THE FAMILIAR By Leigh Bardugo

Thank you to BookBrowse for the ARC of The Familiar

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An entertaining read of speculative fiction, historical fiction and doses of magical fantasy, set in late 16th century Madrid at the height of the Spanish Inquisition. The prose is lyrical and lovely.

Luzia Cotado is a scullion and orphan who sleeps on a filthy floor and dreams of having a better life with money to give her the freedom she yearns for and the love she doesn’t have. To help her get through the menial tasks of her days, she uses a bit of magic, which she keeps secret from everyone.

Luzia’s mistress finds out she can perform “milagritos,” and seizes on the opportunity to benefit herself. To raise her social status she has Luzia perform for her dinner guests. Soon the entertainment catapults her into fame and danger. Luzia fears her secret of Jewish blood will be discovered and she tries to steer clear of the Inquisition. Luzia is thrown into a magical contest to find the king a new holy champion. She is forced to train with, Guillen Santangel, a supernatural servant who is the “familiar” of the book’s title.

Touching on trust, betrayal, belief, survival and love.

This my first read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Narration by Robert Petkoff was very well done.

Taking place on a small
island off the coast of Maine lives Israel Pike who is, a lobsterman, ‘an honest man’ and also a killer. A twelve year old boy named Lyman Rankin, who seeks shelter from his alcoholic father also is living on Salvation Point Island; an island that is far from salvation. Both Israel and Lyman are fighters trying to do the right thing in a world where that seems impossible. After several politicians are found dead at sea things heat up on Salvation Point Island. Israel and Lyman who have been—“riding along on different storms but bound to collide”…. finally do.

Heavy topics of human trafficking and sex slavery, abuse, along with corruption of police and others are touched upon. Heavy topics, but how Koryta chose to write it was done in a way that I was able to read/listen to it. A few parts were a bit more difficult but they are short descriptions.

Great character development and plot twists. I really enjoyed listening to this and enjoyed Michael Koryta’s style of writing. I liked his book The Chill, written under the pen name of Scott Carson. I’m looking forward to his new book, Lost Man’s Lane, written under pen name Scott Carson.

Narrated by the author, Safiya Sinclair who is an accomplished poet. Her skills are shown in the lyricism and language of this beautifully told memoir.

We follow Safiya’s journey of self-discovery and rebellion of her father’s expectations. She tells the story of her and her siblings upbringing of isolation , fear and poverty in a Rastafarian household. Always walking on eggshells when her father is around. Never knowing what would set him off in a rage and start the beatings she and her siblings endured.

From a scared and sheltered girl not allowed opinions, to a strong and self assertive woman who finds writing and poetry a salvation.

As dark and cruel as this can be at times, it is also about hope and resilience. I’ve heard of Rastafarian believers but this is the first time I’ve read of what this movement encompasses.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC ebook.

A coming-of-age, historical fiction/family drama with timelines of 1980’s and 2011. Inspired by real events told through two perspectives and timelines.

I had a difficult time trying to read this. I felt things were disjointed at times and found I had to keep going back and rereading. I would try looking up many of the Korean words and couldn’t find definitions. Many baffling metaphors in her writing style. This wasn’t a good fit for me, but many others did enjoy this book.

A dark time in South Korea’s history. Government wanted all vagrants, beggars, and other people sent to detention centers to rehabilitate them to be returned to society. They were physically abused as well as psychologically abused. Many died or disappeared.

I never felt connected to any character even with all the abuse that was happening.

I would consider reading another book by the author.

Narrated by Brittany Presley

Narration was well done.

A magical realism novel, The Unmaking of June Farrow focuses on a family curse that has caused the Farrow women to exist in two times at once—time travel. A small-time setting in Jasper, NC, in 1951 and 2023. Young builds suspense about the Farrow family curse by slowly divulging information. June struggles with internal conflict.

Exploring misogyny and mob behavior in the small town of Jasper, and also connections between memory and identity.

I wanted to read this because I enjoy time-traveling. This was very good, however a bit confusing with the different characters and going back and forth. As story unfolds it does start to come together and easier to keep track. Overall an enjoyable read.

“There, in the middle of the cemetery, a single red door stood among the tilted headstones. It was set into a frame, like it had been pried loose from a wall, and yet, it didn’t look at all out of place. Like one brushstroke in a painting.”

The story is about forgiveness and all the complications involved with it. Sara has to decide if she can forgive the unforgivable act, of sexual assault, that resulted in the birth of her daughter, Alana. Sara is forced to return home and face ghosts of her past. A lot of emotional baggage with secrets.

This story gives a voice to all Sara’s of the world. It brings difficult things to the forefront for discussion. I am intrigued that this debut author is a rural librarian and wonder if her book will be one of the thousands being banned from libraries and schools. I enjoyed the book and look forward to more from, Terah Shelton Harris.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook

Narrated by: Julia Whelan and Kristin Hannah reading authors note


I’ve always enjoyed Julia Whelan’s narrations and she does another excellent read once again.

