The Guardians by John Grisham (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 28)

Posted on October 2, 2020 by bseat

One of my friends, asked me a while back, why I only review books I like. I told them that if I was going to bother writing a review it might as well be about a book I really enjoyed. But today I thought I might shift gears a bit and talk about a book (and an author) that I have found disappointing.

I keep wishing I liked John Grisham’s books more. Initially, I thought there was real potential in his writing. I loved The Pelican Brief and A Time to Kill, but his other writings have been mostly disappointing. I am not quite sure what it is about his books that do not deliver. Is it the interesting plot lines that seem to fade or fizzle at the end? Is it the lack of engaging dialogue? Is it the unevenness in character development? I am just not quite sure. But every once in awhile I will pick up a Grisham book to try and be disappointed all over again.

This was my experience with The Guardians. Initially it seemed like a really interesting plot line about a lawyer who devotes his time working on getting innocent people released from prison. The main character seemed interesting and committed and his cause just. But somewhere along the line, I lost interest in the characters and realized I was only continuing to read the book to see if they managed to get the prisoner released. Towards the end, I felt like Grisham, himself, had lost interest in his characters and was just going through the motions of writing this story. There are no glaring errors in Grisham’s books, but there seems to be a lack of spark, or life in them that somehow that makes me loose interest and become disappointed. This opinion is not widely shared since his books are very popular and Grisham has a huge following, which maybe why I keep hoping and every once awhile try again and see if this time he will get back that spark that made me enjoy his first few books so much.

Brenda’s Rating: **(2 Out Of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: No one.

Book Study worthy: no

Read in ebook format (library) format.

 

 

Posted in Fiction, Legal Procedural, Suspense | 2 Comments

Inheritors by Asako Serizawa (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 27)

Posted on September 25, 2020 by bseat

The Inheritors is a collection of interconnected stories about individual history and its legacy. It is about the choices we make and the impact of those choices have on following generations. It is also about the relationship between Japan and the US; the legacy of WWII and the Occupation and the impact that has had on the relationship between these two countries.

Despite its short length (259 p,) Serizawa unflinchingly examines the effects of war, imperialism, devastating loss, and the effects of suppressed and unreliable memories. Serizawa illustrates these themes with different stories like the story of an American family who is torn apart by the news that the father is not Japanese after all, but a Korean orphan who was adopted by his Japanese family in the chaos and aftermath of the war. Then there is the Japanese doctor, who years after the war must come to terms with the horrific consequences of his wartime scientific research. Or the story of an underage Japanese boy who enlists without his parents knowledge and goes to war under an assumed name. With each story, Serizawa adds layers to our understanding of the effects of war, the effects of the moral compromises we make under unendurable situations and the way these events affect lives in succeeding generations.

Serizawa is a master storyteller and several of these individual stories have won awards. Yet the the whole is more than any one story and the way they intertwine and compliment each other is quite powerful. I hope that we hear more from this impressive and deeply thoughtful writer!

Brenda’s Rating: *****(5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Ken and Keith

Book Study worthy: Yes- almost mandatory!

Read in ebook format.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Prize Winner | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 26)

Posted on September 18, 2020 by bseat

Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent and Sarah Linton series is probably one of my favorite things to read. The combination of the complicated romance between Will and Sarah and the fact that Will is an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Sarah is a medical examiner means that there is always some crime that needs solving. This book is no exception! Part thriller, part criminal investigation and part romance, there is never a dull moment in this book!

On a hot summer night a scientist for the CDC is abducted from a shopping center parking lot by unknown assailants. Investigators begin looking for clues as to why and by whom she was abducted but quickly hit a dead end and the case languishes for lack of evidence.

Then a month later, a bomb goes off and then seconds later another in one of the most important locations in Atlanta-the site of Emory University, two large hospitals, the CDC and the FBI’s offices. Sarah Linton, who lives close by, heads quickly to the source of the bombs hoping that she can help those who are injured. She sees a large van with several people who are injured at the side of the road and offers to help, not realizing until it is too late that these men were the ones who set off the bombs. Realizing that their cover is blown, the men swiftly grab Sarah and throw her into the van. Will, who has been following Sarah, turns the corner, just in time to see her being abducted.

