Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Started: 9/27/2023

Finished: 9/29/2023

Year: 2017

Pages: 356

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: library book, looked interesting

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Ten years after her teenage daughter disappears, a woman crosses paths with a charming single father whose young child feels eerily familiar. The unanswered questions she's tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Did Ellie really run away from home, as the police suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?"

Opinion: Interesting character development-sad that this could also be possible. 

Valiant Women by Lena Andrews

Started: 9/25/2023

Finished: DNF

Year: 2023

Pages: 295

Genre: Military History

Grade: C

Reason for reading: sounded interesting, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Valiant Women is the story of the 350,000 American women who served in uniform during World War II. These incredible women served in every service branch, in every combat theater, and in nearly two-thirds of the available military occupations at the time.

"They were pilots, codebreakers, ordnance experts, gunnery instructors, metalsmiths, chemists, translators, parachute riggers, truck drivers, radarmen, pigeon trainers, and much more. They were directly involved in some of the most important moments of the war, from the D-Day landings to the peace negotiations in Paris. These women—who hailed from every race, creed, and walk of life—died for their country and received the nation’s highest honors. Their work, both individually and in total, was at the heart of the Allied strategy that won World War II.

"Yet, until now, their stories have been relegated to the dusty shelves of military archives or a passing mention in the local paper. Often the women themselves kept their stories private, even from their own families.

"Now, military analyst Lena Andrews corrects the record with the definitive and comprehensive historical account of American servicewomen during World War II, based on new archival research, firsthand interviews with surviving veterans, and a deep professional understanding of military history and strategy."

Opinion: Well written but heavy. My mind didn't want to stay focused on the women for WWII and how important they were during the war.

Monsterland: Shamons, Sasquatch, Synchronicity and High Strangeness by Ronny Le Blanc

Started: 9/25/2023

Finished: 9/26/2023

Year: 2019

Pages: 159

Genre: paranormal

Grade: B

Reason for reading: fan of Le Blanc's

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Author Ronny Le Blanc stars in EXPEDITION BIGFOOT and PARANORMAL CAUGHT ON CAMERA on Discovery and Travel Channel. Ronny's first book, MONSTERLAND: ENCOUNTERS WITH UFOS, BIGFOOT AND ORANGE ORBS catapulted him into the world of the paranormal. His second book takes readers down the trail of the invisible worlds. We can only see 1% of the visual spectrum with our own eyes. What lies hidden within the 99%? Sasquatch, otherwise known as Bigfoot, is considered by many Native American tribes to dwell within two worlds. These beings have one foot in the physical realm and one foot in the spiritual. Shamans have been known to have the ability to visit the spirit world. What can we learn from these spirit science masters about consciousness, sasquatch, these invisible worlds and our own reality?"

Opinion: This book, the second, has more personal stories of paranormal activity, in particular Bigfoot and UFOs. Some pretty interesting stories and theories of what is behind it all. 

Murder at an Irish Bakery by Carlene O'Connor

Started: 9/21/2023

Finished: 9/25/2023

Year: 2023

Pages: 307

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: sounded interesting, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "In Kilbane, opinions are plentiful and rarely in alignment. But there’s one thing everyone does agree on—the bakery in the old flour mill, just outside town, is the best in County Cork, well worth the short drive and the long lines. No wonder they’re about to be featured on a reality baking show.

"All six contestants in the show are coming to Kilbane to participate, and the town is simmering with excitement. Aside from munching on free samples, the locals—including Siobhan—get a chance to appear in the opening shots. As for the competitors themselves, not all are as sweet as their confections. There are shenanigans on the first day of filming that put everyone on edge, but that’s nothing compared to day two, when the first round ends and the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie.

"The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated—permanently . . ."

Opinion: Just enough suspects. Just enough plot twists. Interesting mystery.

Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich

Started: 9/19/2023

Finished: 9/21/2023

Year: 2018

Pages: 306

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continue with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "There's nothing like a good deli, and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World-famous for its pastrami, cole slaw, and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, and the only clue in each case is one shoe that's been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it's a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum."

Opinion: Another fun read. Mystery was another decent one and the ending is definitely a cliff hanger.

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

Started: 9/15/2023

Finished: 9/18/2023

Year: 2022

Pages: 274

Genre: Literature

Grade: C

Reason for reading: Reese's book club, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "Money can’t buy happiness… but it can buy a decent fake.

"Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home—she’s built the perfect life. But beneath this façade, Ava’s world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn’t been used in years, and her toddler’s tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point.

"Enter Winnie Fang, Ava’s enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business—someone who’d never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences."

Opinion: Eh. Not a subject matter that I care about (fashion) and the "friendship" was annoying. I did like how it was written-basically Ava telling her story to a detective.

(Need) Blind Ambition by Kevin T. Myers

Started: 9/11/2023

Finished: DNF

Year: 2023

Pages: 274

Genre: fiction

Grade: D

Reason for reading: Early Reviewers giveaway on Librarything.com

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The desire for relevance—and to save his marriage—is ultimately what pushed Peter Cook to leave his beloved Alaska for the prestigious Parker College. Lured by the chance to work with his childhood political idol turned college president, Peter moves his family to Portland, Oregon to help promote his hero’s fundraising initiative that would eliminate financial status from the college’s admissions process. 

