June 23, 2024
Low Hanging Fruit by Randy Rainbow
A collection of rants by comedian Randy Rainbow. Like all essay collections, some are better than others. There is an essay called "I Feel Bad About My Balls" that made me laugh until I cried. Even straight men would find it funny. Love the cover. Recommended for readers who enjoy essays and rants especially in the LGBTQ category.
June 22, 2024
The Passionate Tudor by Alison Weir
Mary I, aka Bloody Mary, was the oldest surviving child of Henry VIII and had a happy childhood until her tenth year, when her father became obsessed simultaneously with the need for a male heir and Anne Boleyn. Her life pretty much went downhill from there, as she was first named Henry's heir, then was declared illegitimate, then was reinstated after her brother, then was persecuted for her Catholic faith, finally becoming queen. She inherited her suspicious nature from her father, looking for conspiracies around her, suspecting the motives of her suitors, and even believing that her half-sister Elizabeth was not Henry's child. After she became queen, her two obsessions were restoring Catholicism as the state religion and her husband, Phillip of Spain. She wanted a child so desperately that she suffered two phantom pregnancies. Overall, she lived a sad and lonely life, dying at age 42.
Although Henry VIII was obsessed with the idea that he had to have a son to rule after him and to carry on his dynasty, his councillors didn't agree with him. They felt Mary was intelligent and well-educated, and also that she would undoubtedly marry and her husband would rule with her. Mary wasn't a great ruler or even a good ruler, but what made her memorable was the 300+ Protestants that she burned. Ironically, Mary's attempt to stamp out Protestantism by executing its followers only convinced many of her subjects that Protestantism was a faith worth dying for. Modern historians have tried to improve Mary's reputation and legacy, but there is not much that you can say about Mary that is positive and Weir's well-research book doesn't try to sugar coat Mary's actions. Recommended for readers of historical fiction and those interested in the Tudor period.
Mary I, aka Bloody Mary - she looks kind of like Gerald Ford
June 22, 2024
People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn
Dara Horn has written several historical novels that feature Jewish characters in unexpected roles, such as Confederate spy. In this nonfiction work, she explores the inexplicable ways that Jews have been persecuted throughout history, up to and including the recent rash of attacks against synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Recommended for anyone interested in exploring Jewish history.
June 18, 2024
Murder at the White Palace by Allison Montclair
It's December 1946, and The Right Sort marriage bureau is celebrating peace and its first holiday season with a New Year's Eve ball. They have a growing client list, and they are in the black financially. The only problem is, all of the venues that they contact are already booked. So they turn to Iris's gangster boyfriend Archie for help, since he always has just the place or a guy with the right connections. But during renovations of an old dance hall, a body is found in the wall of a basement storage area, thought at first to be someone trapped during the Blitz. The truth turns out to be far more complicated (just like the girls' personal lives).
Entertaining historical mystery, #6 in the series featuring former spy Iris Sparks and widowed socialite Gwen Bainbridge. A satisfying plot that includes plenty of snarky dialogue and interesting side characters. We are left with a cliffhanger regarding Iris and Archie's romance. At least Gwen doesn't cry as much in this one. Read the series in order from the beginning. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical mysteries, particularly those set after World War II.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
New Year's Eve at a London ballroom circa 1940s
June 12, 2024
My Love Story by Tina Turner
The late Tina Turner's second memoir, which focuses on Tina's life and career after Ike. She notes early on that she lived without Ike twice as long as she was with him. In her second husband, Erwin Bach, Tina met the love of her life and became an international superstar.
A sweet heartfelt memoir about the second half of Tina's life. She is candid about her joys and tragedies, including her oldest son's suicide and her increasingly serious health issues in later life. Recommended for anyone who enjoys memoirs or the lives of musicians.
Tina Turner still shaking it in her 60s
June 16, 2024
Tangled Vines by John Glatt
The Murdaugh family of South Carolina were a celebrated dynasty often compared to the Kennedys. They ruled local politics, society, and the SC legal system for decades. But underneath their glossy exterior lay the truth: they engaged in illegal acts, deliberately bilked their legal clients out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements, and even committed murder.
At the risk of sounding cold and callous, it's hard to feel sorry for any of the Murdaugh clan. They engaged in so many nefarious acts, cheated and stole from people who trusted them, and used their connections to avoid paying for their crimes, believing they were above the law. They reminded me of the Borgias. Alec was convicted of murdering his wife and son Paul, while older son Buster (what kind of a grown man goes by the name Buster?) was suspected of murdering a gay classmate that he had a liaison with, while Paul (yeah, the one Alec killed) crashed his boat while drunk, killing a friend on board. Paul may also have killed the family's housekeeper. And yet local law enforcement and prosecutors were hesitant to go after any of them. Recommended for fans of true crime and despicable families.
June 11, 2024
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
It's right after the COVID-19 pandemic, and Phoebe is checking into a grand hotel in Rhode Island. She always wanted to stay at the hotel with her husband, but unfortunately he found a younger woman and divorced Phoebe. Between the divorce, losing interest in her job as an English professor, and the isolation of the pandemic, Phoebe sank into depression and decided there is nothing left for her. So she makes a reservation to visit the hotel by herself and end her life there - with her cat's pain killers, which taste and smell like tuna. But when she arrives, Phoebe discovers that the whole place has been booked for a week-long wedding event and that she has essentially crashed the party.
Some of the descriptions may lead you to believe this is a rom-com, but it's not. This is a delightful feel-good read, one of the best books that I've read this year, written with warmth and humor and a wonderful writing style. The storyline focuses on the connection that we all long to make with others, and that most of us are lonely inside, even when surrounded by other people. The characters are all likable, and you want them all to have a happy ending, even the self-centered bride and Phoebe's ex-husband. The dialogue has a genuine ring to it. And it's so much like a real wedding: all the weird family members, the friends that you suspect may actually be frenemies, the kids sneaking alcohol under the adults' noses, things going wrong, no matter how carefully you plan. Strongly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good story with great characters. A major studio has already picked up the film rights.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.
A Rhode Island wedding
