The Last Time I Lied

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager     384 pages

From Goodreads:

Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends.

Yet it's immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present.

And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.

I tried so hard to figure out “who did it.” Sadly, I was not successful, but I guess that just means that Sager made a compelling story that was unpredictable and new. This felt like a real story, it was so thrilling, page by page. Once the story returns Camp Nightingale, Sager really hits her stride and the story picks up and it’s difficult to put down.

Overall, it’s a solid mystery – I really enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed the suspense, and I really liked the writing. Sager is really talented and I’m interested in reading anything else he has written. I’d definitely recommend this to mystery buffs and anybody who is in for a thriller story.

As You Wish

As You Wish: The Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes and Joe Layden     276 pages

From Goodreads:

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years!

Review:

This was such an excellent read. I love The Princess Bride, I love Cary Elwes, and I love that this book exists. It is full of little gifts of knowledge about the making of this magical movie, I laughed and I teared up because it's all so beautiful. This movie means a lot to me and I loved reading how much the people who made it love it, too. I listened to the audiobook - which I'm now going to purchase because it was so, so good! Cary Elwes narrates, but he also has other members of the cast and crew read their own commentary and it's so wonderful to hear. I highly recommend giving it a listen, as well!

The Year of Our Lord 1943

The Year of Our Lord 1943: Christian Humanism in an Age of Crisis by Alan Jacobs, 206 pages

Samuel Johnson famously quipped that when a man knows he is to be hanged, it "concentrates his mind wonderfully."  For Christian thinkers in Europe and America, the catastrophe of the Second World War wonderfully concentrated their minds on the problem that liberal democracy could not, on its own, provide a convincing account of human nature to rival those proposed by fascist and socialist ideologies.  In The Year of Our Lord 1943 Alan Jacobs explores the disparate ways a number of disparate philosophers and poets, including Jacques and Raissa Maritain, TS Eliot and Simone Weil, CS Lewis and WH Auden, sought to rectify that deficiency.  Despite substantial differences, their thoughts all focused on culture and education, not only their necessity but also their limitations - indeed, all were insistent that any education which sought to contribute to the building up of the human person must preeminently be an education in limits and ends.

Jacobs perceptively highlights both the sympathies and antipathies among his subjects.  He is clear about his own biases, or is possibly simply unable to resist the occasional editorial comment, and those biases do not prevent him from being fair to those with whom he disagrees.  It is from this attitude that he is able to conclude with the observation that, at a point in history when the technical appears to have vanquished the human, Christians can find comfort and inspiration in their faith that history is itself ruled, not by a process, but by a Person.

Murder at the Mansion

Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly     Audio Book: 9 hours, 29 mins.   Hardback Book:  336 pages

Katherine Hamilton loses her job with a high end hotel and while she is contemplating her next career move she gets a request from her best friend from school to please come back to her home town in Maryland to help the town council figure out a big financial fiasco - the town is almost broke, people are moving away and those who have lived there all their lives want to do somerthing to bring in tourists to improve their business/economy.  Odd request since she hadn't been back in years to come out of the blue but not having anything else to do she saw it as a sign and thought why not.   The good news is she had enough money saved up she would be o.k. till she found her next job the bad news is she is spending a lot of time figuring out how to improve the town's situation, meeting and greeting with locals and trying to find something to capitalize on in a dead town with not even one viable tourisy attraction.   And then there is her highschool nemesis who had made her life hell, humiliated her so bad that Katherine left town over it as soon as she could and married the man Katherine had been madly in love with.    Then someone ends up dead and guess what?  Katherine is the "new" person in town with questionable motive.  Also Katherine is digging through everything in town trying to come up with info on any illustrious historical figure she might find a distant link to and somehow attach meaning and connection to a town headed for extinction.    Amusing story.    Seems Katherine wasn't the only person to hate the Queen of the Highschool click.  Katherine is pushy and brash, sometimes funny, and she gets away with murder or does she?   Good light read when you aren't up for something heavy or intense.   It was o.k.   A little fast and loose play with some facts about murder scenes and the fact that no one even considered checking to see if the body was actually dead or not.  Also everyone in the story jumped to the conclusion that the person had been murdered not even entertaining the thought it could have been an accident.   Those parts were kind of laughable, but overall it was an easy read and not the worst book I've ever read.  

