The Taster by V.S. Alexander

Once Upon a Book Club - March 2018
Historical Fiction
2019 December Motif - Last Chance

Yet another WWII/Holocaust book, so I was hesitant and kept putting it off.  The December Motif challenge of "Last Chance... a book you've been meaning to get to all year long" was the perfect time to finally conquer it.  I am SO glad I did!

I think WWII/Holocaust books are vital, necessary and they are wonderful reads, but they can be emotionally draining.  We will never get over the atrocities of that time (nor should we) but I need to temper my reading of that time period or spiral into a depression (even though the survival stories often inspire hope).

Though The Taster was from an entirely different view.  The details of the atrocities suffered were in the background as we instead got an inside view of Hitler and his inner circle.  It is astounding and at the same time appalling to see the devoutness and ignorance of his followers.

Once Upon a Book Club also did a great job of pairing some really special gifts with this selection.

Summary from Goodreads:  In early 1943, Magda Ritter's parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty--working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Fuhrer's food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.  Her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich's atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance.

   The Black Angel - John Connolly
               Series

This is the 5th in the Charlie Parker series.   My daughter, Melissa,  and I have been reading this series off and on.   I have decided to jump in and make it my new series  on our TBR..  Having said that,  I have to say that this was not a favorite.

This one was much darker than the previous books.  Charlie is dealing with evil spirits from Hell.  While trying to help Louis find his missing niece,  Charlie stumbles across a society that believes in demonic mythology.

There are some historical fat about ossuaries in Europe that are built out of human bones.   Check out Sedlac Ossuary in the Czech Republic.   Creepy!!!

From Goodreads:
  When a young woman disappears from the streets of New York City, ties of friendship and blood inevitably draw ingenious, tortured detective Charlie Parker into the search. Soon he discovers links to a church of bones in Eastern Europe, a 1944 slaughter at a French monastery, and to the myth of an object known as the Black Angel -- considered by evil men to be beyond priceless. But the Black Angel is not a legend. It is real. It lives. It dreams. And the mystery of its existence may contain the secret of Parker's own origins.

    The Interpretation of Murder
              Jed Rubenfeld
              Oldest on TBR

Good old-fashion mystery centering around the death of a young woman in NYC in 1909.  Lots of twists and turns and cliffhangers along with many interesting historical facts about Manhattan .

Also interesting is that Sigmund Freud's only visit to American  is woven into the plot.

From Goodreads::
   Inspired by Sigmund Freud’s only visit to America, The Interpretation of Murder is an intricate tale of murder and the mind’s most dangerous mysteries. It unfurls on a sweltering August evening in 1909 as Freud disembarks from the steamship George Washington, accompanied by Carl Jung, his rival and protégé. Across town, in an opulent apartment high above the city, a stunning young woman is found dangling from a chandelier—whipped, mutilated, and strangled. The next day, a second beauty—a rebellious heiress who scorns both high society and her less adventurous parents—barely escapes the killer. Yet Nora Acton, suffering from hysteria, can recall nothing of her attack. Asked to help her, Dr. Stratham Younger, America’s most committed Freudian analyst, calls in his idol, the Master himself, to guide him through the challenges of analyzing this high-spirited young woman whose family past has been as complicated as his own.

The Interpretation of Murder leads readers from the salons of Gramercy Park, through secret passages, to Chinatown—even far below the currents of the East River where laborers are building the Manhattan Bridge. As Freud fends off a mysterious conspiracy to destroy him, Younger is drawn into an equally thrilling adventure that takes him deep into the subterfuges of the human mind.

The Reluctant Fortune Teller by Keziah Frost

Newest Book on TBR

What a fun cast of characters: Norbert and the Club (Carlotta, Birdie and Margaret).  This was a fun and light read with some nuggets of advice to take to heart.  Looking forward to Frost's next book Getting Rid of Mabel.

