January ended with 12 books read. I started the month with a book about Mississippi - mainly Natchez, and ended it with a book about Mississippi. The first was true stories about Natchez, including a back story of a prince who was a slave. The last one was about justice for the civil rights workers who were killed in the state.
In between these books I read about abuse, war, murder, dreams, kidnappings, friendships, parenting, and writing books. I traveled by planes, trains, automobile and boat. I met some unforgettable characters and some that I will soon forget.
I had 2-5 star books. All of them were average or above, So it was a great start.
Before my reviews - I have started a bookstagram on Instagram - @jansbookcorner I will be posting more there about books I am reading. Feel free to follow me there if you are on Instagram.
Richard Grant
Richard Grant took many trips to Natchez to gather these stories. In fact, he and his family even considered moving there. While there he stayed at Twin Oaks, a bed and breakfast owned by Regina Charboneau, a prominent member of Natchez society. Mr. Grant tells of life in Natchez MS in all it's truth. Interspersed between the modern day stories of things such as warring garden clubs and the Tableaux, are historical stories. These including one that appears throughout the book of Ibrahima, a slave who was a prince.
Mr. Grant is honest in his stories. He addresses the racial divide that still exists in Natchez, the social scene, the acceptance of gays - especially gay men, and how people who live there view it all. Natchez has been called "The Little Easy" in tribute to it having many of the attributes of The Big Easy - New Orleans. Through the stories that Mr. Grant tells, one can definitely see the connection. The modern day stories aren't gossip mill fodder, these are stories that were told to him, often proudly, and things he experienced.
Since we moved to Baton Rouge we have driven through Natchez countless times. I only recall one time that we drove over there as "tourist" though. We did some house tours, went to a cemetery, ate and came home. I have often wondered as driving through what kind of town it really is. Now I have a glimpse of the answer and a little of the history of how it got there.
A good non-fiction book written in a style that kept me engaged.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Liz Nugent
Oliver Ryan seems to have the perfect life. He's good looking and a successful writer with a nice home and a wife, Alice, who stands by him. So the question is, why did he beat her and leave her for dead? The people who know Oliver and Alice offer speculations and clues as to why he snapped. We hear the voices of Barney, a neighbor who had dated Alice, Michael, a friend of his from college, his mistress, Moya and Veronique, the owner of a vineyard where Oliver spent a summer working. Through them, Oliver is unraveled and we see who he is.
"I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her" is the opening line. I will say I expected more of a mystery/thriller when I picked up this book. The genre of this book in my eyes is psychological study. It is all about who Oliver is and why he did what he did. It is interesting in that aspect. Little by little layers are peeled away and he is revealed. There are no huge surprises, in fact most of the "OH!" moments are foretold and easy to know.
It's one of those books where if I had known what to expect, I may have enjoyed it just a little more.
⭐⭐⭐
Alan Hlad
12 Books in 12 Months Challenge
Recommended by Cindy Cole
During WW2, the British used pigeons to help in the war. They would fly them out in planes, drop their cages out with small canisters attached to their legs and instructions for troops to send information back via the pigeon. They knew that not all pigeons would survive, but also knew they may be able to get vital information that way.
Susan and her grandfather, Bertie, are part of the organization that provided the pigeons. Ollie Evans lives in Buxton Maine and believes America should not be neutral, but has obligations at home. When things change, Ollie decides to go to Britain to help out the war effort. Susan and Ollie have a chance encounter that results in a friendship that develops into more. When the plane Ollie is in crashes in enemy territory, Ollie and Susan are able to communicate through the pigeon - keeping their romance alive.
I knew that pigeons were used in the war effort and was looking forward to a story based on that. While that is a part of this story, it is more about Susan and Ollie, how their lives were affected by the war and their romance. The romance is interesting, but I wanted more about the war effort with the pigeons.
I liked the second half of this book better than the first half. In the first part I felt as if the dialogue was a little stilted. It didn't seem natural. As the story developed things seem to flow smoother. Perhaps that was because it became a little more narrative. While reading I wondered if this was Mr. Hlad's first book. After I finished I researched it, and it is. I think that may explain things a little bit.
