more than letters on a line today

    All You Have to Do Is Call Kerri Maher  3.5  stars Pub date Sept 2023    Historically told and sadly, aptly current (in the USA) of a time when women’s rights had to be held up by other women.  Unfortunately, the characters in this book struck me as one dimensional and predictable, I wish they had been meatier. In my head, the inequality and unfairness of a woman’s right to choose was told with honesty as to the times in the 60s an 70s. But in my heart, the story lacked raw emotion and the writing was at times distracting in its silliness. I know that mothers relinquished their lives to ‘being perfect’, but the reader did not need every single detail of the successful Valentines party. Nor did we need to know every item in the husband’s desk drawer (yes, I counted, and eighteen items were listed). This style of writing is not for me.  If the author is going to delve into a difficult topic then just do it. Having lived through this era (althoug...

I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home Lorrie Moore 3 Stars Pub date June 23, 2023    Two stories that don’t meet for a long while. Haunting, ghosts, grief, sadness, what’s real and what isn’t? So let me ask you, do you read about sadness when you are sad? Or something more uplifting? Are ghosts always around us, or do they abandon us for a new life? Can a person (living or dead) ever make amends? These are the thoughts that floated in my head while I read. I found this short (200 page) book tiresome and long. The writing however was beautiful at times, poetic, playful and digging of deep emotions.  It was also like the stars themselves which sat there invisible  in the day. It took the disappearance of sunlight to see  what had been there all along. But it did not reach what I needed from such a story, it was too sad, too stricken, and although there was much reference to Hope, I felt none, I was sad for the characters because their lives seemed void of a bright...

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...

  the Personal Librarian Marie Benedict  and Victoria Christopher Murray 4.8 stars   Belle needs to hide her Black roots to reach any success as the librarian in JP Morgan’s life. The story of how this comes to be, the individual and separate commitments of her father and the dedication of her mother underlie who and what she becomes. Rich in the history of segregation, the importance of education, and the world of language, this book is also a valuable read on the endless attainment and possession of the wealthy of that time. The ability of the privileged to live a life dedicated to accumulation as Belle works each day to hide her parentage is well explained. The book does not dissolve into the painful sacrifices made by ‘coloured folk’ in order to survive but tells the history of two sides. If you are interested in manuscripts, auctions, travel and acceptable relationships of the time this is the book for you. This book is authored by two people and I am always cu...

  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley 3.8 stars I honestly didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. An eleven year old sleuth, the youngest of three (very interesting) siblings, a chemistry buff and defiant as all heck.  But as it turns out, what couldn't you love? Flavia is colourful, full of spirit and explains her circumstances so well. Even to the non-science-y among us. This is a charming book, that might be somewhat wasted on a youth reader. The humour is sublime, the chemistry facts divine, and the characters so in fitting for the fictitious town of Bishop's Lacey.  This is a book of mystery and cunning, that although a little bit predictable, will keep you reading and cheering on the youthful detective.  I'm not certain that I would entertain another of Flavia's mysteries, precocious children might get tiresome, but I think you would like this one. It is a wonderful balance of good sense and the freedom of thought im...

Undistracted  Bob Goff  3 stars, barely   Perhaps, I’m the only one who decided to read this book who didn’t know who Bob Goff is. I have re-read the description provided and did not see any reference to Scripture or God. So I was quite surprised to see the frequent story-telling with Jesus.  Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to a biblical lesson, but I often thought that the story provided by Goff was a far stretch in how it related to Jesus or God. Yes, we can all use more focussed time and not be distracted by the frivolous and inconsequential but this book was not what I was expecting. A lot of the author’s stories went on and on and were difficult for me to follow for what I can imagine was the intended lesson he was driving at.  His sense of humour was often at best corny and not to my taste and some of the stories were just plain silly. I did finish the book to the end, but I feel that my time would have been better spent. Thank you #NetGalley for thi...