4.5 Stars rounded up to

1960’s—turbulent times, Vietnam War, a nation divided by war

Kristina Hannah knows how to pull a reader in from the beginning of a book and keeps the pace running through to the end. Frankie, a young naive unrealistic girl, joins the Army Nurse Corps shortly after her brother was killed in Vietnam.

Frankie sees what war truly is and with the comradeship she forms with other nurses is what helps her survive during her tour in Nam. Frankie becomes a rockstar in the OR in Nam, and then….

Upon coming home and having people cussing and spitting and calling you baby killers is something Frankie most definitely wasn’t prepared for. People not believing women were in Nam and dismissing her. The emotional toll of war, death, and people expecting her to be her old self upon coming home, leaves Frankie alienated and unable to cope with things. Frankie could not pull herself back from despair. The naive unrealistic girl she was before is gone.

This is the first book I’ve read about the women in Nam and what they endured during and after the war. Parts of this story resonated with me, having had family members in Nam; losing some of them to cancer that was most likely due to, Agent Orange.

Vietnam—the war no one wants to remember.

Coming-of-age story of war, death, trauma, love, friendship, PTSD, POW/MIA, Agent Orange, addictions, family, and learning to navigate life after war.

Narrated by Leslie Howard and Danny Montooth

Narration was well done, but the teachers voice was a bit cringeworthy at times.

A cat-and-mouse psychological thriller that pulls you in with the Prologue.

This tale is told from the alternating viewpoints of Eve (a teacher and wife of Nate, who is also a teacher) and Addie (student of both Eve and Nate.) Parts are so outrageous, but overall an entertaining and enjoyable read.

Mix of a crumbling marriage, affairs, questionable activities of a teacher, revenge, murder, secrets, lies and a ‘Hot Potato’ sixteen year old girl and you get—The Teacher, by Freida McFadden.

4.5 star rating

Eilish Stack is the main character and the narration in the third person is largely her perspective and her emotions that propel the story from beginning to end.

The narrative is told unconventionally, with no paragraph breaks. This book won the 2023 Booker Prize.

As extremist ideology continues to spread in our country and others, makes this a chilling and disturbing read on so many levels and it will shake you to your core. Many of us have become immune to what is happening in the world today. We have become desensitised to what we read and see on our screens,

In Prophet Song, Paul Lynch brings this horror to our doorstep as we have seen and read about in many other countries. This story takes place in Ireland, however it could be any country that doesn’t realize the ramifications of what an authoritarian regime could do to a country and its people.

Over the course of Prophet Song the tension and pace steadily increase. Eilish has tried to maintain stability and normalcy primarily for the sake of her children. The authoritarian regime has stripped her of her humanity. At one point, Aine, the sister of Eilish says, “history is a silent record of people who did not know when to leave.” Eilish corrects her and says, “is a silent record of people who could not leave, it is a record of those who did not have a choice, you cannot leave when you have nowhere to go and have not the means to go.” Aine wants Eilish and family to come to Canada, where Aine and her family live.

3.5 rounded up

$2 Billion worth of art amassed in an attic in France. Crazy, but true. Stephane Breitwieser is, “The Art Thief,” who removes artwork after artwork from various museums, galleries and churches in France and Switzerland, then stores them in an attic in his mother’s home. He falls in love with Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus and both are living rent free in his mother’s attic. She is more pragmatic and rational and Stephane’s head is in the clouds.

Breitwieser is a psychologists dream for sure. His obsession and impulsive behavior is interesting to say the least. It is hard to wrap your head around how this guy got away with stealing this much art out, without being detected.

A quote from book: “He takes only works that stir him emotionally, and seldom the most valuable piece in the place. He feels no remorse when he steals because museums, in his deviant view, are really just prisons for art. They’re often crowded and noisy, with limited visiting hours and uncomfortable seats, offering no calm place to reflect or recline.”

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky and Natalie Duke

The narration was done very well and enjoyed listening to this well written historical fiction/coming-of-age story told in flashback. We meet Zora and are introduced to her life set during height of Prohibition in 1920’s.

I like that this moves along at a nice pace and doesn’t get bogged down with lots of details, with Zora’s ups and downs in her life. I liked that Zora is a character that stays true to herself.

Has been on my TBR list for a while and glad I finally got to it. This is my first book by Noelle Salazar.

Touching upon fashion, romance, family, friendships and Prohibition.

My thanks to BookBrowse for the ARC of Mockingbird Summer.

Rated 3.5 stars
This is a coming-of-age story set in the early sixties in the segregated town of, High Cotton, Texas. Main characters are 13 year old, Corky, her older brother, Mack and America, a black girl that just moved to High Cotton.

Historical fiction, touching on civil rights, segregation and racism. It references, To Kill a Mockingbird, which is one of my all time favorites. It doesn’t say it is a YA novel, but I felt it was geared more towards YA. Even though it touches on all of the above, it’s done very simplistically. I’m fond of coming-of-age books but this one just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Narrated by Fiona Hardingham

This is a must-listen for any fan of Narnia and C. S. Lewis. Fiona does a touching performance in her narration. I absolutely loved listening to this.

