Books I read in April

There are quite a mixed bag of books this month.  I was sick so got more read than I planned and I also decided to read some books that have been laying around for a while, which I had bought but never read.

"Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Natalie Jenner"

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.

As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what really happened to her deceased fiancé. Every Time We Say Goodbye is a brilliant exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with dazzling characters both real and imaginary, from the incomparable author who charmed the world with her novels The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls.

This is a lovely book that takes us into the movie industry in the 1950's in Italy.  There are two stories one that has Vivien as the main character and the other La Scolaretta.  It took a long while to figure out what one had to do with the other. 

The book really brought home the traumatic effect World War Two had on people.  It also shows how powerful the Catholic Church was/is in Italy.  This is the third book in a series by this author.  I haven't read the first two, but it's just as good as a stand alone book.  A well worth read.

"And All The Phases of The Moon, by Judy Reene Singer"

Aila Cordeiro absolutely cannot take on an abandoned pit bull. So why is she suddenly filling food bowls for the wounded stray and opening her seaside home to him? Maybe it’s the sadness in the pup’s eyes, a sorrow that mirrors her own. But caring for another is not on Aila’s agenda anymore. As the sole owner of the general store in a Cape Cod tourist town, she has enough on her hands. Besides Aila can’t love anyone ever again. Not since her husband—her heart—boarded a boat with her beloved father two years ago, never to return . . .

Of course, life is what happens while you’re making other plans. Now instead of solitude and grief, Aila is suddenly at the center of controversy in the small town. And the only person on her side, besides her best friend, is a stranger whose heart might be more battered than her own. Ex-Navy seal Sam Ahmadi has seen his share of misfortune, which is why Aila never expects him to be the one to show her how to live again in the face of shattering loss. How to hope for the happiness you once dreamed of . . .

Really good read.  It features, small town prejudice's and gossip, racism and a pit bull!!  Couldn't decide at first what the controversy was going to be, but it soon became apparent.  As someone who grew up in a small town, I totally got how things can easily be blown up out of proportion.  

The racism side of things is on topic for things that are happening in the world at the moment.  Again close minded people making a decision about people, on how they look, without getting to know them first.

I have had this book a while, so not sure if you buy it now.

"My Name is Mary Sutter, by Robin Oliveira

Mary Sutter is a brilliant young midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Eager to run away from recent heartbreak, Mary travels to Washington, D.C., to help tend the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of two surgeons, who both fall unwittingly in love with her, and resisting her mother’s pleas to return home to help with the difficult birth of her twin sister’s baby, Mary pursues her medical career against all odds.

Rich with historical detail—including cameo appearances by Abraham Lincoln and Dorothea Dix, among others—My Name Is Mary Sutter is certain to be recognized as one of the great novels about the Civil War.

I have to say I didn't have high hopes for this book, as I have zero interest in the Civil War.  We learned only the very basic history of it in the UK.  So as far as details about the Civil War which was featured in this book, I had no knowledge of it.  I read through it all but wasn't familiar with the people.

However, as far as the story of Mary Sutter was concerned it was so good.  She is a fictional character, but I am quite sure there were women who did what she did during the Civil War.  How she was portrayed was perfect.  However all through the book I kept saying, wash your hands to stop transmitting dirt between one patient and another!!!  So many lives would have been saved.  Very interesting book and well worth reading.

"Slated for Death, by Elizabeth J. Duncan"

When the body of well-liked and respectable Glenda Roberts is discovered at the bottom of a former slate mine, now a busy tourist attraction, pandemonium erupts in the North Wales town of Llanelen. Penny Brannigan finds herself drawn into the investigation when jars of her house-brand hand cream are found among counterfeit inventory Glenda and her sister were selling.

Police are convinced that the mine operator whose asthmatic son suffered an almost-fatal attack due to the merchandise is responsible for Glenda's death. But Penny's not so sure. A visit to Glenda's mother only deepens her conviction that a hidden family secret is the real reason for the murder.

Elizabeth J. Duncan's Slated for Death is a wonderful traditional mystery with snappy dialogue, lively characters and an enchanting setting.

This is what I call a "shopping list," book.  It's a light read that doesn't require a lot of concentration, therefore you can be thinking what you need when you got shopping while reading it 😏

I have never read any of the Penny Brannigan mysteries, and you don't have to read prior books to figure out what's going on.  I loved where the book was set, it brought back wonderful memories of holiday's in Wales.  I figured out "Who-dun-it."  It was a lovely book to read on a quiet day.  Will look out for more of her books.