A little better than average - ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
Holly Jackson
Pip is a senior in High School who has a final year project to do. She decides to do it about the murder five years earlier of a high school girl, Andie Bell. Everyone was convinced that it was committed by Sal Singh, who then killed himself. Pip isn't so sure and sets about to determine who the true killer was. As Pip dives into the case, she finds there are many suspects. She also touches a nerve and someone is out to stop her.
I don't usually read Young Adult books so this was a change for me. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed going along with Pip as she tried to solve the mystery of what happened to Andie Bell. There were many suspects and at times I had a little hard time keeping them straight. Of course there were dead ends, but none of them were far fetched. The one thing you have to do is suspend your belief about what access a high school senior would have to some of the people she approached. But it's a fiction book - not real life.
I grew up reading Nancy Drew Mysteries. My sister, Jackie, and I would go to the library and I can still picture that section in my mind. All the books lined up in order. I'm not sure if I read all of them or not, I just remember the thrill of finishing one and finding the next to check out. This book took me back to those days.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Colleen Oakley
Mia Graydon's life looks great from the outside - nice house, loving husband and plans to start a family. However, she struggles with having several miscarriages and is also having recurring dreams about the same man. When the Graydon's relocate to a small town in Pennsylvania, Mia runs into the "man of her dreams." The man has a secret of his own - Mia is the woman in his dreams. Together they dive in to trying to understand what the dreams mean. Working together to determine this they both begin to wonder - what if?
This book can be a little emotionally draining. It deals with miscarriage, death and marriage issues. Of course there are the emotions that go with each - the sad and the happy. It is well written and I was invested in the characters.
There were times when I was ready to quit reading because of choices I thought were going to be made. I'm glad I stuck it out though. Ms Oakley didn't disappoint me. I will say the ending may not be exactly what some would want but it was perfect to me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Julie Cantrell
Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughters sixth grade class on a field trip from Walker, LA to New Orleans. Her worst fears come true when her daughters best friend, Sarah, disappears. Of course, this weighs heavy on Amanda's heart and affects her life. But even more affected is her daughter, Ellie. They both feel tremendous guilt for Sarah's disappearance. The book takes us through the following years of the search for Sarah, even amid Katrina, and how this has affected many of the people of Walker.
This was recommended to me by friends - most recently Ann, but in the past I think by Cindy and Lora. I finally got around to moving it up on the list and I'm glad I did. I know it was a better story to me because of the locale, but I think anyone would like this book.
I found it to be slow-going at first. Perhaps because I knew what was coming so was ready to get the missing child part out of the way and on to the rest of the story. I expected more of the story to be about the search for the missing child, Sarah, and her parents. Instead the story is more about Amanda, who was the adult "in charge" of Sarah on the field trip and her daughter, Ellie, Sarah's best friend.
Another emotional book. This one has a lot of "triggers" - abuse, kidnapping, the sex slave trade among others. If you have a hard time reading about these, then you might not want to read this book. I will say that while they are all covered, for the most part it is not in graphic detail.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ann Patchett
A series of essays written by Ann Patchett. She covers her 3 fathers, her life experiences at different stages, her career as an author, her decision to not have children, and a wonderful essay about her friendship with Sooki, Tom Hank's assistant.
I listened to all of these essays except for the last two because my library time expired. So I checked out an ebook and read the last two. When I listen to an audio book, this is the perfect format for me. I can listen to the essay while driving, working around the house, at the gym, etc. When I need to turn it off and come back to it later, I haven't lost the memory of the story - I can pick it back up easily.
Ann Patchett has a wonderful, quiet writing style, It was interesting hearing of her life and her relationships. Having her voice reading it made it even seem more personal. There are funny times and sad times. There are interesting tidbits from her life and many things we all can relate to. I so enjoyed this glimpse into the life of Ann Patchett.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fredrick Backman
Another essay type book - this time written to a son, as the title would suggest. While a lot of them contain humor, they are also serious too. Mr. Backman covers his actions as a dad to his then baby/toddler and also actions that he knows he will probably do. He talks of his love for his wife and also about the grandparents and their influence on him and his son.
This is an enjoyable collection of essays. Mr. Backman has a wonderful way of telling a story, He is spot on about a lot of things from a parents view. He tells several personal things about himself and it made me appreciate him as an author even more. I think any parent of young kids could relate and would enjoy these short essays.
