REVIEW: The Women by Kristin Hannah

 

I admit, I'm partial to Kristin Hannah. I find her books entertaining (sometimes not so life changing), but definitely worth reading.  This book though - wow.

The protagonist is Francis "Frankie" McGrath, who hails from a wealthy family in California. She decides to enlist in the armed services as a nurse during Vietnam, following her brother, and, in so doing, leaves a very sheltered life to served in a war ravaged country. After serving multiple deployments, Frankie is sent home where she finds different kinds of battles that she must face. Many arrived home wounded, both mentally and physically, and sometimes faced derision by civilians. Frankie herself is spit at upon setting foot on American soil. Many turned to alcohol and drugs or both to cope.  

Frankie experienced that, but with an additional layer - she had to deal with the prevailing belief at the time that there were no women in Vietnam. In spite of the horrific experiences she had, Frankie was told that her experiences and observations were not real or valid as a result of that prevailing and mistaken belief. 

I loved this book and couldn't put it down.  While it was very difficult to read,  I got lost in Frankie's story.  It was one of the few books that has made me cry.  It was so easy to become immersed in the narrative. Definitely worth the read. 

Links I love

 

This eek was a big one weather wise with the eclipse and New England recovering from an April Nor'Easter.  Here are the stories!

1. The SC Women's team upsets Iowa to win the NCAA Basketball title.
2. 20 period dramas to see this month on Amazon.
3. 5 Memoirs by women.
4. One of the best male friendships on TV.
5. What happens if you're late for a virtual queue at Disney.
6. Most targeted books of 2023.
7. 47 Unforgettable Modern Classics
8. A guide to Stephen King.
9. Interactive Dr. Who Map
10. Top 25 bookish mother's day gifts.
11. 12 best donut and  coffee pairings.
12. In Memory of Nicole Brown Simpson

Links I love~

 

Happy Sunday!  Tomorrow is the eclipse - the kids have an excused absence to go watch. Will you be watching?

1. The Tropicana is being demolished to make way for a ball park.
2. Why Biblical women?
3. Disney adults share what gets them icky about each other.
4. Weird and wonderful sensations of viewing an eclipse.
5. Revisiting the movies of 1999.
6. 11 period dramas on Amazon.
7. 7 reasons to not date a reader.
8. 15 books about the Pacific NW.
9. bizarre things found in luggage.
10. What you need to know about the eclipse.
11. Pen/Faulkner award announced.
12. Mysteries about translators.
13. What it feels like to be a sociopath.
14. Origin of several dog breeds.

Links I love

 

I hope everyone is having a good week!

1. The top Kristen Hannah books.
2. Dead butt (yes you read that correctly) syndrome is a thing.
3. How to break phone dependence.
4. How did jelly beans become Easter candy.
5. Babar author has passed away.
6. Lambda awards shortlist is here.
7. For book recommendations, people are better than algorithms.
8. The Great American Novels.
9. Books about camping and hiking.

REVIEW: Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta

 

I loved Election - both the book and the movie (starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick) - and Tom Perrotta in general.  Tracy Flick is such a great character - so when I saw that there was a new book - a sequel - about Tracy, I was all over it! 

This novel takes place approximately 20 years after the events of Election and Tracy is dealing with a life that she never anticipated having. After high school, Tracy went to Georgetown as an undergrad and was just beginning law school, also at Georgetown, when her mother gets very ill, causing Tracy to have to return to care for her. She's now the Assistant Principal at Green Meadow HS in NJ, and she doesn't care for it. She's still very ambitious, but the job isn't what she wants. Tracy's hopes are raised when the current principal, Jack Weede, announces his retirement (finally!) in order to travel the country with his wife, a cancer survivor. Tracy has to interact with members of the school board, including Kyle Dorfman, a parent and computer person who has made his fame by creating a popular application.  She also has to support a hall of fame related to the school, even though it may mean she has to support a former professional football player - and a sport that she abhors.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters.  They are still very well developed and credible in their narration. The chapters themselves are short and told in chronological order, with flashbacks, making the story easy to follow and quick - I read the book in about 2 days. Even though there were a lot of voices, everything was done precisely and I had no issues following what was going on. I don't want to say much more because the end has a bit of a twist, but let's just say that I wish that I had purchased this book instead of merely taking it out of the library. 

