The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A remarkable book. This book is fascinating. It is a glimpse of a different, exotic world that is just a little like ours. How do people react to the slight loss of.... freedom, health, etc. Its so much more. Reading it puts you into this world and you get the feeling of hopelessness and dis pare.
Might well be described as a cozy dystopian novel.
Written in 1994, this is the first English translation.


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Contraband by Stuart Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great month for me. Silva and Woods, both with new books.
Stone Barrington is maturing nicely. In this 50th episode he is up to his usual tricks, solving mysteries and loving beautiful, and not particularly young, women. His taste seems to have matured but he is still the glamorus detective type from the movies of the thirties and forties, dressed in a dinner jacket and riding in his armored car or flying his own jet.

Keep 'em coming Stuart, I love every minute of this book, and all the others.

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The New Girl by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As usual I loved it. Without a doubt my favorite season of the year is when Daniel Sliva publishes a new book. I love the buzz among my friends and reading companions and then the joy of reading is his book. The story is timely, the prose is clever, the characters are interesting, fully dimentional and the story is complex enough to keep my interest.
I felt as though some characters might be being groomed to be the spotlight characters in futher novels. A spinoff series might be nice. Sarah is a character who might be able to stand alone.

Suffice it to say, the rest of the year is waiting for Daniel to write another book.

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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful, but sad story. It may be an eye opener for some but for me it reinforced my belief that the plight of African American's is a problem that was created and continued by a white, slavery mentality. It exists to this day in the way that dark skinned people are treated in society.
A society that claims equality and human rights but in practice discriminates on the basis of race, class or gender identity is a fraud and should be called out at every turn.
Then to elect a racist bigot and give voice to the filth of prejudice and racist ravings further compounds the shame of our society.


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Skin Game by Stuart Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Listen, don't ask me if I liked a Stuart Woods book. I love them all. Even the worst plot lines with all kinds of holes still entertain me to know end. They read fast and before I know it I'm waiting for the next. In truth, if you have not read the other Teddy stories and the Stone series, this would still be an adventure story but its partly part of the series story.

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Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love a mystery. This one is good to the end. Its a simple story but filled with twists and turns that make it move along quickly. I love a book that starts with the ending so that you spend the whole book wondering how the author will get there.
I also like reading books for book club because they take me out of my comfort zone. This is a first novel by Steadman but I hope its not her last.

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Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what a book. This is wonderful writing, rich, complete characters that are interesting and often frightening. The setting and the plot are wonderful.
Today, again, people are not afraid to be racist or anti-Semitic. This book hearkens back to those days when many clubs and venues were restricted. No Jews or Negros allowed. I never lived this but my parents did. My grandparents escaped the pogroms of Russia only to find plenty of racism here.
In my youth I thought these things had ended but I might have been wrong...

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Neon Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John Sandford might be the most readable author i've ever read. This book can't be put down. The twists and turns, the characters and deceptions are wonderful. All in all you know what's going to happen but Sandford brings the story to life. That's why after 29 books, Lucas is still interesting.

Bravo, can't wait for the next one.

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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I guess every book isn't for everyone. This book is highly rated and everyone I know loved it. I was bored to tears, had the whole plot, what there is of it, worked out in no time and was bored. Its a book for book club so as usual, they will show me how wrong I am.....

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The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best for last? This is the best of the Maisie Dobbs novels to date. The characters are mature, full and there is little question about their sincerity. In other words, the seem like real, historical figures.Of courst it is the author's wonderful imagination and her ability to weave real events, people and issues into the story. Brilliant work. I can't wait for another.

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To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having some knowledge of Dunkirk, this book put a totally human face on the early events of WWII. The story, while intensly personal, tells me so much about life in England during this early period of the war. Maisie's "work" as an investigator seems to brush against so many significant events and so many important concepts. The story is genius. It brings so many things together that one needs to digest it and spend time thinking about some of the ideas therein.

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In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another page turner, mystery from Jacqueline Winspear. Again I learned more about Maisie but more important I got a feel for the intrigue and emotion spawned by the first days of WWII in England. This has done more than educate, it has immersed me in that culture. With characters that jump off the page and make the story more than real. What a great author.

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