The Secret Book of Flora Lea

 

Title: The Secret Book of Flora Lea

Author: Patti Callahan Henry

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

 
ISBN: 9781797155982

 

Thoughts: A historical mystery that will remind you of childhood fantasy novels while explaining the reason a specific trope of them exists.

Rating: 4/5

Mom in the Movies

 

Title: Mom in the Movies: The Iconic Screen Mothers You Love (and a Few You Love to Hate)

Author: Richard Corliss

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

 
ISBN: 9781476738260

 

Thoughts: Good as a coffee table book, but did not feel as comprehensive as it could have been.

Rating: 3/5

Stacking the Shelves: 11/19-11/25

Received in Blind Date with a Book from Serpent & Flame:

 

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

Amazing Grace Adams

Title: Amazing Grace Adams

Author: Fran Littlewood

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

 
ISBN: 9781250334152

 

Thoughts: Littlewood manages to pull more feelings than expected from a novel about a woman going through an existential crisis.

Rating: 4/5

Violeta

 

Title: Violeta

Author: Isabel Allende

Publisher: Random House Audio

 
ISBN: 9780593558850

 

Thoughts: Allende's writing is so powerful that I kept forgetting that Violeta was not a real person.

Rating: 4/5

Stacking the Shelves: 11/5-11/18

 

Won:

The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan

Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks

 

Title: Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks

Author: Kelsie Stelting

Publisher: Kelsie Stelting Creative LLC

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: Fun, positive, sweet YA romance, but some of the characterizations were a little too stock.

Rating: 3/5

Bad Summer People

 

Title: Bad Summer People

Author: Emma Rosenblum

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

 
ISBN: 9781250900845

 

Thoughts:  Good beach read with interesting characters, but there was not really the mystery as one would expect from the prologue.

Rating: 3/5

Homecoming

 

Title: Homecoming

Author: Kate Morton

Publisher: Mariner Books

 
ISBN: 9780063020894

 

Thoughts: Almost gothic in feel, this novel of mystery and family secrets is the best I have read all year.

Rating: 5/5

Stacking the Shelves: 10/15-11/4

Won at Bingo:

 

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

The Fraud

 

Title: The Fraud

Author: Zadie Smith

Publisher: Penguin Audio

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: This had a strong Dickensian vibe to it (and not just because he was a character), and that made it very hard for me personally to follow.

Rating: 3/5

Stars, Hide Your Fires

 

Title: Stars, Hide Your Fires

Author: Jessica Mary Best

Publisher: Quirk Books

 
ISBN: 9781683693512

 

Thoughts: Rather uneven sci-fi romantic mystery with a choppy plot, little character development, and a "twist" that the characters should have seen much earlier than they did.

Rating: 2/5

Talking at Night

 

Title: Talking at Night

Author: Claire Daverley

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

 
ISBN: 9780593653487

 

Thoughts: Very melancholic character-driven story that flows in a way that makes it hard to put down.

Rating: 4/5