Facts and Fears: Hard Truths From a LIfe in Intelligence

Facts and Fears: Hard Truths From a LIfe in Intelligence by James Clapper   Audio Book:18 hours, 43 minutes   Paperback Book: 784 pages                                                

This book written by the former Directior of National Intelligence is so full of information on events going on covertly behind the scenes that the public knew of but he opens up a view of what it was like on the inside of the actions taking place.    Fascinating information here that will open  your eyes and your mind to what types of information sitting presidents receive on what is going on in the world and how operations are going on without public knowledge at any time in the world.   He discusses the agencies involved, the limits they go to and the limitations that bind them from going

 deeper undercover, or from carrying out certain actions.   He sites examples from his own career and multiple administrations he has worked with.   I was surpised by all of the information that is shared here.    EXCELLENT BOOK!   I highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire to know what really goes on behind those government doors, a little showing of what is behind the veil.   

Matchmaking for Beginners

Matchmaking for Beginners  by  Maddie Dawson    Audio Book:  12 hours, 49 mins.   Paperback Book:  380 pages                               

Blix Holiday is the black sheep of the family.    A little hippie, a little wiccan but an all around jovial and fun person -eccentric to the utmost.    While attending a stuffy family gathering to meet her nephew's fiancee, Blix reminds me of Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias, she invites Marnie, her nephews fiancee over for a chat.   She sees the snippy superior way her sister is looking down on the girl and how friendly and open like a puppy the young clueless woman is.    Blix takes a liking to her and takes her under her wing telling her stories about her nephew (she loved him but he was a rogue and the girl should run screaming away from him as fast as possible) and every other family member in attnedance.   She tells the truth and doesn't candy it up for appearance sake.   She wants the girl to know what a den of jackels she has found herself in.    No one knew but Blix being a little magical and intuitive knows that Marnie will be miserable with her nephew and invites her to come visit her in her Brownstone in New York.   Blix knows Marnie would find true love and perfect soulmate harmony with a damaged guy in her building that Blix is best friends with.   Lots happens.   Marnie does marry Blix' nephew but WOW!    Blix is determined to bring Marnie and her elusive friend and neighbor so much so that when Blix' cancer gets worse, she changes her will to give Marnie (who she only met once and talked on the phone with maybe twice) her brownstone.    This is such a good story you won't want to put it down.   Blix is wonderful and Marnie is a little headstrong, but very likeable.    She makes a lot of mistakes along the way but you will find yourself rooting for her.   But that guy in the basement apartment....what is his dish?   GOOD STORY.   I hightly recommend this one.  Fun story.

I See Life Through Rose' Colored Glasses

I See Life Through Rose' Colored Glasses by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Saratella     Audio Book:: 6 hours, 1 min.      Hardback Book:  352 pages         

This is a hilarious book.   Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesa Saratella are so funny!   They share true stories from their lives about the foibles we all go through and can relate whole heartedly to, it is just that we keep our screw ups to ourselves and these gals share them and tell them with such hilarity the reader will laugh all the way through this book.   I recommend the audio book because you will actually hear them telling the stories they share.   They are a riot!   Treat yourself to this read you will be glad you did.   I definetly recommend these gals be put on everyone's MUST READ list.    No mater how your day is going you will laugh out loud.

Book Clubbed

Book Clubbed by Lorna Barrett        Audio Book:  8 hours, 47 min     Mass Market Paperback:  336 pages     

I enjoyed this story a lot.   Two Sisters, Tricia and Angelica each own shops in town and when the cranky receptionist with the know-it-all and hate everybody attitude is found dead they do their best to figure out who might have done it although the recptionist is so disliked by everyone in town except her own sister, who may or may not have her own motive for murder, that it may be tough pinning down the culprit.    Then when digging around trying to discover clues more and more information comes to light to show there was much more than a crabby demeanor to this woman, like loads of hidden cash covered up in among all the things in the hoard of stuff found in her home.    Fun story, light read.   I particularly like Angelica she has such a dry, witty way of looking at things and expressing herself that I laughed at something she said throughout the book.   Yes, I would recommend this one for the fun of Angelica and the story itself.

The Debt Escape Plan

The Debt Escape Plan by Beverly Blair Harzog        Paperback Book:  288 pages   

Most Excellent Book!  Harzog is a recovering credit card junkie herself.  After a binge of a decade of overspending and getting into credit card debt to the tune of nearly $20,000 dollars she tried all the consumer credit counselling, etc. plans and nothing worked.   Finally she came up with her plan that works for her and is so easy to understand and do.   This book walks you through from a quiz to understand what kind of and how you accumulate debt, what your triggers are, etc. because Harzog believes there is no one-size fits all credit plan to understanding the importance of your debt ratio, which I found particularly good as I had never seen that mentioned nor explained in any of the previous books I have read.    She uses humor and laymen's terms to explain things and this was a fast, easy, understandable read.    EXCELLENT!   I highly recommend this book especially for any one looking to get their finances in control. 

