Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As much a story of immigrants as it is about erotic stories. I loved it. The characters come alive and you can almost hear them talking. There is so much here and it is presented so beautifully. The delight in their own culture and at the same time their desire to change things.
The desire of these women to share their fantasies and desires helps them to realize that they are not alone, their desires are a normal part of life and loss.
I felt that I got to know the characters and what made them do the things they did. Said another way, the plot was remarkably clear and the story unfolds beautifully.
Bravo, I read this for book club and my opinion went from "Why am I bothering with this book?" to "Wow, that was quite a read!"

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The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Does the past haunt our present personality and actions? In this multi-century family story we see that many of the same emotions and feelings exist across the generations. It is a beautiful story with intriguing characters and plot lines. Enjoyable to read and filled with a lot of things one might think about.
I'm not sure that there is that genetic disposition but certainly we remind ourselves where and who we come from and that might shape who we are and who we become. Either way, the situations we find ourselves living in has a great deal to do with how we behave and think.

Loved the book.

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The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A work of genius. First one should note that Marie Benedict wrote this with Victoria Christopher Murray. The book is a masterpiece of historical fiction. It is beautifully written and manages to tell a complex story from multiple viewpoints through clever narration.
The plight of women in the early 1900's is clearly defined but overlaying it is the racism that people of color experienced then and now. Lets see, if being a woman was not enough, our heroine was also colored, her words, passing for white. She sees, and the author shows us, the personal cost of racism and bigotry to the society and individuals.
Humanity has lost too much already by keeping some people in poverty and ignorance and subjugating whole groups of people to specific jobs or status.
The scientist who can cure cancer might be sweeping floors because (s)he was not given the opportunity to expand his education and use his whole potential. It is our loss.
When will we see that people need to be allowed to grow and be educated to their highest potential regardless of race or religion.
This book also shows that the cesspool of hate that we find ourselves in today isn't new, or the result of anyone person but is the consequences of centuries of hate perpetrated and encouraged by the highest and most respected members of our society.
Wake up America.

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No Plan B by Lee Child
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack Reacher has become an old friend. This was a good story with nice plot twists and unsavory crooks. Jack to the rescue... This time the pacing seemed off. I wondered how they got from point a to point b so quickly. A little like the Muppets traveling by map.
This is still one of my favorite series and I look forward to what Jack will be up to next,

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The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book. Strong characters, interesting plot and great writing. Quite a saga but it represents a large swath of American history. Most people are content to let criminals run roughshod over the law for the pleasure of some of the citizens. No care about the harm caused or the injuries inflicted. This is a feel-good story about a families growing and changing some for the better and others for the worse.
I could not put it down

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The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the story of a Parisian singer who uses her alliance with the Resistance to rescue her mother from the Nazis. As the darling of Paris’s music scene, she helps her manager, an SOE operative working with the British, posing as a Frenchman. The discovery that the Germans have killed her father and taken her mother prisoner, move the story to a cat and mouse game of trying to rescue her mother.
The story is delightful complex and often unbelievable. The action at the end saves the book.
Except for too many pages and far too much after the climax, it was an enjoyable WWII fantasy.

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This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant book. Time travel is a vehicle here to talk about time, memory and love. The use of language and the subtle shift in tone of time to time is incredible.
The story is really about the depth of parental/child love. Deeper than time and resistant to change.
At first the idea of a vacation to the past seemed light and frivolous. It turns out that it was a chance to try and correct her life. Each subtle correction was unsatisfactory in some ways but interesting. When the main character resigns herself to the future oops, no spoilers here. Enjoy the book.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Black Dog by Stuart Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alas, our boy is done. Stuart Woods passed away. I'm sure the Stone Barrington series will be picked up but it will not be the same. The wit, cleverness and skill of this author will live on. He will always be a favorite of mine. Some call it mindless drivel but I think its just plain fun!

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The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved it. An interesting story that would seem pure fantasy if we didn't name the country or the era. It is the behavior of people in that society that so intrigued me. Their lives, their value to themselves and the state kept me daydreaming about this as possible reality. Then of course I found it was a true story.
The author presents just enough and at the perfect pace to keep you reading and imagining life in this place.

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One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fascinating book. much deeper and more relevant than at first glance. Its got it all mystery, love, hate and most of the stuff in between. Mostly I was fascinated by the author's style and the way she presented the story. Three young girls, so different yet so in tune with each other. I don't want to spoil it so no more details.
I would add that it is a severely sad book, like a bunch of days without sun sad.

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Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daniel Silva never fails to satisfy. This is a departure from previous books in the series and it was a delight. Complex, interesting with a lot of technical art stuff to make it feel like a true story. The same old and not yet worn out characters. Gabriel now seems to have a new career away from the terror of politics and international intrigue and into more family centered life. I can live with that. He is getting older too.

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Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite time travel book. Clever idea, interesting characters but I found myself lost in time and wondering why I was reading it.
The timeline, which is the story, seemed to get fuzzy the more I read it. I was less than sure where in time the characters were and this was so critical to the story. I'd skip this one.

