"Murder was generally depressingly simple. Person A hated Person B bad enough to want them off the planet. Motives were basic. Money, sex, drugs, revenge. But why did anyone kill a child?"
-Nick's musings from the novel
I have read several Tami Hoag novels and liked them all. She is an excellent storyteller and knows how to weave a plot that will have you turning pages quickly. This one will provide quite an exciting ride!
I have read plenty of murder mysteries but I think this is the first involving husband and wife detectives, namely Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. Nick is a "hot-headed, temperamental Frenchman" according to his former boss and "an arrogant, disrespectful ass" from the perspective of his current one, Sheriff Dutrow. One of the interesting things about Nick is that he often speaks using Cajun French. (The novel is set in Bayou Breaux, LA.) The author even provides a Cajun French glossary at the end. Annie is certainly a more patient, level-headed and compassionate character. Both characters were likeable.
When a young child is found murdered in chapter 2, there are many questions including why his mother escaped the same scene with injuries but still alive. Add to this horrific crime: folks with questionable pasts, workplace conflict, juvenile bullying, domestic abuse. It equals a page-turner for sure! I will rate it 5 for its entertainment value.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
"You see that fig tree over yonder, Cassie? Them other tress all around...that oak and walnut, they're a lot bigger and they take up more room and give so much shade they almost overshadow that little ole fig. But that fig tree's got roots that run deep, and it belongs in that yard as much as that oak and walnut. It keeps on blooming, bearing good fruit year after year, knowing all the time it'll never get as big as them other trees. Just keeps on growing and doing what it gotta do. It don't give up. It give up, it'll die. There's a lesson to be learned from that little tree, Cassie girl, 'cause we're like it. We keep doing what we gotta, and we don't give up. We can't."
-David (Papa) Logan, from the novel
Since my first reading of this novel it has remained at the top of my favorites list. I have probably read it at least 6-8 times. Why? I read it aloud to my fifth grade students for a number of years, usually during Black History Month (February) to illustrate the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and celebrate the accomplishments of black leaders such as MLK Jr. I never got tired of it and came to feel a very close connection to the Logan family. I have read all the other novels in the series, most more than once, and love them all.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is considered Young Adult literature and suggested for middle school age. I maintain the story is compelling enough for adults. It remains to be seen what our book club will think. I have resisted the book's inclusion on our reading list for 10 years because I thought my feelings would be hurt if others didn't like it. Guess I better just get over it!
Ms. Taylor's descriptive powers are great and she develops her characters beautifully. For example, protagonist narrator Cassie Logan is a feisty 3rd grader with a quick temper and an amusing dry wit. Mary and David Logan are wise and loving parents to Cassie and brothers Stacy, Christopher John and Clayton Chester, called "Little Man." The beginning quote serves to illustrate a bit of Papa's philosophy.
I have so many favorite parts of this novel---mostly episodes where the Logans find subtle ways to exact revenge on the hateful, bigoted white folks who threaten and mistreat them. The reader must stomach the ugliness of racial discrimination and violence in the plot in order to be touched by themes of family love and loyalty, personal dignity, courage and the all-encompassing importance of the land.
This copy of the novel gave me new insight since it is a 25th Anniversary edition and includes a Foreword from the author written in 2001 in which she shares some of her inspiration and purpose and reveals her feelings about efforts to ban the book in some locales.
My rating for Roll of Thunder: 5, higher if it were allowed! It is easy to see why this book and others of the Logan family saga have won multiple awards for distinguished literature. I am ready now to work my way through the sequels (and prequels)!
More after the Page Turners meet....
----------------------------
The group's rating is 3.8, with mostly ratings of 3 or 4, so as a whole, the group did not love the book as much as I do. I confessed much of my affection for the book may be a result of my having taught children near the Logan kids' ages for a long time.
For discussion we used generic questions for fiction from LitLovers and a few others from SparkNotes. The conversation was enlightening, as always, centered mostly around the characters. When we got around to discussing what befalls T. J. Avery near the end of the book, I mentioned he goes to trial in Let the Circle Be Unbroken but would not reveal the outcome. They will have to read it; no spoilers from me.