A Really Good Day

A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life by Ayelet Waldman        Hardcover: 256 Pages          (Aleta L.)

Ayelet Waldman is an author, mother, and former public defender and law professor. This book is a true story about her struggle with a severe mood disorder; though she never received a lasting diagnosis, she went through years of treatment with common pharmaceuticals. These mostly didn't work, or if they did, temporarily and with terrible side effects. In addition to feeling bad most of the time, she was alienating her family and friends, and her suffering felt endless.  This desperation led her to the surprisingly positive research on the use of  psychedelic drugs for therapeutic purposes, and she decided to try it out on herself.  She had a truly simple goal: to see if she could have justone really good day.

Microdosing is a method of taking drugs in tiny, sub-perceptual doses, for therapeutic purposes, usually every other day or so. Though most of the drugs used for microdosing are illegal, there exists an underground of practitioners of the psychedelic that she managed to tap into, and she had a vial of "Lewis Carroll" liquid LSD sent anonymously to her mailbox. Waldman shares with us her month-long experiment, documenting how her mood, physical state, and motivation were affected by the tiny dose she took every third day. She then writes entertainingly about her life and previous experiences with illegal drugs (few and far between), her relationships with her kids, husband, and parents, her professional life, and her direct experience with drug policy in the United States – she recounts specific drug cases she defended, and the stories are heartbreaking. She has a convincing take on the destructiveness of this country's attitudes and laws about illegal drugs, particularly for disadvantaged populations.  Her account of the history of psychedelic drug use is fascinating, covering the invention of LSD, to its popularity and notoriety mid-20^th century, to its eventual banishment,  not only from public use, but from scientific research as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book – it’s part anecdotal musing and part no-nonsense social commentary, and Waldman is hilarious and utterly serious in just the right amounts.  Her research is thorough and honest. The question she raises about why we have legal access to so many harmful, ineffective substances, and no access to relatively harmless, effective ones, is extremely important; as is the more philosophical question about why our own consciousness isn’t ours to explore however we see fit. She does a fantastic job trying to answer these, and issues just a little hope that some sanity might enter our approach to drugs in this country, sooner than later.  Quite a few books about the subject of psychedelic therapy  have come out recently, mostly by fairly mainstream authors; something is in the air, and this book is a good place to find out about it – highly recommended!

And the Trees Crept In

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich     341 pages

When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the manor is cursed. The endless creaking of the house at night and the eerie stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too—questions that Silla can’t ignore: Why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Who is the beautiful boy who’s appeared from the woods? And who is the tall man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at night… a man no one else can see?

I only finished this book because a) I was reading it for a book club and b) I just wanted to know, ultimately, what the author was planning for the "big reveal" to see if it was worth it. It wasn't, for me. Were the characters interesting? No, utterly infuriating because none of them made any sense in their decisions or what they were doing. Was the story compelling? Yes but then it got boring and quickly devolved into what people think of when they think "this is what a CRAZY person sounds like!" Was the writing good? See the point about the story. I just don't think it paid to finish. It wasn't a cop-out necessarily, I just didn't care for it - and really the end-end is infuriating, too.

Children of Monsters

Children of Monsters: An Inquiry into the Sons and Daughters of Dictators by Jay Nordlinger, 248 pages

Children of Monsters is a fascinating study of the lives of the children (and grandchildren) of twenty of history's worst tyrants, from Mussolini to Castro.  As might be expected, none of them escaped entirely unscathed from their fathers' legacies.  As might also be expected, each lived with their legacy in a unique way.  Some became monsters (Uday Hussein, Nicu Ceausescu), others dissidents (Alina Castro, Hussein Khomeini), some few became tyrants themselves (Bashar Assad, Jean-Claude Duvalier), and at least two became jazz musicians (Romano Mussolini played piano, Taban Amin played guitar - the former performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and married Sophia Loren's sister).  As is the way of the world, irony abounds - one of Tojo's daughters married an American and settled in Honolulu, Pol Pot's daughter graduated university with a degree in accounting.

Journalist Nordlinger adopts a conversational tone which helps compensate for some of the uncertainties surrounding his subjects - as dictatorships attempt to control all information about the lives of their leaders, facts are sometimes hard to come by, and Nordlinger is continually forced to resort to words like "reportedly", "allegedly", and "apparently".  This also, intentionally or not, decreases the personal distance between author, readers, and subjects, bringing the horrors and the tragedies (as well as the more mundane triumphs) home.

