Barbara Ann Scott

 

Title: Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice

Author: Ryan Stevens

Publisher: self

 
ISBN:  9781069170538

 

Thoughts: I knew nothing about Canadian figure skater Barbara Ann Scott, but I did learn a lot through Stevens's unbiased look at her life.

Rating: 4/5

The Frozen River

 

Title: The Frozen River

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Random House Audio

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: This historical mystery based on real people (but not a real case) immediately draws the reader in and holds them until the very end in a tale of corruption in a biased legal system.

Rating: 5/5

The Other Mothers

 

Title: The Other Mothers

Author: Katherine Faulkner

Publisher: Puffin Books

 
ISBN: 9780142403525

 

Thoughts: Suspenseful with a twist that wasn't what I thought it would be, but some of the characters seemed superfluous and their motives undefined.

Rating: 3/5

The World According to Humphrey

 

Title: The World According to Humphrey

Author: Betty G. Birney

Publisher: Puffin Books

 
ISBN: 9780142403525

 

Thoughts: This book was so delightful as it shows a wide variety of people working through their problems with the help of a smart little hamster.

Rating: 4/5

Monument Eternal

 

Title: Monument Eternal

Author: Alice Coltrane

Publisher: Akashic Books Ltd

 
ISBN: 9781636142258

 

Thoughts: Coltrane's writing is very poetic, but I am not sure I always agree with or even follow what she is trying to convey.

Rating: 3/5

The Leftover Woman

 

Title: The Leftover Woman

Author: Jean Kwok

Publisher: HarperAudio

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: While interesting, I think too many ideas were thrown into this story, and it would have been stronger if Kwok had chosen one.

Rating: 3/5

No Place to Bury the Dead

 

Title: No Place to Bury the Dead

Author: Kevin Allison

Publisher: HarperVia

 
ISBN: 9780063213876

 

Thoughts: Very rhythmic story, and I feel the translator did a great job capturing the feel, but I had a very hard time following the plot.

Rating: 2/5

Two Henrys

 

Title: Two Henrys

Author: Kevin Allison

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

 
ISBN: 9781542043830

 

Thoughts: Coming-out memoir with humor and heart that reads like a story.

Rating: 4/5

Look, I Made a Hat

 

Title: Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes, and Miscellany

Author: Stephen Sondheim

Publisher: Knopf

 
ISBN: 9780307593412

 

Thoughts: Sondheim finishes his retrospective on his lyrics with more quips and insights, and a look into the non-musical songs he wrote.

Rating: 4/5

The Tenth Island

 

Title: The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty, and Unexpected Love in the Azores

Author: Diana Marcum

Publisher: Little A

 
ISBN: 9781503996335

 

Thoughts: Delightful travelogue set mainly on the quirky Azores Islands.

Rating: 3/5

Family Meal

 

Title: Family Meal

Author: Bryan Washington

Publisher: Penguin Audio

 
ISBN: n/a

 

Thoughts: Realistic story about love, grief, and food.

Rating: 3/5

The Wedding People

 

Title: The Wedding People

Author: Alison Espach

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co

 
ISBN: 9781250899569

 

Thoughts: A delightful novel with unique circumstances and characters.

Rating: 5/5

The Empress of Salt and Fortune

 

Title: The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Author: Nghi Vo

Publisher: Tor

 
ISBN: 9781250750303

 

Thoughts: There is a lot packed into this novella, and I feel like there is even more to unwrap.

Rating: 3/5