The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta M0lnar

July 23, 2026

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar

During his lifetime, Vincent Van Gogh struggled to earn a living as a painter while also battling mental illness. His brother Theo and sister-in-law Johanna supported him financially and emotionally, but eventually Vincent slipped deeper into mental illness and took his own life. Shortly after his death, his brother Theo was hospitalized for consumption and insanity, and died a short time later. Theo's widow was left with the task of selling Vincent's paintings and keeping his name alive, while also supporting herself and her young son.

I like historical fiction where I learn about unknown people or events. I knew Vincent Van Gogh's brother was married and had a child, and that Theo died not long after Vincent. Johanna Bonger, Theo's widow, believed in Vincent's genius and worked hard to promote his work, while also running a boarding house and raising her child. There is a dual timeline here and I enjoyed Johanna's story far more than Emsley's narrative. The dual timeline structure has been used a lot in fiction, especially the trope of an heir cleaning out an old house and finding a secret diary or letters as well as a priceless antique. I found myself skimming over Emsley's story which was predictable and not all that interesting, and I didn't care about any of the characters in those sections. On the other hand, Johanna was an amazing woman who worked to promote Vincent's work at a time where it was unheard of for women to act as an artistic representative.

Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Anima Rising by Christopher Moore

March 8, 2026

Anima Rising by Christopher Moore

On his way home from an evening on the town, artist Gustav Klimt sees a naked dead girl lying on the bank of a canal. Fascinated by the color of her skin, he stops to draw her, and then realizes that she isn't dead. He takes her home to his studio, where one of his regular models Wally takes her under her wing and nurses her back to health. But the drowned girl can't remember her name or how she got into the canal, so Klimt takes her to see his friend Dr. Sigmund Freud, and under hypnosis, the girl tells a fantastic tale of being murdered and reanimated by none other than Victor Frankenstein. Who also brings a Malamute named Geoff who loves croissants back to life.

Another out-there tale of history/fantasy/horror from Christopher Moore, featuring a number of real-life characters including artist Gustav Klimt and his favorite model Wally, Egon Schiele, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung (Adolf Hitler even does a walk-on), and incorporating the story of the bride of Frankenstein (coincidentally, the movie The Bride starring Maggie Gyllenhall is just about to be released). Moore also incorporates Inuit mythology and stories of shapeshifters. The humor is darker than in many of his books and there are darker themes at work here as well, including sexual and physical abuse, sex work, some animal death that is mostly off-stage, murder, and mental health. My favorite character by far is Geoff the pastry-loving dog, who is Judith's protector, and yes, he is fine at the end of the story.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt - he was known for the mosaic costumes on his models

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce

August 20, 205

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce

Vic Kemp's four adult children have always been obsessed with him. A neglectful father, he left them to the care of a series of au pairs while he drank, had affairs, and painted commercially successful but not critically acclaimed paintings. At the age of 76, he shocks his children by marrying a woman 50 years his junior who he met online in a chat room and had known for only four months. Shortly after the marriage, Vic is found dead at the family's Italian vacation house, drowned in the lake. The four siblings rush to Italy to find out what really happened, and more importantly, to find his will and his final painting that was supposed to be his masterpiece.

I really enjoyed the author's first two Harold Frye books as well as Miss Benson's Beetle, but this story was very disappointing. It was billed as a mystery but it's a family drama about four adults in their 30s who are completely emotionally dependent on their artist father, dealing with the fallout from his sudden death. I almost DNF at 35% because the story was so slow moving and there didn't seem to be much more to say about any of them. I did a lot of skimming after that. The story gets a little more interesting at about 65% and is essentially over at 75%, at which point it becomes a different story and goes on for another 100 or so pages before it finally fizzles out. If you like The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, you might like this too. Otherwise, can't get those hours back.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux

August 17, 2025

Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux

A comprehensive biography of the artist Paul Gauguin. Most of us know Gauguin for his paintings from Tahiti and his friendship with Vincent Van Gogh, but his life and work were far wider ranging that that. During his time living in Polynesia, he fought tirelessly for the French to return government rule to the Polynesian peoples, while painting their images in a more natural style than accepted European tradition.

One of Gaugin's self portraits

Diamond Dust by Russ Swain

September 17, 2024

Diamond Dust by Russ Swain

After borrowing $10,000 from a loan shark and realizing he had no way to repay the loan, Russ Swain decided to put his artistic skills to good use and forged a pile of $20 bills that were so good even the Secret Service had a hard time detecting them. After his life crashed down around him, Swain used his talent to rebuild his life.

Who doesn't love a good Mormon book? A lot of information about what makes U.S. currency unique (who knew there was silk in the paper or that the surface has a slight grit to it), as well as how to counterfeit a $20 bill. Will appeal to readers of true crime, general nonfiction, and do-it-yourself.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Example of a counterfeit $20 bill