Book ~ "Cher: The Memoir, Part 1" (2024) Cher

From Goodreads ~ THERE IS ONLY ONE CHER …

… and for seven decades she has been showing us why. Cher holds the attention of the world with her voice, her acting, her style, her wit and her unstoppable spirit. Now, for the first time, she tells her story in her own voice - as honest as it is hilarious, as powerful as it is perceptive.

Cher’s childhood was anything but normal. As her mother Georgia -  blessed with movie-star looks and a knockout voice – moved them around the country over and again in the hope of finding fame, her school life wasn’t straightforward. But she always knew she was going to be somebody when she grew up.

Cher’s powerful instinct to keep moving eventually landed her in the arms of Sonny Bono. The duo became famous beyond their wildest dreams, from humble beginnings singing backup in Phil Spector’s studio through to pop stardom as Sonny and Cher, and then on to the television show that made them household names. But as time passed, fame changed the dynamic of their relationship and Cher evolved from a wide-eyed teenager into a woman. She started fighting for herself, breaking away from Sonny’s control - and realising that things were not as they seemed.

Taking risks, making headlines, falling in love, Cher struggled and stumbled while trying to become her own woman. "The Memoir, Part One" brings us to the brink of her next chapter, as she begins to chart her own path, finally claiming her rightful place in the world and becoming CHER.

While I'm not a huge fan of Cher's, I like reading bios/memoirs and thought her story would probably be an interesting one ... and it was.

The book starts long before Cher was born with her maternal grandparents' story, Lynda and Roy, two young poor kids who got together, split up and kept getting back together. Lynda was 13 when Georgia (then Jackie Jean), Cher's mother, was born and not mature enough to be a mother, and Roy was 20 with alcohol and violence issues. Tossed from home to home, Georgia didn't have a stable childhood and that affected her life choices and men. 

When Cher met Sonny when she was 16, she found some stability in having an older and mature best friend, that eventually became more. He saw talent in her and she was a ticket to fame and fortune for him. Without her realizing it, he became controlling until, according to her, she wasn't allowed to do anything with anyone but him. She eventually untangled herself from him and despite how badly he had treated her over the years, she still counted on him when she needed someone ... I wouldn't have been as kind of generous.

I didn't like Georgia and found her selfish. When you have a messed up upbringing, I would hope that you do all you can to ensure your children have a more stable one and she didn't do that. She was married and divorced seven times before she was 50 ... even twice to Cher's father who had deserted them when Cher was a baby and then 20 years later when he came back into their lives after Cher became famous. So it's not a surprise that Cher's childhood wasn't stable either.

I liked the writing style (I'm assuming there was a ghost writer). It's written at a high level with just enough detail for me. It was interesting reading about the people she met and the experiences she had. The book ends just as she's thinking seriously about become an actress ... so after her relationships with David Geffen, Gregg Allman and Gene Simmons (I'd forgotten they'd been an item).  I liked that there were lots of photographs at the end. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Haters" (2024) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy, her teenage daughter is proud and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world - until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.

Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her?

As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her - and finally learn why she's being targeted.

Camryn is a guidance counsellor at a private school. She is in her late 30s, divorced with a daughter who is graduating from high school, and has a younger boyfriend who she has nothing in common with. She recently fulfilled her dream of writing and publishing her first novel. 

When she receives a nasty email about how it's disgusting she used the stories of her students as material for her, she initially brushes it off. But when she starts getting hundreds one star reviews on a review site, she starts to get concerned, especially when the harassment gets personal. There are lots who might want to sabotage her writing career and she needs to figure out who it is before she loses everything including her friends, her job and her possible publishing opportunities.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style and it moved at a quick pace. It is written in first person perspective in Camryn's voice. Interspersed in the story are chapters from Camryn's book. The ending came quickly and for the most part I was buying it. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" (2024) Sophie Cousens

From Goodreads ~ Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?

Anna is 38, divorced with two kids. She works as a columnist at an online publication which is struggling. In an effort to keep it alive, the owner brings in an investor who wants it rejuvenated. Though a good writer, Anna needs to kick it up a notch if she wants to keep her column (and her income) especially since Will, another columnist, seems to have his eye on her space.

So Anna embarks on a journey to date men who her children choose for her and this will be the content for her columns ... she goes out with a younger waiter, her mailman and even tries speed dating. It's decided that Will will write a similar column but about his online dating experiences. When the book starts, Anna doesn't like Will and finds him arrogant but as they start working together, she gets to know him better and finds that he's not the jerk she thought he was.

