Tag: netgalley

Learned by Heart 3/5

Emma Donahue is one of my favorite authors and the topic of this newest novel is fascinating. It’s the reconstruction of Anne Lister’s (aka Gentleman Jack, the 1800s openly lesbian trailblazer) year at a boarding school in York as a teen, and of Eliza Raine, her first love. The mass of research and passion that went into writing this novel is evident on every page, but the narrative bogs down from the weight of it. This novel lacks the classic narrative pull that makes an Emma Donahue book so unputdownable. I was also put off by the uncharacteristically clunky dialog tags. That said, it was still an interesting read.

I Love Russia (not!) 5/5

I almost didn’t read this book because of the title, but I’m glad I did. Elena Kostyuchenko fearlessly and precisely documents what life in Russia has become under Putin. The hopelessness, the casual cruelties, the graft, and the utter desolation of backwash communities where people are living in conditions akin to medieval times. It brought to mind a real life Hunger Games, with Putin and his cronies living in the Capital and everyone else vassals in the districts.

This book is not in any sense an apology for Russian behavior, but it does give context to the complete grip of Putin and his cronies. Reading this book brings home the fact that Russia must lose this war, not just for Ukrainians and the sake of the world, but also for Russians.

It’s always important to know one’s enemy, and this book helps those who cherish a democratic world to do just that.

What Should I Wear to Work? 5/5


I can imagine young kids going through this book time and again, poring over the pictures of people in the wrong work clothing and marveling over new things they notice each time they look. I love the message of this book, about how the utility of clothing changes depending on what you want to do. This is a concept that’s hard for kids to understand as they don their favorite pajamas to play in the snow or insist on wearing a bathing suit to kindergarten. Jana Sedlackova shows with humor, accuracy and energy how a mask suitable for the opera will not protect a firefighter, and how hiking boots, while sturdy and practical for many things, won’t help a ballet dancer get through her performance. Each page spread gives the humorous depiction of a person wearing a wildly inappropriate selection, and on the other side is a labeled collection of what that person would wear, plus the equipment they’d use. For example, a firefighter would use a ladder, fire extinguisher, axe and so on, in addition to the specialty clothing. A nice book that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of children.

Small Speckled Egg 5/5

What a beautiful book! It begins and ends with a small speckled egg, but in the middle is the life-cycle of an arctic tern, from egg to hatchling and young adult ready to fly. The tern flies from the top of the earth to the bottom and mates for life. The illustrations are engaging and accurate and the story is told in first-person-tern. I read the e-book but the physical book comes with two fold-out posters showing the entire life cycle of the arctic tern. Kids will find this story and the format engaging and informative. 

The new Molly Maid is 5/5

So nice to have dear Molly the maid back to solve a new murder at the Grand Hotel. Molly’s unique way of looking at the world is her blessing and curse and readers can’t help but root for her as she overturns tropes (the maid did it …. she’s just a maid … she’s not very bright) as quickly as she can make a bed. The characters in this novel are deliciously Dickensian and the key to the murder is in Molly’s childhood. Satisfying and cozy. This mystery is the perfect companion to a warm fire and a good cup of tea.

The Quiet Tenant 5/5!

Clémence Michallon took the classic thriller trope of an abducted woman imprisoned in a room and turned it on its head. So well-written and unpredictable with believable characters all the way through. Can’t tell you how many times I screamed through the kindle, trying to warn a character not to go there. One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time!