"Nothing Daunted, by Dorothy Wickenden"

In the summer of 1916, Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood, bored by society luncheons, charity work, and the effete men who courted them, left their families in Auburn, New York, to teach school in the wilds of northwestern Colorado. They lived with a family of homesteaders in the Elkhead Mountains and rode to school on horseback, often in blinding blizzards. Their students walked or skied, in tattered clothes and shoes tied together with string. The young cattle rancher who had lured them west, Ferry Carpenter, had promised them the adventure of a lifetime. He hadn’t let on that they would be considered dazzling prospective brides for the locals.

Nearly a hundred years later, Dorothy Wickenden, the granddaughter of Dorothy Woodruff, found the teachers’ buoyant letters home, which captured the voices of the pioneer women, the children, and other unforgettable people the women got to know. In reconstructing their journey, Wickenden has created an exhilarating saga about two intrepid women and the “settling up” of the West.

This was an interesting book, about two society girls who wanted a different life from the privileged life they were living.  It goes into great detail about their lives; in fact too much detail in that a lot of the back story could have been left out.  Things that should have taken maybe a paragraph to explain took pages to describe.

However, what these ladies did and how they enriched their pupils lives was a good thing. If you like a book about the early 1900's out West in the States, this is a book for you.  Thanks to reading this book, I ended up ordering "Letters of a Woman Homesteader, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart.

"River Justice, by BJ Daniels"

Brand Stafford has long felt he didn’t quite fit in with his siblings. Now he has the DNA evidence to prove his real father is the Staffords’ ranching rival, Holden McKenna. That secret does more than complicate his family—it’s also made him the prime suspect in a kidnapping. His unlikely ally in clearing his name is Birdie Malone, newly arrived in Powder Crossing in search of answers of her own.

Impetuous and stubborn, Birdie has a knack for pulling Brand out of his comfort zone. Suddenly this rule-following cowboy is determined to do what he knows is right, whether that’s tracking down a kidnapper or finally giving away his heart. Even if he has to put everything on the line to do it…

This book was okay.  I didn't guess who was behind the kidnapping.  It's the third book in the Powder River Series.  I hadn't read any of the other books.  It's good as a stand alone book.  I won't be rushing out to read the other's in the series.  If you like books that involve cowboy's this book is for you!!

"Dreaming in Chocolate, by Susan Bishop Crispell"

With an endless supply of magical gifts and recipes from the hot chocolate café Penelope Dalton runs alongside her mother, she is able to give her daughter almost everything she wants. The one sticking point is Ella's latest request: get a dad. And not just any dad. Ella has her sights set on Noah Gregory, her biological father who's back in town for a few months – and as charming as ever.

Noah broke Penelope's heart years ago, but now part of her wonders if she made the right decision to keep the truth of their daughter from him. The other, more practical part, is determined to protect Ella from the same heartbreak. Now Penelope must give in to her fate or face a future of regrets.

This book was an okay read.  I enjoyed the will they or won't they get back together aspect of the story.  Ella's a cute kid.  I just couldn't get on board with the "magic" part of the story, but I don't read fantasy/magical books anyway.  Also I wish the ending would have been better.  You are left wondering what will happen next.

Overall an easy read, but not a book I will remember.

"Clair De Lune, by Jetta Carleton"

With its atmospheric story of small-town dreams and romance, Clair de Lune weaves an irresistible spell of longing, hope, love, and nostalgia. A newly discovered novel by Jetta Carleton, Clair de Lune will delight the legions of readers who have treasured her first—and, until now, only—published novel, The Moonflower Vine. A book of unsurpassable literary fiction, Clair de Lune is sure to strike a chord with readers of Nancy Turner's These Is My Words, Alice McDermott's After This, and Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife.

This novel is set in Missouri in 1941 just before America joins the second world war.  Allen (female) is the lead character, just setting out in her career as a teacher in a small town College.  The story follows her through the first year of teaching there, and the relationships she forms with her fellow faculty and students.

Honestly, not sure what to think about this book.  It had me both bored to tears in some parts and then wanting to know what happens next in others.  I have no idea when or where I bought this book, but it was on my bookshelf.  Will I remember it, probably not.  I gave it a 2 out of 5 stars, not my cup of tea.  I have never heard of this author either?

"Agony of the Leaves, by Laura Childs"

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Scones & Bones, Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning finds herself in hot water when a body surfaces at the grand opening of Charleston’s Neptune Aquarium…

The opening of the aquarium is a major Charleston event, and Theodosia has been hired to cater the private party to honor dignitaries and big-buck donors. Things are going swimmingly—until Theodosia discovers a body entangled in a net, drowned in one of the aquarium’s state-of-the-art tanks.