I thought this story was okay ... it was light and predictable. It's written in first person perspective in Anna's voice. Not a big surprise that Anna does fall for someone ... it happens very quickly, though, and there's a happy ending for all. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate" (2007) Kyra Davis

From Goodreads ~ Sophie Katz's relationship with the irresistible and occasionally insufferable P.I. Anatoly Darinsky is on the fritz when a friend recruits Sophie's investigation skills to decode her possibly two-timing husband's strange behavior. When Sophie shows up in a short red cocktail dress and her friend's hubby winds up dead, the loveable would-be sleuth can't help but take on the job.

Suddenly plunged into a crazy world of campaign mudslinging, dirt-digging and cover-ups, Sophie begins to uncover some pretty dirty secrets involving a conservative congressional hopeful's involvement in the Furry community, a group of people who dress up in mascot-size stuffed animal costumes. Sex and politics, wouldn't you know?

Way in over her head as usual, Sophie reluctantly or not-so-reluctantly enlists the help of her two-time sidekick and ex-Anatoly. Together they set out to determine who killed Eugene and why, and in the process can't resist falling for each other again?

Sophie Katz is a mystery writer. Melanie, her friend and former mentor, suspects her husband, Eugene, is having an affair so asks Sophie to put the moves on him at a bar to see if he bites. He doesn't and they end up having a nice chat. Minutes after they leave the bar, he is shot and killed. Melanie knows that Sophie's ex-boyfriend, Anatoly, is a PI and wants to hire him to investigate. Sophie is feeling bitter about their recent break-up so tells Melanie he is too busy and offers to check things out. Eventually Melanie hires Anatoly and Sophie is forced to work with him to stay involved. 

I wasn't crazy about this one. I'm not into politics and because Eugene worked for a congressional candidate, there was a lot of talk of American politics, which was boring. It was a convoluted story that ended up involving furries and fluffies. When the whodunnit was revealed, my thought was "HUH?!" ... I wasn't buying it. Sophie's obsession with Anatoly was annoying and she stayed on investigating Eugene's death primarily so Anatoly couldn't which was selfish and juvenile of her considering it's what he does for a living. 

This is the third in the Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series (there are seven books in the series and I read the first two in the last week). It is written in first person perspective in Sophie's voice. It was published in 2007 so is a bit dated ... for example, Kanye West was still relevant and Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins are still together. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Book ~ "Passion, Betrayal And Killer Highlights" (2006) Kyra Davis

From Goodreads ~ Sophie Katz has just offered a man $12,000 for his services ... is she desperate or just meshugeneh?

Considering the kind of disasters that usually befall the half-black, half-Jewish mystery writer, probably both. Because the last time Sophie saw sexy P.I. Anatoly Darinsky, he practically danced a jig when she waved goodbye ... a normal reaction for a man who'd nearly bought the farm trying to protect her from her own foolishness. What are the chances he'd agree to take incriminating pictures of her sister's philandering husband? Or that he'd let her tag along ... you know… for research?

But when her brother-in-law turns up dead and her sister becomes the prime suspect, Sophie's priority is finding the real killer. With or without Anatoly's help. Her brother-in-law's secret life yields plenty of suspects but the San Francisco police aren't taking any of them seriously. So Sophie does what comes naturally to her: she stirs up trouble (to lure the killer out, of course).

But if her crazy plan works, will Anatoly be there to protect her this  time?

Sophie Katz is a mystery writer who lives with Mr. Katz, her cat with lot of personality. Leah is her sister and Bob, Leah's husband, told her he was leaving her for a younger woman. Leah enjoys her role as a wife and a mother and is determined to fight for him. When Leah arrives home later that day, she finds Bob murdered and their house trashed a bit. 

Leah immediately turns to Sophie ... Sophie, in turn, hires PI Anatoly to investigate and find out who murdered Bob since Leah is the number one suspect. Sophie and Anatoly have a history ... because of her, he'd gotten shot and arrested (in the first book) ... but he takes the job. As Sophie and Anatoly start digging, they discover that Bob not only had one girlfriend on the side but a few more. Did one of them get jealous enough to kill him?

This is the second in the Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series (there are seven books in the series and I read the first one earlier this week). It is written in first person perspective in Sophie's voice. It was published in 2006 so is a bit dated with references to floppy disks and an address book that you actually write names, address and phone numbers (and cross them out when they move!). As a head's up, there is a lot of swearing and adult activity.

I liked it enough to move on to the next book in the series. 

