Granite Kingdom

I received an advanced review copy Granite Kingdom through the Early Reviewer's Program at Librarything in exchange for an honest review. The book was published on November 29, 2022 and it is Eric Pope's debut novel.

The publisher's summary:

It is 1910, and the northern Vermont village Granite Junction is the nation's largest supplier of finished granite for construction. Newspaper reporter Dan Strickland, a stonecutter's son who hopes to find the right wife and climb the social ladder, finds himself caught between the village's two big granite producers, George Rutherford and Ernest Wheeler. Several fatal industrial accidents prompt Rutherford to ask Dan to look for anarchist saboteurs, while Bob Blackstone, Wheeler's right-hand man, bullies Dan for working for the paper that supports their competitor. Despite the prosperity at the top, almost everyone in the village struggles to attain economic security; some fear ending up at the poor farm. Although Dan triumphs in the end, it is not in the way he had imagined.

The story had a slow start. I had a hard time becoming interested in the novel and stopped and started several times before continuing with the story. As a whole, though, the book was a slow read. There was alot of description of the book's many characters with the exception of the characters in the newspaper business. The scenes with them were fast paced. Why the difference?  Perhaps because the author is a retired journalist. In addition, there was too much narrative. If the backstory was given via dialogue the book would have been faster paced.

The setting was interesting. I have never read about a community that worked in the granite industry and the setting helped to inform as well as entertain. The author certainly knows his subject well. It is a good thing when historical fiction readers get a setting different from the usual England, France and Italy, particularly when the setting is an industry. There is also a sense of history to the novel. During the celebration of the 45th anniversary to the end of the Civil War, celebrated in the 3 days before July 4, Dan interviews an old soldier about his experience fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg. The soldier discusses the movements of his regiment in a parlor "unchanged since Lincoln died." 

I liked the novel but have to say that the amount of narrative slowed down my reading.  I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

Dust Child

I received an advanced review copy of Dust Child from the Early Reviewer's Program at Librarything in exchange for an honest review. This historical novel will be published in March 2023 and it is a winner. The story is about a Vietnamese man who wants to emigrate to America. He has been mistreated his entire life because he is Amerasian, born to a Vietnamese mother and African American father. Tens of thousands of these children were born and they are called bụi đời (the dust of life). Dust Child is the author's second novel, following her 2020 novel The Mountains Sing.

The publisher's summary:  

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a young and charming American helicopter pilot. Decades later, an American veteran, Dan, returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, hoping to find a way to heal from his PTSD and, unbeknownst to her, reckon with secrets from his past.  

At the same time, Phong—the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman—embarks on a search to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for himself and his family in the U.S. 

Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war—decisions that force them to look deep within and find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language. Suspenseful, poetic, and perfect for readers of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Dust Child tells an unforgettable and immersive story of how those who inherited tragedy can redefine their destinies through love, hard-earned wisdom, compassion, courage, and joy. 

 

Dust Child is a poignant tale told from three alternating perspectives, Phong, Trang and Dan. The chapters alternate between each of  them which is both a blessing and a hindrance. While all three storylines are interesting, I found that as I became engaged in one I did not want to change to the next one. However, I doubt that the novel would have been as captivating without this literary device. It made me continue reading until the end. The characters have been chosen from among the Viet Cong, American soldiers, the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) and the citizenry of Vietnam so there are even more perspectives for the reader to get to know. Reading about all of these perspectives was an educational experience for me.

I think most people view Vietnam as a poor country. In the beginning of the novel just about all of the characters were living in poverty. When Dan's storyline begins to be fleshed out, he sees it as an urban place. His impression is based on its paved roads and new businesses. However, I would still say that the setting was an impoverished nation. Poverty runs deep throughout the book for all of the characters whether in their past lives or their present. It is always in the back of their minds and shapes their decisions. It is a sad setting appropriate for the difficult lives that the Vietnamese must lead. You want to root for them though, hoping that they can overcome not only the physical but the emotional scars from the past.

5 out of 5 stars.

