more than letters on a line today

  The Whispers Ashley Audrain 4 stars  Pub date June 6   Any one of us who at some point in time had something to hide, will ‘feel’ this book. No one ever knows what goes on behind our closed doors. Happiness is easy to share, but fear and pain and crazy are best kept hidden. And that is what we see in 4 women who are neighbours and can literally see into each other’s lives. But do they see only what their neighbour wants them to see? So much was traded in what went unsaid.  In what was protected. There are many potential triggers covered, and Audrain does not shy away from the difficult stuff of these women’s lives. Fear of not living up to the expectations of motherhood, the ‘unusual’ child, infidelity, abuse, suicide, miscarriage. The women you warm up to and the women you dislike, the fine line between trust and encroachment, the appreciation and the disappointment you might find with your mate are all within these pages. Audrain does not hold back with ...

  Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers Jesse Q. Sutanto 4 stars   Vera Wong is the nosy, opinionated Auntie that shows up in many families. She's energetic, can cook up the most delicious sounding meals, and is determined to solve the case of a body she finds in her famous tea shop. She even has some thoughts about the police handling of this situation. But she's sure she would do a better job than they possibly could, because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands... And so what else can she do? She gathers the suspects, feeds them, bosses them around, and shares her most outlandish opinions. All this with warmth and wit. You will shake your head and laugh out loud often while reading this book. Take it with you to a coffee shop, a beach, or on a plane and you will make more friends than you might want. All because you will want to tell someone why you are giggling to yourself! More cozy adventure than all-out mys...

The Last Chairlift John Irving 4.5 stars updated 6/13/23  see initial review of 3.5 stars 12/22/22 When I read the first 512 pages 6 months ago, I wasn’t able to complete a review and returned it to the publisher. So many books in between! Just so you know that when I picked it up again, I was pleased to see how much of the book I remembered, visual images so strong based on the words of John.   Yes, there is an abundance of very interesting family dynamics, people bonded together not necessarily by blood but by emotion, bonds that last a lifetime and beyond. Every dynamic based on a deep bond or sadly, the lack of it. Irving covers social injustice, the not sanctioned relationships of government or church, the unbelievable aspects of reality vs suspicion that you, the reader, could have been duped somehow and in his bizarre combinations, he keeps you hooked.   If you are an Irving fan, you will not be disappointed, you will be prepared for his frequent meanderings on the...