#historicalfiction – Page 4 – Rosepoint Publishing

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger – #AudiobookReview – #HistoricalFiction

Best Books of the Year 2023

Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2023)

Book Blurb:

On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.

Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.

My Review:

Oh my goodness. It’s a heavy one, this novel.

Memorial Day in the 50s in Jewel, Minnesota was several lifetimes ago. Men who returned from WWII and the recent Korean conflict are still working through their PTSD difficulties, assimilation back into society. It was a decade of violent memories, intolerance, and prejudices, and in this little community, as most, those who exploit and reap the spoils.

Main character Sheriff Brody Dern is one of the local decorated war heroes. Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran another but he returned with a Japanese wife who was recently fired by the Quinns before her employer, wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the river. While there is not a lot of loss felt by the residents, they immediately suspect Bluestone.

Many support characters among the well-developed main characters create a multi-layered picture of the townspeople, struggles, and dynamics. From bold, colorful depictions of the area to the emotions, tempers, and prejudices of the people, the storyline captures the suspense and tension of the investigation.

Certainly there are themes of discrimination and intolerance as well as the foil in the young boys subplot to throw the reader off. More than one twist here but all roads lead to a satisfactory conclusion and in the meantime, a study of human nature in the prose provides thoughtful reflection.

The author penned an immersive story with engaging characters—but you may have to hang in there long enough to enjoy it.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mysteries
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN-10: ‎ 198217921X
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1982179212
ASIN: B0BW1YTM96
Listening Length: 13 hrs 33 mins
Narrator: CJ Wilson
Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: The River We Remember [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He currently makes his living as a full-time author. He’s been married for over 40 years to a marvelous woman who is a retired attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves.

Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last five novels were all New York Times bestsellers.

“Ordinary Grace,” his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. “Manitou Canyon,” number fifteen in his Cork O’Connor series, was released in September 2016. Visit his website at http://www.williamkentkrueger.com.

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Currently Reading (#eBook) – Currently Listening (#audiobook)

Currently Reading - Currently Listening

#comingsoon

The Millionaire by #KeenanPowell – a Maureen Gould Legal Thriller –

The Wager by #DavidGrann – A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – #AudiobookReview – #HistoricalFiction

in Historical Fiction

Book Blurb:

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

My Review:

I love it when an audiobook hooks immediately. So hard to put that earbud down! This novel tells the story of Martha Ballard, an early eighteenth-century midwife, who (unusually) not only reads and writes (and thinks for herself!), but has also been educated in medical conditions as well as local herbal tinctures.

Now in her fifties, she has successfully delivered hundreds of babies, not losing one baby or mother by malpractice. So as her reputation precedes her, it is not entirely unusual for her to be called to the scene of a suspicious death to render a forensic opinion of a man found frozen in the Kennebec River. Most jump to what might be the obvious cause of death, but Martha notices a number of issues that would point otherwise.

Her opinion was immediately countered by a young male doctor new to the village with little experience and less competence. His narcissistic ego is disagreeable and creates a strong antagonist sure to be reviled.

I was really taken with Martha. She is intelligent, thoughtful, kind, as well as strong-willed and independent. She has, from the beginning, kept a diary detailing her practice, including births, deaths, and callouts, and the diary becomes a historical record of the woman and her accomplishments.

“Like all mothers, I have long since mastered the art of nursing joy at one breast and grief at the other.”

She befriended and treated many women assaulted or bullied at the hands of husbands or others who at the time thought of women as little more than chattel. She recently treated a rape victim who decided to prosecute the men involved causing a huge uproar in the village and surrounds and, again, in opposition to the new doctor. I often wondered how she managed to protect herself facing her own husband’s lack of protection with his absences.

So many laws then weighed heavily against the female populace, rules and regulations that kept her impotent to even testify unless her husband was present.

