Annelise Ryan's "Beast of the North Woods" is a quick and easy read. The protagonist is a cryptozoologist - she hunts for legendary creatures (such as yeti, big foot, loc ness monster) that may or may not exist. She is hired by the brother-in-law of an employee. This hunt takes place in the Rhinelander, Wisconsin area and it is the infamous Hodag she needs to locate to show that her employee's nephew did not commit murder. Ryan describes the people and places very well as well as the process used by Morgan Carter, the cryptozoologist and narrator. There are several twists to the plot and I did not expect the ending. The conclusion was as well written and complete as the rest of the book. If you are in the mood for a light read, this book is a good candidate.

For me, Victoria Christopher Murray's Harlem Rhapsody is the quintessential historical novel. It is based on true events, is entertaining and provided a learning opportunity. I enjoyed reading this book that centered on Jessie Redmon Fauset, the literary editor of The Crisis - the magazine created and edited by Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, a civil rights activist. The struggle of Fauset to be seen as a talented writer, editor and activist in her own right was hampered by her on and off again affair with De Bois. The events unfold during the early nineteenth century and Christopher Murray emphasis the struggle for racial equality, yet interweaves women's fight for equality. I learned much about the early fight for African-American equality, the activists involved, and the early development of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). I highly recommend this book.

Christina Lynch has written an interesting and unique novel. The main characters are Penny and Pony. Penny is in her late 30s, a wife, mother, third grade teacher and charged with a murder that occurred 25 years prior. Pony is the riding pony that Penny owned when she was a child and thought of as her best friend. The murder occurred when Penny was 12 after which she and her parents moved to Chicago and sold Pony. The story is told by both Penny and Pony in alternating chapters. Each tells their story of the past 25 years along with the present. The novel is a testament to love between a person and their childhood pet, the struggle to understand the past and determination to find the truth and the connections that remained strong after loosing each other for 25 years. Lynch does a remarkable job connecting the storylines and joining them for an astounding conclusion. I highly recommend this book.

There were times while reading this book I debated whether to continue. The Adversary is full of quirky characters, debauchery, and violence yet also includes acts of kindness and a sense of community. Michael Crummy sets the book on the coast of Newfoundland, Canada during the early to mid-1800s. The main characters, Abe Stabb and a women known as The Widow, own the two major fish warehouses. Each provide for the salting, storage, and exporting of locally caught fish along with the importation of people and goods. Not only are they business adversaries, each has much different views of supporting and growing the community. Overall, the book is dark yet there were times that I laughed out loud.

I found Stephanie Dray's book very interesting and well written. As with so many historical fiction books that feature women in prominent roles, this book introduced me to another women, Frances Perkins, a strong advocate and leader in labor issues. Miss Perkins (as she was addressed) became the first women who served in the U.S. Cabinet after being nominated by President-elect Franklin Roosevelt. The author includes Perkins work for the poor and underemployed women and children aa well as her private life and the struggle she faced in each and the conflict she managed between the two. If history classes had featured more women such as Perkins, and less war stories, perhaps I and many other women and girls would find history interesting and relatable. Drays has written a book that expands our knowledge of women in history.

Maher's novel is set a few years before the United States Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade (1973). Maher also provides a look into what residents in many states are currently facing as a result of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision (2022). This book woke me up to the few choices pregnant girls and women had pre-Roe. The commitment of a small group women and men to provide safe, affordable abortions made me realize that there are caring and supportive people that will risk everything for a woman's right to choose. While others will do whatever it takes to prevent abortions, without realistic safety nets in place to prevent unsafe, undesired and/or forced pregnancies. Be sure to read the "Author's Note" at the end of the book to discover the background of this book. This book made me think and contemplate the current plight of girls and women and the choices they may not have.

Phaedra Patrick wrote an interesting and fresh vacation read. This novel contains the prerequisite themes, such as relationships ending and beginning, a summer vacation, and a lack of communication between characters. What The Little Hotel in Italy adds is the mix of strangers of different ages, genders, backgrounds, and heartaches. The discovery of each character's heartache allows the characters to develop empathy, friendship, and a beginning of healing. I recommend this book for a quick and light summer read.