2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge

 

I don't read alot of nonfiction but have enjoyed the 7 books I read for the challenge this year. Thus, I am signing up to participate in the challenge in 2023.  The aim of the Nonfiction Reader Challenge is to encourage readers to make nonfiction a part of their reading experience during the year.  You can select, read and review a book from the categories listed below for a total of 12 books; OR select, read and review any nonfiction book. Books can be in any format such as print, electronic or audio. To participate you need to select one of the goals shown below:

Nonfiction Nipper:  read and review 3 books from any 3 listed categories

Nonfiction Nibbler:  read and review 6 books from any 6 listed categories

Nonfiction Nosher:  read and review 12 books, one for each category

Nonfiction Grazer:  read and review any nonfiction book.  Set our own goal.

Categories:

history

memoir/biography

crime and punishment

science

health

travel

food

social media

sport

relationships

the arts

published in 2023

Additional Rules:

1)    Readers can choose books as they go or create a list in advance. 

2)    You can combine this challenge with others

3)    When a book qualifies for more than one category, it can only count for one category.

4)    Books can be read in any order, at any pace.

5)    To join the challenge, create a blog post concerning your participation in the challenge. Non-bloggers are welcome to join however. 

6)    You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or Librarything and post via Instagram or Twitter. Just add your name and a link to your shelf/account in the signup.

7)    The challenge runs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.  Participants can can at any time before December 1, 2023.

8)    Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, please identify the post by adding either a direct statement and/or the challenge image badge to the post. It’s also helpful if you indicate the category the book fulfills.

9)    Use the hashtag #ReadNonFicChal on social media. You can tag the challenge host on Twitter:  @bookdout or Instagram: @shelleyrae _bookdout to share or Mastodon @shelleyrae@aus.social.

My Challenge:

I am signing up for the Nonfiction Grazer level. It would be hard for me to find books that I want to read in categories other than history and memoir/biography. I did read a science book this year but that was a rare read. Most likely all of the books I end up reading for the challenge will be published in 2023. 

2023 Library Love Reading Challenge

I have loved this challenge since it began 6 or 7 years ago. Perusing the library shelves is fun and I find alot of good books and authors from doing so. It saves money too! Nothing bad about that. I am downsizing my personal challenge in 2023 because I am still skittish about COVID-19. Normally I would take the top level challenge of 60 books per year. However, in 2023 I am signing up at the Thrifty Reader level which requires that 24 library books be read and reviewed. I may not even begin the challenge until Spring because infection rates have climbed this month in my state.

The Rules:

 Runs: January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022. You can join anytime. The sign-up will remain open until Dec. 31st, 2022.

 The goal is to find your love of your local library and to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more.  While twelve is the minimum; there is no maximum limit.  See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.

 Any format will work for this challenge (prints, ebooks, or audios); as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.

 Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).

 Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads.  The goal is to support your local library and save money.

 You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.

 If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word.  If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweet about the challenge.  Please link back to both hosts: Angel’s Guilty Pleasures & Books of My Heart.

 As an added bonus: The challenge hosts are offering up FOUR GIVEAWAYS plus a few surprise giveaways throughout the year (2022) with this Challenge.  The main giveaways will be posted for (Jan., Feb., & March), (April, May, & June), (July, Aug., & Sept.), & last (Oct., Nov., & Dec.).  A linky will go up on both Angel’s Guilty Pleasures and Books of My Heart; where you can leave your links for the reviews on your library books you have read.  So make sure to stop by to enter.  More details in the giveaway section below. 

 (Optional) Reviews: Write a review to enter the giveaway – 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences.  Not sure what to write?  How about something like, “The plot was a delight, but the characters didn’t capture me.” “I enjoyed the story and really liked the characters.”

 Please use #LibraryLoveChallenge when sharing your reviews, library pictures, etc…

Levels: 

• Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books
• Thrifty Reader: Read 24 books
• Overdrive Junkie: Read 36 books
• Library Addict: Read 48 books
• Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books 

If you are interested, there is also a Goodreads Group for the Library Love Challenge, where we talk, share, and discuss the books we snagged/read during the 2022 Library Love Challenge – Click Here

Alice Guy: First Lady of Film

Alice Guy is a real life person from the 19th century.  She was one of the pioneers in  filmmaking. Guy was also one of the first filmmakers to make a narrative fiction film, as well as the first woman to direct a film. From 1896 to 1906, she was probably the only female filmmaker in the world. This graphic biography covers her life from childhood to her death in 1969.