Summary from Goodreads:  Norbert Zelenka has always lived life on the sidelines. It's how at 73 years old he finds himself broke and alone except for the company of a Chihuahua. But when Carlotta's Club--three strong-willed seniors with a flair for drama and plenty of time on their hands--decide to make Norbert their latest project, he reluctantly agrees to their scheme. With their help, he establishes himself as the town's fortune-teller, and he soon finds his life changing in unexpected ways. It turns out that years of observing other people's dramas make Norbert an excellent fortune-teller, and people from all walks of life begin seeking out his advice. As Norbert's lonesome world expands with new friendships and a newfound self-confidence, he finally finds himself in a place where he belongs. But disaster looms on the horizon. When a troubled young woman goes missing after a bad reading, Norbert must find a strength beyond the cards to bring her home safely. A heartfelt story of friendship, loneliness and coming-of-age late in life, a feel-good read and a poignant reminder that we're never too old to learn new tricks.

Quotes:  "One of the most generous things one person can do for another is to just listen intently."

"He was grateful to be alive in a world with birds."

"Knowing the truth about yourself can be upsetting.  But it is also empowering.  Knowing the truth may not solve all your problems.  But it gives you a place to start.  That's what the truth can do for you."

"There is truth anywhere you are.  The whole thing is the listening part. We don't always listen....In fact, we hardly ever listen."

"I think we are here to be a kind presence in each other's lives."

Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark

Oldest Book on TBR

Pretty standard MHC; typical murder mystery.  Not quite as suspenseful as others by her, but not bad for a quick read.  I was on a cruise ship and found time to read here and there on the deck in between ports so it was perfect! And then I could leave it in the ship's library for some other passenger!

Summary from Goodreads:  Ellie Cavanaugh was only seven years old when her fifteen-year-old sister, Andrea, was murdered near their home in Oldham-on-the-Hudson, a rural village in New York's Westchester County. There were three suspects: Rob Westerfield, nineteen-year-old scion of a wealthy, prominent family, whom Andrea has been secretly dating; Paul Stroebel, a sixteen-year-old schoolmate, who had a crush on Andrea; and Will Nebels, a local handyman in his forties. It was Ellie who had led her parents to a hideout in which Andrea's body was found -- a secret hideaway in which she met her friends. And it was Ellie who was blamed by her parents for her sister's death for not telling them about this place the night Andrea was missing. It was also Ellie's testimony that led to the conviction of the man she was firmly convinced was the killer. Steadfastly denying his guilt, he spent the next twenty-two years in prison. When he comes up for parole, Ellie, now an investigative reporter for an Atlanta newspaper, protests his release. Nonetheless, the convicted killer is set free and returns to Oldham. Determined to thwart his attempts to whitewash his reputation, Ellie also returns to Oldham, intent on creating a Website and writing a book that will conclusively prove his guilt. As she delves deeper into her research, however, she uncovers horrifying and heretofore unknown facts that shed new light on her sister's murder. With each discovery, she comes closer to a confrontation with a desperate killer.

Island of the Mad by Laurie King

Series

The latest (#15) in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series that takes them to Venice. Disguises, intrigue and late night secret gondola rides as we try to find Lady Vivian Beaconsfield who was discovered missing from an asylum; all this during Mussolini and the Fascists (black shirts) rise in Italy.

Summary from Goodreads: Sussex Downs, in 1925. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are strolling across their orchard when the telephone rings: an old friend's beloved aunt has failed to return following a supervised outing from Bedlam. The Lady Vivian Beaconsfield has spent most of her adult life in one asylum after another, yet she seemed to be improving--or at least, finding a point of balance in her madness. So why did she disappear? Did she take the family's jewels with her, or did someone else? The Bedlam nurse, perhaps?

The trail leads Russell and Holmes through Bedlam's stony halls to the warm Venice lagoon, where ethereal beauty is jarred by Mussolini's Blackshirts, where the gilded Lido set may be tempting a madwoman, and where Cole Porter sits at a piano, playing with ideas...
Quotes:  "...some men never got over the handicap of not being women..."

"...having an entire policy of 'Us Good, Them Bad' does little more than create a magnet for troublemakers."