Book ~ "Sex, Murder and a Double Latte" (2005) Kyra Davis

From Goodreads ~ Thriller scribe Sophie Katz is as hard-boiled as a woman who drinks Grande Caramel Brownie Frappuccinos can be. So Sophie knows it’s not paranoia or post-divorce, living-alone-again jitters, when she becomes convinced that a crazed reader is sneaking into her apartment to reenact scenes from her books. The police, however, can’t tell a good plot from an unmarked grave.

When a filmmaker friend is brutally murdered in the manner of a death scene in one of his movies, Sophie becomes convinced that a copycat killer is on the loose - and that she’s the next target. If she doesn’t solve the mystery, her own bestseller will spell out her doom. Cursing her grisly imagination (why, oh, why did she have to pick the ax?), Sophie engages in some real-life gumshoe tactics. The man who swoops in to save her in dark alleys is mysterious new love interest Anatoly Darinsky. Of course, if this were fiction, Anatoly would be her prime suspect.

Sophie Katz is a mystery writer. She is excited that a filmmaker is interested in turning her book into a movie ... until he is found dead in his bathtub of an apparent suicide. His death is very similar to a death in one of his movies but that was a murder not a suicide, which leads Sophie to suspect that he has been murdered. When strange things start happening that mirror her book, Sex, Murder and a Double Latte, Sophie suspects she may be the next victim so starts investigating.

Around this time, Sophie meets and starts dating Anatoly, who has recently moved to town, and her friend, Dena, has recently started dating Jason, who is a vampire wannabe. Sophie starts to wonder if they have come into her life just make her the next victim.

This is the first in the Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series (there are seven books in the series). I like reading series so I thought I'd check it out. I liked the writing style ... it was amusing at times. It is written in first person perspective in Sophie's voice. It was published in 2005 so is a bit dated with references to things that were relevant 20 years ago. I liked that she had a cat named Mr. Katz, who was full of personality. Sophie has three good but diverse friends who she leans on ... outspoken and sometimes mean Dena, dumb Mary Ann and Marcus, an overly stereotypical gay hairdresser. The whodunnit was a bit of a stretch. As a head's up, there is a lot of swearing and some violence.

I liked it enough to move on to the next book in the series. 

Book ~ "The Paris Widow" (2024) Kimberly Belle

From Goodreads ~ When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice normal guy - a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics. 

As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?

Stella and Adam have been married for four years and she tags along with him on a business trip around Europe. A couple hours before they are due to fly home to the States, they check out a cute spot for a snack. As they are heading back to the hotel in Paris to pick up their luggage before they leave for the airport, Adam forgets his sunglasses on their table and goes back for them as Stella carries on to the hotel. Moments later there is an explosion at the restaurant where they just were and Adam is missing. Not giving up hope, Stella stays on in Paris until she can find out if Adam is alive or not. 

During the investigation of the explosion, the police inform Stella that Adam wasn't just a regular dealer in antiques ... he had a secret life and was actually selling stolen antiquities to the rich around the world who could afford them. Was Adam in the wrong place at the wrong time or was her a target of the explosion and why.

I've read many books by this author but I thought this one was okay. It's written from two perspectives which bounce back and forth (the chapters are labeled) in Stella and Adam's voices during their travels. After the explosion, I thought it was farfetched with Stella investigating what happened to him (she works for a caterer back home) and I found the details a bit draggy and confusing at times. It was lucky that Stella had someone from her past who was coincidentally connected to the stolen antiquities market she was able to tap into for info (!!). I wasn't buying the ending. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "The Personal Assistant" (2022) Kimberly Belle

From Goodreads ~ When Alex first began posting unscripted family moments and motivational messages online, she had no intention of becoming an influencer. Overnight it seemed she’d amassed a huge following, and her hobby became a full-time job - one that was impossible to manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.

But all the good-will of her followers turns toxic when one controversial post goes viral in the worst possible way. Alex reaches out to AC for damage control but her assistant has gone silent. This young woman Alex trusted with all her secrets, who had access to her personal information and front row seats to the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers. As Alex digs into AC’s identity - and a woman is found murdered – she’ll find the greatest threat isn’t online but in her own living room.

Alex is a successful social media influencer, married to Patrick and has 12-year-old twins. She wakes up after a night of too much tequila to discover she had thrown shade on a 16-year-old actress in a post the night before. After years of her posting about encouraging positivity, Alex's fan base turns against her and her social media blows up with comments about her being a hypocrite. She turns to her assistant, AC, for help but AC had disappeared. When the comments get more dangerous with threats of violence and AC is reported missing by her roommate, the police look at Alex and Patrick with suspicion.

