A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley

Amy  

historical fiction, romance, women's fiction

Another Susanna Kearsley success.  Loved it!  In typical Kearsley fashion, A Desperate Fortune tells two stories (where each featured young woman goes on an adventure)—one set in present day and one set in history. The device of deciphering a personal diary from the 1730s worked very well as a means of going back and forth. Both stories were fun and grabbed my attention equally. The modern-day story is about Sara Thomas, a woman with Asperger Syndrome, who has been hired to decipher an old diary. The historical story is about Jacobite exile Mary Dundas and her adventures during the time in which her diary was written. Unlike most of Kearsley’s novels, no elements of fantasy were woven into the story and I was glad.

I listened to this one on Audible. This was the first Kearsley book which I’ve listened to; all others I read myself. The narrator took some getting used to. I disagreed with her interpretation of Sara’s voice, particularly at the beginning--she was way too upbeat and quick, I thought. But, I eventually grew used to her narration. I’m not sure if it’s because she settled down or I just adjusted to her style. She had great character voices and accents but had a tendency to talk too quickly when not performing character dialogue and some of her voice acting during scenes of danger and duress made me laugh out loud because they were so over-the-top. But, as I said, I grew accustomed and was able to enjoy the novel.

I simply adore Kearsley’s novels and will continue to read them all. This was the seventh that I’ve read.

4-1/2 stars, rounding up! Another Susanna Kearsley success. Loved it! In typical Kearsley fashion, the novel tells two stories (where each featured young woman goes on an adventure)—one set in present day and one set in history. The device of deciphering a personal diary from the 1730s worked very well as a means of going back and forth. Both stories were fun and grabbed my attention equally. The modern-day story is about Sara Thomas, a woman with Asperger’s Syndrome, who has been hired to de

A Couple Cookbook Reviews

Whenever summer rolls around I find myself looking over new cookbooks trying to find ideas to use all the wonderful vegetables of the season and yet still keep me from having to turn my oven on.  Here are few of the latest that have made my reading list.

-Lynnie

The Everything Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook by Rachel Rappaport

A decent cookbook that certainly has a good selection of slow cooker recipes. I'm always looking for a new make-ahead meal & I got several new recipes from this book, most of which actually do appear to be on the healthy side. Not all the recipes included are time savers though. In fact, a good number of recipes in this book require as much work as if you just cook the meal at dinner time. However if you're in a slow cooker rut, this book will definitely add some variety to your meal plans.

The Portlandia Cookbook: Cook Like a Local by Fred Armison, Carrie Brownstein, & Jonathan Krisel

 

If you're a fan of the show Portlandia & looking for an extension of that humor, this book is great fun.

Since I actually read cookbooks for the recipes, I have to give it 2 stars as there just wasn't much in there that I found interesting or new. Bottom line, fans of the show will enjoy it in all its quirky glory but fans of cookbooks might not.

 

Every Day by David Levithan

Amy    
Lynnie 


young adult, fantasy

Every Day, A wakes up in a new body.  He/she is always inside someone's body who is the same age he/she is and never strays far geographically.  He/she has his/her own memories and his/her own thoughts but not his/her own body.  Life goes on this way until he/she finally meets someone with whom he/she wants to spend the rest of his/her life.  Then, A's life becomes all about how to be with this person despite the fact that A has no way to control who/where he/she becomes each new day.

Amy's Review

I listened to the audiobook version of Every Day. The premise was so utterly nonsensical and unbelievable that I had a very hard time caring what happened. However, as with other audiobooks, since I was a hostage audience in my car I stuck with the story longer than I might have if reading it myself. I had never read anything else by David Levithan and I’ve heard great things about him, so I gave the story the benefit of the doubt. It ended up catching my interest about halfway through and I became curious about how it would end. But I never felt immersed in the story. I should also be given credit for sticking with it despite the narrator’s froggy voice. She did a good job with pulling off many different voices and her voice acting was fine, but the quality and tone of her voice was grating. I’d like to say this storyline was a creative way to explore teen feelings and opinions related to gender, interaction, acceptance, abuse, poverty, appearances, equality, and relationships. However, the method for exploring these ideas felt too forced from the start and its ridiculousness overshadowed any discoveries or insight the book provided. I won the sequel, Another Day, from First In Line which is what prompted me to want to read this one in the first place. But, I’m thinking that I won’t be reading the sequel.

