Fatal Grace: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #2

Thoughts by Louise Penny, 2006, 313 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: NFL Team: CHIEFS!

Genre/Theme: Mystery

Type/Source: Tradeback / unknown

What It’s About: This is a story about mothers and daughters. Nature and nurture, too, to some extent. If you fell for Chief Inspector Gamache in the first book (Still Life), this is more of that kindly intelligent sleuthing by conversation.

We meet the victim first and she is truly unlikeable. But does she deserve to die? Why did she move to Three Pines in the first place? What is she looking for in that dear town and how awful can she be to EVERYONE?! The murder is clever in its own right and unraveling the possibilities beyond the motive is part of the fun. If fun is what you call it? #sigh

Thoughts: I do not think this is standalone. In fact, I wish more time hadn’t passed between reading this and series #1 – which means that if I want to read #3, I best hurry!

Rating: Four slices of pie. I would have given it three stars because my recollection of the details in the first book escaped me and I don’t like loose threads. The extra slice of pie is gratitude for the lovely bits about lemon meringue pie. Kudos!

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Ghosts of the Tsunami

Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone

Thoughts by Richard Lloyd Parry, 2017, 7 hours 47 min, 295 HC

Narrated by Simon Vance

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Natural Disaster category

Genre/Theme: Nonfiction / Japan Tsunami March 2011

Type/Source: Audiobook / Audible

What It’s About: This story focuses most on a school that suffered higher than typical casualties for a tsunami in Japan. This was no ordinary tsunami, but it is obvious that the school administrators were caught off-guard and were ill-prepared. This is such a sad sad look into how humans grieve, blame, deal with their demons, and move on, if that is accurate. It’s not. The ghosts emerge in the very last section and it is fascinating!

Thoughts: A heartening and disheartening look at a culture, a community, politics – it’s ALL politics!, and connectedness. Of being human against and with the forces of nature. I can’t say it was enjoyable, but I’m glad to have read this.

Rating: Four slices of pie. No pie mentioned, though it is possible that a Japanese style of pastry that might fit my loose definition of “What is Pie?” was mentioned and I’m just ignorant of it.

“An easing of walls

A shuddering of souls

a pebble loosens, falls.

In the room, alone – it has

It begins, and then is gone

ripples outlast stone

Rain, smell, stirs the heart

Nostrils flare, a breath

We wait for something to start.”

-Anthony Thwaite?

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

Thoughts by Lisa See, 2023, 611 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Shape category / Book Club

Genre/Theme: Historical Fiction / Ancient Chinese Womens Health

Type/Source: Hardcover / Library

What It’s About: Lady Tan was a real person, who published a book dedicated to the health concerns of women, way back in the 16th century. Lisa See imagined what her background was, what her life experiences were most likely that she would have the privilege to write and be so knowledgeable in a world and time that was typically very limiting to the ambitions of women.

Thoughts: First the negative; some of the scenes and conversations were so TELL TELL TELL and clunky. For the positives; the situations and events that propelled the action and the presentation of the historical research explored was fascinating. Lisa See was able to give life into her main characters and overall, it was a very enjoyable read.

Rating: I gave it 4 slices of pie. Should be a good conversation at book club.

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Wellness

***** Before I write about Wellness, I want to make an announcement or, rather, give notice, that this blog is suffering. Not sure exactly what is the issue— I think it might be old age?! — but, I am having lots of frustration and annoyance with the ability to load, not only the dashboard to this blog, but to load the page URL to view. To search help in WordPress forums, everything! I have a new laptop, I have cleared cache and reset the stupid AdBlocker. Nothing loads, or it takes chunks of minutes. It is only white pages that display and I can’t get to anything, not even to see if it is WordPress of my blog. It is signaling the end of my blogging days, I fear. Okay, just wanted to let you know….

Thoughts by Nathan Hill, Borzoi Book/Alfred A Knopf 2023, 611 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Double Letter category / Litsy TOB

Genre/Theme: Contemporary Lit / Marriage

Type/Source: Hardcover / Purchase

What It’s About: from official blurb:

“A hilarious and moving exploration of a modern marriage that astounds in its breadth and intimacy.”

—Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half.

Thoughts: I was not in the proper mood to read this book. I could not get into it and I believe it was a “me” problem, not the book, because it seems like one I would typically enjoy. But, alas, let’s call it bad timing and TOB-fatigue.

Rating: I gave it 3 slices of pie.

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Chain-Gang All-Stars

Thoughts by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, PantheonBooks 2023, 364 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Footwear category / TOB

Genre/Theme: Prison reform / Entertainment

Type/Source: eBook/ Libby

What It’s About: from official blurb:

Welcome to Chain-Gang All-Stars – the highly popular, highly controversial profit-raising program inside America’s private prison system. Harkening back to the time of gladiators, but watched by millions of live-stream subscribers, prisoners compete for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

Thoughts: I’m not sure what to think but would state that this is a great example of fictionalizing an important topic and hitting ALL the issues of what makes humans “human” – so aggravatingly complex.

Rating: I gave it 5 slices of pie. Though not quite what you would call an “enjoyable” read, it is memorable and sobering, illuminating and full of love as well as violence..

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Bandit Queens

Thoughts by Parini Shroff, Ballantine Books 2023, 342 pages

(I read this in June but need to review it for the WiaN Challenge!)

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Chess Piece category

Genre/Theme: Female Friendships

Type/Source: Hardcover / Indie bookstore

What It’s About: from official blurb:

Filled with clever criminals, second chances, and wry and witty women, Parini Shroff’s The Bandit Queens is a razor-sharp debut of humor and heart that readers won’t soon forget.