I've read many books by this author but I thought this one was okay. It's written from two perspectives which bounce back and forth (the chapters are labeled) in Alex and Patrick's voices. In the end, we find out what happened to AC and it was an interesting twist but not a big surprise. I found it odd that with all the threats (online and physical) they received, though Alex and Patrick eventually had changed the locks and upgraded their security cameras, they didn't seem overly concerned about any danger. to themselves or Alex's children. I thought it was irresponsible of Alex as a mother to expose so much of her life (she posted pictures of her daughters, Patrick, their house, etc.) in her quest to become a successful influencer.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books" (2024) Kirsten Miller

From Goodreads ~ Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books - none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.

But Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneaks in by night and secretly fills Lula Dean’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets. The "Girl’s Guide to the Revolution" is wrapped in the cover of "The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette". A jacket that belongs to "Our Confederate Heroes" ends up on "Beloved". One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.

That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch - including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer and the former DA - all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town ... and change it forever.

Growing up, Lula's family was well-to-do but that changed when her father lost his company (and the family lost their lavish lifestyle) because of  his questionable business practices, which is something Lula never got over. When Lula's husband died young, she received a large insurance payout and she became intolerable ... so much so that as soon as her two children were old enough to leave home, they did and Lula never heard from them again. Lula was cut from the cheerleading squad in high school by Beverly and never forgave her. Now the two are running for mayor of their small town and Lula will do anything to win. 

As Lula has gotten older, she has gotten worse ... her latest mission was to rid the town library of what she deems to be inappropriate books. She creates a small free library in front of her house filled with what she feels are more wholesome books. Lyndsay, Beverly's daughter, doesn't think this is right so as a prank removes those books and refills the library with the banned books but with the dust jackets of the books that been approved by Lula. People in the town are borrowing books from the library, surprised once they start reading them that they aren't actually the books they were expecting but continuing to read them. The books start changing the lives of the readers, with some of the residents becoming more tolerant of others' races and sexual orientations but others becoming increasingly more militant.

I thought this book was okay but there was a lot going on ... the back stories included racism, slavery, homophobia, Nazis, rape, terrorism, spousal abuse and more. The writing style was okay but I thought it dragged a bit in the middle. It's written in third person perspective. I liked the beginning because it seemed like the chapters were devoted to a specific banned book and how it changed the reader's life for the better. I found there were a lot of characters and I had to keep going backwards to remind myself who they were and what their story was again. Some of the characters a bit unbelievable. For example, there is a woman who met and married her husband very young and had a child right away. Twenty or so years later, she has no life other than serving her husband and son but miraculously changes once she read a book. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Happy Accidents: A Memoir" (2011) Jane Lynch

From Goodreads ~ In the summer of 1974, a fourteen-year-old girl in Dolton, Illinois, had a dream. A dream to become an actress, like her idols Ron Howard and Vicki Lawrence. But it was a long way from the south side of Chicago to Hollywood and it didn't help that she'd recently dropped out of the school play, "The Ugly Duckling". Or that the Hollywood casting directors she wrote to replied that "professional training was a requirement."

But the funny thing is, it all came true. Through a series of happy accidents, Jane Lynch created an improbable and hilarious path to success. In those early years, despite her dreams, she was also consumed with anxiety, feeling out of place in both her body and her family. To deal with her worries about her sexuality, she escaped in positive ways such as joining a high school chorus not unlike the one in Glee but also found destructive outlets. She started drinking almost every night her freshman year of high school and developed a mean and judgmental streak that turned her into a real- life Sue Sylvester.

Then at thirty-one, she started to get her life together. She was finally able to embrace her sexuality, come out to her parents and quit drinking for good. Soon after, a Frosted Flakes commercial and a chance meeting in a coffee shop led to a role in the Christopher Guest movie "Best in Show", which helped her get cast in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". Similar coincidences and chance meetings led to roles in movies starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd and even Meryl Streep in 2009's "Julie & Julia". Then, of course, came the two lucky accidents that truly changed her life. Getting lost in a hotel led to an introduction to her future wife, Lara. Then a series she'd signed up for abruptly got canceled, making it possible for her to take the role of Sue Sylvester in "Glee", which made her a megastar.

