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?

Welcome, as always, to my new subscribers and thank you to those who read and comment. I do appreciate you hanging in there with me!

Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain – #BookReview – #politicalfiction

Book Blurb:

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk comes a brilliant and propulsive new novel about greed, power, and American complicity set in Haiti

Haiti, 1991. When a violent coup d’état leads to the fall of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, American expat Matt Amaker is forced to abandon his idyllic, beachfront scuba business. With the rise of a brutal military dictatorship and an international embargo threatening to destroy even the country’s most powerful players, some are looking to gain an advantage in the chaos–and others are just looking to make it through another day.

Desperate for money―and survival―Matt teams up with his best friend and business partner Alix Variel, the adventurous only son of a socially prominent Haitian family. They set their sights on legendary shipwrecks that have been rumored to contain priceless treasures off a remote section of Haiti’s southern coast. Their ambition and exploration of these disastrous wrecks come with a cascade of ill-fated incidents―one that involves Misha, Alix’s erudite sister, who stumbles onto an arms-trafficking ring masquerading as a U.S. government humanitarian aid office, and rookie CIA case officer Audrey O’Donnell, who finds herself doing clandestine work on an assignment that proves to be more difficult and dubious than she could have possibly imagined.

Devil Makes Three’s depiction of blood politics, the machinations of power, and a country in the midst of upheaval is urgently and insistently resonant. This new novel is sure to cement Ben Fountain’s reputation as one of the twenty-first century’s boldest and most perceptive writers.

His Review:

Matt runs a dive shop and takes swimmers to the remote and gorgeous diving area called the Zombie Hole. He loves his job and the people that he introduces to snorkeling. A new government has taken over Haiti, however, and he is no longer welcome at his business or on the island. The criminal element has complete control of the island and people are dying in the streets.

Going into town for supplies is so dangerous he is taking his life in his hands. This story describes the frightening life of the common individual in Haiti. While reading the book, I became more distressed about the people and situation on this island.

Ben Fountain has a wonderful writing style but I found the book so disturbing that I could not continue to read. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti! 3 stars – CE Williams

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

Rosepoint Publishing: Three stars

Book Details:

Genre: Political Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Flatiron Books
ISBN-10: ‎ 1250776511
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1250776518
ASIN: B0BPQS5X9P
Print Length: 544 pages
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Ben Fountain‘s novel BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK received the National Book Critics’ Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Award, the PEN/New England Cerulli Award for Excellence in Sports Writing, and the Jesse Jones Award for fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, and was a finalist for the National Book Award in both the US and the UK (international authors division). The film adaptation of BILLY LYNN, directed by three-time Oscar winner Ang Lee, was released in 2016 by Sony Pictures. Fountain’s short story collection BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH CHE GUEVARA received the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for Fiction, and a Whiting Writers Award. Fountain’s short fiction has appeared in Harper’s, Zoetrope: All-Story, the Paris Review, Esquire, the Sewanee Review, DALLAS NOIR, and HAITI NOIR II, among other publications. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, Texas Monthly, and elsewhere, and his reportage on post-earthquake Haiti was broadcast on the radio show This American Life. Fountain grew up in the tobacco country of eastern North Carolina, and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University Law School. A former attorney in private practice, he has lived in Dallas, Texas for over thirty years. In September, 2018, Ecco/HarperCollins will publish Fountain’s nonfiction book BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY BURN AGAIN, which is based on his reportage for the Guardian of the US presidential campaign of 2016.

happy thursday!

For All The World by Jean Grainger – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Cullen’s Celtic Cabaret – Book 1

Book Blurb:

Dublin, Ireland and Valencia, Spain 1917.

Peter Cullen has no money and no prospects, but he has talent and the will to succeed. All he needs now is luck.

May Gallagher is determined to make her own way in life, even if it means defying her parents’ plans for her.

Nick Gerrity is ready to turn his back on his past and start anew, but his secrets might just catch up with him.

