book – One Chapter

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

4.5 stars Fiction

I never would have picked up this book had it not been a book for book club. The cover is beautiful, but the synopsis just didn’t grab my attention. This book was like the weather here in Iowa. Sometimes I felt like I was inside a tornado, other times I was enjoying a nice summer day, and other times, I was just waiting for the storm to come, watching for the signs as I knew they were just on the horizon. It was a book that I had to think about, ingest what I had just read and understand its content. I did enjoy the language inside this book, it flowed across the pages and tried to keep the temperatures down when the storms began to stir.

He and his grandma had a special bond. I still have the image of him plucking the “snow rooting” in her hair while she would tell him stories. These “Do you remember?” stories complete with her dramatic pauses and inflections, were a weekly occurrence for the two of them. The stories were so familiar that he would often mouth the same words along with his grandma as she would recite them to him, yet he would never get tired of them. The precision and familiarity were something that he treasured. He was grandma’s Little Dog, a name so carefully thought out, a name to hopefully protect him.

I felt that his mom hid behind her son but then used him as a shield. Such a hard balance for a young boy to handle. She expects him to be strong yet she herself is a weak individual who doesn’t know how to help him. Frustrated when he is being picked on, she can’t and doesn’t do anything to help him. A victim herself, his mother, comes after him and he becomes a victim, himself. There are other issues with his family that are uncovered inside the book and as I read, I hoped that he would find some good in all of this.

The book covers a lot of issues as it should. He was brought up in an environment where things were unstable, and the pieces of the puzzle were already scrambled before he arrived. As he matured and discovered what life has dealt him, he needed to find his own way in the world. I was glad that he did his own thing, that he stood on his own two feet, and that he didn’t follow in the footsteps of those before him. His grandma was a good influence.

This book shows that: all the different working parts in a person’s life create an individual. This book deals with belonging. Where did he belong? To what did he belong and to whom? I felt he experienced a full life, from his family, bullying, physical abuse, sexuality, and drugs, he had lived through it all. (Triggers)

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino

4.5 Stars

What a great book! The energy that the story projected, and pace of this story was fantastic. I liked the main character’s determination as she tried to make a difference. Struggling with personal issues, Sunny tried to solve these problems on her own issues. Sunny was fortunate to have the means to resolve her issues, and she felt great knowing she had accomplished what she set out to do but along the way, she realized that she was not the only one suffering. Looking around, she realized she was not the only one suffering. Sunny stepped up and XYZ was born. Sunny was on top of the world so let’s throw some romance into the mix, why not.

From a small age, Sunny had loved fashion, but the fashion world did not like Sunny. It did not like Sunny’s body. She lived in a world of “older woman’s “clothing no matter what age she was. What was supposed to fit her for her age, never did. She was always, “sizing up” and when out with friends shopping, Sunny would hit the accessories. Clothes shopping was just too depressing and discouraging. I could relate to the frustration that Sunny felt. Accessories are widely available and they fit anyone.

Sunny finally had enough when she went out with her friends shopping for their beachy trip to the Bahamas. She tried to make light of the situation as they all oohhed and aahhed over the swimwear hanging on the racks. It was when her friends started to grab the perfectly sized suits to try on, that Sunny began to lose it. She knew there would be nothing on those racks for her. It was a fact. She knew from past experience that her size “might” be available online or in a totally different department in this store. But there was nothing on those racks for her! Sunny was getting so tired and frustrated with this. With her inner voices taking over, Sunny couldn’t handle it any longer and she ran. She ran away from the size 4’s and 10’s, she ran away from her friends who had slipped into the dressing rooms with their new finds, Sunny ran away to escape the pressure of not fitting in, not fitting into what someone thought was “normal.”

Sunny has a great career in Public Relations. Using her knowledge in Public Relations and her friends’ support, Sunny ventures out and creates her own business. Sunny poured her heart into her business; this business meant a lot to her. She listened to her clientele; she was their advocate. She wanted to make a difference for them and herself. Sunny is creating a new life for herself, this is all new territory and she’s enjoying it. What happens when romance enters her life? Will her expectations change because of her role? Should she expect more because she’s now a successful business owner?

I really enjoyed this book. I loved stepping into Sunny’s shoes and finding success in the business world. Conquering an issue that has bothered her for years, I was thrilled that she was able to find success and when romance entered the picture, I wondered how things would work out. There were lots of possibilities and the author did a great job addressing them. A fun read. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon for supplying me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is my own honest opinion.

Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King

5 stars Children’s Fairy Tale

I liked this new interpretation by Stephen King of the old classic. Make sure you read the introduction at the beginning of the book as it sets the stage for this children’s picture book, and I felt it helped me appreciate the story more. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, King took the illustrations and wrote this book based on the whimsical drawings contained inside the book. King used some of the original sentences from this classic fairy tale within the story, but King also added his own touch creating a story that is more elaborate than the original.

Hansel and Gretel lived with their father and their stepmother at the edge of the great dark forest. Their father is a poor broom maker, and the stepmother is a spoiled wicked woman. The family is running out of food so the wife convinces the husband that in order to survive, they must take the children out deep into the forest and leave them. She convinces him that God will care for them and they will be safe in the forest. Now, father was not convinced that leaving his children out in the wild forest but she kept at him, convincing him nonetheless.

Hansel had overheard the plans and started making a plan. Gretal was upset after learning what her parents were planning to do but Hansel convinced her that it would be okay. As they slept, they both had dreams. You can imagine how different their dreams were from one another. The next morning, father and mother walked off with their children into the forest. It was just like the parents had planned, only they didn’t know that Hansel had a plan of his own in the works. The personalities of both the parents were felt and seen as this scenario played out.

The parents returned home alone as the children found refuge with each other inside the dark forest. Imagine the stepmother’s surprise when the children knocked on their door the next day! Ha – surprise! Time passed and food was still scarce. The woman again convinced her husband that the children had to go. They had to leave them deeper into the dark forest this time! Oh, she was wicked!! Just like before, father needed to be convinced, Hansel heard the plan, he thought of a different plan, Gretal was scared, and the dreams came back. They journeyed into the dark forest. When the parents returned home, they were alone and the children had fallen asleep in the dark forest. Hansel had put his plan to work. When the children awoke, they were surprised to find that Hansel’s plan had failed. Stuck in the dark forest, would the children ever make their way home again?

I liked how King wrote the story to match the illustrations. These were definitely Maurice Sendek’s signature illustrations. From the candy cottage in the forest, to the twisted trees swallowing up the pages, and the children’s dreams materializing on the page, Sendek and King worked their magic on this classic. There’s harmony with the text and illustrations, each of them sharing the spotlight. What a great combination. 5 stars

Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose

4.5 stars Mystery

Listened to this on audio. Molly has worked her way up to head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and she is so proud of her accomplishment. If anyone could write a book on how to properly clean a room, it would be Molly. Molly is training a new hire and I loved how proud she is of her job and how thorough she was with instructing her.

There’s to be a crucial press conference at the hotel, by an award-winning author, when that author dies suddenly at the hotel. Fans and guests were buzzing around the hotel anxious and excited about this important event and now, the author is dead.

The police are on the scene, and the hotel staff are brought in for questioning. The staff knows more than they realize and Molly, with her attention to detail, becomes central to the investigation. We learn more about Molly in this book. Her grandmother played a key role in Molly’s life, and she was dear to her. Molly is able to carry on her responsibilities as a head maid as she helps the police in this investigation. She makes a fantastic detective (and I guess she could go into this line of work should she want to retire her maid attire) as she helps them solve this case.

A fun and entertaining story. 4.5 stars

When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

4.5 Stars Suspense

Someone is following Nell, she’s sure of it. She feels it yet she has no proof. She’s old enough to understand what’s going on, she’s 36 for heaven’s sake, she can’t be imagining these feelings. Alex, her older friend, can’t be the culprit, she’s pretty sure about that one.

Flashing back in the book, we find a younger Nell, a Nell who goes by the name Elle. Elle was looking out her window when she saw an interaction between a young woman and a gentleman taking place. It was one of those incidents that you watch unfold before your eyes. As it happens, you can’t believe that you are actually witnessing it, taking place. Elle tried to help the woman once she realized what was happening, she really did, but it was too late. Once the police were brought in, Elle did her best to help with the investigation but it’s not over. There’s more, will it ever be over?

The fragile flowers arrived for Nell, at work. Void of a card and with the flowers brightening up the room, Nell wondered who could have sent this huge bouquet for no reason. They discovered that the sender paid cash for the flowers. With Nell being sure that her boyfriend would never send her flowers at work, the identity of who purchased these flowers added another layer to her mystery.

