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Rhapsody in Books Weblog - Books & Literature
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Review of “Murder at Gulls Nest” by Jess Kidd | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This is the first in a new cozy mystery series by Jess Kidd, an author whose books have all been so different from one another that one never knows what to expect, except that the book with involve unusual characters, an entertaining plot, and a touch of Ireland in some form or another. Thirty years…
Kid Lit Review of “Night Light” by Michael Emberley | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Preschoolers may well relate to this charming story about it being too dark at night when the lights are out, but too bright with them on. How best to conquer fear of the dark? After a blackout in the city, a little creature in striped pajamas wants more light in the room, and the child's…
Review of “The Witch’s Orchard” by Archer Sullivan | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Max Andrews found Private Investigator Annie Gore online. He drove six hours up from the little town of Quartz Creek in Western North Carolina to Louisville, Kentucky to persuade her to come back with him to take on his case. His sister Molly had been missing for 10 years, and Max desperately wanted closure. In…
Review of “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
When 40-year-old Phoebe Stone checked into the expensive Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, she discovered she was the only guest in the entire hotel not there for the million-dollar wedding of Lila and Gary. Phoebe had flown in from St. Louis. She had dreamed of staying at that inn ever since she saw its…
Review of “Prophet Song” by Paul Lynch | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Note: This review is by my husband Jim. Dark. Really dark, dark, dark. This dystopian novel that won the 2023 Booker Prize is set in the near future in the Republic of Ireland, and is steeped in fear, menace, and dread. A far-right party has seized control of the country - suspending the constitution, adopting…
Kid Lit Review of “Toto” by Hyewon Yum | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
The author introduces us to a little girl who is self-conscious about a birthmark on her forehead. She calls the mark Toto. She tries to hide it with her hair, but when she hangs upside down on the monkey bars, it is inevitably discovered by her new school friend Niko. She feels shame and starts…
Kid Lit Review of “At the Window” by Hope Lim | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
A young girl walks her puppy everyday, and notices a friendly-looking woman on her street who is always sitting at an open window in her house, looking out, and writing. They begin to exchange greetings, but one day, the woman moves away, and her house is for sale. The girl asks her mom if they…
Review of “Stuck Up and Stupid” by Angourie Rice & Kate Rice | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Jane Austen’s oeuvre is the gift that keeps on giving. It seems like there are endless variations of her Pride and Prejudice, all of which are perforce entertaining, because the original was so good, and so timeless. In this retelling, the heroine is 18-year-old Lily, an Australian who lives on Pippi Beach, “Sydney’s best-kept secret."…
Review of “We Are All Guilty Here” by Karin Slaughter | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
North Falls, Georgia is a fictional small town in the southwestern part of Georgia where everyone knows everyone else, but everyone has secrets to hide. It is part of (also fictional) Clifton County, most of which is run by the Clifton family. Police officer Emmy Clifton, 30, the principal narrator, is daughter of the Sheriff,…
Review of “The Familiar: A Novel” by Leigh Bardugo | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This historical fiction novel contains elements of both a political thriller and a paranormal romance. It is set in 16th Century Madrid, where Luzia Cotado, poor and orphaned, worked as a kitchen scullion in Madrid. She was treated abusively by both the cook who served above her, and by her mistress Valentina. Luzia was also…
Review of “Trans History: From Ancient Times to the Present Day” by Alex L. Combs & Andrew Eakett | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Trans history should not be regarded as a niche subject; it is an important aspect of who we are as a people, providing another perspective on the historical persistence of fear and loathing of anyone considered “different.” Because issues of sexuality are so triggering, however, much of the history of the treatment of transsexuality is…
Review of “The Doorman” by Chris Pavone | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Most of this story unfolding over a single day takes place in and around a luxury apartment building on the Upper West Side in New York City called the Bohemia. As the hours tick by, the suspense builds incrementally. The chapters alternate mainly among three characters - the front doorman, Chicky Diaz, and two of…
Review of “Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague” by Maggie O’Farrell | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Hamnet is an imagined scenario for what happened to Shakespeare’s youngest son, Hamnet, and how Shakespeare, his wife, and Hamnet’s twin sister Judith coped in their different ways. From the historical record, we don’t know much about Shakespeare’s marriage to Anne Hathaway (called Agnes by her father and in the book) except that their first…
Kid Lit Review of “Something Good” by Kenneth Kraegel | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
