Review: Let It Snow

Let It Snow by Heidi Cullinan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

M/M love story set in cold Minnesota. Lots of stereotypes, and I found the main character to be pretty annoying with his whining and pity party, but hey, sexy lumberjacks in a cabin. The second star is because I am a marshmallow who loves a HEA. Shut up. 2.5 stars overall.

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Review: Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My heart is hurting over this book. I need a tissue. And a hug.

This book hit all of the right notes with me. Coming of age story with a quirky, misfit heroine. Dysfunctional family dynamics that seem true-to-life. Love. Introspection. Grief. What can I say? I like a few tears in my books (sometimes).

Set way back in ye old 1987 (gads, I was in high school, folks. This isn't historical fiction!), AIDS was a scandalous, secret "gays only" disease. Times were different then. June loved her uncle, and after he dies she finds out she only knew parts of him. Walk with June as she tries to discover who he really was, who she really is, and bring some tissues, because you will need them. Unless you are a robot, then you will be fine.

Loved it. 4 stars. Going to hug my kids now.


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Review: The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marina Keegan was only 22 when she was died in a car accident. Newly graduated from Yale and ready to continue her budding career as a writer, we are left with a collection of work from her short life. Half of the book is short stories, and the other half essays. You can see glimmers of what she would have potentially grown into as a writer. Her voice, as you would expect, is very young. She's in college; her life has barely started. I liked some of the stories, didn't like some others. These are stories that wouldn't have been published under other circumstances.

Overall, three stars, but I'm having a hard time separating the tragedy of a life cut short from the actual work, so actually 2.5.

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Review: Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Poirot, my friend. Together we exercise our little gray cells and solve the case. Always a pleasure. And as usual, you get to the solution before me.

Another Christie mystery where I point the finger in my mind at all of the wrong people. I think I solve the crime over and over, only to be wrong at the end. But luckily for all of us, Poirot was there and saw what we did not.

Mrs. McGinty is dead. Her lodger is accused of the crime, but several other suspects seem to have the big three: motive, means, and opportunity. Can you guess the answer before Poirot? You can't, but don't feel bad, because he's the best. Three stars.

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Review: Mortality

Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life is short. Cancer sucks. Please remember that, my friends, and make the most of every moment.

Regardless of whether you agreed with Christopher Hitchens or not, this is a powerful read. Disease can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. We can do all of the right things--exercise, eat healthy foods, get enough rest--and still get sick. We can do the wrong things--smoke, drink, overeat, eat unhealthy foods--and stay healthy. The body is a mystery at times. And you aren't guaranteed tomorrow.

Diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had spread to his lungs and lymph nodes, Hitchens chronicles his mortality in this short read. If cancer has touched your life in some way, I think this book will speak to you. It's worth the hour of your life. 4 stars.


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Review: Curse of the Pharaohs

Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

More adventures with my favorite couple, Peabody and Emerson. If my husband and I were Egyptologists in the late 1800s, we would be them. I love their bickering and unabashed love.

They have returned to Luxor, leaving young Ramses in the care of Emerson's brother and his wife. Not necessarily a call I would have made, but hey, it was a different time. Plus, this is fiction. Superstition, murder, and grave plundering abound, as you might expect if you read the first book. If you didn't, stop reading this review and read book 1 instead.

A fun series! 3.5 stars.

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Review: Still Life with Murder

Still Life with Murder by P.B. Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great start to a new series for me. Historical mystery with a strong, smart heroine. I really liked Nell Sweeney. The story begins with Nell being unexpectedly hired as a governess for the wealthy Hewitt family. Fast forward to secrets, murder, and intrigue with William, the black sheep of the family. The family is in turmoil as the police are convinced they have the right man.

Not to worry, Nell is on the case. The mystery is intriguing and I really enjoyed the relationship between Will and Nell. I thought the ending was satisfying and I immediately went out and got the next book. 4 stars.

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Review: A Purple Place for Dying

A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hop in your time machines, kids, because we are going back to the swinging sixties. Take a ride with my good friend and salvage consultant, Travis McGee. Private Eye and a real cool cat. The ladies absolutely love him.

This is the third book in the series, and while it's fun to go back in time and see what life was like before the technology age, you have to take yourself out the mystery at times. No, he doesn't have a cell phone. No, he doesn't have the internet. No, he doesn't know how to solve crimes with anything but his brains and his brawn.

This time the T-man is in Arizona, not in Florida, and he's deciding if he will help the fair maiden Mona leave her husband, when, blammo! Sniper. Not to worry, folks. Travis is on the case.

Chalk the blatant sexism to the era and just enjoy the ride. Like most of them, 3 stars.

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Review: Two Bronze Pennies

Two Bronze Pennies: A Police Procedural Set in Late 19th Century England by Chris Nickson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Started on book 2 because I needed it for a challenge. Interesting enough that I will go back and read book 1 as well.

DI Tom Harper is an engaging enough chap. Newly married and in love, he's a bit of the everyman good fellow you really want to win in the end. Plus, you get historical mystery with an interesting religious storyline that will make you think.

Definitely a good one for historical mystery lovers, and a pleasant way to pass the afternoon.

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Review: Drinking: A Love Story

Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love reading books about addiction. It reminds me not to fly too close to the sun. Anorexia, alcohol, drugs, really anyone's dance with the dark side. Drinking: A Love Story, has been on my TBR shelf for years and I finally picked up a copy to read.

Caroline Knapp's story is a familiar one. She was a high-functioning alcoholic who finally decided where her elevator stopped before crashing to the ground. From the outside, many people thought she was fine. Her family and friends knew she needed help, but help only comes when you are ready to accept it. Knapp doesn't have major screw-ups that often lead people to their rock bottom, but she was smart enough to know when to get help, and she's stayed on track. Kudos to her for finding the strength to do it.

Disjointed at times, Knapp keeps the reader at arm's length and you don't necessarily feel her pain like you do in other memoirs. Read it if you enjoy a successful journey to recovery. Three stars.

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