REVIEW Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

 

Clara Johnson is a Black Woman living in DC during the time of Langston Hughes. She is something else - she was born with a caul and screaming and her ability to commune with spirits is attributed to her caul. In this novel, Penelope tells the story of Clara and her team as they attempt to save the Black community from spirits stealing their destinies. When we meet Clara, she has been brokering deals between people for six years already and is working as a typist at a local journal. She is offered a deal by a spirit that she calls the Empress - if she can get a hold of a special ring, and provide it to the empress, Clara will be released from her deal with the Empress. The same deal will be extended to anyone else helping her. She enlists the help of her roommate, Zelda, Jesi Lee (a porter), musician Israel Lee and Aristotle. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The period - 1920's DC Black community - was amazing rich, as were the characters and Clara's story. The characters remained warm and empathetic, even where they could easily become cold and cynical. The story was fun and not just a run of the mill treasure hunt - more noir combined with historical fiction (Clara Johnson was an actual person!) - so it was fun. The pacing was good too - it moved quickly. It also kept me on my toes - the "bad guy" and the plot kept changing, so I was constantly reading, hoping to learn more. 

The theme of freedom is important here - there is a group of people that are seemingly held captive and forced to work, much like the sharecroppers were forced to work in the wake of slavery. The debts held by the spirits also reflect that.  The book begs the question of what can actually be done with freedom. If freedom is so hard won, then what can and should be done by those who have actually won that freedom? 

Really enjoyed this book. 

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week, including St. Patrick's!!

1. Is the most expensive hotel at WDW worth it?
2. Patrick Warburton surprises people at Soarin. Would have loved it if this happened when we were there!
3. Chris Bohjalian and lots of things, including his new book.
4. Star Wars blue milk is coming

Enjoy.

REVIEW Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

 

I was intrigued by the title, so I picked this up, not having known about Reid's previous book, which was long listed for various awards. This is a campus novel about the University of Arkansas, featuring Millie, a 24 year old Senior and RA. Millie is black and becomes particularly fond of a visiting (much older) white professor named Agatha, who has come to campus to interview students about weddings and getting married. When we meet everyone, Millie has arranged for the initial interviews and the story moves from there. 

I found that this novel was more of a fly on the wall novel - we are observing from somewhat of a distance while the day to day life of a college unfolds around us. We observe the interaction of race, gender and class and the interpersonal conflicts that arise with living in dorms - the ultimate cramped place. It is pretty fast paced, but don't rush through it otherwise you'll miss the things that Reid is trying to teach you about the power dynamics inherent with the intersection of race class and gender. I enjoyed that I could hear the voices of the characters in my head as I was actually reading the dialogue, which doesn't often happen for me. I appreciated Reid's questioning of how we view the lives of people for our consumption and her questioning of the entitlement that surrounds that. 

Enjoyable and quick, definitely recommended. 

REVIEW: Mussolini's Daughter by Caroline Moorehead

 

I got this book as one of my birthday presents.  It looked intriguing, but it was somewhat deceptive in its title. This book, as the title not so subtly suggests, is supposed to be about Edda Mussolini - the eldest child and eldest daughter of Benito Mussolini. She was, theoretically, one of the most powerful woman in Europe in the 1930's and early 40's.  

Edda was born in 1910 to Rachele and Benito and, initially, had to deal with poverty, beatings and instability. Perhaps not surprisingly, her father was absent - he was often in hospitals or in jail for his fascist activities. Edda would often visit him in prison where she was taught to hug her father, not to show love, but to enable him to conceal items on Edda for her mother. Edda was never allowed to show emotion, instead being taught that stoicism was valued. She was mercurial and enigmatic, according to Moorehead, and was a very distant mother herself as a result. In her teens, Mussolini became "Il Duce" and rose to power, thrusting Edda into the spotlight. Mussolini treasured her more than her other siblings, but she never was the only woman to have his attention given his not so secrete womanizing. She became the "first lady" of the regime because her mother was very reclusive and private.  Edda ended up marrying a man named Gian Ciano, who also was known for his womanizing.

Shortly after their marriage, they travelled to Shanghai for a posting and this is where Edda seems to have been the happiest. She loved being in Shanghai. Even though there was still womanizing, Edda seems to have thrived in society there. Edda's happiness seems to shine when she's farthest from Rome - not only was she happy in Shanghai but she was very happy in the islands of Italy, off the mainland (think Capri). She had bouts of depression, listlessness and abused alcohol at best. Unlike other women, she travelled widely as an emissary of her father, including engaging in meetings with Hitler and his regime as her father's representative.  Eventually, Ciano votes against his father in law, who is arrested, imprisoned and ultimately freed from jail. As a result, Ciano himself is arrested and summarily executed. As a result, she flees to Switzerland and, eventually, is "safe" when her father himself is executed in 1945.