Thoughts: I loved it. Geeta is a character to root for. Set in India, Geeta’s husband has disappeared but town gossip claims she killed him. When other wives decide it could be advantageous for them to have disappeared-husbands, Geeta becomes sought after for advice and devious deeds.

Rating: I gave it 5 slices of pie. High in comedy and snark, female friendships, and a look into small town India, this was an enjoyable read.

I also attempted to read The Once and Future King for this but ended up DNFing because I had too much going on…

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Honey, Baby, Mine

Thoughts by Laura Dern and Diane Ladd, Grand Central Publishing 2023, 256 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Punctuation category

Genre/Theme: Nonfiction / Mothers & Daughters, Life Stories, Overcoming

Type/Source: Hardcover / Indie bookstore

What It’s About: Diane Ladd was diagnosed with a health challenge and one innovative, daring doctor prescribed walking as a remedy for her limited-capacity lung functionality. Laura took it on as a mission to get her mother walking by telling stories — a big ask because walking and talking when walking hurts is a freaking BIG ask!

They walk til they can’t and they talk. They ask the big questions. They celebrate their history and they celebrate their love.

Thoughts: I loved it. I have a soft gooey spongey spot in my heart for these two because of one of the WEIRDEST movies ever and truthfully, a movie that didn’t show well the 2nd or 3rd time I watched it (ah, youth) but … what can I say? Certain culture touch-points are tagged in memory for a place and time and the movie they made together, Wild at Heart, as batshit-crazy a movie you may never watch, is one of those for my mid-20s. (How’s THAT for an endorsement – hey! I warned you, it’s nutty!!!)

I was watching the Today Show when these ladies were interviewed about this book and I immediately ordered it. Artists, they are. This book has love and just good stuff. Or, at least that is what I remember – I read this back in April/May and just now reviewing it as my entry for Punctuation.

Rating: I gave it 4 slices of pie. I probably wanted more. I don’t recall any flaws – it is perfect for what it wants to be. Photos, a bit of gossip, evolving and changing love between a mom & dot, history, overcoming challenges by actively moving bodies to cure and help a situation, all good stuff.

… “You (Diane Ladd) love to go on cleansing fasts and then break them with a piece of pecan pie and a scotch and soda.”.

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

A Little Book of Sloth

Thoughts by Lucy Cooke, Margaret K. McElderry Books 2013, 144 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: Seven Deadly Sins category

Genre/Theme: Nonfiction / Animals

Type/Source: Hardcover / Library

What It’s About: Lots and lots of photos of adorable sloths. Some cutesy descriptions of adorable sloths, and a few interesting facts about sloths.

Thoughts: Yes, yes, just another book to fit the What’s in a Name Challenge. This time for category of 7 Deadly Sins. I still have another book I hope to get to yet this year that will meet the challenge; we’ll see.

Rating: Three slices of pie.

… don’t be fooled by his sweetie-pie looks.

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

100 Things to Do in Wichita Before You Die

Thoughts by Vanessa Whiteside, Reedy Press 2022, 144 pages

Challenge: What’s in a Name: You or Me category

Genre/Theme: Nonfiction, Travel

Type/Source: Tradeback / (I don’t remember if I got this at the Indie bookstore? probably)

What It’s About: I grew up in Wichita and am back after alllllll those years after college; most of that time enjoying the East Coast. Now I need to re-acquaint myself with my new old home town.

The bad news first: the pie shop is already gone. Or moved farther away and became more of a general dessert shop. I am sad. I did manage to visit before they embarked on that change (and I visited after but wasn’t impressed by their offerings.)

Good news is that Husband and I have visited quite a few of the other food delights and tourist attractions and other sundry odd & ends of places with a few more yet to do. So I’m glad I purchased this book to have it handy for guests and overall angst of “WE NEED TO GET OUT MORE” feelings that I often have when succumbing to hiding at home reading a book. (Not that there is anything wrong with that… ahem.)

Wichita, KS named 4th best US city for summer travel!

Wallet Hub 2023

Thoughts: To be honest, I bought this and read it cover to cover to count for the What’s in a Name Challenge category of YOU in the title! Yay me! LOL

Rating: Five slices of pie because WHY NOT? Everyone should read books about their home town.

Copyright © 2007-2024. Care’s Books and Pie also known as and originally created as Care’s Online Book Club. All rights reserved. This post was originally posted by Care. It should not be reproduced without express written permission.

What’s in a Name 2018 Kick Off Post

My favorite challenge! This button     will take you to the host blog, The Worm Hole.

Here are the categories (with hyperlinks back to host blog) and my possible choices:

The word ‘the’ used twice – From my Classics Club 50: The House of the Seven Gables by Nat Hawthorne.

A fruit or vegetable – I’m committing to Elaine Dundy‘s The Dud Avocado, also on my Classics Club 50.

A shape – SO EXCITED to announce another Classics Club 50 will fit this one:  The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilberg Clark. An ox-bow is defined as 

1. a U-shaped bend in the course of a river.

   • short for oxbow lake.
2. a U-shaped collar of an ox yoke.

A title that begins with Z – Darn that I read Z last year (book about Zelda Fitzgerald) so I’m going to try The Zero by Jess Walter – I absolutely loved his Beautiful Ruins.

A nationality – Not sure here. Had American War for this spot when it was on the TOB long list but since it didn’t make the short. I have a lot of great nonfiction options about women that history forgot and I might go that route. Or perhaps American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang which would be a graphic novel and I want more of these. Any other suggestions?

A season – Cruel Winter by Sheila Connelly. I purchased this book for a friend’s birthday because it sounded like something she would enjoy and she promised to let me read it after (and then I’ll give it back so she can loan to her mom.)

I have created a goodreads list of done-reads and possibles for my 2018 tracking here…

Happy Reading Challenges!  What is the challenge you are MOST looking forward to this year?

 

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