A young girl is having a bad day, with one unpleasant thing after another happening. First, she woke up with a chicken on her head. Other bizarre mishaps followed, from finding worms in her breakfast cereal to falling into a hole after which a hairy mastodon (“I thought they were supposed other be extinct”) decided…
Kid Lit Review of “Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall” by Lynn Brunelle | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This book offers a treasure trove of extraordinary facts about the blue whale - at over 85 feet long, the largest animal ever seen on earth. But this account has a twist. It begins with the end of the giant whale’s life, and describes the entirely new ecosystem that results from its passing. The whale…
Review of “One Big Open Sky” by Lesa Cline-Ransome | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Award-winning writer Lesa Cline-Ransome's new book will not disappoint readers who appreciate how she combines lessons from history with poignant and inspiring stories. This historical fiction novel in verse begins in May, 1879, when a Black family joins nine other families to make the trip from Natchez, Mississippi to Nebraska. They were responding to ads…
Reread of “To Be Sung Underwater” by Tom McNeal | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
I first read this book over 15 years ago, and it made such an impression on me I wanted to revisit it and see if my feelings had changed over time. I was still bowled over by the story, but reacted to it a bit differently. One aspect didn’t change: I really didn’t like the…
Review of “The River is Waiting” by Wally Lamb | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Corby Ledbetter is a laid-off commercial artist in Connecticut who cares for his toddler twins Maisie and Niko while his wife Emily works as a teacher. Corby is also struggling with a growing secret addiction to “benzos and booze.” He’s “not too worried about it” though - he tells himself it’s “just a stopgap thing”…
Review of “Dogged Pursuit” by David Rosenfelt | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This is #31 in the Andy Carpenter crime/legal procedural series that is laugh-out-loud funny at moments in spite of featuring brutal and complex crimes. But this one provides a special treat for fans of the series: it is a prequel, filling us in on how Andy began his career and how he met many of…
Kid Lit Review of “A Wild Promise: An Illustrated Celebration of the Endangered Species Act” by Allen Crawford | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This is a gorgeous book with a sobering message, dedicated to “the lost meadows.” Written on the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Endangered Species Act, an introductory essay by Terry Tempest Williams observes “scientists today report an accelerated loss of biodiversity 1,000 times faster than the natural rate of approximately one to five…
Review of “The Silversmith’s Puzzle” by Nev March | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This mystery is set in 1894 colonial India, and includes a lot of interesting information about that time and place. Captain Jim Agnihotri, 32 and half-English, half Indian, recently married Lady Diana Framji, 23, whose Bombay family was Parsi. [Parsis, as the Zoroastrians of India are known, and as Wikipedia explains, “are descended from Persian…
Review of “We Solve Murders” by Richard Osman | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This new series by the author of the “Thursday Murder Club” books will not disappoint fans of Osman. The main characters in this series are Amy Wheeler and her father-in-law Steve. They couldn’t be more different, and they live far apart, yet they have a close relationship, talking every day on the phone: “They’ve never…
Kid Lit Review of “In The Desert” by David Elliott | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
We lived in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona for many years, and one thing we quickly learned is that you need to get to know and respect the denizens on whose territory you were encroaching, because they have no intention of leaving, and they are not always welcoming. While this book focuses on the Sahara…
Review of “Going Home” by Tom Lamont | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Going Home is an often poignant story about fathers and sons, and about coming of age, although the “boys” who are coming of age are in their thirties. The metamorphosis from boys to men for long-time friends Téo Erskine and Ben Mossam followed the death of their girl pal Lia Woods. Lia, the single mother…
Kid Lit Review of “His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian Andersen” by Jane Yolen | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Jane Yolen is a folklorist who has been called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America.” Thus it is fitting she takes a look at the life of one of the greatest fairy tale writers of all time. Anderson had no schooling until he was in his teens, and had to attend school with three- and…
Review of “Slow Dance” by Rainbow Rowell | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Like Eleanor and Park, Rowell’s appealing young adult romance from 2013, Rowell again sets a love story in Omaha, Nebraska, with a female protagonist who is in some ways similar to Eleanor. Shiloh is an adult - 33, divorced, with two kids under six years old, and living back home with her mom, but the…
Kid Lit Review of “The Crane and the Keeper” by Meeg Pincus | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This stunning book tells the amazing true story of how a zookeeper taught a rare white-naped crane who thought she was human learn to breed, enabling her to help save her species. “Walnut” was hand-raised by humans after poachers stole her parents from the wild. Walnut ended up imprinting on her humans. As we learn…