I guess I understand that a book like this cannot be written without providing historical context - particularly with details about Benito Mussolini's life - because Edda's life and her power seem to be in relation to him. However, I felt that most of the book was about her father and not really about her, even though it's supposed to be about her. It left me feeling like I wanted more.  There were maybe 15 pages about her lift after World War II ended, which was disappointing because I wanted to know what happened to her after her escape.  I did really appreciate Moorehead's prose and her research, which was prodigious. She obviously thoroughly researched this book.  The book itself is almost like a movie and moves fairly quickly.  

Definitely worth the read, but I would get it out of the library instead of purchasing. 

Links I love

 

It was my birthday last weekend, so it was pretty low key for me, thankfully.  Here are some links! Enjoy.

1. International Booker prize longlist announced.
2. 5 mysteries set in Russia.
3. Does time feel different since the Pandemic?
4. Kate Middleton and the hubub around her photo.
5. What is a flat white? I like them and cappuccinos - yum.
6. 5 pieces of sleep advice to ignore.
7. On Tana French's new novel - it's not Dublin Squad, but I'll take it.
8. This is...interesting? Sucks?  Let me know what you think.
9. Wendy Williams and her dementia - how sad.
10. Beverly Hills Cop is a fourth amendment movie.
11. How The Simpsons debunks fan theories.
12. Lori Loughlin and Curb Your Enthusiasm

REVIEW: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

 

I have always been a fan of mystery and crime drama, let's be real.  But I picked up the first in the Bosch series after watching a few episodes on Amazon Prime. And I honestly am glad that I found these books. The book's main character is Harry Bosch, a Vietnam vet and a detective at the LAPD who has had his share of employment woes. When we meet him, he's been sent to the Hollywood Homicide Division, which is a Siberia for detectives, after being demoted from an elite unit after an officer involved shooting. Bosch is called to the scene of a suspected homicide, where he learns that a fellow vet and acquaintance, Billy Meadows, has died under suspicious circumstances. Bosch suspects that the death may be linked to a robbery that the FBI is investigating, and so he teams up with Agent Eleanor Wish to investigate and hopefully prevent another bank robbery.

After reading this, I can see why it won awards when it was written (although, in the nature of full disclosure, it is somewhat dated - for instance, the characters have pagers and must use payphones. Bosch seems like the type of character that would be really grouchy about updates in technology, like cell phones). I enjoyed the character of harry Bosch - he's not infallible and comes with his own baggage. He likes jazz, coffee and cigarettes. He makes decisions that don't always align with the rules. He has a tough exterior, but a wicked soft spot for victims and the vulnerable.  

I also really enjoyed the book and the pacing. It moved very well.  Even though the chapters/sections are long-ish, they are often split out into 2-5 page chunks that make for easy and quick consumption. The pacing itself was very good, even for such a deceptively long book.  And the plot twists! Hang with it and you won't be disappointed. 

I look forward to reading more of these novels.

Links I love

 

We are back and back to reality. :( The weather has been quite mild for us though, which makes a difficult transition back a bit easier.  I hope all are well! Here we go:

1. The charm of Romancing the Stone.
2. Dartmouth basketball team unionizes.
3. New Haruki Murakami book being released in November.
4. Kyrsten Synema is retiring.
5. NH's short ski season

Enjoy your week!

Links I love

 

I'm hoping that spring comes sooner rather than later, hence the tulip.  By the time you read this, we'll be in Florida hopefully enjoying some good weather. 

1. 1. 5 best fiction books from Pakistan.
2. Foods that help women retain muscle mass. 
3. Awareness of what hospice care is in light of President Carter being in hospice for one year. 
4. This rivalry just went next level

REVIEW: Down the Hill by Susan Hendricks

 

In February of 2013, two teenagers - Libby and Abby - were hiking the trails close to Monon high bridge and near their home in Delphi on an unexpected day off from school. Libby's sister, Kelsi, dropped the two girls off at the trailhead, waved goodbye and went to work. This was the last time that anyone saw them alive, as approximately 24 hours later, their bodies were found about a mile from where they were last seen. What makes this particular case so interesting and intriguing is that there was little physical evidence or other evidence released to the public at the time of the acts, and even now, with a person accused and trial scheduled, there is not a lot of information in the public as a gag order has been issued.  One of the most, if not THE most intriguing pieces of evidence is audio  and visual recordings made by Libby of a man who said "Guys...down the hill."  There were also two composite sketches released and law enforcement has understandably remained very, very quiet about the evidence they have - they don't want to jeopardize the investigation at all. 

