Michael Riley's Blog: December 2018

Monday, December 31, 2018

January Reads and Setting a 2019 Goal: Clear the Bookshelves Because They are Out of Control

Here it is...the last day of 2018. I'm going to spend the evening with my boyfriend at his house, watching a remake of Overboard (I have a deep fondness for the original with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell), sipping Prosecco, and nibbling on roasted shrimp dripping in garlic and butter. There may also be a chocolate pie for dessert, too. And bread, because why not end the year right?

I've already signed up for the Beat the Backlist Challenge with NovelKnight (you can, too!) as a tool to help me read from my bookcases and if I'm lucky, the boxes of books I have in my basement. I always start out ambitious and then life says "Oh no, hang on. Here's a few other things you need to do first" and then I hit a snag that slows down my reading. The only thing I really enjoy about January is having plenty of time to be home at night and on the weekends to read and chill out. I most definitely become a hermit until around March. However, I remain optimistic that I will go forth and read like mad for the next few months.

This month I've got a few new books to read, and a few that I've had for a few months that I've plucked from a stack in my bedroom. It's an interesting mix. I'm hoping to dive back into historical fiction again this year--it's my favorite genre and I noticed I didn't read a whole lot of it last year. Luckily, most of what I'm aiming to read this month fits into my backlist challenge and are books I've got at home--double yay for me. Here's what's in store for January:

This is for a January book club: The Scarlett Letter set in the future.

Found this at B&N earlier in December and thought it looked interesting. I can't wait to read this one.

I've been waiting for this for a few months! Just bought it the other day. Dual timeline; Queen (Princess) Elizabeth's wedding gown and 1947 London.

I'm reading the first in the series; three kids search for the Grail in a battle with the dark.

I'll probably have a few others that will pop in for reviews, but for now, I'm starting off with these. I'm excited for a new year in books and hope to have a good balance of new and backlist titles each month.

Have a wonderful New Year's 2019!

The Bookalicious Babe

from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews http://bit.ly/2QbLPpK

January Reads and Setting a 2019 Goal: Clear the Bookshelves Because They are Out of Control

This is for a January book club: The Scarlett Letter set in the future.

Found this at B&N earlier in December and thought it looked interesting. I can't wait to read this one.

I've been waiting for this for a few months! Just bought it the other day. Dual timeline; Queen (Princess) Elizabeth's wedding gown and 1947 London.

I'm reading the first in the series; three kids search for the Grail in a battle with the dark.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Top Ten Favorite Reads of 2018: It's Been an Interesting Year

I looked over my list of read books for 2018 and I have to say, I was underwhelmed. All I kept seeing were the ghosts of books I should have read, and didn't get to for one reason or another. Or all the books I started, and didn't finish. Of course, I should be happy and thrilled I read more this year, and I certainly am; I just think my reading choices weren't always the best. I did read more graphic novels, and I'm grateful for diving into that genre. I hope to read more of them in 2019. Non-fiction took a hit for me this year; I just didn't get to read all that much--another goal for 2019. SciFi/Fantasy--where are you?! Just a few made my reading list this year, darn it. I read a lot of novels that were darker than my usual taste. I didn't read much at all of what made the bestseller lists, even though I have quite a few on my shelves at home.

I guess my reading list reflects the mood I was in for most of the year: avoiding politics, news, and dealing with the increasingly frail health of family members. I thought I was reading to escape and relax, but it looks like I was reading books that reflected my less than sunny state of mind. Three book groups also added to my reading choices: one with a monthly theme, one that's a free for all (my favorite!), and one where we've been reading from library book club kits. I'm glad they all pushed me to read outside my comfort zone. I have to say this year's reading list was not at all what I expected when I began in January of 2018. I'm setting my Goodreads Challenge for 2019 at 100 books again. It's a good goal for me; keeps me on my toes but is doable if I read a few books every week. I have no idea what 2019 will bring for me, but I certainly hope it is a bright, happy year, and that my reading reflects a happier state of mind!

Without further ado, here's my list of Top Ten Reads for 2018:

10. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

It came late in the year, but Eileen was so unusual it made my Top 10. Bizarre, at times down right gross, you'll be as sucked into the story as I was--step out of your comfort zone and read it!

9. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

A huge novel about the trials of a Korean family living in Japan. A study in culture, politics, and family traditions.

8. Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf

I've read a lot of Heather's novels, and this was her best. A deaf woman finds a dead body and can't rest until she discovers the who, what, and why.

7. Still Life by Louise Penny

I finally read Louise Penny, and I love her writing! Want a start to a great mystery series? Pick this up!

6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Probably the biggest buzzed about book this year; a YA novel that will wrap you up and introduce you to an amazing world full of magic, myth, and loyalty.

5. The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

I've read all of Fiona's novels, and I'm a big fan. A beautiful cover, a compelling story about an art school tucked away in the Grand Central Terminal, and the fight to save the terminal from destruction. Dual storylines will keep you engaged!

4. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Ah, Simone St. James. She never lets me down, and this was by far my favorite of her novels. A woman reporter is still obsessed with her sister's murder years later; a group of girls living at the school 50 years before experience the terror of a spirit that walks the halls. A dual storyline, all based around a girl's school that holds a haunting secret.

3. The Library Book by Susan Orlean

I read some non-fiction this year, just not a lot. I adored this book and Susan Orlean's love of libraries shines through. If you know nothing about libraries, pick it up--you'll be amazed!

2. The Dry by Jane Harper

Oh, this almost made my #1 spot. Jane Harper is an Australian author who writes a crime novel that will leave you parched, emotionally drained, and amazed at her gift of writing. She's one to watch!

And my number one favorite read of 2018:

1. The Hunger by Alma Katsu

This. novel. Holy moses! It takes the story of the Donner Party Tragedy and turns it into a novel of terror that will leave you unsettled, locking your doors, and Googling everything you can find about the Donner Party. Sooooo good.

You can read all the reviews of my top ten by clicking on the titles. The top three were tough, but The Hunger won out in the end. A reimagining of the Donner Expedition that was like nothing I expected; creepy as heck, and flat out nail-biting.

Here's to a great reading year! What are your top reads of 2018? Share with me! I'd love to know what everyone is reading.

Happy New Year everyone!

The Bookalicious Babe

from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews http://bit.ly/2GJ0Uzq

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb

I've read a few of Wendy Webb's novels, and they fit right into one of my favorite genres: modern gothic. Wendy writes what I like to think of as Midwestern Modern Gothic; novels set in the United States Midwest. Carol Goodman is another author who writes modern gothic. I can't go wrong with either of these authors.

Daughters of the Lake takes place along Lake Superior, with dual timelines of the early 1900's and the twenty-teens. Great Bay is a small town on the shores of Lake Superior, and one morning a woman's body floats to shore. She's dressed in a white nightgown, and looks like she's peacefully sleeping. But she's dead, and nestled near her side is a small baby, also dead.

Kate's father Fred discovers the body, and when Kate sees the woman, she's visibly shocked. Her reaction peaks the interest of the local authorities, who think Kate may know more about the mysterious woman than she's letting on.

Kate herself has just come to stay with her parents after discovering her husband's been having an affair with a co-worker. She's left her job, and her husband, and is still reeling from his betrayal. And then there are the weird dreams, where she's someone else, living as a happily married woman. A woman who looks exactly like the body on the shore...

The story moves back and forth between Addie and Jess, living in the early 1900's in Great Bay, and Kate, who travels from Great Bay to Wharton, another small tourist town on Lake Superior. Her family's B&B is run by her cousin; both are descendants of the man who built the great house, Harrison Connor. Kate's grandmother, Hadley, was his only child. Kate's cousin Simon invites her to stay at the B&B for awhile to figure out what she's going to do next to start over. They're both curious to explore the third floor, which was a ballroom but is now unused and full of old boxes and family mementos.

Addie's story is pretty interesting. Born in the lake, she has an affinity for the water, as her mother and grandmother have; the lake is always welcoming and the place to go when they need to escape and recharge. The spirit of the lake is alive and always watching...

Both stories kept me interested in finding out what exactly happens to Addie, and how she ends up appearing in the lake 100 years after she's died. You have to just go with it, and accept that the lake has protected her body all this time, and released it now for a reason. That reason is Kate. The police investigation, and suspicion on Kate is pretty flimsy, but it spurs the plot forward. It gets Kate moving in the direction of solving the mystery, and meeting the handsome Detective Nick Stone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. There's just not enough fiction written about the Great Lakes, the beauty and sheer wonder of them. And, of course, the magic. So just read this novel for the fun of it, and interesting legend that is the Daughters of the Lake.

Rating: 4/6 for an interesting plot, even though some of the devices to move it along were kind of flimsy. But I didn't mind, because I found the storyline interesting and hard to put down. Lake Superior is a major character in this novel, and it will make you yearn for some quiet contemplation on the shore of a lovely lake. If you like light modern gothic mysteries with a Midwest flavor, I recommend Wendy Webb's novels.

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews http://bit.ly/2SolFlk

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb

Friday, December 21, 2018

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

I decided to deviate from my planned holiday reads and picked up Fannie Flagg's A Redbird Christmas after spotting it at the library and realizing it was time to finally read it. I've spent many Christmas retail years putting this book on endcap displays and holiday book tables, but never planned on reading it. I guess I had to wait for the right time.

The holidays can be a really tough time for many folks. It seems like loss is amplified, surrounded by what should be a cheerful, exciting time of the year. I've had two family members pass on during this time: one at the beginning of the season, and one just after Christmas. It's now become a bittersweet time of year for me. I love the music, the lights, the excitement, but it's become more of a reflection and remembering of what Christmas was for me as a kid and young adult. Now it's a chance to reconnect with friends, even if only for a few hours. It's a time to be home, spending quiet time reading or just chilling out. I suppose all of that is normal as we grow older, and think about making our own Christmas traditions.