To make matters worse, the victim is Theodosia’s former boyfriend, Parker Scully. The EMTs think Parker’s drowning was an accident, but when Theodosia notices what look like defense wounds on his hands, she realizes that someone wanted Parker dead. The police aren’t keen on her theory, so if she wants Parker’s killer brought to justice, Theodosia will have to jump into the deep end and start her own investigation…

This is the 13th book in the Tea Shop Mystery series.  These are a quick light hearted read; read the book over two days.  I have probably read the prior twelve books in this series and some of the others later in the series.

I enjoy that they are set in Charleston, South Carolina, a place I love.

I enjoy the whole tea shop concept, and the recipes featured in the back of the book.

I enjoy the characters; all are well thought out.

I also enjoy how the author throws in a lot of red herrings, to make you think various people "did it!"

For more of Laura Childs books, you can see them here.

"Foster, by Laura Keegan"

It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again. In the Kinsellas’ house, she finds an affection and warmth she has not known and slowly, in their care, begins to blossom. But there is something unspoken in this new household—where everything is so well tended to—and this summer must soon come to an end.

Winner of the prestigious Davy Byrnes Award and published in an abridged version in the New Yorker, this internationally bestselling contemporary classic is now available for the first time in the US in a full, standalone edition. A story of astonishing emotional depth, Foster showcases Claire Keegan’s great talent and secures her reputation as one of our most important storytellers.

This is a novella, so 89 pages long, and a quick read.  Set in rural Ireland, a little girl is sent to her aunt and uncle's for the summer as her mother gets ready to have another baby, there are at least 3 other siblings left at home with her parents.

At her aunt and uncle's home she is shown love and caring that she's not shown at her own home.  She come's into her own, but at the end of summer she has to go home.  The way this book ends, you're not sure what's going to happen next.

People seem to love this book.  I was on the fence.  I did want the girl to stay at her aunt and uncle's house as she would have had a better up bringing, but that's just me.  As I said it was a quick read; another book going to be donated!

"The Orphan Sister, by Gwendolen Gross"

Clementine Lord is not an orphan. She just feels like one sometimes. One of triplets, a quirk of nature left her the odd one out. Odette and Olivia are identical; Clementine is a singleton. Biologically speaking, she came from her own egg. Practically speaking, she never quite left it. Then Clementine’s father—a pediatric neurologist who is an expert on children’s brains, but clueless when it comes to his own daughters—disappears, and his choices, both past and present, force the family dynamics to change at last. As the three sisters struggle to make sense of it, their mother must emerge from the greenhouse and leave the flowers that have long been the focus of her warmth and nurturing.

For Clementine, the next step means retracing the winding route that led her to this very moment: to understand her father’s betrayal, the tragedy of her first lost love, her family’s divisions, and her best friend Eli’s sudden romantic interest. Most of all, she may finally have found the voice with which to share the inside story of being the odd sister out...

This book got better the more pages you read.  I found it interesting about the twin/triplet aspect of the story and how they can read one another's mind's.  As I am not a twin, I wondered how much of that is true?

Clementine, did come over as a bit of a whiner.  Her twin sisters were high achievers, whereas she was just wandering along in life trying to find her place.  I felt the storyline was to much back and forward in time for me to grasp all the time.  I started on this book, then picked another book up and came back to it.

Would I suggest you read this book?  Probably not, it was on my bookshelf, so I read it because it was there..........

"Stay Sweet, by Siobhan Vivian"

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

This book was on my bookshelf, not sure why as this is more of a High School age group book.  However, it was a pleasant read bringing an independent woman sort of theme to it.  Small business owners would get a kick out of this book.  Liked how they searched high and low for the recipes, while Amelia tries to figure them out.

One thing that was missing from the book, were actual ice cream recipes.  I would have loved that.

"You had me at Chateau, by Portia Macintosh"

After her editor tells her she needs to "up the spice" in her books (literally Amber's worst nightmare...), she is at a crossroads with what to do with her career.

When the opportunity arises to go on a writer's retreat at an exclusive ch'teau in the beautiful French Alps Amber reluctantly agrees, hoping a change of scenery will help with inspiration.

But while she tries and fails to spice up her writing - with the unhelpful guidance of the eccentric romance writers at the chateau - she meets two leading men who cause her own real-life romantic comedy to unfold...

This was one of those feel good, laugh out loud, romantic/comedy books.  Plenty of warm gooey feelings along with a great does of comedy.

A light read, one you don't have to concentrate to me on to understand, and a quick read.  Got it on clearance at the bookstore for $3, so a good deal.