The Dead Ex

The Dead Ex by Jane Corry    368 pages   I read an e-galley -- book is due out in January, 2019

How can one man's disappearance throw so many women's lives into chaos? It's easy once you see how all of them are connected (although it's not clear at first).

Vicki works as an aromatherapist from her home studio and is just finishing a session when the police arrive to tell her her ex-husband, David, is missing. Vicki insists she hasn't seen him in years, but the police clearly don't believe her. As someone who suffers from epilepsy, Vicki knows she can have gaps in her memory, so maybe she has seen him more recently?  Meanwhile, eight year-old Scarlet and her mother Zelda are having a rough time. It's the two of them against the world, with Scarlet helping play a "game" with Zelda. What Scarlet doesn't know is that this "game" is really drug-dealing and when Zelda gets caught, Scarlet is sent into foster care, an experience that will (not surprisingly) change her life.  David's new wife, Tanya, had reported him missing. However, what really happened on the night he disappeared? Is Vicki involved, even if she doesn't know it? And how are these four women connected?

This is a smoothly crafted, twisting tale that will keep you guessing until the end. The author brings together several characters, using their individual, first-person storylines, to weave the story together until you finally understand how they are connected to each other. The are some surprises, although some of the story may be expected; Scarlet's time in foster care can be anticipated to be problematic, for example. This is really Vicki's story to tell, although Scarlet's story is compelling.  I had enjoyed "My Husband's Wife" by this author and liked this book, as well.

Good for readers who enjoy psychological suspense with compelling characters. If you enjoy Gillian Flynn or Ruth Ware, I'd suggest picking this one up.

Bitter Orange

Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller   320 pages

This beautifully written book takes place (mostly) in an English mansion that's slowly falling apart. Frances Jellico has been sent to research the architecture in the surrounding gardens, a welcome change after years spent caring for her mother. Encountering Cara and Peter, she's enchanted by this couple and how easily they seem to embrace her into friendship. However, as the summer continues, Frances can sense things aren't quite rosy between Cara and Peter. Stories that Cara tells her don't quite add up, either. As Frances becomes more and more entangled in their lives, the boundaries between truth and lies start to waver and blur and a small crime leads to another so terrible that it will change all their lives forever.

Fuller tells this story through Frances' perspective, both in the present where Frances is much older, and then in the past, when it's the hedonistic summer of Cara and Peter. Is Frances a reliable narrator? It's hard to say, which means that no, she may not be a reliable narrator at all. Fuller brings the lush setting to life, so you feel immersed in the summer that the three people shared at this dilapidated place. I found Frances to be a sly storyteller at times, where you can't tell if she's quite giving you the real story or not. Her own perspectives on people and relationships are warped, to be sure.  I'd put this in the category of dark mystery, although it's much more than that, as it's a definite exploration of the human soul.

When the lights go out

When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica    332 pages

When Jessie Sloane's mother dies, after years of illness, Jessie is on her own. She rents an apartment and applies for college, determined to get her life on track. However, when the college informs her that her Social Security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers something shocking and realizes she may have no idea who she really is.

As Jessie pursues the truth, she becomes an insomniac, which exacerbates her stress at trying to solve the mystery of who she is. As the days pass with little sleep, Jessie's becomes fatigued and her judgment is blurred. Can she tell the difference between what is real and what she is imagining?

I found this book to be good, but strange and by the time I finished it, I felt unsatisfied. Maybe because by the end of things, I felt as unmoored as Jessie.  This book had a slowly building pace, which was great --- but the twist that came felt completely out of place. Or maybe just too odd?  I like Kubica, but this wasn't my favorite book of hers.

Vision in Silver and Marked in Flesh

Vision in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop     400 pages
Marked in Flesh (The Others #4) by Anne Bishop  399 pages  (total of 799 between both books)

Books #3 and #4 in this series continue the ongoing story of the struggle between the two groups who inhabit this version of our world: the terra indigene, who are shifters, and the Others (a/k/a humans).  The two books take the story through the anticipated war between these two groups, and it really ramps up when you get to the fourth book.

  I have been enjoying these books, especially how the story picks up in each book where the previous book left off, and how the character development continues, as well. By the time you get into the fourth book, you feel like you really know some of the characters and truly care about what's going to happen to them.  I like that Bishop makes the humans the awful Others in this world --- I can definitely see where she's coming from, since humans in our own world have been responsible for so much destruction.

I see there are more books in this series, which I plan to read since I've been enjoying these books so far.