One member had a special 40th anniversary edition of the book which included a Logan family tree and photos of the author's real family, many of whom "became" characters in her novels. I WILL be ordering one for my collection!
I told the group I have long wished Oprah Winfrey would produce a film adaptation. Now that I have said it, I think I will follow up with an email and see what happens!
-David (Papa) Logan, from the novel
Since my first reading of this novel it has remained at the top of my favorites list. I have probably read it at least 6-8 times. Why? I read it aloud to my fifth grade students for a number of years, usually during Black History Month (February) to illustrate the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and celebrate the accomplishments of black leaders such as MLK Jr. I never got tired of it and came to feel a very close connection to the Logan family. I have read all the other novels in the series, most more than once, and love them all.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is considered Young Adult literature and suggested for middle school age. I maintain the story is compelling enough for adults. It remains to be seen what our book club will think. I have resisted the book's inclusion on our reading list for 10 years because I thought my feelings would be hurt if others didn't like it. Guess I better just get over it!
Ms. Taylor's descriptive powers are great and she develops her characters beautifully. For example, protagonist narrator Cassie Logan is a feisty 3rd grader with a quick temper and an amusing dry wit. Mary and David Logan are wise and loving parents to Cassie and brothers Stacy, Christopher John and Clayton Chester, called "Little Man." The beginning quote serves to illustrate a bit of Papa's philosophy.
I have so many favorite parts of this novel---mostly episodes where the Logans find subtle ways to exact revenge on the hateful, bigoted white folks who threaten and mistreat them. The reader must stomach the ugliness of racial discrimination and violence in the plot in order to be touched by themes of family love and loyalty, personal dignity, courage and the all-encompassing importance of the land.
This copy of the novel gave me new insight since it is a 25th Anniversary edition and includes a Foreword from the author written in 2001 in which she shares some of her inspiration and purpose and reveals her feelings about efforts to ban the book in some locales.
My rating for Roll of Thunder: 5, higher if it were allowed! It is easy to see why this book and others of the Logan family saga have won multiple awards for distinguished literature. I am ready now to work my way through the sequels (and prequels)!
More after the Page Turners meet....
----------------------------
The group's rating is 3.8, with mostly ratings of 3 or 4, so as a whole, the group did not love the book as much as I do. I confessed much of my affection for the book may be a result of my having taught children near the Logan kids' ages for a long time.
For discussion we used generic questions for fiction from LitLovers and a few others from SparkNotes. The conversation was enlightening, as always, centered mostly around the characters. When we got around to discussing what befalls T. J. Avery near the end of the book, I mentioned he goes to trial in Let the Circle Be Unbroken but would not reveal the outcome. They will have to read it; no spoilers from me.
One member had a special 40th anniversary edition of the book which included a Logan family tree and photos of the author's real family, many of whom "became" characters in her novels. I WILL be ordering one for my collection!
I told the group I have long wished Oprah Winfrey would produce a film adaptation. Now that I have said it, I think I will follow up with an email and see what happens!
A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
"Sometimes you think you know someone, but maybe it's impossible to really know everything about a person, even someone you love. Maybe good people---the very best people---are just better at keeping secrets."
-Gillian's father, from the novel
Another Amazon Prime First Read and the second historical fiction in a row! I'm not sure I would have read it immediately after Along the Broken Bay if I had realized the similarity of the two but it was quite interesting to compare and contrast the two novels. Both were WWII era---this one about Hitler's threat to England and the other, the Japanese takeover of the Philippines. Both novels featured female characters working for the Allied resistance in undercover roles requiring great personal risk and even the sacrifice of leaving a young child behind. Coincidentally both of the protagonists were or had been songstresses entertaining military personnel.