"...one can talk to a man with firm principles even if one doesn't agree with him."

"If one plays on fear, takes away any remotely complicated ideas, and offers people a sense of confidence and right, one's followers will beat to death any enemy they are pointed at."

A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber

Series

Another entertaining tale of Lady Darby and Mr. Gage as they investigate another whodunit.  Always an enjoyable journey not only to see the evolving relationship of Kiera & Sebastian, but also to solve the mystery in a Sherlock or Agatha Christie fashion.

Summary from Goodreads:  Scotland, 1831. Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness’s eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband.
 
Kiera isn’t sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit.
 
Quotes:  "...recognizing you should believe something and actually believing it were two very different things."

"Was a loyal lasting marriage even possible?"

UPDATED

We did it!!!  Bookworm and I completed a 2nd year of the A to Z Reading Challenge!!!

We also completed My Reader's Block Color Coded Challenge!!

We have 1 more to complete for 2019 and then onto next year for a totally different reading challenge!!

WOO HOO - AND we both finished Girl XOXO's Monthly Motif Challenge

The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire

2019 A to Z Challenge - "X"

This felt less like a Gregory Maguire novel and more like Christopher Moore one.  The characters were beyond quirky (some likable, others not so much), the humor was wry and I got to the end thinking, What?  At times it was laugh out loud funny, at other times I was rolling my eyes at the juvenile language and actions.  I didn't dislike it, but I'm not sure I can say I like it.

Summary from Fantastic Fiction: With the new millennium approaching, the eccentric town of Thebes grows even stranger.  Mrs. Leontina Scales begins speaking in tongues after being clocked by a Catholic statuette.  Her daughter, Tabitha, and her sons scheme to save their mother or surrender her to Jesus - whatever comes first.  Meanwhile, choir director Jeremy Carr, caught between lust and ambition, fumbles his way toward Y2K.  The ancient Sisters of the Sorrowful Mysteries join with a gay singing group. The Radical Radiants battle the Catholics.  A Christmas pageant goes horribly awry.  And a child is born.

Quotes:  "...why do the living adopt such a giddy tone when referring to the dead?  As if there's escape for any of us. Is it anything other than black humor, the glib callow relief of being alive still?"

"'I hate New Year's Eve. One more chance to remember that you haven't yet done what you wanted.  And to pretend it doesn't matter.'"

              Today We go Home - Kelli Estes
                         Newest on TBR

What a wonderful book!   What a wonderful way to honor all of the amazing women in our military, past and present. Ms. Estes does a great job of showing us how hard it is on the women who choose to defend our country.

Meet Larkin,  a soldier coming home from combat in Afghanistan. Suffering from PTSD, grieving the lost of her best friend, Sarah,   and trying to fit back into  society.   Sarah left all of her belongs to Larkin including a diary from a woman who fought in the Civil War.

So meet Emily,  a courageous woman who disguises herself as a man and fights along side her brother in the Civil War. 

The chapters alternated between Emily in 1862 and Larkin in present day.  We are shown the hardships and heartache that both Emily and Larkin. 

Next time you see a female military person,   be sure to thank her for her service.!!!!

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

Series

Welp I did it again!  I'm giving up on another series.  Chalk it up to the 1,000+ books on my TBR.  I did give Mr. Nesbo a good ole college try, but he simply has too many red herrings often without any follow-up or explanation.

In this, the 7th in the series (yes, I skipped WAY ahead) I was anticipating the red herrings and actually figured out the suspect, but since the main clue was never explained I was again left frustrated with Mr. Nesbo.

The Snowman was very fast paced even with the abundant red herrings (I've said red herrings for about as many red herrings as Mr. Nesbo puts in his plots!), but it just wasn't enough for me to give Mr. Nesbo a fourth, fifth or sixth chance. 

So, I'm now moving onto another series!!

From Goodreads: Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier in the day. Around its neck is his mother's pink scarf.   Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he's received and the disappearance of Jonas's mother - and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised - and constantly revised - by the killer.