The book evokes an atmosphere that chillingly cloaks the people and the village in suspicion and mistrust. It’s winter, everyone seeking protection from the elements, closed in, lack of communication except for gossip and hearsay. The simplest tasks are taken to monumental proportions to accomplish. Martha sacrifices over and over her own security, warmth, and protection in her calls from patients. At this point in her life, she and her long-standing husband have only one child left in the home. I wondered more than once how she survived, admiring her courage especially at that time in history given her oppositional stance in the rape trial.

The author shared her discovery of the woman, her diaries, and beautifully blended fact with fiction. Most of her diary entries were simple and didn’t elaborate, but remarkable in the decades covered bestowing knowledge to those who came after.

It was well-plotted and fast-paced with an amazing MC. Obviously, lots of research! But I wondered if it pushed disbelief regarding the latitude given her. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction, Women Sleuth Mysteries, Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B0BXK3SRBL
Listening Length: 15 hrs 5 mins
Narrator: Ariel Lawhon, Jane Oppenheimer
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The Frozen River [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. She is the author of THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, I WAS ANASTASIA and CODE NAME HELENE. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Good Morning America, Library Reads, Indie Next, One Book One County, Amazon Spotlight, Costco, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. She splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

Happy Thursday

The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen – #BookReview – #OrganizedCrimeThrillers

Book Blurb:

A determined reporter and a reluctant FBI agent face off against fascist elements in this gripping historical thriller set in World War II-era Boston.

Reporter Anne Lemire writes the Rumor Clinic, a newspaper column that disproves the many harmful rumors floating around town, some of them spread by Axis spies and others just gossip mixed with fear and ignorance. Tired of chasing silly rumors about Rosie Riveters’ safety on the job, she wants to write about something bigger.

Special Agent Devon Mulvey, one of the few Catholics at the FBI, spends his weekdays preventing industrial sabotage and his Sundays spying on clerics with suspect loyalties―and he spends his evenings wooing the many lonely women whose husbands are off at war.

When Anne’s story about Nazi propaganda intersects with Devon’s investigation into the death of a factory worker, the two are led down a dangerous trail of espionage, organized crime, and domestic fascism―one that implicates their own tangled pasts and threatens to engulf the city in violence.

With vibrant historical atmosphere and a riveting mystery that illuminates still-timely issues about disinformation and power, Thomas Mullen delivers another powerful thriller.

His Review:

Anne is a reporter for the Boston Star when she should be home keeping house and making babies! This was the attitude of most Americans at the start of WWII, but she was attempting to expose gun thefts and smuggling around the area. The major German immigrant population in the area felt that America should have allied with Germany, not England, during the War.

Anne discovers a case of M-1 rifles in a warehouse obviously stolen from a nearby military base. She is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and expose the culprits! This does not set well with the editor of her paper and most of the citizens of Boston. Their opinions are that she should be writing for the local gossip column and not reporting on such matters.

Thomas Mullen has written a very convincing tale of intrigue and espionage during the war. Some of the richer people in the area were making handsome profits by stealing and selling weapons to other countries. Anti-Semitism is rampant and Jew as well as German nationals and Japanese are restricted from working in Allied war industries.

The segregation of these people along with blacks who want to work in war related industries keeps the workforce mostly white males. However, the need to increase production seems to be stifling production and the war effort. Yes, although the Jews are a major population being decimated by Hitler, they are seen as money grubbing profiters during the war.

This book uncovers the long perceived notion of non-patriotism by these ethnic groups and the paranoia that was rampant in America during WWII. The book is well written and a very engaging and entertaining read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Organized Crime Thrillers, Historical Thrillers, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 1250842778
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250842770
ASIN: B0C1X7FHM6
Print Length: 368 pages
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Thomas Mullen is the author of Darktown, an NPR Best Book of the Year, which has been shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Southern Book Prize, the Indies Choice Book Award, has been nominated for two Crime Writers Association Dagger Awards, and is being developed for television by Sony Pictures with executive producer Jamie Foxx; The Last Town on Earth, which was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction; The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers; and The Revisionists. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and sons.

