The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris

 

Title:  The Sweetness of Water

Author:  Nathan Harris

Narrated by:  William DeMeritt

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 10 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com with physical book checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library.

What flowers are blooming in your area?  I was happy to return home from Michigan last week and discover daffodils blooming in my yard.

At the end of the Civil War in Georgia, two brothers, Prentis and Landry have been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, but they don’t know where to go or how to support themselves.  George Walker finds them on his land and offers them a job with a decent wage to help him clear land and to plant a peanut field.  This act sets the town against George and his family.  George and his wife Isabelle are mourning the loss of their son Caleb in the Civil War.  When Caleb returns home and is labeled a coward, the Walkers must make a stand and find a way forward.  Caleb has a forbidden love with a childhood friend and fellow soldier, August.  Will the Walker family and Prentis and Landy be able to navigate reconstruction to live in a better world?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the April pick for the Page-turner’s Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  It provided a great discussion for book club.  I enjoyed the discussion, and it furthered my enjoyment of the book.

·       This novel was also an Oprah Book Club pick in 2021.

·       The novel was slow moving for the first half, but the action really picked up in the second half.

·       It made me really ponder what happened after the Civil War.  Society had gone through a giant upheaval.  How do you go back to “normal?”  What is the new “normal?”

·       This novel was character driven rather than plot driven.  The characters were all very interesting.  How far will you go to do what is right?

·       I felt like this was a coming-of-age story for Caleb, Landry, and George.

·       The novel had beautiful writing with rich language.

·       The Sweetness of Water was author Nathan Harris’s debut novel.  It was an excellent book and so well written, it was hard to believe it was a first novel.

·       I loved how all the main characters had to find courage to move forward.

·       I liked the ending.  It was positive, but realist.

·       Trigger warning:  The climax had brutal violence that was heartbreaking. 

·       This was an excellent audiobook.

Overall, The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris was a beautifully written, deeply moving character study set during reconstruction. 

One of Our Own by Lucinda Berry

 

Title: One of Our Own

Author:  Lucinda Berry

Narrated by:  A.J. Cook, Tessa Albertson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 3 hours and 54 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster @BookClubFavorites #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

Do you like to listen to audiobooks?  Do you like audiobook originals?  I do as they provide a great audio experience with different narrators, sound effects, music, etc.  One of Our Own by Lucinda Berry is an audiobook original from Simon & Schuster.

In this thriller, Felicia who beyond her regular duties as a single mother and a lawyer, volunteers at a suicide help line.  One day she talks with a girl who has been raped and she realizes it happened at a party that her son had attended.  Will she be able to help out this girl and did her son know anything about it?

My thoughts:

·       I don’t want to give away too much of the plot so this review will be brief.

·       This was a nice short read for when you are looking for a quick audiobook.

·       It had a great audiobook production with wonderful voice actors and sound effects.

·       Trigger alert:  Rape and abuse.

·       This book was set in Wisconsin, and I enjoy when books are set locally.

·       Author Lucinda Berry is a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma.  She uses her knowledge and experience to craft a moving psychological thriller.

·       I did predict the ending of this one, but I enjoyed reading about Felicia’s journey.  She was an interesting character that had to work through moral dilemmas.

Overall, One of our Own is a riveting thriller and audiobook production.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

 

Title:  The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Author:  Grady Hendrix

Narrated by:  Bahni Turpin

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 49 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

 

What is the last book that surprised you?

Patricia Campbell was formally a nurse, but she has become a stay-at-home mother for her two children while her husband works to further his career as a doctor.  She joins a book club of other mothers in the 80’s that reads and analyzes true crime novels.  In the 1990’s, a mysterious new stranger moves into the neighborhood.  Patricia has suspicions about who he really is, but can she get anyone to believe her?  Or has she been reading too many true crime novels?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was the Rogue Book Club pick for March, and it was a great different type of read for our group.

·       This book was a wild and entertaining ride.  I loved it!

·       The plot was unique.  I loved how the women had to band together to take care of a menace in their neighborhood.

·       I was infuriated when the husbands would not believe Patricia.  They cared more about making money and their own pleasures rather than what was best for their families.

·       I liked how the novel was written to show how evil descended on the neighborhood and how willing people were to go along with it.

·       Trigger warning - there were elements of horror, gore, and extreme violence in this novel.