With time ticking, Will and the GBI must figure out why these buildings were targeted, and what connection, if any, there is between the bombing and the abduction of the scientist. Hoping that they can find the group responsible and save both the scientist and Sarah, Will decides to go undercover with a white militia group that may have the answers they need. Meanwhile, Sarah is trying to save herself, while in the custody of a cult that seems bent on destroying the world.

Slaughter knows how to keep your interest as Will desperately tries to find and save Sarah and Sarah tries to understand the dynamics of the cult and its leadership who are holding her captive. As the two stories converge, the action is unrelenting, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

Brenda’s Rating: *****(5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this Book to? Sharon and Marian

Book Study Worthy? yes

Read in ebook format.

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Detective novel, Fiction, Mystery, Series, Suspense, Thriller | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 25)

Posted on September 11, 2020 by bseat

Lucius Krzelewski is a disappointment to his prominent and wealthy family. Although of Polish descent, the Krzelewski family moved to Vienna in the late 1800’s where social and business connections could be made and family fortunes enhanced. But Lucius, unable to manage even the simple niceties of drawing room conversations, or display any interest in his father’s obsession with regimental honor and war tactics, or the family’s far-flung business interests, is seen by the family as a liability and left to his own devices. So in 1912, when he announces that he will begin medical school, his mother although disappointed with his choice, is not all that surprised. For Lucius however, medical school is a revelation. Here he excels and his social ineptitude vanishes. He loves learning and the deep mysteries of the human body allow room for his endless curiosity.

But before he can complete his studies, war breaks out and Lucius decides to join the medical corp where he hopes that he will have more opportunities for actual medical experience. He is sent to a small regimental field hospital staffed by two experienced doctors in the Carpathian Mountains. But when he arrives he finds that the hospital is located in a recently bombed church and that they are in the midst of an outbreak of typhus. The doctors are either dead or have fled and the hospital is being run by a young woman in religious orders named Sister Margarete.

Lucius quickly finds how little he knows, but under the guidance of Sister Margarete he quickly learns the basics, of how to amputate and care for battle wounds. It is however the wounds that show no scars, the wounds of the mind that are most compelling to Lucius. The inexplicable loss of memory, the catatonic stress, the bodies contorted by immobility and stiff joints and fingers. Then a young sergeant, József Horváth, is brought to the hospital, his coat is filled with strange drawings, and like so many others, disoriented and often catatonic. Mystified and strangely drawn to Horváth, Lucius begins to treat him, a decision that has far reaching consequences not only for Horváth, but for Lucius, Sister Margarete and the entire hospital as well.

This book reminded me of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese as Mason describes the feelings and insights of doctors and nurses who care for patients they do not know how to treat and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer for the insightful and lyrical prose Mason uses to describe the lives of ordinary people caught up in the gritty nastiness of war. Beautifully written, this is a war story that contains both mystery and romance and celebrates the resilience and courage of people caught up in circumstances beyond their control.

Brenda’s Rating: *****(5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Marian, Keith, Sharon and Ken

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.

 

 

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Mystery, Romance | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Hush by John Hart (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 24)

Posted on September 4, 2020 by bseat

John Hart is one of those authors that can’t quite be pigeonholed into some convenient genre. He writes thrillers and mysteries, detective stories, moody, haunted, events and about betrayal, broken dreams and love lost. Although The Hush, is a sequel to The Last Child, it is really a stand-alone book that explains all you need to know without having to read the first book.

It is now ten years since John Merrimon, became a hero in his small town in North Carolina after finding a missing girl. Seeking to avoid the glare of publicity, John has used the money he received initially, to buy up hundreds of acres of natural woodlands and marsh and now lives simply, in a small cabin in the middle of the woods. His only connection to the world beyond is his friend Jack who helped him in his search ten years before. The bonds they forged then have become more tenuous as time has gone on, especially has John has become more isolated, but they still understand each other in ways most people never can.