Today Jane Lynch has finally found the contentment she thought she'd never have. Part comic memoir and part inspirational narrative, this is a book equally for the rabid "Glee" fan and for anyone who needs a new perspective on life, love, and success.

I like reading bios/memoirs and had put this book on my Goodreads to-be-read list ten years ago and then forgot about it. I recently found it there so even though the book was written 13 years ago, I thought I'd check it out.

I haven't seen Lynch in any TV shows nor have I ever watched Glee but I have seen and liked her in many movies. I always find it interesting to read about how people "make it" and I liked getting the behind the scenes scoop in show business. 

Once she realized she was gay and embraced it, Lynch was searching for a relationship but ended up sabotaging them (most of her relationships never lasted more than two months). She would do the same with friendships but her true friends saw through this and stuck with her. The book is written about a year after she marries Lara, her first wife, so it was weird reading about how much in love they were and how settled she'd become knowing they would be divorced just a couple years later and she is now married to someone else.

I liked the writing style and that there were pictures along the way. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Why Can't I Be You" (2013) Allie Larkin

From Goodreads ~ When Jenny Shaw hears someone shout “Jessie!” across a hotel lobby, she impulsively answers. All her life, Jenny has toed the line but something propels her to seize the opportunity to become Jessie Morgan, a woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. 

Lonely in her own life, Jenny is embraced by Jessie’s warm circle of friends - and finds unexpected romance. But when she delves into Jessie’s past, Jenny discovers a secret that spurs her to take another leap into the unknown.

Jenny works in PR and is excited about heading off to a work conference. When her boyfriend drops her off at the airport, he breaks up with her, shattering her plans for their future. When she gets to her hotel in Seattle, Myra, who is there attending a high school reunion, mistakes her for her friend, Jessie, who she hasn't seen since high school. Given her state of mind, Jenny impulsively goes with it. 

As she gets to meet the others in Myra (and Jessie's) circle of high school friends, Jenny keeps meaning to tell them she's not Jessie. But she didn't have a happy childhood or have many friends growing up so is relishing this experience of belonging and rationalizes that it's temporary. As she gets to know them better, it becomes even harder to tell them the truth.

This sounded like an interesting premise for a story and it was. I was wondering how/if Jenny was going to be able to pull it off and for how long. She had the benefit of Jessie mysteriously disappearing 13 years ago with no contact with anyone. I liked the writing style. It's written in first person perspective in Jenny's voice. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "A Talent for Murder" (2024) Peter Swanson

From Goodreads ~ Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern - five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is ... but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Matilda has no friends and is happy being alone. When she meets Alan, they start dating and eventually he asks her to marry him. She feels he is still a stranger but likes him (maybe even loves him) enough to say "yes". Alan works as a travelling salesman so he's not around a lot which suits Matilda fine. 

One night Alan comes home from a sales trip and Matilda is watching him from the window unload his car. He does something odd so the next day she starts tracking his previous sales trips and discovers that women have been murdered near where he's been. She suspects her husband might be a serial killer. Not wanting to accuse him in case she is wrong, which would ruin their marriage, Matilda contacts Lily, a friend she hasn't talked with since university, who had helped her out of a bad situation years ago. Lily agrees to check out Alan and asks Harry, her private investigator friend, to help.

I thought this story was okay. It was farfetched at times but I went with it. As with this author's other books, there are fun twists and turns. I thought it was odd how Matilda jumped to the conclusion that Alan was a serial killer because of a single random gesture. It was sad that when Matilda needed help the only person she thought to turn to was Lily, someone she hasn't had any contact with in many years ... and assumed Lily would want to help ... and Lily jumped into action, risking her life. I liked the ultimate ending but not how it was carried out (I thought it was a bit lame).

This is the third in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series ... it works as a stand alone but it helps if you've read that first two (I have) to know the history and dynamics between Henry and Lily. It's written in first person perspective in Lily's voice and third person perspective otherwise (sometimes even when Lily is in the scene). Usually I don't mind the mixing of perspectives but I found this a bit confusing at times. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Brothers" (2024) Alex Van Halen

From Goodreads ~ In this intimate and open account - nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read - Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.

Told with acclaimed New Yorker writer Ariel Levy, "Brothers" is seventy-year-old drummer Alex Van Halen’s love letter to his younger brother, Edward, (maybe “Ed” but never “Eddie”), written while still mourning his untimely death.