Kid Lit Review of “Rebellion 1776” by Laurie Halse Anderson | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This middle grade story begins in Boston in 1776, with 13-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper serving as a kitchen maid for a loyalist judge. When the Patriots drive out the British, the judge leaves, and Elsbeth then begins working as a maid for the large family that moves into the same home. Elsbeth’s father, a sailmaker, goes…
Review of “Doggone Bones” by Carolyn Haines | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Doggone Bones, the 29th book in the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series set in Sunflower County, Mississippi, fits solidly into the Southern cozy mystery niche, with a little spice and violence to add some kick to the mix. Sarah Booth (addressed by both names) lives in Zinnea with her partner Coleman Peters, who happens to…
Kid Lit Review of “The Girl Who Tested the Waters” by Patricia Daniele | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Ellen Swallow Richards (1842-1911) was a pioneering environmental chemist, ecologist, and perforce a feminist, because she dared to want to pursue a career in science at a time when women were generally not welcome in higher institutions of learning. She was sickly as a young girl, and so was home-schooled by her parents. When she…
Review of “When the World Tips Over” by Jandy Nelson | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Jandy Nelson is such a talented and interesting writer. In this book, for example, you may think you know who the protagonist is, (i.e., the main character who drives the story forward), but your evaluation will change over the course of the book. The first narrator we meet is Dizzy Fall, a 12-year-old 7th-grader at…
Review of “I Would Die For You” by Sandie Jones | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This psychological thriller takes place in two times periods. The “present” time is 2011, set in California, and the previous time is 1986 in London. In 2011, Nicole Forbes was living in the San Diego area with her husband Brad and 8-year-old daughter Hannah. A young woman knocked on Nicole's door asking her about her…
Review of “Malcolm Lives!” by Ibram X. Kendi | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
There are a lot of misconceptions about Malcolm X, spread in part by a white power establishment terrified - as it has been since the beginning of the American Republic in fact - by any suggestion of Black militancy. Whites turned to MLK, Jr. in the 1960s in part because they believed (not entirely accurately)…
Review of “Nothing But the Bones: A Novel” by Brian Panowich | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This is the author’s fourth gritty noir crime novel set in fictional McFalls County, Georgia. The area is run by a local crime boss, Gareth Burroughs, by his own rules, with his own interpretation of justice and morality. The story begins in 1989 and ends in 2007, over a time span in which we follow…
Review of “A Stranger in the Family” by Jane Casey | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This is the 11th novel in the Maeve Kerrigan crime series, which is one of my favorites. Jane Casey’s writing is a cut above the usual offerings in this genre. It begins with the disappearance, 16 years earlier, of nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall. The case was never solved, but becomes relevant again when Rosalie’s parents, Helena…
Review of “Epic FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 Extreme Facts” by Rose Davidson | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This is totally the book you want to include on your road trip with your middle grader . . . unless if course your goal is peace and quiet. Because kids will not be able to resist sharing all the incredible and fascinating factoids in this book. In truth, adults won’t be able to resist…
Review of “Love and Other Paradoxes” by Catriona Silvey | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
What could be more fun than a good time-travel romcom? The book begins in 2006. Joe Greene, 20, came from Scotland to study at Cambridge, hoping the experience would “turn me into the poet I’m supposed to be” because of all the great poets who went there in the past, such as Byron. But so…
Poetry Month Kid Lit Review of “Vivid: Poems & Notes About Color” by Julie Paschkis | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Did you know that the yolk of an egg turns a deeper yellow if a chicken eats more yellow plants? Or that in the 1920s pink was considered a color for boys, until the 1940s, when it switched to being associated with girls? How about the fact that in ancient times, purple dye was made…
Review of “Leave No Trace” by A. J. Landau | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
Leave No Trace is a fast-paced thriller with heart-pounding action starting on the very first page. It takes place at different national monuments across the U.S., with epigraphs before each chapter telling you some of the history and facts regarding each of the monuments. It begins with a bombing at a tourist-packed the Statue of…
Review of “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon | Rhapsody in Books Weblog
This fictional account was inspired by the real story of Martha Ballard, a midwife in colonial Maine who, between 1785 and 1812, delivered hundreds of babies, and kept a diary to boot. In fact, that diary was the basis for Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s 1991 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Martha, A Midwife’s Tale. Arial Lawhon covers…