REVIEW: By the Fire We Carry Rebecca Naigle

 

For those of you that, like me, are Gen X, we sadly didn't learn much about Native American history in our country while we are in school. I've been trying to educate myself and this was one of the books that I picked up. I was glad that I did as Nagle weaves together history of her tribe and the narrative of a homicide that occurs in Oklahoma. This case - popularly known as the Murphy case - asked the question of whether the government had dis-established the Muskogee reservation. This was an important question because it would determine whether the state had the authority to prosecute Murphy and sentence him to the death penalty or not.

This book is  both amazingly researched and also intensely personal. Nagle tells the history of the Muskogee tribe and its relationship with the Federal Government, its travails on the Trail of Tears and the establishment of reservations, as well as their disestablishment. She alternates these chapters with her own personal story about the case and her experiences as a Muskogee tribal member.  I loved this book and would highly recommend reading it.  

Nagle also hosts the Podcast, This Land that I would also highly recommend.

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Please don't forget about Pangobooks where you can buy and sell used books! Use this link or code Melissa32264 at checkout for $5.00 off your first order.

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I hope everyone had a good week.  I am plugging away at a book about Alex Murdaugh and a novel about WW2 that I hope to have reviews for shortly!  We're in Saratoga for Head of the Fish this weekend. My son is  a junior in High School so we're going to visit Skidmore while we're there.

• 12 frozen lasagnas ranked 
• Why we say cats have nine lives.
• Barnes and Noble has the first best of list.
• Epistolary novels.
• The most popular Halloween candy by state.
• Netflix Christmas movie schedule.
• Boys and reading the Babysitter's Club

Please don't forget to check out Pangobooks and get $5.00 off your order using this link!

REVIEW: The Devil at at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty by Valerie Bauerlein

 

This is one true crime case that I knew of. It was always on the fringes of my true crime consciousness but wasn't one that I had ever taken a deep dive into so when I came across reviews for this book, I thought I would give it a try because it looked pretty good. 

The Murdaugh Family had the corner on power in their part of the low country of South Carolina for generations.  They dominated law enforcement and politics and their law firm made millions of dollars for the family and their clients. However, on June 8, 2021, Maggie and Paul, the wife and son of Alex Murdaugh, were murdered in cold blood on the property of their estate named Moselle. Paul was 22 and had his own controversy - he was a known abuser, alcoholic and was embroiled in controversy surrounding a drunken boat crash that resulted in the death of a friend (the boat was the Murdaugh family boat). Alex himself was known to put pressure on people to clean up controversy, including attempting to cover up the boat crash involving Paul. 

I really enjoyed Bauerlein's book.  It stretches for 400 pages or so, but doesn't feel like a bear or a bore at all. She gives a detailed and easy to follow timeline leading up to the crimes, including Alex's addiction to painkillers and embezzlement of client funds, as well as connections to the mysterious death of his housekeeper, Gloria. She is very detailed in her report and it is obvious that her research was thorough. She interviewed attorneys, officers and others involved in the case. As a result, her book is comprehensive. this is a good place to start if you're looking to find out more about this horrific murder and the man who has no soul.

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone is having a good week.  The above picture was taken by my daughter on a school trip to Mt. Cardigan. They backpack for an eighth grade trip instead of going to D.C. My son is rowing in Head of the Charles on Sunday!

1. Some great Harry Potter stocking stuffers for adults.
2. Ten most popular Christmas books.
3. Taylor Swift is publishing a book.
4. 5 reasons online yoga is good for moms.
5. Why cats chirp at birds.
6. Disney reveals new parade float.
7. best horror books about Halloween.,
8. Archeologists discovery skeletons in Petra- that is the Indiana Jones tomb!
9. Disney announces a $99.00 vacation package.
10. The 2024 winners of the Kirkus prize.
11. Bookish autumnal things!
12. Coastal reads that are great for the fall.
13. J. Courtney Sullivan is a fav of mine.  Here is a tour of her home.
14. 15 small press books you should be reading this fall.
15. Warning stroke symptoms and what to look for.
16. The best states for fall road trips. I would lie if I said that I wasn't surprised New Hampshire wasn't on the list.

Just a reminder that you can earn $5.00 off your first order at Pangobooks by clicking on this link!

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As you know from last Sunday's links post, we went to King Richard's Faire last weekend. It's always a blast and this time was no different! We didn't get to see our favorite performer, who is apparently in Paris according to his father. Ihaven't been feeling well this week.  It wasn't covid, strep or an ear infection or even the flu.  I think I'm on the  mend though.

• Margaret Atwood on the advice she was given.
• Quiz: Would you have been accused of witchcraft in the 17th century?
• It's never too early for Christmas ornaments.
• Do Starbucks gift card work internationally?
• Ask these five questions to help with determining a Halloween costume.
• The best and most cynical fixers in crime fiction.
• Selling PB and J kits during a hurricane. Yay or nea?
• If you have surplus Halloween candy, please consider this program.
• The most haunted hotels.
• Han Kang wins the Nobel Prize for Literature.
• First significant snowfall on Mt. Washington. 
• Station 11 ten years later. this is one I need to re-read.
• 25 best Harry Potter stocking stuffers.

On another note, I've been selected as a Pangobooks ambassador.  PB is a wonderful resource that lets you buy used books. I love it. If you use my code, you'll get $5.00 off your first offer, which is a steal!

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week.  It's taking me longer to finish a book than I thought it would but I'm likely to have a few reviews up in the next few weeks. Last week, we were in Wolfoboro for the Winni Chase Regatta.  It was a blast!  I'm looking forward to the upcoming ones! See the pics!  

This weekend, we're headed to an Erg-a-thon, a soccer game and King Richard's Faire.

1. The best books on the lessons of history.
2. Why Minnesota is a great setting for crime fiction.
3. Book recommendations for Hispanic heritage month.
4. What staple Aldi, Costco and Trader Joe's have in common.
5. Three non-negotiable tips for cold and flu season.
6. We lost Maggie Smith.
7. Great actors read great books.
8. 8 mysteries set in the book world.
9. 6 haunted libraries.
10. Was Jekyll/Hyde inspired by a real murder case?
11. Nintendo museum opens in Japan.
12. Three must read memoirs on working class. 
13. Lego landscapes which are amazing
14. The loss of self worth in the digital age.
15. This looks good.

REVIEW A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas

 

I see this book everywhere -notably Target - and my daughter was asking about it recently so I thought that I would get it out of the library to read it. Feyre (pronounced Fay-Ruh) is a teenage human who has a very difficult life - she is the main support of her family and when she kills a wolf, she is dragged into a world that she literally didn't ask to join by the other main protagonist - Tamlin. Maas takes it from there and gives us a re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast story, complete with toxic and abusive relationships and gory battle scenes.  

I'm not a fan of this series and I certainly wouldn't let my almost 14 year old daughter read this book.  I think it provides a really unhealthy view of relationships and love that could be dangerous for young adults.  It wasn't very creative in its re-telling of the story that we all know, simply adding sex and gore in the hopes that we wouldn't notice the lack of creativity and lack of character development. I struggled to maintain interest in the story, the characters and, ultimately, the ending of the novel was the best part for me.  I likely won't be reading the rest of the series and I certainly won't encourage my daughter or son to read these books.

As a warning, if you have experienced abuse at the hands of a loved one or intimate partner, I would really think hard about whether this book is one you should read as there is a lot of things that occur in this novel that are very triggering.