In his rough yet sweet voice, Alex recounts the brothers’ childhood, first in the Netherlands and then in working class Pasadena, California, with an itinerant musician father and a very proper Indonesian-born mother - the kind of mom who admonished her boys to “always wear a suit” no matter how famous they became - a woman who was both proud and practical, nonchalant about taking a doggie bag from a star-studded dinner. He also shares tales of musical politics, infighting and plenty of bad-boy behavior. But mostly his is a story of brotherhood, music, and enduring love.

"I was with him from day one,” Alex writes. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 square foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming famous, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime."

There has never been an accurate account of them or the band and Alex wants to set the record straight on Edward’s life and death.

Brothers includes never-before-seen photos from the author’s private archives.

I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of Van Halen but I like some of their songs. My sister borrowed this book ... I like reading bios/memoirs so I thought I'd read it too.

It's written by Alex, the older of the Van Halen brothers. The book starts before he and Ed were born, with their parents ... a Dutch father and Indonesian mother meeting and getting married. Growing up, their first language was Dutch so they knew no English when the family moved to California when the boys were young. Their mother made them learn how to play the piano. They loved music, they eventually moved on to Alex learning to play the guitar and Ed learning to play the drums. They swapped instruments and the rest is history.

Alex and Ed weren't stellar students ... they wanted to play music and formed a few bands before finding the right combination with Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth and becoming Van Halen. There was a lot of paying their dues playing in bars, schools, etc. before moving on to be opening acts for Journey, Black Sabbath and more. Along the way, they recorded albums which went platinum. The book ends in 1984 with the release of the album 1984.

I liked this book more than I expected I would. I liked the writing style and it was interesting to read the stories of them being young men on the road touring (it sounds like they had a lot of fun, which was destructive and expensive). It was obvious Alex and Ed were tight as brothers. Alex doesn't through a lot of shade but there are some honest stories of people who did them wrong. I like that there were lots of photographs at the end.

Book ~ "Murder on the Inside: The True Story of the Deadly Riot at Kingston Penitentiary" (2021) Catherine Fogarty

From Goodreads ~ On April 14, 1971, a handful of prisoners attacked the guards at Kingston Penitentiary and seized control, making headlines around the world. For four intense days, the prisoners held the guards hostage while their leaders negotiated with a citizens' committee of journalists and lawyers, drawing attention to the dehumanizing realities of their incarceration, including overcrowding, harsh punishment and extreme isolation. But when another group of convicts turned their pent-up rage towards some of the weakest prisoners, tensions inside the old stone walls erupted, with tragic consequences. As heavily armed soldiers prepared to regain control of the prison through a full military assault, the inmates were finally forced to surrender.

"Murder on the Inside" tells the harrowing story of a prison in crisis against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in the history of human rights. Occurring just months before the uprising at Attica Prison, the Kingston riot has remained largely undocumented, and few have known the details--yet the tense drama chronicled here is more relevant today than ever. A gripping account of the standoff and the efforts for justice and reform it inspired, Murder on the Inside is essential reading for our times.

I like reading true stories and Canadian stories so this book caught my eye. It's about the riot that happened at the Kingston Penitentiary in April 1971. I was young and don't remember it happening.

Kingston Penitentiary was a federal prison that opened in June 1835 and was the oldest prison in Canada before it closed in 2013 (now it's a museum). It was widely considered to be the harshest prison in Canada and in 1971 was overcrowded with 641 prisoners. Prisoners were not permitted to speak outside of their cells and solitary confinement was frequently used as a punishment for inmates. 

When the federal government started construction of a new prison at Millhaven to replace Kingston Penitentiary, there were rumors that Millhaven would be more harsh than Kingston Penitentiary. Billy Knight planned an uprising to protest conditions at Kingston penitentiary and it happened on April 14, 1971. Six guards were taken hostage but protected by a few inmates. Knight presented their demands which included better living conditions. Some prisoners eventually lost patience and, figuring they had nothing to lose, tortured the "undesirables" (child molesters, rapists, child killers and police informers). Eventually the prisoners, led by Barrie MacKenzie, surrendered. Many had to accept the consequences and were beaten by guards and/or faced their day in court for their actions.

If you're looking for a detailed account of the 1971 Kingston Penitentiary riot, you should read this book. In addition to information, there is also 24 pages of photographs.

Book ~ "Murder: Twelve True Stories of Homicide in Canada" (2011) Edward Butts

From Goodreads ~ Who committed Toronto’s Silk Stocking Murder? Why did a quiet accountant in Guelph, Ontario, murder his wife and two daughters? When did police in Alberta hire a self-styled mind reader to solve a mass murder? How did an American confidence man from Arizona find himself facing a murder charge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia? 