The publisher's summary:

In 1895 the Lumière brothers invented the cinematograph. Less than a year later, 23-year-old Alice Guy, the first female filmmaker in cinema history, made The Cabbage Fairy, a 60-second movie, for Léon Gaumont, and would go on to direct more than 300 films before 1922. Her life is a shadow history of early cinema, the chronicle of an art form coming into its own. A free and independent woman who rubbed shoulders with masters such as Georges Méliès and the Lumières, she was the first to define the professions of screenwriter and producer. She directed the first feminist satire, then the first sword-and-sandal epic, before crossing the Atlantic in 1907 to the United States and becoming the first woman to found her own production company. Guy died in 1969, excluded from the annals of film history. In 2011 Martin Scorsese honored this cinematic visionary, “forgotten by the industry she had helped create,” describing her as “a filmmaker of rare sensitivity, with a remarkable poetic eye and an extraordinary feel for locations.” The same can be said of Catel and Bocquet’s luminous account of her life.

This book is over 400 pages. The first and last 100 pages were engaging but I got a little bored in the middle. I must say, though, that the history of movie making is covered in detail. Readers more interested in movies than I will love this novel. Readers will see the progression of filmmaking here. When Guy and other filmmakers began, they made one reel films. Then 5 and 6 reel films became popular, but filmmakers didn't make much money from them, forcing many out of the industry. 

Guy created many firsts in cinema, defining the professions of screenwriter, director and producer.  Another first was her film A Fool and His Money which had an all African American cast. Guy died in 1969 and has been excluded from film history until recently. There are full biographies of her that have been written. It was interesting that she began her career as a secretary to a photographer who worked in chronophotography. Chronophotography is photographs affixed to a round disc. As viewers rotated the photographs movement was created. Then the cinematograph was invented and the rest of history. 

At the back of the book is an extensive section that includes a timeline of pivotal events in the invention of cinema, biographical notes of other filmmakers, and Guy's filmography bibliography. It is a great resource for those interested in movie history.

5 out of 5 stars.

The American Adventuress

The American Adventuress is a biography of Jennie Jerome Spencer-Churchill, the mother of Winston Churchill. This novel is Gortner's 7th. He writes historical fiction accounts of women and in the past has written about Catherine de Medici, Coco Chanel and Lucrezia Borgia. He holds an MFA in writing, specializing in Renaissance Studies, from the New College of California.  

The publisher's summary:

Daughter of New York financier Leonard Jerome, Jennie was born into wealth—and scandal. Upon her parents’ separation, her mother took Jennie and her sisters to Paris, where Mrs. Jerome was determined to marry her daughters into the most elite families. The glamorous city became their tumultuous finishing school until it fell to revolt. 

Fleeing to Queen Victoria’s England, Jennie soon caught the eye of aristocrat Randolph Spencer-Churchill, son of the Duke of Marlborough, one of Britain’s loftiest peers. It was love at first sight, their unconventional marriage driven by mutual ambition and the birth of two sons. Undeterred by premature widowhood or society’s rigid expectations, Jennie brashly carried on a lifelong intimate friendship with Edward, Prince of Wales—a notorious bon vivant—and had two later marriages to younger men. When her son Winston launched his brilliant political career, Jennie guided him to success, his most vocal and valuable supporter.

By turns scandalous, tragic, and exciting, Jennie Jerome lived an unconventional life full of defiance—one that enshrined her as an American adventuress.

The American Adventuress is a fantastic read.  Gortner did a great job of telling Jennie's story. I knew before reading the book that she married into the British aristocracy when she married Randolph Spencer-Churchill and that she was the mother of Winston Churchill. I did not know though that she was a playwright, entrepreneur, interior decorator, and publisher. I also was not aware of her affair with Edward, Prince of Wales who later was crowned King Edward VII. Jennie also married twice after Randolph died. Both of these husbands were half her age which was scandalous at the time. She was definately a woman ahead of her time. 