Christmas tree

Rivers of Wrath by Jean Grainger – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret – Book 3

in Historical Irish Fiction

Book Blurb:

When Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret rolls into a sleepy Irish seaside town, their eccentric and theatrical presence stirs up a flurry of excitement—the public clamouring to buy tickets for the greatest show in Ireland.

Set against the backdrop of a relentless war for Ireland’s freedom, the stakes are higher than ever for Peter Cullen and his troupe as they try to stay out of the conflict. But as they soon discover, that’s a luxury nobody can afford. As well as fighting the forces of occupation, some people are using this time of chaos to settle old scores, and it seems the cabaret has gathered some sinister enemies. With danger lurking around every corner, Peter must fight to protect all he’s worked so hard to build.

Rivers of Wrath is the third book in the Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret Series.

My Review:

Ah, the Roaring Twenties and the continuing saga of Cullen’s Cabaret. The performers are lead by Peter, one of the original members who include Nick, Enzo, and Two Soups. May married Peter and they are expecting their first child. She found her niche in administration while Peter continues to orchestrate the program.

This episode clamps down on much of the troubles of the time, the mayhem created by the Black and Tans. May’s brother, David, has never been the same since his return from the war. Peter’s sister Maggie joins the cabaret and they finally acknowledge Nick’s aristocratic status with an extended visit to Brockleton, the estate he inherited and accepted effectively blocking his cousin Harvey from controlling the property. Aida makes an extreme sacrifice.

From escalating political tensions to interpersonal tensions between members of the cabaret, the storyline builds the tension and adds twists and turns the reader doesn’t expect.

There continues to be deceit and deception while the plot veers into left-center field. Impossible to predict the author’s next move, only that her well plotted narratives will reveal an emotive, heart-rending conclusion in Book 4—whether or not it’s the avenue you’d prefer traveling.

Such a dark and immersive departure from her loving, supportive family dramas, this one digs deeper into the darker side of the deadly struggles between the Irish and the English and paints a stark realistic picture of Ireland during the twenties.

I thoroughly enjoyed Book 2, A Beautiful Ferocity that ended with a cliff-hanger and knew Book 3 was going to get serious. Then I received a review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Women’s Sagas
ASIN: B0CJFVCLHR
Print Length: 312 pages
Publication Date: November 28, 2023
Source: Author
Title Links: Rivers of Wrath [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK

The Author: JEAN GRAINGER – USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

SELECTED BY BOOKBUB READERS IN TOP 19 OF HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS.

WINNER OF THE 2016 AUTHOR’S CIRCLE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF EXCELLENCE

Hello and thanks for taking time out to check out my page. If you’re wondering what you’re getting with my books then think of the late great Maeve Binchy but sometimes with a historical twist. I was born in Cork, Ireland in 1971 and I come from a large family of storytellers, so much so that we had to have ‘The Talking Spoon’, only the person holding the spoon could talk!

I have worked as a history lecturer at University, a teacher of English, History and Drama in secondary school, a playwright, and a tour guide of my beloved Ireland. I am married to the lovely Diarmuid and we have four children. We live in a 200 year old stone cottage in Mid-Cork with my family and the world’s smallest dogs, called Scrappy and Scoobi..

My experiences leading groups, mainly from the United States, led me to write my first novel, ‘The Tour’. My observances of the often funny, sometimes sad but always interesting events on tours fascinated me. People really did confide the most extraordinary things, the safety of strangers I suppose. It’s a fictional story set on a tour bus but many of the characters are based on people I met over the years.