These questions and more are answered in "Twelve True Stories of Homicide in Canada", the latest collection of thrilling true Canadian crime stories by Edward Butts. 

The keenly researched chapters tell the stories behind some of Canada’s most fascinating murder cases, from colonial times to the 20th century, and from the Atlantic provinces to the west coast and up to the Arctic. 

You’ll meet John Paul Radelmuller, the Gibraltar Point lighthouse keeper whose murder remains an unsolved mystery; wife-killer Dr. William Henry King; and Sinnisiak and Uluksuk, Inuit hunters whose trial for the murder of two priests became a national sensation. 

Butts also profiles the investigators who tracked the killers down, and in some cases sent them to the gallows in this collection of true tales that range from shocking and macabre to downright weird.

I like reading true stories and Canadian stories so this book caught my eye. It contains 12 true stories of homicide in Canada ... some I'd heard of but most I hadn't. They ranged from the 18th century to around the time of WWII.

I found this book interesting and I liked that there were pictures with some of the stories. I liked the writing style ... there was enough information but it wasn't too detailed. It's crazy what led some of these people to commit murder and expect to get away it.

Book ~ "Someone You Know: An Unforgettable Collection of Canadian True Crime Stories" (2023) Catherine Fogarty

From Goodreads ~ "Someone You Know" is an anthology of twelve unforgettable Canadian true-crime stories. Each story reveals the haunting truth and statistical reality that a person is more likely to be murdered by someone they know than by a stranger. And while “stranger danger” is often the stuff of our nightmares and Hollywood horror films, sometimes those who are closest to us are even more dangerous than strangers.

In this uniquely Canadian anthology, Fogarty digs up famous historical cases, often revealing new twists, and explores more recent murder cases that will shock even die-hard true-crime aficionados.

I like reading true stories and Canadian stories so this book caught my eye. It contains 12 true-crime stories with Canadian connections ... some happened in Canada while others involved a Canadian but happened in the USA.

The book is divided into four sections:

1. Fatal Friendships - when your best friend turns out to be your worst enemy
2. Family Ties That Bind - when family dysfunction becomes deadly
3. In the Name of Love - when obsession and jealousy lead to murder
4. ’Till Death Do Us Part - when matrimonial bliss turns into the kiss of death

I found this book interesting. It's amazing what would drive someone to commit murder. I liked the writing style ... there was enough information but it wasn't too detailed. I'd known some of the stories (like the Phil Hartman, Glen Davis and Jane Stafford stories) so it was interesting to get more info about them. It would have been nice to have some pictures, though ... I'm visual so I found myself Googling to see what everyone looked like.

Book ~ "We Rise Again: More Stories of Hope and Resilience from Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2021) Len Wagg and Angela Mombourquette

From Goodreads ~ It's been more than a year since COVID-19 arrived in Nova Scotia. In the spring of 2020, then-premier of Nova Scotia Stephen McNeil implored citizens to "stay the blazes home" - and they did. 

But the full-scale lockdown is now a thing of the past. As wide-scale testing and vaccines begin to have an impact, many people have returned, in limited ways, to their businesses, their pastimes, and even their social lives. And although we are still in the thick of the pandemic, 

Nova Scotians, by necessity and by nature, have continued to step up to help one another through the ongoing crisis. Who are these heroes who, on a daily basis, have continued to risk their lives, their livelihoods, and their own well-being to help us get through this pandemic? How have Nova Scotia's front-line workers, business owners, support workers, healthcare workers - people from all walks of life - adapted to find ways not just to survive and help others survive but to thrive through it all? 

In the follow-up to his national bestseller Stay the Blazes Home, award-winning photographer and author Len Wagg, now with co-author Angela Mombourquette, brings dozens of compelling stories and powerful images of hope and resilience to light, illuminating the many ways Nova Scotians continue to serve as beacons of hope for all Canadians.

This book was published in the fall of 2021, a year after the world closed down because of COVID-19 and things were starting to open up again. Everyone was trying to figure out what they had to do to keep themselves and everyone else safe. Vaccines were now available (I had gotten mine as soon as I could and continue to do so) and social distancing rules were in place.

There are many pictures and stories of how Nova Scotians reacted and supported each other, with a focus on front line health workers. Because it was written during the second summer as we were all experiencing COVID-19, these aren't memories or recollections ... these are the experiences of people at the time as they were living through it.

The author did a good job in capturing the essence of the time and it's a good reminder of what we all had been through.

