Tag Archive: contemporary



Where the Crawdads SingWhere the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After finishing the book, I determined I couldn’t wait to see the show. This was quite intriguing. I think Cassandra Campbell’s narration was perfect. There were many nights I couldn’t stop reading. It was well after 3 AM that I would force myself to put the book away.

I was lucky enough to pick up the audio version from the library app Libby.

Most of the time, I don’t include the author’s blurb, but this time I think it might help.

“For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens.

Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.”

Worth the read!

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The Particular Sadness of Lemon CakeThe Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My friend, Michele, recommended this. I found the audio on Libby. The author, Aimee Bender, narrates, so you know the right emotions show through.

Synesthesia is the word that came to mind about Rose Edelstein. But this is far different from tasting color or smelling shapes. Tasting the chef’s mood or the affair her mother is having is a lot to believe. That her brother can disappear to another dimension or time is truly unfathomable.

The story is slow, but it made a good bedtime book. It had plenty for the imagination to work on.

I was disappointed that we didn’t see people using their talent for good. But maybe this is more realistic. But the ending was underwhelming.

Worth the read if only to explore a unique idea.

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The IngenueThe Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t usually include a blurb. In this case, I think it is needed.

“When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother’s unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother’s will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her past–and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life–for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia’s childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.”

This Kindle version with text-to-speech was from Libby, the library app. I wish I could have found it as an audio version. Sometimes the robotic voice, pleasantly British and all, still confused me as to the speaker’s point of view or emotional status.

Still, this book is worth the weirdness you might encounter at first. I nearly tossed the book. I have millions of books to read; why get hung up on something I’m not liking? And I wouldn’t say I liked the main character.

But, honestly, you sometimes meet someone who doesn’t click with you in real life. Most of the time, it has a lot to do with where you are in your own life, where that person is in theirs, or a combination of the two. I think that is what happened here for me. By the end of the book, I found myself rooting for her and hoping for her best ending.

On the other hand, it was less satisfying for me as a fictional ending than another, more legally binding end. But then again, maybe I missed something in hearing TTS instead of a human voice.

This is worth the read, if only for the altered fairy tale fems.

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The Light PirateThe Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rosemary Benson’s narration gave this well-written story a deeper sense of credibility. I am so glad I got to listen to the Audible version of this book. Was it the author, Lily Brooks-Dalton, or the narrator that caused me to smell the world, feel the humidity, and stand strong in the wind blowing around me?

As tangible as the world seemed, the grief was palpable. Each stage of life has happy occurrences and endings. The book takes us through many lives and increases in ecological disasters, but we witness the good in the bad. The magic in the dull, difficult world.

The main character, Wanda, born during the hurricane in Florida that she was named after, grows up as severe weather changes take effect. She needs to survive. Her family and a good neighbor friend see her through as much as possible. Wanda grows anyway.

I feel I have made this sound very depressing. It is, in parts. But mostly shows us how we can survive if we pay attention. Not just to the warnings but to the world around us as it is adapting. I’m leaving this book behind with a promise I may read it again. It will haunt me. In a good way.

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The Messy Lives of Book PeopleThe Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun read. Katy Sobey (Narrator) kept the story interesting.

The thing that stands out in my memories of this read was how often, as an aspiring writer, the author captured the insecurities I have often felt.

Watching the main character, Liv Green, find her inner superhero was fun. Strength. Courage.

And another story about books. And writing. It was fun!

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The Bookshop of YesterdaysThe Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ann Marie Gideon (Narrator) kept this book real. It was an enjoyable read. No great romance to mess up the story, but there are a couple in there as the main character, Miranda, tries to figure out her life. In the tags, it is listed as a mystery, but it isn’t a murder mystery. It is more about Miranda’s questions about life.

I love this kind of book. It is lightweight enough to keep me sane, yet there is enough story to keep my interest.

And it is a book about books.

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UnshelteredUnsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve gotten behind on my reviews. But after thinking about this book, I remember a lot more than I thought I did. My first thought was how the teen daughter had so much to say about life here and elsewhere, Cuba, for example.

Then I remember the historical references and am so glad I read this book.

The author narrated it. She did an excellent job keeping the story and characters separated and believable.

I highly recommend reading this book. Since it’s been a while, I will leave you to read other reviews of the book. I still have good feelings about it and wouldn’t mind rereading it. I was able to read it through Libby, the library app.

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There ThereThere There by Tommy Orange
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

These narrators made Tommy Orange’s story come to life: Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Alma Ceurvo, and Kyla Garcia. I can’t imagine actually reading this story. At first, and for a long time, I couldn’t figure out if it were an anthology or all one story. I did feel it gave me a glimpse of Native American life nowadays. To say the least, it isn’t pleasant what these characters, and I would assume most American Indians might grapple with. We all are a product of our forebears, and our experiences bring us physically and emotionally. The more negative past makes the present more difficult to live with. Hence this story of several characters as they get ready to meet at the Pow Wow in Oakland.

I lowered my rating because I found it confusing to know who I was listening to. I think stopping the story to say Chapter so-in-so, then a character name helps the listener know more about what is happening to whom.

Still, if going into the story if you know what I mentioned above, it might be a better more cohesive story than how I perceived it. So I still highly recommend this book, especially the audiobook.

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Remarkably Bright CreaturesRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OH, I needed that! What a fun little book!

A seventy-year-old main character? Finally!

A chance to see life from the octopus’s point of view? Yes!

I was lucky to listen to this book on a Libby audiobook. The voices are fantastic!

Marin Ireland (Narrator),  Michael Urie (Narrator),

Especially octopus’s pompous voice.

I don’t want to give any of it away. Just dive in and enjoy!

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Dava Shastri's Last DayDava Shastri’s Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I spent the first half of this book wanting to throw it across the room or just quit reading. The main character was interesting, and I wanted to get more into her head. But her offspring were horrid. They were supposed to be attending to their mother’s deathbed, but all they could do was fight and be hateful.

I guess that is credit to the author to have written such strong characters. Soneela Nankani (Narrator) was fun to listen to, her acting chops showing regardless of which person she was playing.

In the end, I found I liked the book and was happy to read it. And redeeming of beings took place.

I learned about this book on Good Morning America one day. At first, I couldn’t see how it even got featured. But soon, I could see a lot of lessons to be learned with a deeper reading, like in a book club. It was nice to read about a strong woman who obtained everything in the end. But that was at the beginning of the book. It is very worth the read!

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