And Aida Gonzales, destitute and alone, discovers an unexpected lifeline in the midst of the carnage of World War I.

Together, as the war to end all wars wipes out an entire generation, these four young people will take a chance to break free of society’s shackles and forge a new future of glamour, glitter, and greasepaint.

My Review:

One thing you know you will get from a Jean Grainger book is disparate characters. But even for Ms Grainger, this is quite the departure from her Irish family dramas which have been captivating and compulsive.

These charismatic characters begin in late WWI with the story of Peter—coveting a role in the theater and grabbing the first one available—but that’s a female role–he’ll dress up. It’s a transgression and embarrassment to his volatile father that results in his ejection from the family. No big loss—his Dublin neighborhood is one of poverty and misery.

Well, fine! He’ll enlist in the military!

Next we are introduced to Nick who is one of several sons in a well-to-do family with an unfortunate stutter. He discovers, however, that with his education he can speak in a foreign language or sing a ballad sweet enough to cause tears without the stutter. But his family? Nope.

Fine! He’ll sneak off and enlist in the military!

Peter is easy going, happy go lucky and doesn’t worry about Nick’s stutter when they discover each other in the trenches of France. Then begins the introduction of additional characters from widely different parts of the world including Enzo—an Italian from London, talented Ramon from Spain and later his dance partner Aida, and Two Soups, a Scotsman and comedian.

As serendipity will happen, they manage to meet up in the ugly circumstances of the final stages of war and discover each other’s talents. An impromptu opportunity to perform is just the beginning. They later go on to entertain their own troops and later the wounded in military hospitals.

It was Peter’s girlfriend May who encouraged Peter to pursue his theatrical goals. She has designs on Peter that he isn’t quite her equally enamored. There are other possible romantic liaisons brewing which we’ll have to wait and read about in the next installment of the new series which is showing a strong start.

I love it when the author takes off in a new direction with a strong series promise. These characters are engaging and the theatre background immersive. I’m anxious to see where this is going with that teaser Epilogue included at the end.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts. As always, I’m thoroughly intrigued!

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Women’s Historical Fiction
ISBN: ‎ 1914958950
ASIN: B0C94MD3H5
Print Length: 284 pages
Publication Date: August 17, 2023
Source: Author
Title Link(s): For All the World [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]

Rosepoint recommended

Rosepoint Reviews – July Recap – Wild Weather and Scorching Temps

Rosepoint Reviews - July Recap

July in the upper Midwest is a volatile month with sudden, violent thunderstorms or tornadoes or highs in the low seventies with a cool breeze. You can’t accuse the area of boring weather. Still, I shouldn’t be grousing as with the sudden drenching rains and warm to hot days, the lawn has gone nuts—you can almost literally watch grass grow here—and my garden is loving it. Well, my sugar snap peas didn’t love it so much.

Late start with the garden, slow spring, and just now beginning to get some tomatoes trying to ripen. The baby deer are beginning to venture out—still have their spots. They look sweet until they get into my garden—squash being the current favorite. The CE is happy about that though.
Fawns with spots

We are trying to get in some steps, got the bikes all pumped up—and walking or riding any semi-cool mornings we can get. Still we managed fourteen books in July. These are mostly from NetGalley and also my local library with both audiobooks and digital. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

Rosepoint Reviews - July Recap
Drowning in the Desert by Bernard Schopen (CE review)
The Night We Burned by S F Kosa
The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda (audiobook)
Splinter by Paul McHugh (CE review)
Trotting Into Trouble by Amber Camp
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (audiobook)
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller (CE review)
Home at Night by Paula Munier
The Wrong Victim by Allison Brennan (audiobook)
Night Owl by Andrew Mayne (CE review)
Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O’Connor
Unwrapped by Lynda McDaniel
All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers (audiobook)
The Cove by Gregg Dunnett (CE review)

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, psychological fiction, cozy mysteries, and thrillers.