Book ~ "Stay the Blazes Home" (2020) Len Wagg

From Goodreads ~ On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and life, at that moment, changed drastically for every Nova Scotian.

People were ordered to practice physical distancing. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping were suddenly fraught with challenges. Travellers scrambled to get home before the borders closed, and were then ordered to self-quarantine. Hospitals and health-care facilities prepared for a potential influx of critically ill patients. Through it all, Nova Scotians reacted with kindness and empathy, and came to recognize their everyday heroes - from grocery clerks to delivery drivers to the doctors and nurses on the front lines. But tales of some who flouted the rules arose. During a daily media briefing, Premier Stephen McNeil made the spirit of the order perfectly clear: "Stay the blazes home."

Through dozens of powerful stories that illuminate the generosity and ingenuity of Nova Scotians, "Stay the Blazes Home" captures the many ways Nova Scotians adapted to and embraced life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring photographs by author and award-winning photographer Len Wagg, in addition to submitted images from all over the province, "Stay the Blazes Home" serves as a record of the resilience and the spirit of Nova Scotians in a time of crisis. Portions of the proceeds from this book will be donated to local mental health initiatives.

This book was published in the fall of 2020, just after the world closed down because of COVID-19. Though it's only been four years, it seems like a lifetime ago. I think Nova Scotia (and the rest of of Atlantic Canada) stood out for the way they handled social distancing. They created family "bubbles", restricted travel from outside the provinces and the premier of Nova Scotia ordered everyone to "stay the blazes home".

There are many pictures and stories of how Nova Scotians reacted and supported each other. Because it was written during the first summer of COVID-19, these aren't memories or recollections ... these are the experiences of people at the time and their struggles to survive and adapt the best they could. The stories include how businesses pivoted, what people did to entertain themselves since we were all isolated, weddings, graduations, visiting eldering and sick loved ones and more.

I think the author did a good job in capturing the essence of the time and it's a good reminder of what we all had been through.

Book ~ "Only One Survives" (2024) Hannah Mary McKinnon

From Goodreads ~ Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead ...

All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it - as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs.

Except on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard - leaving one member dead and another severely injured.

In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolved into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members met a gruesome end ... and Madison simply vanished in the night.

What really happened to the Bittersweet? Did Vienna’s closest friend finally decide to take center stage on her own terms?

She doesn’t want to believe it.

But guilty people run.

Vienna and Madison have been friends since they met in grade twelve. Vienna comes from a broken home with no money while Madison comes from a wealthy family who don't want her hanging out with Vienna because they think she is a bad influence. After graduation, Madison moves to New York City to go to university, which is all paid for by her parents, and Vienna, after a fight with her mother and stepfather, follows her there. 

Vienna and Madison had formed a band in high school and eventually form on in New York City called the Bittersweets. Just as they are starting to get popular, they get in a car accident in the middle of nowhere. One of the band members died on impact and another is serious injured. The four surviving members plus a friend find a cabin to take shelter in. By morning, Vienna is the only one left as a couple more have passed away and Madison has disappeared.

Vienna is left to suffer the ramifications. The Bittersweet's popularity rises even more but really happened at the cabin, where is Madison and what did she do?

It was a fun read and there was an interesting twist around the halfway point. I kind of had to leave my sense of belief behind at some points but I just went with it. It's written in first person perspective in Vienna's voice. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Rom-Commers" (2024) Katherine Center

From Goodreads ~ She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over and writing romantic comedies - good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates - The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god! - it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone - much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script - it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself and for rom-coms and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter - even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But ... what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much ... more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules - and comes true?

Emma has is a writer. She would like to be a screenwriter but because of an accident ten years ago, her father needs constant care. She gives up her dreams to take care of her father and so her younger sister can have the life she wants. Her high school friend, Logan, presents her with the opportunity to rewrite a terrible movie script with her idol, Charlie Yates. That means spending six weeks in LA and her sister agrees to take care of their father. 

When Emma arrives in LA, she discovers that Charlie has no idea what's going on and begrudgingly takes her on. Charlie isn't serious about the movie script and is only working on it so he can get another movie made so Emma pushes him to make it a better script. As she starts breaking him down, they become friends and Emma starts having feelings for him but Charlie keeps pushing her away and saying nasty things behind her back.

I thought this story was okay and predictable. It is written in first person perspective in Emma's voice as if she is talking to you and telling you what's going on. I wasn't seeing a lot of spark between Emma and Charlie so I don't know how they ended up together.