I enjoyed the New York City, Parisian and English settings. Jennie's childhood was in New York City where her parents attended and hosted banquets for the Guilded Age millionaires. When her mother separated from her father, they moved to Paris where Jennie met Randolph. Former Empress Eugenie became a friend of Jennie's mother so they were in the top social circles. After her marriage, Jennie and Randolph moved into Blenheim Palace where Randolph's family lived. I was surprised to read that it was cold and oppressive inside it's walls. That is not how I believed living in a castle is really like. The Palace did not appeal to me but Jennie and Randolph's London homes did. This is where they did their politicking and hosted many parties. Another fact that I learned was that Randolph's oldest brother Charles, the heir of the Dukedom of Marlborough, married an American himself, Consuelo Vanderbilt. 

I loved this historical biography and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

2023 Calendar of Crime Challenge

I love mysteries and have my favorite authors.  This challenge, however, makes me search for new authors and new books fit for this challenge so I am signing up for the 2023 challenge. The challenge is hosted by the My Readers Block blog.

This challenge allows readers to include any mystery regardless of publication date. If it falls in a mystery category (crime fiction/detective novel/police procedural/suspense/thriller/spy & espionage/hard-boiled/cozy/etc.), then it counts and it does not matter if it was published in 1893 or 2023. 

 

 

 

A larger version of the spreadsheet may be found HERE. Click on the 2023 tab at bottom. 

 

The Rules

1)    Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2023. All books should be read during this time period. Sign up at any time. If you have a blog, please post about the challenge. Then sign up via the form below and please make the url link to your challenge post and not your home page. If you don't have a blog, links to an online list (Goodreads, Library Thing, etc.) devoted to this challenge are acceptable OR you may skip that question.

2)    All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are all welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.

3)    Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a complete challenge.

4)    To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. for instance, if you are claiming the book for December and want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas figure in some in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will?

5)    The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month (as mine is), then for category #9 you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way--other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot.

6)    Chinese Zodiac: Animal must be important to the book in some way. Examples: animal name appears in title (stand-alone, not part of another word); animal itself is important to the story; animal appears on cover; important character is associated with the animal (nickname--for instance, owns one as a pet, etc.) OR book may have been published in a year that corresponds to the Zodiac year.

7)    Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges (such as my Vintage Scattergories Challenge). If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change it at any time prior to the final wrap-up.

8)    Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So--if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.

9)    A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a list of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)]

10)    If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #?CalendarOfCrime2023. 

2023 Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge

This challenge is another one of my favorites.  There are two ways to participate.  You can read only cozy mysteries of your choice, which I will do, or read one book from each of the following sub-genres.

1)    culinary

2)    animal related

3)    craft related

4)    paranormal

5)    career based

6)    based outside the U. S.

7)    holiday

8)    travel 

9)    historical (I tend to prefer these types of books)

10)  wild card or a book of your choice

In addition, there are four levels from which you can choose to join:

Level one (Snoop):  read 10 cozy mysteries

Level two (Investigator):  read 20 cozy mysteries

Level three (Super Sleuth):  read 30 cozy mysteries

Level four (Sleuth Extraordinaire):  read 40 cozy mysteries

The challenge runs the 2023 calendar year.  Books do not need to be chosen in advance and can overlap with other challenges. Also, books can be in any format such as paper, audio and ebooks. Reviews are not required but welcome. 

I am joining at the Snoop level and will be selecting 10 books of my choice. Most of my choices will be career related or historical cozies.  If you would like to join the challenge, sign-ups are at the Socrates Book Reviews blog.

2023 Reading By the Numbers Challenge

2023 is the second year of the Reading by the Numbers Challenge on the My Reader's Block blog. This reading challenge is at its most basic--just track everything you read. Anything counts--graphic novels or comic books, hard copy, e-books, audio novels, etc. If it is a book, it counts. Books with numbers in the title are not required. I merely used those above as a play on the challenge name. And, although the covers shown in the challenge image are all mysteries, you may read from any and all genres that interest you. This challenge is so easy why not participate? Last year I forgot that graphic novels counted for the challenge and did not link my reviews of them.  I won't forget this time.  I am challenging myself to read 100 books next year. The challenge for me is to read less and create art more.  This year I read around 125 books.