I've read a few Fannie Flagg novels, and they always find me at the right time. There's something about her gentle humor, endearing characters, and storytelling that puts a smile on my face. This novel was no different. Published in 2004, A Redbird Christmas has become a modern holiday classic. It's the story of Oswald Campbell, a middle-aged man who is a recovering alcoholic living a rather lonely life in Chicago. A visit to his doctor gives him bad news: if he stays in Chicago, he'll probably die of pneumonia within a few months. Years of trouble with his lungs have made living in the cold winters of Chicago deadly.

Oswald's doctor recommends a place his father, also a doctor, sent his patients years ago: a small town in Alabama called Lost River, where folks can stay and rest in the warmth of a southern winter. Oswald's got nothing to lose, so he packs up his meager possessions and travels to Lost River, not knowing what to expect.

What follows once Oswald arrives is a perfect Christmas tale about neighbors becoming family, a funny little redbird called Jack, and the kindness of strangers. Oswald finds himself in a place that is unlike anywhere else he's ever been, and just what he needs. A little girl named Patsy becomes part of Lost River's community, and her friendship with Jack, the redbird that lives at the general store, is the main storyline of the novel. Lost River is a small town full of quirky, kind folks who take care of each other and gently stay in each other's business. I kept thinking I had overlooked when this novel takes place, but I realize it's never mentioned. I like to think it's somewhere in the 1960's or 1970's, but I'm not sure. It didn't bother me, and I actually preferred the story without a specific era--it added to the sense that Lost River was timeless.

Jack, the redbird, figures prominently in this novel, and I didn't realize until the end that I understood cardinals are seen as a message from our loved ones on the other side. I knew this, but didn't make the connection until the very end. And considering that this holiday season is a little more bittersweet and sad than it usually is, well, I think my redbird visit came from a book this year. I've always believed books come into your life when you need a certain message, and this one has come in loud and clear for me.

Now if I see a cardinal at all in the next week, I just may freak out! But in a good way.

Rating: 4/6 for a gentle, sweet tale of finding family, finding a new beginning out of an ending, and enjoying the simple joys of life. This is a perfect gift for readers who enjoy short tales, Southern locales, and characters who worm their way into your heart.

Available in paperback, audio, and ebook.

from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews http://bit.ly/2T3Eydg

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Taking a Break from Holiday Novels: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

When someone hands you a book and asks you to read it so they can discuss it, you read the book so you can discuss it. This was a novel that had me at turns disturbed, disgusted, intrigued, and reluctantly cheering Eileen on towards a better life.

Taking place in 1964, and told from a much older Eileen's lens, this is one weird ride. Even when I was completely grossed out, I kept reading--the writing is just that good. Tiny little details that keep you compulsively turning the pages. Are you intrigued yet?

Eileen is twenty-four, and living at home with her alcoholic father. The home is completely filthy; neither has cleaned the house since Eileen's mother died years before. Her father is such an alcoholic that he sits in front of the open oven for warmth, drinking bottles of gin all day, every day. He's a retired cop who still has some odd kind of respect from the hometown police force--a polite, turn your head away respect. He's gotten into so much trouble in his drunken wanderings that Eileen now keeps all his shoes locked in the trunk of her car so he can't leave the house. Eileen herself is a piece of work. A young woman who is so disgusted with her physical appearance, her life, and pretty much everything; she's such a wreck that it's a bit of a shock. She sleeps in an unheated attic on a fold out cot, and wears her dead mother's too big clothes to her job as an office worker in a boy's prison. Personal hygiene is out the window. As she says, she likes to "stew in her own filth." Ew.

Christmas is just around the corner, and we know that Eileen's life is going to radically change on Christmas Eve. We know this because older, wiser Eileen keeps telling us, so the build up to what will happen starts pretty early in the novel. You are at times repulsed by Eileen, and equally intrigued, and see glimpses of who she could have been, if only her upbringing had been a little different; if only her parents had cared about their child. This is a study of a person profoundly damaged by their negligent parents--and for that, you can't help but hope Eileen finds a way out.

You may wonder why the heck anyone would want to read this novel. I've got to say, it will grab you and you won't be able to put it down. Once you get past Eileen's very strong defenses, and start to see more of who she is, you become invested in her escape from her terrible, empty life. You see glimpses of an Eileen that is witty, sharp, and so desperately wants someone to love her.

Read it. It's quite the change from my reads so far this month, but a good one. I recommend it as a great way to bust out of your routine book type--take a chance and read something really different.

Rating: 4/6 for a fascinating novel about a young woman who aches to break out of her life and make something of herself, but had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get there. Brilliant writing.

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.

from Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews https://ift.tt/2UUuLbe