But something is changing. John senses, a danger or a darkness that seems to be getting stronger in the woodlands that he calls home. Jack, too senses something shifting in the mists, when he comes to visit. He sees the changes in his friend and the unnatural cold, creeping darkness as he walks through the wild places to get to John’s cabin. Then some children go missing, and some hunters, too. As the town tries to find the missing,  John and Jack, must figure out what malevolence is stalking the wild places and how to stop its thirst for vengeance.

Complicated plots lines, slowly building suspense and great characters and writing, all make this one of the best books I read this year. Although it has some horrific scenes and unexpected supernatural elements I did not see this as a “horror” book, but rather I felt these elements were almost a metaphor for the harm done to our wooded places and our unwillingness to see the earth and all its peoples as sacred.

Brenda’s Rating:****(4 Out Of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Lauren and Keith

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Prize Winner, Psychological Mystery, Series, Suspense, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Late Show, Dark Sacred Night and The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 23)

Posted on August 28, 2020 by bseat

I have loved the Bosch series by Michael Connelly and so when he introduced a new character, Renee Ballard, I was a bit hesitant. Why mess with a good thing? But my curiosity got the best of me and soon I read the first one and then the second and then the third and now I am hooked!

In The Late Show we are introduced to Renee Ballard who is stuck on the nightshift in Hollywood. She was a rising star in the LAPD until she filed a sexual harassment suit against her supervisor and so as punishment she was given this beat. The hierarchy expected her to quit, but Renee won’t give them the satisfaction and so she does her job, every night and then passes her cases onto the day shift who will inevtabley solve them and get the credit. That is until she catches two cases where women are victims. The first was the beating of a prostitute left for dead in a parking lot and the second a shooting in a night club which killed a young woman. Disregarding her partners advice and against orders from her superior, Ballard doggedly pursues the evidence until she can bring justice to these two women, who like her, were treated as if they did not matter.

In Dark Sacred Night, Renee Ballard finds a stranger rifling through the old case file drawers in the Hollywood Station. It is Harry Bosch. He explains that he is working the cold case of a young fifteen year old girl who was found brutally murdered in a dumpster and Bosch needed access to the old case files. Explaining that it is against regulations to let him review the files she makes him leave, but her curiosity gets the bettor of her and she pull the files, reads them and finds herself wanting to help Bosch solve this case. Combining forces, Ballard and Bosch begin to trace Daisy’s movements and as they get closer to solving the case the trust between them is tested in ways neither of them could have anticipated.

In The Night Fire Bosch attends the funeral of his mentor, John Thompson. His widow hands Bosh a package containing the murder book of an unsolved killing of an erratic young man some twenty year before. Bosch realizes he needs some help on this case and asks Ballard if she will help him solve the case and figure out why his mentor had held onto it for so long. Ballard agrees but soon realizes that there are some serious deficiencies in the initial investigation. As she and Bosch trade information and follow the evidence they begin to wonder whether Thompson had kept the murder book to  cover it up, or to try and solve it. As they get closer to answering that question and solving the case, Bosch and Ballard’s form an intense bond and a common understanding that justice is worth fighting for no matter the cost.

I highly recommend these books! Although Ballard and Bosch’ relationship is sometimes frosty and prickly, there is some really great chemistry between them. Connelly is dealing with that age old dilemma of how to deal with a character who is growing older and aging out. In this case, Connelly shows us that teaming up with another character is one way to solve that dilemma and as result he can create an even stronger and more satisfying story line. Fast paced and riveting these books will keep you reading long passed your bedtime!

