Muse and Reverie by Charles deLint

Charles deLint’s contemporary fantasies, where there is a recognizable world  touched by magic, provide wonderful escapist reading. The familiar characters of Newford are present in much of his work, and this collection of short fiction is in fact set in Newford. But this is absolutely a collection that stands on its own, and requires no prior knowledge of any back story to appreciate.The best thing about reading deLint’s work is that the reader is swept away into a mythical yet familiar world–no spaceships or dragons,  just a relaxing place somewhere away from the one we know.

Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn

Two detectives – one of them canine – attempt to find a missing teenager in this amusing mystery.  The story is well plotted but it is Chet’s dog view of the case and the world that make the book so unique.  Highly recommended for mystery lovers, dog lovers, and lovers of canine mysteries.

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

This was a beautifully written book set in Dublin at Christmas. Lou an overworked, not-so-nice business man is always in two places at once.  In December he makes a mysterious new friend Gabe, a homeless man sitting in front of his building.  Strange things happen and Lou starts to develop a conscience, which he hasn’t had in quite a long time. Lou can’t quite figure Gabe out, is he trying to steal his job, or help him?  He doesn’t know what to think, but Lou is very unsettled.  This is a book with a different type of story, but a good one.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Wow!  What a story.  This is a book which should be read by every succesive generation.

Lest we forget Those of us who lived during the WW II era and read of the horrors and atrocities committed against the Jews are in for a reawakening. It’s almost impossible to believe that this wholesale slaughter of an entire race happened in our lifetime. But it did happen!

Lest we judge Sadly, not all Germans were Nazis at heart.  Many helped in small ways; some helped in big ways i.e., forming the Resistance Movement; some did what they could, given their circumstances and the extreme measures they had to invent to survive. Others, unfortunately, went along with the monstrous tyranny perpetrated by the Third Reich. Those Who Save Us gives us an unbiased understanding of that time in history.

Lest we become complacent. This book reminds us of the terrible times in Germany and elsewhere before and during WWII and should be a warning to us not to become complacent again and turn a blind eye to our neighbors’ plight. A case in point is genocide happening in third world countries today. ~Inez

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Another page turner by Sue Grafton.  This book sort of takes your heart with it, transcending the traditional series mystery.  The death of a parent, the changing times of the era, a father’s remarriage, the hippie movement of the 60’s, the folly of youth, childhood memories–all these factors help to create a spellbinding story, with Kinsey Millhone as the private investigator.  Grafton, who is 69 years old,  has 6 more books to go (v, w, x, y and z).  Will she make it through the alphabet?  I hope so,  since she is a great mystery writer. ~Inez

The Traffickers by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV

Griffin does not disappoint! I couldn’t wait to read the latest in the Badge of Honor series and it was exceptional. The audio reader was fantastic; however I think listening to the book makes it a bit more graphic than traditional reading. As always the drama unfolds in Philadelphia and in this book also in Texas and deals with illegal immigrants and trafficking of the immigrants. Most of the regular characters (family and other police officers) make an appearance in this book mainly starring Matt Payne.

The Romanov Bride by Robert Alexander

Those of us who are lovers of Russian history will enjoy this book. Robert Alexander puts into play events leading up to the Russian Revolution.    Living conditions in Russia in the 1890’s were deplorable.  The Russian obsession with the belief that their Tsar was directly descended from God to fulfill his role as Russian ruler blinded Tsar Nicholas to the unrest which existed among his people. The author weaves a tale of a revolutionist and a Romanov bride and how their two lives intertwined. We, the reader, see it from both perspectives.  Some of the characters are fictitious but some are very real, including one who was subsequently elevated to sainthood by the Russian Orthodox Church. ~Inez

The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein

This memoir recalling the author’s early life in a mill town in England.  He recalls the difficult childhood growing up on the Jewish side of the street with the Christians on the other side.  They never mixed due to the invisible wall that divided the street.  The story is about how the wall was broken and a testament to his mother’s strength and courage during a very hard life.  The setting is mainly pre- World War I and interestingly, not written until the author was in his 90’s.

 

The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

A touching story set in Hawaii about a father, Matt King, trying to come to grips with his wife in a coma and dying.  During this difficult time, he must help his 10 and 18 year-old daughters cope and begin to try to build a new relationship with them, from a hands-off relationship that they currently have.  He also wrestles with the plan to sell a large plot of family owned land although he is torn about the decision he must make.

Hope in a Jar by Elizabeth Harbison

This was a great, light read- – chick lit.  I really enjoyed it as I could relate to the setting of the book.  Meet three high school friends as they reunite at their 20^th high school reunion. The book flashes back and forth from the late 1980’s to the present day. Allie and Olivia were inseparable in school and then something happened to ruin their friendship. Olivia and her mother suddenly left town and the girls hadn’t spoken since. As you read you will learn what happened in high school, and if they can all be friends again.  I listened to this on audio and thought it was fantastic.