[Truncated]

Many of the people who have reviewed my books have said that you get to know the characters and really become attached to them, that’s wonderful for me to hear because that’s how I feel about them too. I grew up on Maeve Binchy and Deirdre Purcell and I aspired to being like them. If you buy one of my books I’m very grateful and I really hope you enjoy it. If you do, or even if you don’t, please take the time to post a review. Writing is a source of constant contentment to me and I am so fortunate to have the time and the inclination to do it, but to read a review written by a reader really does make my day.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Trans-Mongolian Express by David L Robbins – #BookReview – #HistoricalRussianFiction

Book Blurb:

In the harrowing aftermath of Chernobyl’s meltdown in 1986, the fate of Eastern Europe hangs by a thread.

From Beijing, American radiation scientist Lara, once a thorn in the Russian mob’s side, is drawn back into the shadows of the Soviet Union on the Trans-Mongolian Express. She isn’t alone. Anton, a Soviet scientist exiled for predicting Chernobyl’s catastrophe, is on a quest to expose the truth. Amidst them, Timur, a Chechen giant fueled by vengeance, plots to destroy the already crumbling Soviet Union.

Suddenly, a murder on the remote tracks of the Gobi thrusts them into a deadly game of cat and mouse. As Chief Sheriff Bat races to solve the murder, their lives are thrown into jeopardy. Lara finds an unexpected ally in Gang, a reluctant assassin sent to end her life, and an illicit romance blooms amidst the chaos. But Gang isn’t the only killer onboard. A hidden menace lurks, threatening to unravel all their plans.

In this electrifying ride across a historical backdrop, suspense and passion collide in an unyielding dance of survival and redemption. Who will survive the Trans-Mongolian Express?

His Review:

The Trans-Mongolian Express travels one of the longest rail tracks in the world. The route is from Vladivostok to Moscow. The train utilizes multiple engines and one can see some of the loneliest and most desolate areas on the planet.

The accident at Chernobyl is being hidden by the Soviet Union. An American Scientist is being sent by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to identify the problem and offer her expertise in containing the damage caused by the nuclear reactor failure.

The Russians, however, have disavowed the accident and are allowing nobody to get within miles of Chernobyl. Assassins have been placed on the train to make sure she does not make it to Chernobyl. Traveling incognito cannot hide her from the government. (Maybe the Geiger Counter she is carrying is a dead giveaway?)

The Russians want to have their secret of the accident hidden from the world. Large waves of radioactivity are hard to hide, however! The ”Express” stops at many locations across the continent. More than three people are sent to stop her from disclosing the truth to the world and she becomes attracted to one of the killers. He has fallen in love with her as well and will allow no one to get close to her. But can he protect her from the killers and the KGB? Only time will tell. Should she reach Moscow, the KGB has additional operatives to eliminate the threat of her disclosure.

C E Williams This author writes a very interesting and compelling book. The action is multi-dimensional and keeps one’s attention until the end. It reads like a romance novel in the middle of an espionage saga. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Russian Fiction, Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Military Thrillers
Publisher: Adler Entertainment Trust LLC
ASIN: B0CL9BGQM2
Print Length: 447 pages
Publication Date: January 17, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Trans-Mongolian Express [Amazon]

The Author: David L. Robbins was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 10, 1954. He grew up in Sandston, a small town east of Richmond out by the airport; his father was among the first to sit behind the new radar scope in the air traffic control tower. Both his parents, Sam and Carol, were veterans of WWII. Sam saw action in the Pacific, especially at Pearl Harbor.

In 1976, David graduated with a B.A. in Theater and Speech from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Having little actual theatrical talent, he didn’t know what to do for a living. David decided to attend what he calls the “great catch-basin of unfocused over-achievers”: law school. He received his Juris Doctorate at William and Mary in 1980, then practiced environmental law in Columbia, S.C. for precisely a year (his father demanded back the money for law school if David practiced for less than one year – he quit two weeks before the anniversary but got Sam to agree that the two weeks’ vacation David had accumulated could be included). David decided to attend Psychology school, having an affinity for people’s stories and a fascination with woe. However, while waiting for admisison in 1981, he began a successful freelance writing career. He began writing fiction in 1997, and has since published twelve novels. He’s currently working on the thirteenth, the fourth in his U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen series, as well as several scripts for the stage and screen. He has won awards for his essays and screenplays, and has had three stage plays produced.