Brenda’s Rating ****(4 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend these books to: Marian, Sharon and Keith

Book Study Worthy? sure

Read in ebook format

 

 

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Detective novel, Fiction, Legal Procedural, Mystery, Series, Suspense | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 22)

Posted on August 21, 2020 by bseat

There is nothing like reading a really good fantasy series to give you a break from the tedium and anxiety of living through a pandemic. Opening up another world, meeting new characters and learning how they confront their fears and anxiety can be both cathartic and enlightening! Bardugo provides an excellent case in point with her Shadow and Bone Trilogy which follows a young orphaned girl who becomes more powerful the she ever imagined, but must also learn that her power demands sacrifice and does not exempt her from sorrow and loss.

Alina Starkov, was just an expendable soldier fighting against the monsters that emerged from the Shadow Fold, a vast and unknowable wasteland that divided her country in half. But when her regiment was attacked her dormant powers were unleashed. Now celebrated as a hero, she is enrolled in the Grisha Academy a place where people with magical powers like hers are taught how to use them. The leader of the Grisha, known as the Darkling, is intrigued by Alina’s raw and vast power and begins to take an interest in her, because he believes that she might be capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their divided kingdom.

Under the guidance of the Darkling, Alina begins to explore and use her powers, but her powers are unpredictable and there is even more danger to Alina and to those around her. Soon Alina, must decide whether she wants be a pawn in the machinations of the Darkling, or to find her own path and find the means to control her powers. As her capabilities grow and the urgency to find a way to evade the Darkling’s pursuit rises, Alina finds it more and more difficult to trust those around her, even Mal, her trusted and devoted friend. Isolated and alone, Alina must find a path that is true to what she believes even though it may not satisfy the hopes and dreams of others.

Bardugo is a great write and has created an intense and vey believable world of monsters and magical powers. Alina is an interesting character who unfolds before your eyes. Initially she is nothing and then suddenly she is a hero and has powers the she cannot begin to understand. Bardugo deftly shows us the complicated feelings and difficulty Alina experiences in that transition. Alina and Mal’s  relationship also undergoes significant challenges as Mal, who does not have magic sees the radical transformation it has on Alina. Alina’s journey from insignificance to hero, is not unusual but Bardugo, makes it unique and powerful!

Brenda’s Rating: ****(4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Lauren, Marian and Sharon.

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in
format.

 

Posted in Adventure, Books to Read During a Pandemic, Fantasy, Fiction, Series, Suspense, YA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Books To Read During a Pandemic, Part 21)

Posted on August 14, 2020 by bseat

Gillian Flynn rocketed to fame with her book Gone Girl, a twisty tale of love and madness. It would be very hard for any writer to duplicate that kind of success, but Flynn is a a great writer and she has continued to write books that are intriguing, plumb the depths of the human psyche and have characters that are always a bit broken in some compelling way. Dark Places is no exception!

Libby Day just wants to live her life, but her past makes that almost impossible. When she was seven her mother and two sisters were killed in a gruesome triple homicide that the media called the “Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” Even worse, her fifteen year old brother, Ben, was arrested and tried for the murder and it was Libby’s testimony that sent him away to prison. Libby never quite got over the horror of losing her entire family and although initially she was able to live off the royalties of books and documentaries recounting the horrific murders, now, twenty five years later, the money as well as the interest in the case has dried up.

Then she gets a call from someone who says he wants her to come and talk to the “Killer Club,” a group of armchair detectives who pursue their passion for mystery and crime detection by taking on old cases and trying to solve them. Although Libby is initially just interested in the money that she might make by going to talk to the group, she is startled to find that there is a small but ardent group within the club who believe her brother is innocent of the crime!

Eager to prove them wrong, Libby begins looking into the case herself, opening boxes and going through files of documents from the trial that have sat untouched for all these years. Soon she is following up leads that take her from Missouri to Oklahoma and back to Kansas and the scene of the crime and what she uncovers is more deadly than she ever imagined.

Flynn has a real flair for the twisty, unmoored narrator, and Libby is no exception. She is not an empathetic character, but you root for her anyway because you want her to be successful at something and to begin to live her life which has been on hold for twenty five years. Flynn strings you along, leaving little clues along the way all leading to an unstoppable ending!