Susan Hendricks, an anchor for CNN/HLN, was one of the first reporters to begin discussing and reporting on this case. She became very, very close to the families in this case as a result of her reporting and noted how this case really impacted her in a way that prior cases that she reported on in her decades of reporting had never done so before. This is a memoir of her reporting on her case and her relationships with the families. She also attempts to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding the death of the two girls and attempts to examine the impact that the deaths had on the community and the heartland at large. It focuses on Susan's personal journey as opposed to other, more "traditional" true crime books.

I found that the book itself was very, very fast paced. I enjoyed that there were lots of natural breaks, even within chapters, which allowed me to consume small bites in between other tasks.  I very much enjoyed the behind the scenes views that I got of crime reporting and I appreciated learning about the impacts that such reporting had on the reporters. I enjoyed learning about the families as well - this is so easy to lose in true crime reporting. Be forewarned - there is no closure on this as the trial for the person arrested for these offenses has not yet occurred.  

There were definitely parts of the book that I did not like - the last few chapters were word for word interviews in paragraph form (as opposed to transcripts) of interviews that Hendricks did with two experts-one a former investigator and one a behavioral analyst - that did not contain any real introspection on Hendricks' part.  I enjoyed the previous parts of the book because Hendricks had discussed her own experiences and insights, so these chapters just  seemed out of place and very dry in a way. I suspect that Hendricks was trying to provide answers, and some guidance as to what was going to happen, but if I wanted that, I would have looked for interviews elsewhere.  

Links I love

 

We watched the Super Bowl last week but I unfortunately couldn't make it through the entire game. I'm getting old. Congrats KC!  

1. The story behind Carl Weather's posthumous Super Bowl ad.
2. This widow's project on valentine's day.
3. Caitlyn Clark breaks NCAA scoring record
4. 10 historical fiction books about books.
5. While you're at it, read books about the 90's.
6. What happens if you commit a crime in an aircraft or on international waters?
7. How was the Italian mafia established in the US?
8. Billy Joel wants to start his own Traveling WIlburys.

REVIEW: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

 

I am not sure why it took me so long to read this novel - maybe I was feeling so inundated by World War II books.  Anyways, it's a Netflix series now so I wanted to read it  before seeing the series. This novel takes place in Germany and France before and during Germany's occupation of France. Marie Laure is a blind girl living in France with her father, who is the keymaster of the local museum and Werner is a German orphan living in an orphanage in the German countryside with his sister Jutta. Werner is a pro at fixing things and, specifically, fixing radios. 

In 1940, Marie and her father escape German occupied Paris for Saint Malo, where her great Uncle Etienne has a home.  Her father has been entrusted with a remarkable and valuable piece from the museum - the Sea of Flame - which the Germans are looking for. Werner also ends up in Saint Malo, where he is tracing transmissions sent by Marie and Etienne on behalf of the resistance, all the while the Germans are still looking for this historical piece. 

I really enjoyed the descriptions in this novel, although the non linear storytelling was disconcerting. I had a hard time shifting between times, but perhaps that was the point of this. I loved both Marie and  Werner - all the characters really, as they were all quite memorable.  The 530 pages seemed to really move, which was also good.  I very much look forward to the series and more of Doerr's work. 

Links I love

 

Happy Sunday and Super Bowl Day!  I am enjoying watching the game with my fiancee! 

1. Book on the coverage of female celebs in the early 2000's.
2. It's flu season, at least here in the Northeast. Here are some Flu Facts.
3. Toby Keith has passed away.
4. Subtle heart disease warnings that are often missed.
5. Nelson Mandela helped Tracy Chapman?
6. Five true crime books to read recommended by Casey Sherman.
7. Taylor Swift, misogyny and the Super bowl.
8. 8 books on finding your purpose.
9. The  Ro ry Gilmore book list.
10. Office Space was made 25 years ago!