·       I see mixed reviews on this book, but I really enjoyed it.

·       I liked how this book was humorous, handled a variety of issues, and also had horror.  It was a good mix.

·       This novel looked at racism and how when children disappear in the black neighborhood, no one cared.  It also looked at sexism.  The men do not believe the women and want to keep them in their homemaker roles.  In the end, it is the women who get the job done.

·       I listened to this novel on audiobook, and it worked well.  It was a book I wanted to keep driving to listen to.

Overall, if you are looking for a unique book experience that combines horror, humor, and societal issues, I highly recommend The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.  It was a crazy, enjoyable read.

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title:  What the Mountains Remember

Author:  Joy Callaway

Narrated by:  Brittany Pressley

Publisher:  Harper Muse

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 16 minutes

Source: Thank-you to NetGalley for the audiobook review copy.  Thank-you Bethany House and Austenprose for the review copy of the physical book.

Do you prefer to read indoors or outdoors?  I love both!

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway is the story of a young woman named Belle Newbold set in 1913.  Belle was a miner’s daughter, but after her father’s death, her mother remarried a titan of industry, Shipley Newbold.  Both Belle and her mother are afraid that their past will be found out and they will be thrown out of their life of luxury. Belle is determined to marry for convenience to make sure she has a good life where she never will have to worry about hunger.  Worth Delafield seems like the perfect match who can give her all that she asks for.  When Henry Ford invites the Newbold family on one of the Vagabond camping trips, Belle gets to know Worth better and determine what is important to her in life. 

I just discussed how I want to visit North Carolina and visit the Biltmore estate as part of a review last week.  This novel gave me another North Carolina point to visit, Grove Park Inn, which is called the eighth wonder of the world.  This Inn is in Ashville, North Carolina and it was a major construction project in the early 20^th century.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I loved that this novel focused on how buildings are usually remembered by the person who financed them, but the architect and construction workers who made it possible are often overlooked.  I will also put engineer in this category as I have spent my life designing large projects that dignitaries get gold shovels at while I stood in the background.  I loved how Belle loved to talk and learn about all the people who worked on this construction project.

·       This book was a love story to Asheville and the Appalachian mountains and the people who lived, worked, and died there.

·       I really disliked Belle’s “friend” Marie Austen.  Marie Austen had a lot of cringe worthy behavior in this book both to Belle and to men. She might win the award for worst fictional friend ever.

·       It was interesting learning about the TB crisis in North Caroline during this time period.  It’s interesting and sad that there was a real fear that TB hospitals would overtake the community.

·       I loved the characters of Belle and Worth.  I loved learning more about them and how they learned more about each other and came to an understanding.  I also loved how Belle was able to work on an article about the Grove Park Inn and highlight the workers.  I enjoyed that she had a coming of age herself and discovered what she really wanted out of life.

·       This novel has a marriage of convenience and friends to lovers’ tropes.  The romance was beautiful in this novel.

·       The camping trip with the Vagabonds was very interesting, but the Vagabonds were very much minor background characters.  It left me wanting to know more about their adventures.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end of the novel that discusses how the author has visited and been fascinated with Grove Park Inn since she was a child.  It discussed her research and changes that she made to make her story work.

·       I read this book both physically and on audiobook and kept switching to whatever format worked best for me at the time.  I had a lot of travel during the last couple of weeks, so this worked well for me.  Brittany Pressley was a great narrator.

·       This was my first Joy Callaway novel, but it won’t be my last.

Overall, What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway was an excellent historical fiction novel with a great unique setting, interesting characters, and wonderful romance.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

At this wondrous resort, secrets can easily be hidden in plain sight when the eye is trained on beauty.

April 1913—Belle Newbold hasn’t seen mountains for seven years—since her father died in a mining accident and her mother married gasoline magnate, Shipley Newbold. But when her stepfather’s business acquaintance, Henry Ford, invites the family on one of his famous Vagabonds camping tours, she is forced to face the hills once again—primarily in order to reunite with her future fiancé, owner of the land the Vagabonds are using for their campsite, a man she’s only met once before. It is a veritable arranged marriage, but she prefers it that way. Belle isn’t interested in love. She only wants a simple life—a family of her own and the stability of a wealthy man’s pockets. That’s what Worth Delafield has promised to give her and it’s worth facing the mountains again, the reminder of the past, and her poverty, to secure her future.