David is an accomplished guitarist, studying the works of James Taylor and Latin classical. At six feet six inches tall, he stays active with his sailboat, shooting sporting clays, weightlifting, traveling to research his novels. He is the founder of the James River Writers (Jamesriverwriters.org) a non-profit group in his hometown of Richmond that helps aspiring writers and students work and learn together as a writing community. He also co-founded The Podium Foundation (thepodiumfoundation.org), a non-profit which brings writing and critical reasoning programs to the students of Richmond’s city high schools, as well as support programs for city educators. Most recently, David is the creator of The Mighty Pen Project, an intensive writing program for Virginia’s military veterans and their families, in partnership with the Virginia War Memorial. He also teaches advanced creative writing as a visiting professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Honors College. David resides in Richmond, near the James River.

To learn more, or to contact David, please go to authordavidlrobbins.com.

Have a great weekend!

A Beautiful Ferocity by Jean Grainger – #BookReview – Women’s Historical Fiction

in Historical Irish Fiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret – Book 2

Book Blurb

In A Beautiful Ferocity, the second instalment of the Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret Series, we’re taken on a thrilling ride through the Roaring Twenties as Ireland fights for her freedom. Peter Cullen leads his troupe of eclectic performers through the troubled country, in a daring new direction, entertaining audiences who’ve had enough of the old ways. When their cabaret is threatened, the performers must fight to keep their dream alive, treading the dangerous line between propriety and entertainment.

When outside forces intervene, and put not just their livelihoods in danger, but their lives, loyalty, friendship and even the bonds of love are tested to the edge of endurance.

Book Review

Yes! The continued saga of the characters that comprise Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret Series, the troupe lead by Peter Cullen! The performers hit the road in the roaring twenties through Ireland with an eye on England and, hopefully, the US.

The performers have settled into a rollicking show that includes the first members, Peter, Nick, May, Enzo, and Celine. May has bankrolled the “fit up” in partnership with Peter so they could keep their own money and not have to seek venues. They added chorus girls.

May is great at the administration, control of supplies, costumes, and equipment while Peter orchestrates the program to keep each performance fresh. May is still madly in love with Peter—Nick with Celine. Nick has held a secret that he’s managed to hide until the troupe faces a financial crisis.

As always, there are little charms of wit, wisdom, and good old Irish sense of humor peppered through the well paced narrative.

“She might have a title, but she ain’t no lady.”

“…poor old Cecily was so ugly, even the tide wouldn’t take her out.”

Tension builds with the couple’s relationships and builds in the conclusion to a move that smacks of deceit and deception demanding the reader know what will happen with the characters and hoping it will follow a plot path that leads to happy ever after.

It’s obvious, however, the author may have other ideas as she abruptly ends the installment with a cliff hanger. I thought Book 1, For All the World, kicked off the series with a great hook. I’m loving this new series, a darker and immersive departure from the family dramas we’ve to love and I’m looking forward to installment three. Heartily recommended!

Book Description

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CDZR54XD
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2023
Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
Source: Author
Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Women’s Historical Fiction
Title Link: A Beautiful Ferocity [Amazon US]
Amazon UK

The Author: JEAN GRAINGER – USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

SELECTED BY BOOKBUB READERS IN TOP 19 OF HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS.
WINNER OF THE 2016 AUTHOR’S CIRCLE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF EXCELLENCE

[truncated—please see her full bio on her Amazon author page]

Have a great weekend!

Rosepoint Reviews – August Recap – Dog (or Puppy) Days of Summer

Rosepoint Reviews-August Recap

August is a roll of the dice here, the only thing you can really count on is the humidity.