Throughout the story, we do read excerpts from “Extract From Notebook #” which is the person who is actually following Nell. This person gets physically close to Nell and tells their point of view of the who, what and why. Why they chose Nell, what they’re doing, her reactions, and they always close their entry with the same sinister comment. I thought it got creepy sometimes reading Nell’s narrative and then, reading these “Extract From Notebook #” narratives as you read/see their different points of view. I can’t believe how close this individual got to Nell and she didn’t recognize their repeated appearance and figure out who this creepy individual was. Or was it someone that Nell knew who was following her, and giving her the creeps?

Such a suspenseful story that had me wondering who the menace was and why. There were a few individuals that I had suspected but narrowing them down was the tricky part. I’ve always enjoyed B.A. Paris’ books, and this one was no exception. I did wish there would have been story about the younger Nell. Elle’s innocence and drive created the perceptive and over-attentive Nell. 4.5 stars

A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this fantastic thriller in exchange for my honest review.

Startling Stay: Scary Hotels and Inns by Natalie Lunis

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

They can check out anytime they want, but they never really leave. Welcome to a book devoted to some of the mysterious hotels and inns in North America and Europe. One of the first things that came to my mind when I picked up this book was that individuals still flock to the historical hotel where Stephen King’s The Shining took place. I loved this movie and I would definitely love to stay at this hotel, perhaps someday I just may book a room, take a tour, and maybe, hopefully, I might see something. This book touches on all the senses: do individuals see a vision, hear an unexplained noise, smell something that’s not physically there or do they feel something in close range when nothing is there.

In one hotel, management has tried to keep individuals from experiencing any of these feelings. They have physically locked one of their room doors to from curious minds so the dead spirit that is contained inside can’t harm them. Now, that is one hotel boss who cares about his customers. The story of Robert the Doll was a good one for me as I like creepy dolls. A life-sized cloth doll was given to a painter’s son who lived in this beautiful large home. Gene named his doll, Robert. Strange behavior was recorded by others surrounding Robert. When Gene got older, he left home for schooling but returned years later with his wife. Robert behavior continued as the community’s awareness continued. After Gene’s death, Robert was placed in a museum where his behavior continues. Want to go see him? Be nice and don’t take a picture unless you ask.

Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky. A destination you’ll want to visit or stay clear from. Tales from the years gone past or ones not too long ago, these stories are interesting and exciting.

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how things went dark. The story continues with how individuals experience these strange happenings and the author tries to shed some light on the subject. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own eerie destination. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series, which I grabbed the rest of the series the library had while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I scanned. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations which I could read about. There was a www. Site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. There is also a Glossary which is helpful for young readers. I liked the detailed map, A World of the Startling Stays, which shows the world and points out each of the different sites which was mentioned in the book. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Hauntings at Home: Scary Houses and Farms

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

What the heck! These stories were just craziness. Take Annie for example. Annie built a dungeon in the middle of her house to imprison her workers who tried to run away from her. That’s one cruel, evil woman. This is Annie and this is the early 1800’s. Annie lived in a large mansion. Annie was later known as the White Witch of Rose Hall. An owner of a sugar plantation, she liked to have her workers beaten and tortured for fun. Annie was married three times, and it’s been said that she killed all of them. She later had her eyes on another gentleman, but this gentleman had his eyes on one of Annie’s workers. So, yeah…..Annie wasn’t going for that. So, Annie put a spell on the girl (The White Witch part of her name) and the girl died days later. A relative of the girl got his revenge, and he put Annie to rest, forever. Ha! Her beautiful home, she still is in control of it. She haunts the grounds and it had to be turned into a museum as it could no longer be a home. Crazy! What about the farm in Germany where the whole family was killed including the housekeeper. Who did this and why? Still today, over a hundred years ago, the police have never been able to solve this case. It’s the events leading up to this day that make this crime bizarre. Were those events just coincidence or were they something else? Makes you think. You’re bound to find something inside this book to make your sense come alive.

Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky. A destination you’ll want to inquire more about or one you’re glad you know about. From mansions, to estates, to the famous Amityville House, this book will get you going,

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how things went dark. The story continues with how individuals experience these strange happenings highlighting the senses within them. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own eerie destination. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

Alarming Afterlife: Scary Cemeteries and Graveyards by Alex Giannini

5 stars Middle School/ YA

Cemeteries? A whole book devoted to cemeteries and graveyards. This looks very interesting. I thought the Angel of Death from Iowa City was interesting when I had read about it so a couple years ago my husband and I got into the car and visited her. What an interesting site that was. I never thought I would be intrigued by a statue inside a cemetery, but the story was interesting and the statue, that was even more impressive. This book was fun and I liked the variety of stories. This book touches the globe. The United States, Europe, Africa, Australia, and even South America. Each 2-page spread in the book features a destination. Each destination features why it is creepy, strange, or even spooky.

