Valley So Low by Jared Sullivan
A fast reading expose of how hard working people are screwed over by mighty corporations. For my East/West coast readers, please read to get a picture of life in the fly-over area. A
All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley
The author went from a job at The New Yorker to being a guard at the Metropolitan Museum, in part, to deal with his brother's death from cancer.
A reflective piece of writing,
you will gain enormous appreciation for beautiful objects and will never visit a museum the same way again. Lovely read. A
We Band of Angels by Elizabeth Norman
I was ignorant of this episode of WW II and the nurses who were kept in the Bataan prisoner camp. The conditions they worked under even before the Japanese took the Phillipines is astonishing. Once freed, they were denied any honors by the military- surprise- it was just women doing woman's work. A- due to repetitive writing, but read it anyway.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Delightful, but not mindless read, much like sitting with a good friend and hearing all the local news, but with gravitas and humanity. Good for book clubs. A
Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson
Huge fan of Atkinson and this was another hit for me. A murder mystery in a crumbling English manor and loads of characters. A good time was had by all. Well maybe not the victims. A
Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch
If you or your child has ever stepped foot in a stable, you will laugh all the way through this book. Suspend your disbelief, as the animals all communicate in this tale, but they did in Watership Down as well. Lynch does a number on the arrogant and pretentious world of horse shows, but the story is a murder mystery and a rollicking story it is! A
More good books:
Havoc by Christopher Bollen- Dodgy old lady and cagey 8- year old match wits at an Egyptian resort in Luxor during COVID restrictions. Builds to a surprising end.
Sister Snake by Amanda Koe- Based on a Chinese folktale, so there is fantasy involved. These sisters must find who they truly are to be free.
Conclave by Robert Harris- I saw ads for the movie and realized I had missed this book when it was published. Enthralling behind- the- scenes tale with a shocker (too shocking for some) end. I can't wait to see the movie!
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden- Revenge lit. Twisty story, gleefully evil ending...