Stone Mothers

Stone Mothers by Erin Kelly     368 pages    I read a galley - book is due out April, 2019

What kind of secrets does the old Nazareth Mental Hospital hold? Too many for Marianne, who had vowed to never return to the town where she grew up in the shadow of the hospital. However, when her husband buys a flat in the newly renovated building so Marianne can be close to help her ailing mother, Marianne is forced back to relive old memories and desperately hope that her carefully built life won't shatter around her.

I really enjoyed this book, although the story went in a direction that I hadn't anticipated. However, I appreciated all of the historical details about the hospital and the kind of care that was given in the past. The pacing of the book has a quiet way of increasing, so combined with an underlying sense of dread and tension, it makes for a compelling and engrossing read. This is my kind of suspenseful, psychological fiction!   And I had not realized that Erin Kelly wrote Broadchurch -- which I had not read, but had watched on BBC and really enjoyed.

This book also held some appeal for me because I have read a lot of materials about the history of asylums and mental hospitals and treatments. So, I really found that Kelly's descriptions were on point and that made the book extra enjoyable.

Good for readers who enjoy Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins

I Know Who You Are

I know who you are by Alice Feeney    384 pages  I read a galley - book is due out in May of 2019

This intricately plotted, tensely paced story gives us two stories, balancing against each other. One is about Aimee, an actress on the verge of being famous. She's on her rise to stardom when she comes home one day to discover her husband missing. She's not worried at first because, after all, they had a big fight the previous night. However, when her credit card gets denied and she discovers her bank account has been emptied of $10,000, she immediately suspects her husband. And now, the police are questioning her as if she has something to do with his disappearance. She doesn't does she? At least, she doesn't remember doing anything to him . . . 

Alternating with Aimee's story is the story of a little girl who wanders away from home, only to end up with strangers. And you know what they say about talking to strangers.

There is a sense of malevolence that permeates this book, which I found to make for an engrossing read.  It was hard to put this book down!  With the alternating stories, you're getting first-person accounts and it's hard to tell at first how the two are related --- until it becomes very clear. But there are still plenty of twists in this story, including a whopper that I didn't see coming at all (which was wonderful!).

Recommended for fans of suspenseful, psychological fiction who like Ruth Ware, B.,A. Paris.

Someone New

Someone New by Anne Sibley O’Brien  32 pages

I like the concept of this picture book. It’s the story of three students who are new to their classroom. There are three new students in the school who are from Guatemala, Korea and Somalia. Each teacher assigns the new child a “buddy” to help them navigate their new environment.

I didn’t like that all the children assimilate easily; there is little conflict or an episode of the day not going well. I believe that “Someone New,” is about trying to find common ground. However the message completely overlooked that it’s hard, very hard, to do so.

I was also dismayed when the age range from this book is 5-8 years old and aimed at Kindergarten to Grade 3. It seemed to talk down to that age range

 “Someone New” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

A Leap

A Leap by Anna Enquist  100 pages

The jacket copy is what inspired me to read this book…that and it was the August selection of my 2018 reading resolution to read twelve books that have been lounging on my bookshelf for years.

The first sentence of the jacket copy is “The characters in the monologues that make up “A Leap” are all looking for a home; for some kind of anchorage or self-realization, but circumstances or fate ensure that their goal remains elusive.”

That sentence really spoke to me soul.  Looking for a home…isn’t that what we all want?  A home. A place to call ours. A place to feel safe and secure.

There are five monologues in this short book. The first is from Alma Mahler, wife of composer Gustav and takes place in 1906. She is on the verge of a mid-life crisis. She should stay with the man for whom she gave up her ambitions, or have an affair with a old lover who has come back into her life.

The second monologue, is from a Jewish dressmaker, Mendel Bronstien, who leaves Rotterdam for America in 1912, but the trip is unexpectedly hard.

In 1940, Cato and Leendert, who also live in Rotterdam, are young lover trying to avoid the falling bombs as Europe rushes into WWII.

“The Doctor” also takes place in 1940s Rotterdam, and begins with a chilling sentence: “I should have killed him.” As a doctor, he must choose between his Hippocratic oath and the loathing he feels for the invading armies.

Finally, there is “…And I am Sara.” It’s the tale of a woman spending a night in her parents’ home while they are away, and how safe and comforted she feels.

I had a little bit of a tough time getting into this collection, mainly because I read Alma’s thought without speaking them aloud.  I felt a tad silly reading aloud to myself, but I believe that is how these words should be read.

When I finished each section, the story did not feel complete, I wanted more, which is why “A Leap” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.