother. She wants to be independent and not tied down and dependent on a man (any man).

When she finds herself on her own, with the help of a kindly older woman (actress), she is suddenly able to put her skills together as someone who is observant and able to recall the slightest details. She invents a brother, Sherlock, who is a private detective willing to help people with their problems (lost items, gift puzzles, or the like). "Sherlock" is unwell, so Charlotte acts as his emissary.

I read book #5 in the series and felt the need to go back and see how it all started. I can't wait to read more of the books in the series.

View all my reviews

Review: Shopgirl

Shopgirl by Steve Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This story is about a young lady, Mirabelle, who sells gloves at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. She struggles with depression and, as such, relationships. She meets Jason at a laundromat and she meets Ray when she sells him some gloves. The rest of the story is about her relationship with the men, her mental health, her art, and her family.

I thought it was interesting how well Steve Martin was able to weave the feelings of depression so well into the story without making it feel sad and depressing.

View all my reviews

Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a grown up fairy tale of the dark variety. I really enjoyed listening to Neil Gaiman narrating his story.

A man returns to his hometown for a funeral and is lured to his old, childhood stomping grounds. He goes to the end of the lane he grew up on and has memories he can't quite understand or fully form.

Forty years earlier, it all started with a lack of money and the suicide of a boarder from their home. The boy is thrown into a crazy world of witches, fantasy, and monsters. He has some crazy experiences that are only memories in the moment. He doesn't remember them as he grows up.

I enjoyed seeing where the twists and turns of where the story would go next.

View all my reviews

Review: Faithful

Faithful by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Shelby Richmond's life changes in an instant after an incident at 17. She goes from being one of the most popular girls in school to someone who almost never speaks.

This story is one about love, seeing, and being seen. The end of the story reminded me of the quote, “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.”

The narrator, Amber Tamblyn, was great. I hope she does more narrations in the future.

View all my reviews

Review: Things We Didn't Say

Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This was a very interesting story about a (fictional) WWII POW camp in Minnesota. While the camp and town are fictional, the story is based in reality.

Johanna Berglund is a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota. She has a goal to leave her tiny hometown behind and eventually go study at Oxford, where she can translate the classics. Johanna is offered a job as a translator at the POW camp that is going into her hometown. The German prisoners will work on local farms helping with the crops. Johanna wants nothing to do with it, and turns down the job offer. When her anonymous scholarship donor changes the rules, she takes the job as the only way to keep her scholarship.

While I enjoyed the story, and I was interested in where it was going and how it would end, it was very tough to get lost in the story and want to read for long periods of time. The entire book is a series of letters between various people. This style made it easy to step away temporarily and not just get lost in the story line.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

View all my reviews