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Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa Jewell is a master storyteller. This was a book club selection but it has made me a Jewell fan. The story has a detailed yet easy to follow plot which she lays out a piece at a time. This keeps me reading. Its been a while since I read a book that grabbed my interest from page one. The characters are so well developed that you don't sense that are from Lisa's rich imagination. She puts flesh on the pain of loss and creates a story that seems not far fetched, but reasonable.
I hate coincidence in story telling. In this story coincidence plays no part. Each character's actions are well thought out and deliberate. Makes the story more chilling.

Loved it.

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West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a book club selection. I liked it. I'm just not too sure it was more than a pretty story. Its about a time period I find interesting and the writer is a master story teller. Much of the story is based on real events and it does give a good look at that period of history.

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The Wick and The Flame by Hilari T. Cohen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have visited the bullet factory. The book brought that visit back to mind. The story is delicious. That is, it has everything. Adventure, joy, sorrow and a giant smattering of history. The history is probably pretty good based on my travels and other readings on the subject. How many American kids went off to fight for Israel in those early days? Each one must be a story in itself. Each one displaying a desire to build a safe, secure homeland for the Jewish people. This story brings the old settlers and the new together in the struggle.
The draw is still there. Young people still flock to Israel from all over the world to make it there home.

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The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hill by Robert Dugoni
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first half of the book was kind of interesting. A memoir of sorts with interesting characters. It degenerated quickly into a pretty routine, I"I found faith story.
Some of the relationships seemed a bit odd and the final reveal was sort of anti-climactic.
I was disappointed with the ending, it was all to expected.

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A Safe House by Stuart Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just another Barrington novel. If you read the other 60, you pretty much know what will happen in this one. Just fantasy enough to be fun and funny. I still love reading these books.

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A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I l0ve these books. The characters have grown and matured and the stories still tell me so much about what it was like in England during this time. The story is a little more convoluted than usual but it became an old fashioned page turner. Just good reading. I hope another is in the works.

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The Lightning Rod by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Its fun to get into a series at the beginning. This is the second of the Zig and Nola stories and it was a great one. complicated plot twists, really evil villains and our two main characters whose personalities and lives get fleshed out much more than in the first book.
I'm ready for the next. Brad Meltzer is a master storyteller and feed the reader just enough to keep him going but not quite enough to figure it out.
I enjoy the characters and the plot seems quite real. No heroics that are beyond human possibilities. They get hurt and heal.

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The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent story with great character development. I only read this because I saw Meltzer interviewed and he talked about his next book. When I went to read it this one came first. Strange characters and a story that was a bit complex but certainly worth the time. I love a good mystery and this was one.

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The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Kanon's books but this one seemed more like a short story. The plot was a little thin. Still, all in all he sets a beautiful table, showing us life in east Germany after the war. A lot of action and intrigue for a character that just got out of years in prison.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved it. It had the feel of an adventure and the science was just explained enough to keep me informed. Never confusing but also a little complicated at times. I could see the action in my minds eye, I hope they make it into a movie.
This book is more than fun and entertainment, it is an exploration of how we might meet another race in space. How different, yet the same, sentient beings would be. Some parts of humanity are universal to all life, others not so much.
This is a fun and interesting read. Worth the time.

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The Every by Dave Eggers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Magnificent, This is a must read. Its a page turner and it is relevant to all of us with phones and online shopping accounts. How many of us have researched products, used our phones for a medical diagnosis or kept our personal records on the phone. I know, all of us. This book is about that concept run wild, and so much more. Read it. Don't worry that you didn't read :The Circle" This book stands alone and it stands tall and should shake you up.

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Criminal Mischief by Stuart Woods
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Stone Barrington might be getting old. The story was a bit lame. That's a tech term for barely held my interest. Sorry to see the old guy fade away but that seems to be what he's doing. Not real enough, I know its fantasy but it still has to ring true, this does not.

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The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book that will stay with you for a while. Clever, but simple, plot line that is explored so beautifully. I can only say read it. Such an interesting exploration of a simple story line. I'm still not sure I got the ending but I'll give it time to sink in.
This book is well worth the read.

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An Observant Wife by Naomi Ragen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the book a lot. The writing, although sometimes a bit preachy, was wonderful and I felt that I could truly understand some of the character's emotions and trials. It is a good plot although a little predictable. Certainly worth the read if you are at all intersted in the strange world of orthodox Judiasm, or orthodox anything for that matter. The glossary is at the end and I would advise one to read that first and possibly refer to it during the read but after a few pages I got used to the interspersal of Yiddish terms.

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2021 in Books

My Year In Books:

The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first Vietnam War related book that I've read. It was good but brought back some memories that are less than pleasant. Good writing is good writing and this book conveys the emotion and angst of the characters beautifully. This is our history but I wonder if literature will eventually treat it like we treat WWII. Does the glamore come from the times or from the events? I wonder if Vietnam or Korea for that matter will ever have the same place in our literary universe.

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