But when the Vagabonds group is invited to tour the unfinished Grove Park Inn and Belle is unexpectedly thrust into a role researching and writing about the building of the inn—a construction the locals are calling The Eighth Wonder of the World—she quickly realizes that these mountains are no different from the ones she once called home. As Belle peels back the facade of Grove Park Inn, of Worth, of the society she’s come to claim as her own, and the truth of her heart, she begins to see that perhaps her part in Grove Park’s story isn’t a coincidence after all. Perhaps it is only by watching a wonder rise from ordinary hands and mountain stone that she can finally find the strength to piece together the long-destroyed path toward who she was meant to be.

International bestselling author Joy Callaway returns with a story of the ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty—and the question of who gets to tell their stories.

AUTHOR BIO

Joy Callaway is the author of All the Pretty Places, The Grand Design, The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, and Secret Sisters. She holds a BA in journalism and public relations from Marshall University and an MMC from the University of South Carolina. She resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, John, and her children, Alevia and John. Visit her online at joycallaway.com.

 

Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Barbara Ross

 

Do you like to read holiday themed books?  I read this delightful collection of Easter mysteries in the week leading up to Easter.  I’m trying to catch up on my reviews and am just now posting my review on the third Sunday of Easter.  At least I’m still in the Easter season? 

This book had three easter mystery themed novellas in it.  I loved their short length.  It kept the action moving without getting bored.  I enjoyed all three stories, and they were a perfect read in the week before Easter.  The stories were as follows:

Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier

Tinker Cove’s chamber of commerce has put together an Easter themed promotion to help local businesses.  If you get stamps from all of the businesses on a card, you have a chance to win a fabulous Easter basket which contains a one-of-a-kind Easter egg by a famous and reclusive artist.  When the egg is stolen, and a murder occurs, will reporter Lucy Stone be able to crack the case? 

Death by Easter Egg by Leslie Hollis

After the Easter bunny is found dead after eating a peanut butter egg that he is allergic to from her grandson’s easter basket, Hayley Powell is determined to clear her young grandson’s name.  Will she discover who really murdered the Easter bunny and why?

Hopped Along by Barbara Ross

On a remote island in Maine, Julie Snowden has been rehabbing a mansion that will soon open as a resort.  She is startled to find a dead body in the garden, that soon disappears.  Is this an April Fool’s Day joke or is something else afoot?

I enjoyed all three stories equally, which is rare to find in a collection.  They were all amusing mysteries that caused me to laugh out loud at times. They also made me feel old when I realized that Hayley Powell, the grandmother detective in Death by Easter Egg is my age.  My oldest is just graduating from high school and I hadn’t thought of myself in a grandmotherly way yet.  The mystery plot in all three novellas was interesting and had great conclusions.  I loved the three main heroines.  I have not read any of these authors before, but I think I need to investigate more cozy mysteries by all three as I enjoyed these so much.

Overall, Easter Basket Murder is a great collection of Easter themed cozy mystery novellas that I highly recommend if you are looking for a holiday read and intriguing cozy mysteries.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The True Meaning of Easter by Archbishop Fulton Sheen

 

Title:  The True Meaning of Easter

Author:  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Narrated by:  Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Matthew Arnold

Publisher: Casscom Media

Length: Approximately 57 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

 

Do you listen to or read any religious material during the Lent and Easter seasons?  I listened to this audiobook on Easter day and I’m finally getting around to posting my review on it now that it is the third Sunday of Easter.

As I stated in my review of The True Meaning of Christmas, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen hosted a radio program from 1930 to 1950 and then a television program in the 1950s and 1960s as he also moved up the ranks of the Catholic church.  I have listened to an 18 CD collection of his talks called Life is Worth Living, which is the name of one of his television programs.  I have since purchased the same talks digitally and like to listen to them.  I find Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be a very gifted and inspiring speaker.  After listening to The True Meaning of Christmas, I was delighted to see that there was an Easter version.

In the True Meaning of Easter, Matthew Arnold reads out the biblical passages on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ which are followed by a related discussion by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.  In his distinctive style, Archbishop Fulton Sheen provides his teachings on the readings.  I liked his discussion and comparison of the gardens of Gethsemane and Eden and on the meaning and history of the sacrificial lamb.  He gave me a lot of deep information to think about that furthered my understanding.   I liked the music much better on this audiobook as compared to the Christmas one.  I think it’s because Gregorian chants were used at times, which I enjoy.