     In the Midst of Winter  -  Isabel Allende

#2019AtoZChallenge - I 
#monthlymotifchallenge - Seasonal

This was my first book by this author.  It was a bit slow for me and it seems to jump around too much.  I really wanted to like it but it just didn't flow for me.
It was mostly a "character development"  .

We learned the histories of 3 people;
Richard,  a widowed university professor in Brooklyn,
Lucia,  a 60 year old living in Richard's basement
                                    Evelyn, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala needing Richard's and Lucia's help..   Oh, and a body in the trunk of a car.!!!'

On a side note,  this finishes my #2019AtoZChallenge!!!!

Goodreads says,   
Exploring the timely issues of human rights and the plight of immigrants and refugees, the book recalls Allende’s landmark novel The House of the Spirits in the way it embraces the cause of “humanity, and it does so with passion, humor, and wisdom that transcend politics” (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post). In the Midst of Winter will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Yea,  I didn't get all of that!!!  

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

ARC from BookBrowse First Impressions

Even though I have 2 challenges to complete, book club books to read, a tome of the history of the Panama Canal to conquer before the end of November AND an ever growing TBR, I couldn't pass up the chance to win an ARC (I also requested Lady Clementine, but fortunately I didn't receive it too!) of this much anticipated novel.

This was my first novel by Simone St. James  and it most certainly won't be my last!!! (somehow we had the Haunting of Maddy Clare in our personal library but it is gone??  See bookworm's review from Feb 2016.
 https://topplingbookpile.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-haunting-of-maddy-clare-simone-st.html )

A media review of "mixes creepy supernatural tale with a gripping mystery." sums it up perfectly.  It reminded me of some of Dean Koontz's work, mystery/thriller with just a touch of the supernatural.

The book volleys back and forth between 1982 and 2017.  Viv who disappeared narrates 1982 and Carly, her niece narrates 2017.  There were times when I got a little mixed up as when Carly would be surprised by a new fact she discovered and I'm yelling at her "You already knew that!" forgetting that it was Viv who already knew it, not Carly!  But for the most part the book flows well between the 2 different time periods with the story developing versus being duplicated.  It is fast paced and as the mystery comes to an end it is a book you don't want to put down!  Though I probably wouldn't read this while on a road trip staying at motels/hotels even WITH the lights on, because you never know when they may go out!!

Quotes:  "Libraries were my places."

"...a terrifying mystery in town...A man wrote, 'I will not let my wife stay home alone'...his wife...thinking Please leave me home alone. Just for ten minutes."

"'...1979....If I got married and had babies, I was weak.  If I stayed single, I was a dyke.'"

"Because if you were a woman, the world was a dangerous place."

                  The Elizas - Sara Shepard
                              New Author

#2019ColorChallenge

Eliza is an upcoming author and her 1st novel is soon to be published.  But she has a history of instability  and when she is found in the pool of a hotel,  she swears that someone pushed her.  That she did not jump like last time. 

Other things happen to Eliza that convince her that someone is trying to kill her,  or is she just paranoid and confusing her life with that of the characters in her book.

Sometimes confusing to the reader (well, me anyway) as the chapters alternate between Eliza in present time and chapter & characters in Eliza's novel, "The Dots".

Goodreads:

Desperate to find out who attacked her, Eliza takes it upon herself to investigate. But as the publication date for her novel draws closer, Eliza finds more questions than answers. Like why are her editor, agent, and family mixing up events from her novel with events from her life? Her novel is completely fictional, isn’t it?

  The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion

#2019AtoZChallenge - R
#2019ColorChallenge - yellow

Meet Don,  he wants to find the perfect wife to fit into his very controlled life.  So he devises an unique questionnaire to help him find her.  He calls it  "The Wife Project".

A friend of Don's introduces him to Rosie, who has nothing in common with Don, and certainly can not answer the questionnaire!!!.   But Rosie wants to find her biological father and Don agrees to help her.   And so begins the "Father Project"

A comical and witty story about friendship and how we all want to fit in.

Goodreads:::
an international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.

 Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.