Although most of the destinations inside this book are about hauntings or issues from beyond, not every story carries that tune. Some explain why that particular destination became famous, the history behind the stories. I found most of these stories very interesting. The Last American Vampire, The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Ghost Town Graves, and The Haunted Road and the Hanged Man just to name a few. I thought it was interesting how some of these stories reminded me of a few stories that I have read, in a lighter tone, in a children’s holiday book.

This book gave me the basic facts on specific destinations. I liked how the book provided where the destination is, what it consists of, and how it originally was structured. It goes on, in the story, explaining how the destination became more disturbing over time. With realistic photographs and art, each destination becomes its own creep show. There’s just enough detail to make the reader aware of the destination and the history behind it.

Information from the book: The late 1700’s in Paris. Graveyards were getting crowded and individuals were no longer able to bury their dead underground. So, what did they do? They started to bury them on top of each other above ground. Yes, above ground! Stacking them “almost 10 feet high inside the cemetery walls.” Visualize this for a moment. Just like anything stacked too tall, the corpse’s weight started to cause these tall towers to fall, spilling the rotten corpses out onto the streets. Eventually, the city workers had to dig up some of the corpses and remove the rotting ones from the streets and rebury them in underground catacombs the city had created. I find this pretty interesting and gross. Imagine digging them up and reburying them under the ground. You must remember that this was over 200 years ago, the technology and advancements that we have now, were not available to them. There were 180 miles of catacombs! That’s a lot of corpses and work!!

I really liked this book. It’s a children’s nonfiction book covering about 18 different destinations but it’s a great one in my opinion. This is one book in the series and thankfully, I grabbed the rest of the series the library had, while I was there. The Index in the back of the book was very good and there is also a list of 4 other Read More books at the back which the author listed. There is a Learn More Online site which includes a QR code which I used. This scan led me to more resources which listed more destinations. There was a www. site for those who can’t or don’t want to scan the code and/or you can even scan the cover of the book to see other websites. There is also a Glossary which is helpful for young readers. I liked the detailed map, “A World of the Alarming Afterlife”, which shows the world and points out each of the different sites which was mentioned in the book. Check out this book!! 5 stars

Duck Duck Taco Truck by Laura Lavoie

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Duck and Duck want to make some money to buy themselves a boat for the water. They set themselves up on the beach trying to sell tacos and they’re ready to make some money. They’ve worked hard and now they’re ready. But wait, who is that in that other food truck? It’s Goose and he’s selling food too! No way!! Duck and Duck are mad but they try harder to make their food/business look better. When its time to sell…..the line outside Goose’s truck is long! Duck and Duck have no one in their line. Goose is going crazy with all the orders, he can’t keep up and his customers are not happy.

Duck and Duck feel defeated and start to walk away but Goose realizes that he needs help. Goose suggests that maybe they can work together! They then come up with a plan to combine their foods and sell taco items. Taco pizza, taco burgers, taco hot dogs, etc. What a plan!! They start whipping out orders and everyone is happy! The ending is cute. Bright colorful illustrations. Fun rhyming text. 5 stars.

Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

A great read along or would make a great book for a classroom. It begins with a small boy going to the shop to get a carrot. The shop owner does not give the boy a carrot, but he brings him a bundle wrapped and tied in brown paper with a tail sticking out of the end. Have your little one guess something that rhymes with carrot….yes, a parrot! The look on the boy’s face is shock, and the poor bird looks sad as the boy says “Oh dear, look what I got! Do I want that? No, I do NOT!” The boy then travels to another shop with the parrot flying behind him. This time the boy asks for a hat. Guess what?

The shop owner comes out with a brown bundle tied with string and sticking out at the end is a black tail with white on the end. Do you think that is the hat the boy wants?

I loved how this book continues on in this fashion. The boy asks each different shop owner for something different as each shop owner giving the boy something besides what the boy wanted yet the item they give him rhymes with what he originally wanted. The rhyming and the repetitive phrasing are fun and will have your child helping you read this book.

As the book concludes, it’s a cute ending and everyone is happy. I also enjoyed the colorful illustrations that did not take away from the story. The facial expressions are wonderful and the animals are cute. This is a must read for little ones. 5++ stars