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dancingdane's reviews
711 reviews
Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie
Another one of my favorites in this series. Maybe my third fav. At some points I felt like we were getting a little too far out of the "mystery" genre and too much into the "family story" genre, but it redeemed itself in a big way. I enjoyed the back and forth in time periods here, as well as the WWII part of the story.
Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
3.0
Of all of Picoult's books that I've read, I do think Second Glance is still my favorite. But I did enjoy this one very much. Andrew Hopkins kidnapped his 4 year old daughter from Arizona, and started a new life together in New Hampshire. He becomes both father and mother to her, and provides her with all of the love and support she needs.
The daughter, Delia Hopkins, now a professional search and rescuer, has always known that her mother died in an automobile accident, and invents many versions of the mother she doesn't remember.
Next door neighbors Eric on one side, and Fitz on the other, become an inseparable trio with Delia that lasts their lives.
Until one day the police arrest Andrew at his home on kidnapping charges from 1977 in Arizona. The rest of the novel is about Delia's learning about her past and Andrew's original motives. The primary themes are about love and what you do to protect someone you love, about lying, about who you are, among other ideas.
The daughter, Delia Hopkins, now a professional search and rescuer, has always known that her mother died in an automobile accident, and invents many versions of the mother she doesn't remember.
Next door neighbors Eric on one side, and Fitz on the other, become an inseparable trio with Delia that lasts their lives.
Until one day the police arrest Andrew at his home on kidnapping charges from 1977 in Arizona. The rest of the novel is about Delia's learning about her past and Andrew's original motives. The primary themes are about love and what you do to protect someone you love, about lying, about who you are, among other ideas.
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
3.0
I did enjoy this book. Perhaps one of the biggest questions about WI I is how could the German civilians have let the death camps happen, and Blum provides some compelling possibilities.
The story itself is about Anna, who is a young woman at the beginning of the war, and her daughter Trudy, who is a German history professor at the University of Minnesota. The story switches between Anna and Trudy's experiences in Weimar, right next to KZ Buchenwald, and Trudy's later experiences as a proffesorial project to allow German expatriates to tell their stories about wartime Germany. As with many such novels, I did enjoy the different time perspectives; as readers, we learn about Trudy's past that she can't completely remember and about which her mother refuses to speak.
I would have given 4 stars, though, if the ending were better. The majority of Trudy's part of the story is her quest to understand her own personal history, and the last person she interviews just happens to be able to fill her in. Given the tensions between Trudy and Anna throughout the novel, I really would have preferred to see a reconciliation more on those lines, and might have even preferred that Trudy never does find out to the way the book ends. It was just a bit too facile, as though Blum was facing a deadline and threw in the last character rather than sorting through the mother-daughter relationship.
The story itself is about Anna, who is a young woman at the beginning of the war, and her daughter Trudy, who is a German history professor at the University of Minnesota. The story switches between Anna and Trudy's experiences in Weimar, right next to KZ Buchenwald, and Trudy's later experiences as a proffesorial project to allow German expatriates to tell their stories about wartime Germany. As with many such novels, I did enjoy the different time perspectives; as readers, we learn about Trudy's past that she can't completely remember and about which her mother refuses to speak.
I would have given 4 stars, though, if the ending were better. The majority of Trudy's part of the story is her quest to understand her own personal history, and the last person she interviews just happens to be able to fill her in. Given the tensions between Trudy and Anna throughout the novel, I really would have preferred to see a reconciliation more on those lines, and might have even preferred that Trudy never does find out to the way the book ends. It was just a bit too facile, as though Blum was facing a deadline and threw in the last character rather than sorting through the mother-daughter relationship.
Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson
3.0
nice winter/Christmas short story from Craig Johnson. A young girl and her family are in an accident near Billings, MT, and the girl is the only survivor. She is badly burned, and needs to get to Children's Hospital in Denver on Christmas eve. But in order to do that, medevac has to beat the fast moving storm coming down from Canada.
I knew about the bucking bronc named Steamboat, for which the plane that Walt and Lucian fly is named, but I didn't know much about his history. I appreciated learning more about the legendary bucker.
What was a little harder for me to get through were the descriptions of the plane. I felt like I needed a map to refer to because I just couldn't visualize all of the spots that Walt crawls through, looks through, hangs out of, etc.
I knew about the bucking bronc named Steamboat, for which the plane that Walt and Lucian fly is named, but I didn't know much about his history. I appreciated learning more about the legendary bucker.
What was a little harder for me to get through were the descriptions of the plane. I felt like I needed a map to refer to because I just couldn't visualize all of the spots that Walt crawls through, looks through, hangs out of, etc.
Return to Labyrinth, Vol. 4 by Jake T. Forbes
Probably only my second dive into Manga. I will admit that I had difficulty telling Toby and Jareth apart at times, and it might have helped a little had I re-watched Labyrinth before reading this. But I enjoyed the return of Toby as Jareth's heir. A worthwhile read (and quick) for anyone who wants to return to that realm.
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
I love Jasper Fforde, but I did enjoy his Thursday Next series more than this book. A friend of mine calls his writing too "twee" for her, and that's kind of what I felt like with this one.
Update: just saw this article which is very interesting in the context of Shades of Grey: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/11/10/361219912/if-the-same-shade-looks-both-yellow-and-gray-whats-color?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2035
Update: just saw this article which is very interesting in the context of Shades of Grey: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/11/10/361219912/if-the-same-shade-looks-both-yellow-and-gray-whats-color?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2035
Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie
We finally get a book that focuses on the mystery/ies at hand. Gemma and Duncan's relationship is still very much at the fore, but the cases are the primary motivators in the book.
Given the state of immigration here in the states, this book provides an interesting view of immigration in England. Race relations there seem almost add volatile add they are in the US.
Given the state of immigration here in the states, this book provides an interesting view of immigration in England. Race relations there seem almost add volatile add they are in the US.
Nocturne by Deborah Crombie
Neat little story about Erika Rosenthal's piano. She tells Kit how she acquired the piano during the Blitz in WWII. The two discover the initials/decoration of a well-known artist of the times carved on the underside of the piano and do some investigating about what might have happened to him.