An enchanting and magical read. Terminally ill George must know where Narnia comes from. George will ask his sister because he thinks Megs is brilliant. Megs, loves her little brother and will do absolutely anything for him. And so begins this exquisite “story within stories. “

A book to be cherished and for all to read. A book of love, sorrow, faith and hope. It is the perfect book to end my 2023 readings.

This is an espionage thriller that I enjoyed immensely. This is my first book by Tess Gerritsen, and I am looking forward to #2 of The Martini Club series. I found myself after each chapter thinking, I’ll just read one more chapter; this is when I know it’s a good book.

The cast in the book are Ex CIA agents that have retired to the small town of, Purity, Maine. Someone is trying to kill Maggie, one of the former CIA agents and ghosts from her past start to return. There is lots of mystery and action in, The Spy Coast. I was immersed in this story right from the start.

This is a story within a story. The author weaves back and forth from Lara’s younger years on stage and screen, to her present life of living on a cherry farm in northern Michigan, during the pandemic with her husband and three adult daughters.

The summer at Tom Lake is the heart of the story. Ann Patchett’s, Tom Lake, is a beautifully told story of love, growing up, and families. It showcases her storytelling expertise. Being from Michigan, it wasn’t difficult to picture the beauty of the cherry farms in northern Michigan.

This is a chilling and riveting read of the KKK in the 1920’s. A work of narrative nonfiction. Timothy Egan writes a compelling nonfiction excellent book that all should read. I’m sure, this book too will be banned, if not already.

The Klan was resurrected in the early 1900’s and one man in particular from Indiana becomes so powerful that he actually controls the state on all levels. D. C. Stevenson is a maniacal monster who has an evil charisma that allows for him to come in, and in a manner of short time take over the state of Indiana. Everyone from governor, police, ministers, judges and more were owned by Stevenson. He owned the state and he become a powerful Grand Dragon of all the Klan in the country. He was meticulously planning to live in the White House and this is terrifying.

One woman, Madge Oberholtzer, who was kidnapped, beaten and tortured by him was able to halt the Klan on her deathbed.

I thought I knew what the KKK is, but it is so much worse and mind boggling. There are too many parallels of this horrible time and what is presently going on in our country today. We need a wake-up call people, because there is definitely a pattern here.

This 19th century read follows soulmates John Alves and Mary Freitas, over eight decades across Portugal and the United States. Meeting at a young age and becoming friends during the blood tide of warfare between Catholics and Protestants in Portugal, their families must flee and go to the United States, where they are separated till meeting again a few years later.

Katherine Vaz's exquisitely written love story will pull you in from beginning to end. Because it is written in the the language of its time, it isn't a quick read. I found I had to slow down to savor the lyrical writing style of this beautifully told love story. An author I did not know of and look forward to reading more from her

Thank you to BookBrowse for the ARC of this delightful poetic language read.

The Partition of India is at the heart of this debut tale of love cut short by the Partition of India.

Touching on love, loss, remembrance, perfumery, calligraphy and war.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of Kerri Maher’s book, All You Have To Do Is Call.

This is a timely read given the decision of the overturn of Roe v Wade. This decision overturned the longstanding Constitutional right to abortion and eliminated federal standards on abortion access. To think we have gone back 50 years and now have to start over fighting for a God-given, free-will right for women to determine what is best for them and not the government making their decision.

Kerri Maher has written a powerful and compelling novel that is loosely based on the true story of the Jane Collective, based in Chicago, in the early 1970’s. It pays tribute to these brave women who fought for a woman’s right to choose.

This is a pre-Roe v Wade read and the author brings a group of ordinary women together to fight for the right to choose. It is illegal to provide abortions and these women have trained to do a safe abortion, if a woman decides it is best for her. The group of Jane’s lead double lives because of the secrecy of the group and their personal everyday lives. It’s a story of sisterhood and the camaraderie of women helping women; knowing that they can be arrested because of the illegality of what they are doing.

This is a first read for me by this author and I enjoyed reading the advance copy of her book.

I listened to this audiobook and the narration read by, Madeleine Maby, was good. I enjoyed, The Paris Daughter, and I like Kristin Harmel’s other book, The Book of Lost Names.

The story begins in Paris 1939 and two mothers meet and become fast friends. Soon after, the German occupation arrives in Paris and Elise, must leave Paris because she becomes a target. She leaves her daughter with, Juliette, to be safe.

This touches on the war itself, but more of a story of the after effects of what war does to people, families, communities, etc.
Two broken women; one that is stuck in the past and another drowning in regret and trying to find peace.

The story spans decades and we get to know more of the characters lives and personalities during this time. Then the story moves to New York where these two mothers meet up again.

Make sure to read the author’s note at the end.