I found this book enjoyable and a fun read. Hoffman has written a contemporary story that incorporates current technology. The two main characters are over 60 years apart in age, yet each character grew during their time together and became friends. It reaffirms the idea that people of different generations can develop bonds with each other.

Whether you believe in psychic-mediums or not, Nan Fischer will have you wanting to continue reading "Some of it was Real" beyond your sleep time. Fischer had me wondering throughout the book what were lies and what was the truth. Then she would hint at a secret that added to my confusion and a desire to continue reading to further understand Sylvie, Thomas and other characters. I recommend this book as the writing, depth and plot are well done and made me contemplate the role that secrets, truths and lies play in our lives as well as the reality of psychic-mediums.

Take My Hand by Perkins-Valdez is a well written and interesting novel that brings to light an experimental medical treatment to which poor, Black women and young girls were exposed and, for some their future reproductive health was forever changed. The novel takes place in Alabama and focuses on two Black sisters, aged 11 and 13, and the nurse assigned to them. This abuse took place in the early 1970s, decades after experimental medical treatments were conducted on the Tuskegee airmen and Henrietta Lacks without their understanding and informed consent. I recommend this book to others interested in social justice issues as another glimpse in the struggle between the haves and have nots.

At times I found myself judging Hill and the choices he made regarding who and what he told about his blindness and his willingness to accept assistance. I then had to remind myself that no one knows how they would respond in the same circumstances. Losing most of his sight at age 16 was traumatic, especially when almost no services, including counseling, seemed to be offered to him that would make his life a bit easier. These are the themes of Hill's life after going blind. Though he succeeded in high school and as an undergraduate and graduate student, he faced hurdles that were some of his own making due to his reluctance to be open about his disability and seek help from others. And sometimes when he sought assistance, it seemed to be uncoordinated and lacking. Hill's growth seemed to be one step forward and two steps back much of the time. Luckily, he continued to learn about himself, the willingness of others to help without pitying him and to accept the love of and kindness from friends and family.

The characters in this book are complex and their backgrounds are slowly revealed. As I discovered more about each character, I developed a further understanding of the loss the character experienced, their reaction to this loss, and the strength they found. At times, I found the number and complexity of the characters to be confusing. Like me, other readers may initially struggle with the writing style. However, if you can adapt to this style you will discover an intriguing and interesting story.

The characters continued to develop throughout the book. Just as I thought I had Ellie, Clive, and Dan figured out, the plot changed and more layers were revealed. The descriptions of the harp construction were so well written that I imagined being in the workshop watching Dan create his masterpieces. The author also excelled describing the completed harps and the music that came from them. There is a lot going on in the book however when reading it I was not overwhelmed. That feeling came as I thought about writing this review. The richly developed characters - human, animal, and musical - are woven tightly together that I continue to think about them and how they interact.

Heaven is a collection of shacks and huts in the windswept outskirts of Bangalore. The poorest families live here. Yet, the girls and women in this novel are rich in friendship, understanding, and shared history. The story revolves around the experiences of a group of teen-age girls who have been friends almost from birth and who possess very different characteristics. They learn from each other, their mothers, grandmothers, and the elder schoolmaster. They accept each other - blind, transgender, lesbian - and take pride in supporting, protecting, and challenging each other. They hope and dream of finishing school, attending university, improving their living conditions, having careers, and changing the world so females have the same opportunities as males. They learn secrets. They are young women in a world that casts them as possessions, first of their father, then of their husband. Amongst all of these adversities they work to make Heaven a better place, and in the process show that they are more than just possessions; they are strong, intelligent, forward thinkers who use those attributes to face the seemingly more powerful and win. This book demonstrates the continued need for International Women's Day.

This memoir is a combination of happiness and sadness. It made me think about the understanding and support parents, relatives, and friends need when facing a major medical crisis involving such a young child. Be prepared to read it in one setting. I could not put it down, as I needed to know what was next for Gracie. The issues in Happiness have not left my thoughts since I read it - this memoir was that well-written and thought provoking.

Shreve has produced another well written and descriptive novel. This story shows the strength of a woman who lost herself and by surviving a tragedy found the strength she always owned. Grace experiences her true love as well as her Achilles heel and must decide between the expectations of her generation or her own happiness.