REVIEW: Differ We Must by Steve Inskeep

 

In this book, Inskeep, a morning anchor on NPR, draws on 16 interactions with well known Washington politicians, at the time (although we have forgotten them) that Lincoln had. While the stories and chapters were very interesting and informative, there wasn't anything new or compelling insofar as the argument that these interactions helped Lincoln actually develop his policies. I very much enjoyed the anecdotes about the President under pressure, who exhibited some humanity. 

I very much enjoyed the chapters about the women in his life - there's a chapter about a female army private and, of course, Mary Todd Lincoln (who apparently suffered from some mental ailments).  The book itself is easily accessible and very readable, but I don't think that there is anything groundbreaking in it.  

Definitely worth the read but make sure your expectations are adjusted accordingly. 

Links I love

 

I hope that everyone had a good week.  I have two books I'm reading right now so I'm hoping to have reviews soon! I watched the movie Rustin, a biopic about Bayard Rustin, in which Colman Domingo plays Bayard Rustin - definitely worth it  for his performance.  I've been going back to the gym and starting to slowly increase my running - my endurance was shot by Covid.  This has been one of the hardest parts for me - I want to be back to normal now if you get my drift. Anyways, here you go!

1. A new book about college, that has nothing to do with the Ivy League.
2. Historical fiction books recommended by historians
3. Things you can't go to WDW without.
4. Bookish Valentine's Gifts.
5. Amelia Earhardt's plane may have been found.
6. Secret shelf of banned books is thriving.
7. How to mind your own business.
8. 25  years of Lego Star Wars
9. No new trial for Alex Murdagh
10. Five books about joining a cult 
11. Apollo Creed - Carl Weathers - has passed away.

REVIEW: Unsub by Meg Gardiner

 

I don't know why I hadn't heard about this book previously, but I hadn't. I'm glad that I got here late to the party though.

Unsub, in this context, is shorthand for unidentified subject.  This novel is about a cold case involving a serial killer known colloquially as The Prophet, and he was terrorizing the San Francisco Bay area when our heroine, Caitlyn Hendrix was a child.  The Prophet seems to have been inspired by the Zodiac Killer. Caitlyn's attachment to the case seems to be genetic - her father, Mack, was the original detective investigating the Prophet killings. Caitlyn, in the present day, is also a police officer and is roped into investigating the case. Bodies have started turning up again that bear the marking of the Prophet, including the almost ritualistic markings on the bodies. Caitlyn seeks help from her father, but he's hesitant to assist because of the mental anguish that the case originally caused him. 

I loved this book and found much to enjoy about it - it moved very, very fast and hooked me right from the beginning. Granted, I enjoy serial killers and cold cases so I would have been very surprised if I hadn't enjoyed the subject matter. It was very easy to empathize with Caitlyn and her co-workers, who were desperate to solve these crimes - it was very much like I was with them as they were trying to figure things out. The characters were not flat and were strong, realistic characters.  It would have been so easy to have them be flat, but they were not.

I definitely look forward to the next books in the series and reading more of Gardiner's novels. 

Links I love

 

It's primary week here in New Hampshire so it's been crazy here.  I've started watching True Detective on Max and it's so good. Also lots of football! I'm slowly recovering from Covid - I have taken to getting back to being active but it's been slow.  I've been walking instead of running or spinning, which can be frustrating, but slowly I hope I'll get back to where I was. 

1. The 80's playlist of slow songs you never knew you needed.
2. Some books that came out in the 80's.
3. Best family drama books.
4. 6 things people pleasers report the most trouble with.
5. 10 famous nappers.
6. Oscar snub for Greta Gerwig and Margot R obie upset a lot of people.
7. Interesting ideas for wedding favors
8. what is the legacy of Helter Skelter?
9. Where to watch the Oscars.
10. A good way to stop stress in your life.

Links I love

 

Last week, I tested positive for Covid. BOOOOO!  I am on the mend (I think). I have one of these  water bottles and I made sure to drink at least one of these a day - I often got close to two (yes, I was going to the bathroom a lot!) and usually I drank 40 ounces of water with these electrolytes in the morning to make sure that I continued to be hydrated.  Here are some stories that I found very interesting this week:

1. Raw video of a tanker fire.
2. I was obsessed with this case, and this article asks how many seasons we really need?
3. Dark academic shows you might like.
4. Ten facts bout John Carpenter - the Halloween guy.
5. I'm not sure if this is a first for Buffalo or not.
6. Latest tumblers at WDW.
7. The top beach reads predicted for this year.
8. Not enough participants to have a debate.
9. This happens way too often. I hiked that loop in  the summer. He was literally in the middle of nowhere.  
10. Slow cooker soups. We're trying the French Onion soup.
11. The juror who found herself guilty.
12. Seinfeld was onto something with the double dip.