⭐⭐⭐
Amor Towles
When 18 year old Emmett Watson is driven home from the Nebraska work farm by the warden little did he know there were 2 stowaways - Duchess and Wooly. It's 1954 and Emmett's plan is to take his 8 year old brother, Billy and move to Texas where he can buy old houses, renovate them and flip them. Billy throws the first kink into the plan when he wants to go to California where he is sure their mom lives. The next kink in the plan is that Duchess and Wooly want to go to New York City. Emmett's solution is to take Duchess and Wooly to the bus station in another town and send them on their way, and then to take the Lincoln Highway to California to please his brother. Neither one happens and they find themselves on an adventure as they all head the opposite way of California towards New York City. The story is told from different points of view of the journey that spans 10 days.
This is a great book! The characters are all such different personalities, yet they all love and care for one another, They are developed and revealed slowly through current actions plus glimpses into the past. I will remember each one of these characters and this story for a long time. It is about a physical journey, but it is also about a journey into friendship.
This is my second Amor Towles book. I have previously read "A Gentleman in Moscow" (Reviewed here) in August 2019. That book was very character driven and was what I call a quiet read. This book , while there was character development, I consider more plot driven. A totally different story than "A Gentleman in Moscow". Both of them great books!
My favorite of the month.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Patti Callahan
Meg Devonshire is a student at Oxford, majoring in math. She focuses on facts. Her younger brother, George, though is more focused on what if's - and has become enthralled with a new book, "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". George has a heart issue and doesn't have long to live which pulls on Meg's heart towards wanting to please him. When George finds out that the author, C.S. Lewis, is a professor at Oxford, he asks Meg to find out where Narnia came from. Even though Meg is in a different school and focuses on facts, she sets out to find the answer for George and thereby develops a friendship with Lewis and his brother, Warren.
I wanted to love this book. "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" is a great story so I thought any historical fiction about it would be great. I was disappointed to not really care for this book. There were parts I enjoyed, but there were parts that I felt were just too sappy. The story was predictable in parts and what started out promising fell a little flat.
This is the second book written by Ms Callahan that I have read. Both of them are historical fictions based on C. S. Lewis. Both were disappointing. I have decided that the way she tells a story is just not my preference. This book is a well loved book by a lot of people so as I often say, just because it wasn't my favorite, it doesn't mean it won't be yours.
⭐⭐⭐
Jean Hanff Korelitz
Jacob Finch Bonner was a one hit wonder in the book world. Several years earlier, his debut novel was a best seller. He has not been able to follow that up with another hit, until he was let in on a plot by a student he was teaching. When Bonner discovers years later that the student has died, he decides to use the plot and write a novel. It is an instant hit leaving Bonner in high demand as a speaker, for TV, radio, the Oprah Book Club selection and a major movie being planned. The only problem is someone knows that Bonner "stole" the plot and they are out to destroy Bonner. Jake struggles to discover who his antagonist is and what they want before his name and career are destroyed.
There is a lot I liked about this book. The plot of "The Plot" is interesting. Ms Korelitz also tells two stories in that occasionally we see pages from the book that Bonner wrote. It was a ride along with Bonner trying to work the mystery out and I didn't figure it out until the last chapter.
The part that didn't set well for me probably relates to my personality. I always want to understand the why. When I found out who the antagonist was, I was left wondering what they really wanted to accomplish. I couldn't understand why it mattered so much in a way. I also couldn't understand why Bonner handled it the way he did. The novel was never written by the student and I think since he was dead, it wasn't plagiarism. They even talk about it in the novel - plots are told and retold by many authors. And Bonner did not copy word for word what his student had turned in. I know both of those things shouldn't have bothered me that much but it did.
⭐⭐⭐1/2
Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell was a reporter for the Clarion Ledger in Jackson Mississippi covering court cases when he watched a screening of "Mississippi Burning". That screening changed directions in his reporting and his life. Mr. Mitchell began to question why nobody was ever convicted. This sent him delving into the murders of several civil rights workers. Through his journalistic investigations he helped reopen cases, bringing convictions.
An interesting book. Mr. Mitchell has an amazing way of getting people to open up to him, even at their own expense. He has a great sense of justice for the families involved and was willing to risk his life to get the answers needed. This book is well written and it is a story worth reading. I found it inspiring.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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