"Peter arrives on campus as the Great Recession looms, the stock market is trending toward disaster, and the opioid crisis has breached the walls of the privileged college. He quickly learns the reality of Parker College strays far from its professed idealistic mission after discovering a plot to cover-up felonious drug activity in return for a seven-figure payday to the Need Blind Campaign. 

"While plumbing the depths of his conscience for the conviction to do the right thing, Peter’s untreated childhood trauma resurfaces, threatening to cloud his perception when it needs to be at its sharpest. Peter must stabilize his mental health while also trying to parse competing versions of “the truth” as law enforcement investigates the criminal conspiracy.

"Need Blind Ambition asks: how far will a college stray to protect its reputation?"

Opinion: A thorough review is posted on librarything.com

Fear Street: The Beginning by R. L. Stine

Started: 9/10/2023

Finished: DNF

Year: 1989

Pages: 552

Genre: mystery, horror

Grade: D

Reason for reading: local bookstore horror bookclub pick

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Welcome to Fear Street…

\"Where strange things happen, people go missing, and nightmares come true.

"This is where it all began. When Fear Street became legend, forever linked with danger, and curses, and things that go bump in the night. Go back to how it all started—to the moment when Corey Brooks falls for perfect, incredible Anna, only to learn that she’s gone missing...on Fear Street.

"Venture into the terrifying Fear Street woods where Meg Dalton’s best friend Evan died under mysterious circumstances, and discover why only Meg can uncover the truth behind his death. Follow Della to Fear Island and learn about the terrifying threats that force Della to confront her past—and the incident that occurred on the island between her and a dangerous stranger.

"Return to Fear Street with Mark and Cara Burroughs who come home to find that their parents have disappeared, plunging them into a nightmare of chaos that neither of them could have ever predicted. The only thing they know for sure is that though Fear Street may be a mystery, not everyone escapes such an evil place alive.

"Only danger awaits those brave enough to travel down Fear Street. You’re not afraid…are you?"

Opinion: This also falls under the young adult category and I just can't seem to get into those. It definitely wasn't a bad collection of stories but eh...just wasn't feeling it.

The Confidante by Christopher C. Gorman

Started: 9/1/2023

Finished: 9/5/2023

Year: 2023

Pages: 313

Genre: history, biography

Grade A

Reason for reading: sounded interesting, library book

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "As Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s special envoy to Europe in World War II she went where the president couldn’t go. She was among the first Allied women to enter a liberated concentration camp, and stood in the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s mountain retreat, days after its capture. She guided the direction of the G.I. Bill of Rights and the Manhattan Project. Though Anna Rosenberg emerged from modest immigrant beginnings, equipped with only a high school education, she was the real power behind national policies critical to America winning the war and prospering afterward. Astonishingly, her story remains largely forgotten.

"With a disarming mix of charm and Tammany-hewn toughness, Rosenberg began her career in public relations in 1920s Manhattan. She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, who recommended Anna to her husband, who was then running for Governor of New York. As FDR’s unofficial adviser, Rosenberg soon wielded enormous influence—no less potent for being subtle. Roosevelt dubbed her “my Mrs. Fix-It.” Her extraordinary career continued after his death.

"By 1950, she was tapped to become the assistant secretary of defense—the highest position ever held by a woman in the US military—prompting Senator Joe McCarthy to wage an unsuccessful smear campaign against her. In 1962, she organized John F. Kennedy’s infamous birthday gala, sitting beside him while Marilyn Monroe sang. Until the end of her life, Rosenberg fought tirelessly for causes from racial integration to women’s equality to national health care."

Opinion: A remarkable history about a woman that most people probably never have heard of and she did so much for ALL Americans despite not even being born in America.

Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich

Started: 8/31/2023

Finished: 8/31/2023

Year: 2017

Pages: 275

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: continuing with the series

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Trouble comes in bunches for Stephanie Plum. First, professional grave robber and semi-professional loon, Simon Diggery, won’t let her take him in until she agrees to care for his boa constrictor, Ethel. Stephanie’s main qualification for babysitting an extremely large snake is that she owns a stun gun—whether that’s for use on the wandering serpent or the petrified neighbors remains to be seen.

"Events take a dark turn when headless bodies start appearing across town. At first, it’s just corpses from a funeral home and the morgue that have had the heads removed. But when a homeless man is murdered and dumped behind a church Stephanie knows that she’s the only one with a prayer of catching this killer.

"If all that’s not enough, Diesel’s back in town. The 6-foot-tall, blonde-haired hunk is a man who accepts no limits—that includes locked doors, closed windows and underwear. Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli isn’t pleased at this unexpected arrival nor is Ranger, the high-powered security consultant who has his own plans for Stephanie.

"As usual Jersey’s favorite bounty hunter is stuck in the middle with more questions than answers. What’s the deal with Grandma Mazur’s latest online paramour? Who is behind the startling epidemic of mutilated corpses? And is the enigmatic Diesel’s sudden appearance a coincidence or the cause of recent deadly events?"

Opinion: More silly antics, another car destroyed-really creative way this time though. Just another fun mystery.