Favorite Book of the Month

I was gifted two ARCs from favorite authors in July, one being Unwrapped by Lynda McDaniel and the other, Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O’Connor, both of which earned my five stars. I really like that slightly darker turn in Ms O’Connor’s Irish mysteries and Unwrapped proved to have a sweet Hallmark type of ending–timed perfectly for the Christmas season. The CE also had a couple he particularly enjoyed, one for the sense of humor (The Last Ranger) and another because of that totally off-the-wall wallop of a surprise ending (The Cove). There were several others hovering in the 4.5 star range for both of us–it was one of those great reading months. But in the end, I’ll have to go with–

Book of the Month for July—Unwrapped.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 88 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (one book ahead of schedule) and still riding at a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. As always, I’m struggling to keep up with the rest. *Sigh* Maybe after the summer months…

First the death of the Instagram feed—then Musk messed with Twitter—and there went that feed. I’d boycott that stupid “X” but need to Twitter away my reviews. Is anyone getting around this (other than adding another job to the post) so they can show both feeds on their blog? All I’ve got now are the blank spaces where those feeds used to show up in my right column. Any suggestions, help, or ideas? I’d welcome them all!

Welcome to my new subscribers and thank you, as always, to those who read and comment. I love hearing from you!

k-luv-u-bye

Rosepoint Reviews – June Recap – Summer is a Perfect Time to Read!

Rosepoint Reviews-July Recap

June is usually a lovely month with Summer Reading Challenges being the perfect excuse for staying indoors and reading. While our temps were pretty mild in the upper Midwest, it can get muggy and staying indoors to read or write posts is a good alternative to working in the gardens. The veggie garden, oh so slow to take off this year, the flower garden not much better, and the fairy garden (my son refers to it as “the swamp”) just a wild mess as usual. Perhaps I’ve lost that fight and now the goal is to keep the weeds down.

June is also birthday month, our son being born on the CE’s birthday—double celebration. We took the opportunity to run to Indianapolis to catch the Indiana State Museum exhibit.

All to say, we enjoyed June, and still managed fourteen books between us. These are from NetGalley but more now from my local library both audiobooks and digital. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

Rosepoint Reviews-June Recap

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain (audiobook)
The Water Tower by Amy Young (CE review)
Iwo, 26 Charlie by P T Deutermann (CE review)
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor (audiobook)
Mainely Wicked by Matt Cost (CE review)
Need You by Blake Pierce
Overkill by Sandra Brown (read by both of us)
Hard Country by Reavis Z Wortham (CE review)
Before It’s Too Late by Sara Driscoll
Should the Tent Be Burning Like That? By Bill Heavey
The Final Frame by Harmony Reed (CE review)
A Sagebrush Soul by John Isaac Jones (5 star CE review)
The Caretaker by Ron Rash (5 stars)
The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar (audiobook)

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, psychological fiction, biographical fiction, crime thrillers, and mysteries.

Favorite Book of the Month

I loved The Caretaker (a new author to me and one I will follow) and gave it five stars, the CE gave five stars to the biographical fiction, A Sagebrush Soul. I’m sure it was great and he thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was totally captivated by The Caretaker. It haunted me and continued to resonate after I finished reading it.

Book of the Month for June—The Caretaker.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 73 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (one book ahead of schedule) and slipped a percent to 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. As always, I’m struggling to keep up with the rest.

Summer is usually such a good time to finally get out and about! My heart goes out to the Canadians, however, with 259 uncontrolled wildfires (as of this writing) in a total of 503 active wildfires. I can’t even imagine all the personnel trying to fight that conflagration. The smoke has given us cloudy skies with dangerous levels of particulates in the air. As with all the yearly fires in California, however, I also worry about the coming winter and the devastation the lack of trees will produce. Let’s hope for a mild winter for our neighbors to the north.

Welcome to new subscribers and thank you, as always, to those who read and comment. I love hearing from you!