Lynnie's Review

I really like David Levithan's writing & how he continually pushes boundaries & looks for acceptance, always.

That said, while I loved the premise of this book I hated the execution & found myself constantly annoyed by the characters- particularly the main character, A. I was really furious at how A continually promised not to do too much to change a person's life & then went out of the way to really screw up person after person's life! Yes, A also often tried to make amends to these people whose lives were taken over, but in the end- how do you explain to a teacher that you need to make up multiple missed tests? How do fix things with a boyfriend or girlfriend whom you've treated so poorly? Who do you make it up to your family when you've missed a really important event?

A's selfishness ultimately made me so mad I didn't care how or where A ended up. I also though the ending was a complete cop-out with no answers to any of the questions that had been presented throughout the story.

So, I guess I go with fascinating idea, but unsatisfying in the end- probably a lot like I imagine A's life to be.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Amy         
Lynnie 



young adult, mystery

The liars in We Were Liars are four teenagers who spend their summers on the family-owned private island every year.  The summer they are all 15 years old, Cadence has an accident.  The book goes back and forth between the present when Cadence is 17 years old, as Cadence attempts to reconstruct the memories of what happened two summers ago, and the past, when Cadence recalls many good times through the years on the island. 

Amy's Review

E. Lockhart never really explained why the four “liars” were called “liars”. I think this book would have been better titled We Were Spoiled. Or We Were Stupid. Or We Were the Children of Spoiled, Stupid Women. However, despite the multitude of despicable characters, the novel was well-crafted and pulled me in to find the answer to the question of what, exactly, had happened. I did figure out the main “what” fairly early thanks to Cadence’s memory clues. But, wanting to know the “why” is what kept me really interested. And then there was a surprise. (Sorry—I can’t say more without giving things away.)

I had seen rave reviews about this novel and it appeared on many “Best of” lists, but my sister had rated it only 2 stars. She and I tend to agree on novels. So, I had not intended to read it based on her rating. Then, I won the autographed novel from a prize pack from First In Line. This caused me to put it on my To Read list. Four months later, I needed an audiobook to accompany me on my outdoor walks and this one was available from the library. So, I listened to the first 90% of this novel. I knew I was near the end and I could not stop thinking about the story so I picked up my hardcopy and finished it.

I liked this novel! This is one where my sister and I disagree. But, that’s okay. It’s happened before and will happen again. I enjoyed the suspense, the twist, and the liars.

Lynnie's Review

I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't.

First of all the writing 
style was annoying 
beyond 
belief. 

If I hadn't been on vacation, I probably wouldn't have even continued reading based on the style of writing alone. And second the characters- vapid, superficial, spoiled, one-dimensional... I just didn't enjoy a single one of them.

I don't understand all the fuss about this book.

March: Book One (March #1) by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell

Amy     


graphic novel, history

March tells a portion of the story of Congressman John Lewis’ childhood in Alabama as well as his experiences in Nashville as a young man in the early Civil Rights Movement.

Amy's Review

I read this graphic novel (co-written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell) for book club and I enjoyed reading it. Well, except for the teeny, tiny print. I read most of it with the help of a magnifying glass. This is why I prefer a Kindle these days—font control! I’m showing my age. Anyway, this novel is only the first part of a three-part series. I thought the glimpse into Lewis' childhood was charming. I was most interested in the events in Nashville, not only because of the importance of the non-violent sit-ins and the early formation of groups like the SNCC, but also because I attended Vanderbilt University in the 1980s and was not familiar with the university’s position in the early years regarding Jim Lawson, who had been a Divinity School student in 1960. I found this story highlighting discrimination rather timely with the current political climate and transgender rights issues. It is a shame that people do not remember what we have learned from history and that some feel that inequality is acceptable. I’m glad to know that we’ve made great strides in civil rights but I’m sad that there is still a long way to go.