The Rules: 

1)    Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2023.

2)    There are no pre-set challenge levels. You decide on your personal goal.

3)    Books may be used concurrently with other "number" reading challenges (such as the Goodreads Challenge) or with any other challenge.

4)    A blog and reviews of the books are not required to participate, but if you have a blog, please post your sign-up for the challenge and link the post in the form on the host blog's site. 

5)    If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ReadingByNumbers2023.

2023 Color Coded Reading Challenge

I have found many interesting books and new authors from participating in this challenge over the years. I am excited to participate again. Once again the categories will be more open--the color may either be named in the title or it may appear as the dominant color for the cover of the book. For "implies color" the image implying color should dominate the cover--for instance a large rainbow, a field of flowers, or the image of a painter. 

General Rules:

The Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2023 and any book read after January 1 may count regardless of when you sign up. You may sign-up any time and crossovers with other challenges are fine. If you post on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media to log a book, please use #ColorCoded2023.

The challenge is to read nine books in the following categories:

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue in the title/on the cover.

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red in the title/on the cover.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow in the title/on the cover.

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green in the title/on the cover.

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown in the title/on the cover.  This color is my hardest to find.

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black in the title/on the cover.

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White in the title/on the cover.

8. A book with any other color in the title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, etc).

9. A book with a word/image that implies color in the title/on the cover (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Shadow, Paint, Ink, etc).

In order to sign up for the challenge you need to fill out a form on the My Reader's Block site.  If you have a blog, please post about the challenge on your site and enter the url link. You may also enter a link to a Goodreads or Library Thing list, Instagram, etc. 

This is a fun challenge. Won't you join me in participating?

Book of the Month: November

My best book for November is Mike Rinder's A Billion Years.  I learned alot about the scientology religion although none of it was positive. This autobiography follows Rinder's life from childhood to the present in chronological format, concentrating on his adult life in scientology. He held a top management position and writes about the problems the religion faced, particularly after the death of founder L. Ron Hubbard. Rinder makes his case that scientology is a cult which I agree with. His writing style is engaging and the book is unputdownable. I highly recommend it.

15th Annual Graphic Novel and Manga Reading Challenge

There have not been sign ups for this challenge in three years but I believe that 2023 will be the 15th year of the challenge. Participants have been posting reviews in a Facebook group all along and I am planning on continuing to do so. This past year I signed up to read 52 graphic novels. I didn't complete the challenge and will reduce the number of books that I will read next year.  I cannot remember what the challenge levels used to be but I will challenge myself to read 24 graphic novels.

Iced in Paradise

Iced in Paradise is a cozy mystery taking place in Hawaii. It is the first of two novels in the Leilani Santiago Hawaii Mystery series and is the first book that I have read by the author, Naomi Hirahara. She is the Edgar-winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series and the L.A.-based Ellie Rush mystery series. Her Mas Arai books earned a best book of the year award from Publishers Weekly. Iced in Paradise was published in 2021.

The publisher's summary:

Leilani Santiago is back in her birthplace, the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, to help keep afloat the family business, a shave ice shack. When she goes to work one morning, she stumbles across a dead body, a young pro surfer who was being coached by her estranged father. As her father soon becomes the No. 1 murder suspect, Leilani must find the real killer and somehow safeguard her ill mother, little sisters, and grandmother while also preserving a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend in Seattle.

Iced was not as exciting as I had hoped. I struggled with the Hawaiian slang and could not always figure out what was being said. I wasted too much time trying to figure it all out and kept reading. However, the slang was too big of a disturbance for me. In the beginning I thought that it was pretty cool to learn all these new words. It became cumbersome though. I found it hard to decipher what the action was because it too was told to the reader through slang terms. The plot shown above in the summary is a good one. I just didn't see it and am disappointed with the book. I had high hopes for it due to the positive reviews but it just didn't click with me.

1 out of 5 stars.