A Fire Sparkling begins with Gillian Gibbons and her father's discovery of old photographs hidden away in a dusty sea chest in the attic. The photographs show Gillian's grandmother, Vivian, as a young woman apparently in love with a Nazi officer. Gillian and her father Edward are blown away by this revelation as they had no knowledge of such an episode in 96-year-old Vivian's life. When Vivian is confronted with the photographs and a few questions, the flashbacks begin: back to 1939 London. The intricate plot woven as Vivian's story makes for a real page-turner.
I was not familiar with this author possibly because she is considered a romance writer and I'm not drawn to that genre. I would not label this novel "romance" however, since it lacked any overt sex or syrupy love scenes which I would expect from such a label. There was definitely romantic tension though, which I thought added to the character development and offered a secondary plot.
The Good Reads description ends with "perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky." I've read and enjoyed them both! I'm giving A Fire Sparkling a 5 rating. It is a compelling story of love, betrayal and courage with family secrets unfolding one by one.
-Gillian's father, from the novel
Another Amazon Prime First Read and the second historical fiction in a row! I'm not sure I would have read it immediately after Along the Broken Bay if I had realized the similarity of the two but it was quite interesting to compare and contrast the two novels. Both were WWII era---this one about Hitler's threat to England and the other, the Japanese takeover of the Philippines. Both novels featured female characters working for the Allied resistance in undercover roles requiring great personal risk and even the sacrifice of leaving a young child behind. Coincidentally both of the protagonists were or had been songstresses entertaining military personnel.
A Fire Sparkling begins with Gillian Gibbons and her father's discovery of old photographs hidden away in a dusty sea chest in the attic. The photographs show Gillian's grandmother, Vivian, as a young woman apparently in love with a Nazi officer. Gillian and her father Edward are blown away by this revelation as they had no knowledge of such an episode in 96-year-old Vivian's life. When Vivian is confronted with the photographs and a few questions, the flashbacks begin: back to 1939 London. The intricate plot woven as Vivian's story makes for a real page-turner.
I was not familiar with this author possibly because she is considered a romance writer and I'm not drawn to that genre. I would not label this novel "romance" however, since it lacked any overt sex or syrupy love scenes which I would expect from such a label. There was definitely romantic tension though, which I thought added to the character development and offered a secondary plot.
The Good Reads description ends with "perfect for fans of The Nightingale and Beneath a Scarlet Sky." I've read and enjoyed them both! I'm giving A Fire Sparkling a 5 rating. It is a compelling story of love, betrayal and courage with family secrets unfolding one by one.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Along the Broken Bay by Flora J. Solomon
"Never arouse me from the throes of a nightmare, for nothing is ghastlier than waking to this reality."
-Ray Thorpe, Cabanatuan prison camp, from the novel
This was a free book from Amazon First Reads and I am glad I selected it. Most of my friends and readers of this blog know historical fiction is my favorite genre. This one is well-written with a compelling plot.
In 1941, Gina Thorpe, a former songstress and now military wife, is living in Manila when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and proceed to take over the Philippine Islands. Her husband is in harm's way and seems to have been captured by the enemy. For their own protection and that of their children Gina and her best friend Vivian flee to the Zambales Mountains. There they meet up with members of the American/Filipino resistance. Since the guerrillas are in great need of money and supplies they recruit Gina to go back to Manila to secretly solicit funds from those friendly to the cause. Gina agrees to this assignment even at the great sacrifice of leaving her young daughter Cheryl behind in Vivian's care and risking her own capture and possible execution if she is caught.
Gina is smuggled into Manila and eventually ends up running Pearl Blue, a nightclub where Japanese officers come to be entertained, spend their money and, hopefully, spill some secrets. Ironic that the enemy is helping to fund the resistance! Without giving anything away, the plot thickens and the book becomes a page-turner. I will rate it a 5.
-Ray Thorpe, Cabanatuan prison camp, from the novel
This was a free book from Amazon First Reads and I am glad I selected it. Most of my friends and readers of this blog know historical fiction is my favorite genre. This one is well-written with a compelling plot.