A good month for the garden though; all of a sudden tons of tomatoes, and I’m thinking salsa! But salsa from little yellow pear tomatoes? They are so sweet! Unfortunately, also a good month for squash, not one of the CE’s favorites, but I haven’t resorted to sneaking any squash on my neighbor’s porches in the dead of night yet. Wasn’t really happy with the frozen results from last year, so yeah, no more squash. Not really good for melons and haven’t made pickles for a while so sticking to short season cool weather crops and starting round two of sugar pod peas and bush beans now.

Last month we were surprised by our daughter bringing us a puppy (though I’d vowed NO PUPPIES), a little female we named Cooper to the brother she kept. A Mini-Aussie/Jack Russell mix—probably a mixed breed only someone younger with more stamina should have even considered. These are high-energy dogs, even as an adult.

Frosty, our Bichon, was laid back, low key, easy and calm. Cooper bounces off the walls and has no off switch. You can’t help but love a puppy, but after a week, I was exhausted and yelling Uncle. As our son had indicated interest, I broached the subject to him and his wife again. They took her. Obvious from the beginning she was smarter than I, also became obvious to everyone else we have one very darling and precocious pup. Cooper While Cooper lives with our son and Mel, we get granddoggy rights and are looking forward to playing, walking, working on tricks and discipline with her—and then sending her home. I miss Frosty so much and our kids were both encouraging us to get another dog. We said no more dogs. Cooper is a handful–but so sweet—and I’m learning it’s great to be a granddog parent.

September will find us happily “on the road again.” (Celebrating another anniversary with our son.) No, not to Texas this time, but September will be an iffy month for reading and reviews. I have a few reviews scheduled, but it will not be a normal, or even, regular schedule. I need some down time and looking forward to riding my bike and playing with our granddog before winter hits.

A diminished month for books (we were busy with puppies!)—we read (or listened to) twelve books in August. These are still predominately from NetGalley as well as my local library with both audiobooks and digital. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

Rosepoint Reviews - August Recap

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer (audiobook)
Frank’s Shadow by Doug McIntyre (CE review)
Split by Alida Bremer
Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff (CE review)
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (audiobook)
For All The World by Jean Grainger
Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain (CE review)
Memory Man by David Baldacci (audiobook)
No Mistaking Death by Shelley Costa
Trial By Jury by Stephen Penner (CE review)
White House by the Sea by Kate Storey (audiobook)
The Rotting Whale by Jann Eyrich

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, legal fiction, biographical fiction, crime thrillers, and one new eco-mystery series.

Favorite Book of the Month

I couldn’t help but be caught up in The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah even as the story used a familiar trope but in an Alaska setting. I must issue a bravo, however, to Jean Grainger for her radical writing departure into a new series in which she built a unique “family” who holds no familial ties. I’m looking forward to discovering the path the author takes with these colorful characters.

Book of the Month for August—For All The World by Jean Grainger.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 100 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (at this point five books ahead of schedule) and still riding at a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. And **BIG** surprise, I’ve caught up the Reading Challenges page and discovered I’m woefully behind in both the audiobook and historical fiction categories. Whaaa? Two of our favs? How’d that happen?

Okay, I’ve had the chance to work on both the Instagram and the Twitter, BIG X, feed. I’m not sure what I did or how it happened, but got both feeds back and thank you for the helpful comments. Still, I’m frosted that there is no longer a free Tweetdeck. You’ll pay for the same privilege of scheduling tweets now and it’ll certainly be a “cold day in ….” before I’d throw my Social Security money at Musk. I see he’s messed with the twitter home page now and you know how we feel about change. Have you signed up? How do you feel about the loss of Tweetdeck? (Not sure who created this super graphic of the tweet bird impaled on the X and I must say it wasn’t I, although I thought it perfect for this discussion.) As for the new Dogecoin logo–I have yet to see it–a Shiba Inu? Huh?! Have you?