Brenda’s Rating: ****(4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Marian and Sharon

Book Study Worthy? yes

Read in ebook format.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Detective novel, Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Mystery, Suspense | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 20)

Posted on August 7, 2020 by bseat

While my sister was on vacation with her family (camping and hiking with proper social distancing,) I got a text from her. “Have you read ‘A Small Indiscretion.?” she asked. When I said I hadn’t she said, ” OMG, you are in for a great read. She goes to places most authors do not.” And like always my sister was right!

Annie is happily married with three children and a rewarding career as a lighting fixture designer. It hadn’t always seemed that she would be capable of achieving this stability and success in her life. At nineteen, her increasingly erratic drunken father, and her parents inevitable divorce had galvanized her to leave homes and go to London to find a new life. But her sudden freedom left her unmoored and a winter of drunken abandon ensued. When she returned to California with a new boyfriend, the man who later became her husband, it seemed that she had put the past behind her and could now begin the life she had longed for so long.

Then one day she receives a photo taken during her time abroad and suddenly her past and present collide and the life she had so carefully nurtured begins to fall apart. The marriage that seemed so strong begins to unravel and her son is thrown from a car in a terrible accident and suffers serious and traumatic injuries.  Even worse it seems that all these events are somehow tied to that winter in London and the photo that she received in the mail. Annie must now confront the a past that she had tried so hard to forget and find the mysterious connections between her past and present.

This is a debut novel for Ellison and I predict we will be hearing more from her! Gripping from the very first page, the narrative goes back and forth between the past and present as Annie tries to piece together what has happened to her life. This is a story of denial, passion, love and forgiveness and Ellison allows us to hear the anguish, guilt and acceptance Annie feels as she comes to terms with the consequences of her small indiscretion.

Brenda’s Rating ****(4 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Marian, Lauren and Keith

Read in ebook format

 

 

 

 

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel (Books to Read During a Pandemic, Part 19)

Posted on July 31, 2020 by bseat

Hilary Mantel is an impressive writer and she proves this again in The Mirror and the Light, the last book in her series on Thomas Cromwell. It was such a strange experience to move from a very negative and antagonistic view of Thomas Cromwell before I started this series to that of being sympathetic to him and mourning his inevitable death under Henry VIII. That Mantle was able to evoke such emotions and inspire sympathy for such a man is truly a sign of a good writer!

In this last book of the series that began with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, we find Cromwell at he peak of his power and influence. After his efforts to find a way for Henry VIII to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn and then devising a path to annul the marriage to Anne and execute her for infidelity, Cromwell arranges for Henry to marry Lady Jane Seymour. Although the marriage seems to be a pleasant one, it is short lived as Jane soon dies in childbirth. Soon the political machinations on who the king should marry begin again, and Cromwell is in the thick of it trying to stop the Duke of Norfolk among others from getting the upper hand. Meanwhile he begins negotiating for the hand of Anne of Cleves, an alliance that would give Henry a more powerful position visa vis the Emperor and the Pope.

What is unclear during this time is whether Cromwell simply lets down his guard because he believes his relationship with the King makes him invulnerable or whether he has simply become less able to read the complex desires of the King. In either case he clearly misjudges the animosity that he has created among the noble class, with his meteoric rise to power, wealth and influence and he is soon fighting for his life.

For those who love history these books are a wonderful exploration on the limits of power and the ways in which we lie to ourselves about the evil we do. Mantle’s Cromwell is both enigmatic and vulnerable. He desires power, but he dislikes its use. He seems bold and fearless in his actions and yet he regrets the things he does. Mantles’ Cromwell is much more complicated and nuanced than the Cromwell I learned about in history class and I think when we can see historical figures in a larger context and with more nuance we are more likely to see ourselves in the mirror.

Brenda’s Rating: ***** (5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to Sharon, Marian and Keith.

Book Study worthy? Yes!

Read in ebook format.

 

 

 

Posted in Books to Read During a Pandemic, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Spiritual | Tagged , , | Leave a comment