In 1941, Gina Thorpe, a former songstress and now military wife, is living in Manila when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and proceed to take over the Philippine Islands. Her husband is in harm's way and seems to have been captured by the enemy. For their own protection and that of their children Gina and her best friend Vivian flee to the Zambales Mountains. There they meet up with members of the American/Filipino resistance. Since the guerrillas are in great need of money and supplies they recruit Gina to go back to Manila to secretly solicit funds from those friendly to the cause. Gina agrees to this assignment even at the great sacrifice of leaving her young daughter Cheryl behind in Vivian's care and risking her own capture and possible execution if she is caught.
Gina is smuggled into Manila and eventually ends up running Pearl Blue, a nightclub where Japanese officers come to be entertained, spend their money and, hopefully, spill some secrets. Ironic that the enemy is helping to fund the resistance! Without giving anything away, the plot thickens and the book becomes a page-turner. I will rate it a 5.
Monday, July 1, 2019
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
"But I had heard something. Something that had made me start from my sleep with my heart pounding two hundred beats per minute, and my palms wet with sweat, and the conviction that somewhere very close by, another woman was in grave trouble. I knew what it was like to be that girl---to realize, in an instant, how incredibly fragile your hold on life could be, how paper-thin the walls of security really were."
-Lo's thoughts, from the novel
I can't remember where I spotted a synopsis of this novel but with a planned cruise approaching, it seemed a perfect fit. I checked the eBook out from the library for my Kindle. What do you call a captivating suspense novel that you can hardly put down when it is on such a device? It can't really be a page-turner, can it? Page tapper, perhaps? Whatever you call it, this was one! I give it a 5 for sheer entertainment.
British journalist Laura "Lo" Blacklock is on assignment from Velocity travel magazine. Her boss has asked her to cover the maiden voyage of the Aurora Borealis, an elite cruise ship owned by extremely wealthy and influential Lord Richard Bullmer. The luxury cruise liner is smallish compared to any we have sailed on---only 10 guest cabins---so the passenger list is limited: Lo, some fellow journalists, including ex-boyfriend, Ben Howard, Bullmer and his wife.
The book actually begins with a break-in at Lo's flat that leaves her traumatized so when she is awakened the first evening on the ship by a woman's scream and a splash sounding much like a body falling overboard, she is worried for "the woman in cabin 10" whom she had met briefly. When Lo goes to the security officer with her suspicions, he tells her cabin 10 is vacant and goes to great lengths to cast doubt on her story. As she continues to look for evidence and to question others, she receives not-so-subtle threats and finally realizes her own life is in danger. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and if you get halfway---don't plan on doing much but reading to the end!
This was the first novel I have read by this author but it won't be the last!
-Lo's thoughts, from the novel
I can't remember where I spotted a synopsis of this novel but with a planned cruise approaching, it seemed a perfect fit. I checked the eBook out from the library for my Kindle. What do you call a captivating suspense novel that you can hardly put down when it is on such a device? It can't really be a page-turner, can it? Page tapper, perhaps? Whatever you call it, this was one! I give it a 5 for sheer entertainment.
British journalist Laura "Lo" Blacklock is on assignment from Velocity travel magazine. Her boss has asked her to cover the maiden voyage of the Aurora Borealis, an elite cruise ship owned by extremely wealthy and influential Lord Richard Bullmer. The luxury cruise liner is smallish compared to any we have sailed on---only 10 guest cabins---so the passenger list is limited: Lo, some fellow journalists, including ex-boyfriend, Ben Howard, Bullmer and his wife.
The book actually begins with a break-in at Lo's flat that leaves her traumatized so when she is awakened the first evening on the ship by a woman's scream and a splash sounding much like a body falling overboard, she is worried for "the woman in cabin 10" whom she had met briefly. When Lo goes to the security officer with her suspicions, he tells her cabin 10 is vacant and goes to great lengths to cast doubt on her story. As she continues to look for evidence and to question others, she receives not-so-subtle threats and finally realizes her own life is in danger. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and if you get halfway---don't plan on doing much but reading to the end!
This was the first novel I have read by this author but it won't be the last!
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