Overall, the reading of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ from the Bible accompanied by the discussions on the significance by Archbishop Fulton Sheen were a meaningful experience perfect for Easter.

 

These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you ever like to read books that are set in places that you would like to visit?  I feel I get to visit new places through books, and I get great ideas of places I would like to visit in person.  One place I would love to visit is the Biltmore estate in North Carolina. 

In the early twentieth century, Lorna is an accomplished weaver at the Biltmore estates.  She has been commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt’s wedding, but she needs inspiration.  She works with her friend, Arthur, to try to find a mysterious weaver that has original designs.  Arthur is a master woodworker that has had a flame for Lorna for quite some time, but he does not understand why their relationship never seems to take off.  What secrets does Lorna keep?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The storyline was split within three different time frames, 1915/1916, 1921 and the end of 1923.  Sometimes I had a hard time keeping track of the switches, but luckily, they occurred at chapter breaks and each chapter was clearly labeled.

·       The story was told through Lorna, Arthur, and Gentry’s perspective.  Gentry is a character early in the 1915/16 timeframe of the book and she has disappeared in the later time frames. A large part of the book to me was the mystery of what had happened to Gentry.  I thought her storyline was very interesting.

·       I thought this novel was a fascinating look into how choices that you make keep coming to haunt you through time.  Lorna made a decision in 1916 which while furthering her career in some ways, hinders it in other ways.  It also hinders her relationship with Arthur as she feels she must hide the truth from him. 

·       This novel was a great look into second chances, and I enjoyed Lorna’s journey and second chance.

·       It was also a good look into dishonesty.  Once you start lying, it is hard to get yourself back out from the lies.

·       It was also a story of forgiveness and hope.

·       I loved the character of Arthur.  He was a devout Christian that had a hard life growing up, but he was always looking for the best in people.

·       I enjoyed “meeting” the working people of Appalachia.  The craftwork of the people sounded interesting.  I wanted to see it for myself.

·       In the author’s note, Sarah Loudin Thomas describes how she once worked at Biltmore for six years.  That is why her descriptions are so vivid.  She also gives a list of great references.

·       This was my first book by Sarah Loudin Thomas, but it won’t be my last.

Overall, These Tangled Threads was a fascinating historical fiction book that focused on the craftwork on the Biltmore estate in the early twentieth century as well as hope and forgiveness.  This is the type of historical fiction I love to read.

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of Biltmore Estate. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt's 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn't have the creativity needed. But there's an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her--if only she can find her.

To track the mysterious weaver down, Lorna sees no other way but to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her old life, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of long ago. She'll have to risk the job that shapes her identity as well as the hope of friendship--and love--restored.

In this seamlessly woven historical tale, award-winning Appalachian author Sarah Loudin Thomas delivers a poignant novel of friendship, artistry, restoration, and second chances.


AUTHOR BIO

Sarah Loudin Thomas (sarahloudinthomas.com) is the author of numerous acclaimed novels, including The Finder of Forgotten Things, The Right Kind of Fool, winner of the 2021 Selah Book of the Year, and Miracle in a Dry Season, winner of the 2015 INSPY Award. She worked in public relations for Biltmore Estate for six years and is now the director of Jan Karon's Mitford Museum. A native of West Virginia, she and her husband now live in western North Carolina.

The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan (Wunderkind PR Book Tour)

 

If you could have a 9-month getaway to do something different with your life, what would you do?  I would love to travel if I had unlimited funds and time. 

Jason and Nicole have been married for twenty-three years.  Their two kids are off in college and both are having travel abroad experiences.  Jason’s best friend Charlie has recently passed away. Jason wants to take a dream sabbatical in his honor that they both had planned – a nine-month motorcycle trip through South America.  Jason wants Nicole to come with him since Charlie passed away, but it is not Nicole’s dream sabbatical.  Instead, she would rather learn how to silver smith in Santa Fe.  The two decide to both take their own dream sabbaticals for nine months and meet up at the end with their kids.  They also decide to follow their neighbors 500-mile rule, to enjoy themselves however and whoever they are with when they are far apart.  How will this affect their marriage?