REVIEW: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

 

I have enjoyed all of Sittenfeld's works and this is her most recent so I picked it up at my library. Of course, it has helped her that it has been included in Reese's Book Club.

We meet the main character, Sally Milz, in 2018 pre pandemic NYC where she is a seemingly confident sketch comedy writer for The Night Owls, which is definitely based upon SNL. That particular week, the guest host is also the music person - a singer named Noah who is supposedly really hot. In their first meaningful interaction, he has asked her to assist him in rewriting/editing his sketch and during that interaction, Sally is impressed by his thoughtfulness and kindness, leading to a crush on him.  There is definite chemistry between them, that later on is dampened during a post show interaction between the two.  It is only two years later during the lockdown of the pandemic that they reconnect via email and begin to sort through their interactions.

I generally like Sittenfeld's writing - she's smart and funny without being condescending or appearing to have a chip on her shoulder and this novel didn't disappoint or stray for that. It was compulsively readable and a fast move. I did, however, expect more to go wrong - so yes, my biggest complaint is that there wasn't enough catastrophe and the novel was way too tidy. Though Noah is a recovering alcoholic and Sally has an insecurity streak as wide as the Mississippi, these flaws are seemingly smoothly overlooked or dealt with in a way that did not ring true with me. Having said that, definitely enjoyable and worth the read. 

Links I love

 

1. 5 books on psychology and self help that were notable in 2023.
2. The Popsugar reading challenge.
3. Awesome side hustle shop.  The hats look super cute.
4. Purple Rain is becoming a musical.
5. Don Scott is the first Black speaker in Virginia Legislative history.
6. Valentine's Day gifts for book lovers.
7. The story of the Baileys.

REVEW: The Passage by Justin Cronin

 

This book has been around a while and is a repeat for me, although I read it a long, long time ago. This novel has been accurately described as medical thriller, post apocalyptic and horror all in one, which is not inaccurate. The novel is split into three sections: medical thriller (in which we learn about how the apocalypse came to pass), post apocalyptic and then action.

The most interesting sections for me were the first and second sections. I enjoyed learning, in the first section, about the history of the events and being introduced to 6 year old Amy, who is the main, very much Christ like savior of this book (and the rest of the series).  The pace is quick and sucks you in, which I appreciated and enjoyed.

 In the second section, which is 93 years after the events in the second section, we learn that most of the world's population is dead or infected (making them vampiric). There is a colony of survivors living in a compound in California on borrowed time, utilizing crossbows and battery operated lights to  keep the "virals," as the infected are called, at bay. A completely new set of characters is introduced and I had to chart it out because there were only a few families, meaning that there were a lot of characters with the same last name. The pace is slowed down tremendously so that Cronin can give a picture of how life is different in this time. Life changes dramatically when Amy of the first section, barely older physically, appears at the Colony. 

In the third section, a handful of the Colonists elect to leave and make their way to various other parts of the country, including Colorado and Vegas, on foot culminating in an epic battle with one of the virals.

I enjoyed this book generally speaking; however the last section of the novel seemed like a slog to me. It took me a longer period of time  to get through it and wasn't very interesting to me, which is probably going to be an unpopular opinion. I really liked Cronin's writing style generally speaking and his character development was on point. It's not your typical horror novel, but is more of a look at what motivates people to do the things that they do. 

Links I love

 

Happy new year everyone!  I love the Rose Bowl parade and the games of course on New Year's Day. What do you enjoy?

1. Steamboat Willie is in the Public Domain. Listen to this story about other things entering the public domain.
2. Did your astrological sign change?
3. Why do Amish towns have lewd names?
4. Setting achievable reading goals.
5. Charlie McAvoy gets married at the Boston Public Library.
6. A 13 year old may have become the first person to beat Tetris. Good job kid!
7. Glynis Johns passes away. 
8. World of Warcraft account reveals missing teens location.
9. Our first winter storm is here.
10. 75 books to read in 2024 by Women of Color
11. 12 chilling podcasts to listen to when you need to recharge
12. One detective solves 8 cold cases. In one year. In his spare time.