My thoughts:

·       I like how the chapters alternated between Jason and Nicole, and flashed back to the past so the reader is able to see their relationship develop from the start.

·       Jason and Nicole are around my age and were very relatable and likeable characters.

·       I loved reading about Jason and Nicole’s adventures and how they found themselves again.

·        It was interesting reading about the idea of the marriage sabbatical as it is something that I would never ever do.  It made for an interesting ethical dilemma.

·       I loved the Santa Fe and South America settings.  I really wanted to visit Santa Fe after reading this book.

·       I think this would make a good book for discussion at a book club.

·       At the end of this book, I came to think of it as a second chance romance between Jason and Nicole.  It took time apart to realize and remember why they loved each other.

Overall, The Marriage Sabbatical was a unique and well written novel with likeable characters.  I think this would make a great book club pick.

Book Source:  Review copy from William Morrow as part of the Wunderkind PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Praise for Lian’s Books:
“Fast-paced and colorful, with hints of The Goldfinch and Malibu Rising, and more than one pitch-perfect love story—Lost and Found in Paris sparkles like the City of Light itself and will have you flipping the pages quickly as you’re drawn deeply into its mysterious world of art, intrigue, and redemption.”
—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names

“Reading Lian Dolan is like sitting next to a delightful and hilarious friend with a fine glass of champagne as she regales you with her enthralling adventures. Witty and ravishing, with an intriguing mystery, a grand love story and a quick-witted heroine, Lost and Found in Paris is magnificent.”
—Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah

“Dolan spins a story that is both heavy and light, spanning continents and exploring relationships. With a hint of Dan Brown and a splash of Jamie Brenner, this book will appeal to a variety of readers, especially those who enjoy character-driven fiction.”
—Booklist on Lost and Found in Paris

“Dolan’s clever latest...does a fantastic job depicting Joan’s love for her father and heartache over his death. This has a bit more substance than the standard Parisian romp.”
—Publishers Weekly on Lost and Found in Paris

“A quirky novel that deals with weighty topics and emotions without taking itself too seriously.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Lost and Found in Paris

About the Book:
After twenty-three years of building careers and raising kids together, Jason and Nicole Elswick are ready for a break from their daily lives. Jason has spent years planning his dream sabbatical—ditching work for a nine-month-long motorcycle trip through South America. Problem is, that’s Jason’s dream, not Nicole’s. After years working retail and parenting in Portland, Nicole craves the sun of the Southwest and the artistic community in Santa Fe, where she wants to learn jewelry design.

A chance encounter at a dinner party presents a surprising—and intriguing—way out of their dilemma. Over a little too much wine, Jason and Nicole’s married neighbors sing the praises of the 500 Mile Rule: their policy of enjoying themselves however they wish—and with whomever they wish—when they’re temporarily far apart. It seems like the perfect solution: nine months pursuing their own adventures—with a bit of don’t-ask-don’t-tell—and then a return to their shared lives. It’ll be a sabbatical from their marriage as well as their day jobs.

As Jason bikes his way across a continent and Nicole reclaims the art she’s long neglected, they discover the pleasures and pitfalls of the 500 Mile Rule, confronting temptations of all kinds, uncomfortable truths about themselves, and gaining new perspective on their partnership.

But all sabbaticals come to an end…then what?


About Lian Dolan:
Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the author of five best-selling novels, including her latest, The Marriage Sabbatical, forthcoming in 2024 by William Morrow. Her other books are Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife. She’s written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine, Pasadena Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. She’s also written for TV, radio and websites.

Lian is the creator and host of Satellite Sisters, the podcast and online community for women created in 2001. Satellite Sisters has won thirteen Gracie Awards for Excellence in Women’s Media. In 2017, Lian was honored as a Podcast Pioneer by ShePodcasts.

A speaker who combines humor and heart, Lian has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Today Show and many local TV stations. She’s been a featured speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books, the Santa Barbara Celebrity Authors Lunch, the Literary Guild of Orange County Festival of Women Authors and dozens of other events at libraries, book stores, schools and women’s organizations across the country.

Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, two adult sons and a senior German shepherd.

Connect with Lian:
Website: https://www.liandolan.com/
Instagram: @liandolan
Facebook: @liandolanauthor
Threads: @liandolan
Tik Tok: @liandolan

X/Twitter: @liandolan