Author: Leslie Carroll
Genre: Biography
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2018
Pages: 256
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: When Prince Harry of Wales took his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, to have tea with his grandmother the queen, avid royal watchers had a hunch that a royal wedding was not far off. That prediction came true on November 27, 2017, when the gorgeous, glamorous twosome announced their engagement to the world. As they prepare to tie the knot in a stunning ceremony on May 19, 2018, that will be unprecedented in royal history, people are clamoring to know more about the beautiful American who captured Prince Harry's heart.
Born and raised in Los Angeles to a white father of German, English, and Irish descent, and an African American mother whose ancestors had been enslaved on a Georgia plantation, Meghan has proudly embraced her biracial heritage. In addition to being the star of the popular television series Suits, she is devoted to her humanitarian work - a passion she shares with Harry. Though Meghan was married once before, Prince Harry is a modern royal, and the Windsors have welcomed her into the tight-knit clan they call "The Firm." Even a generation ago, it would have been unthinkable, as well as impermissible, for any member of Great Britain's royal family to consider marrying someone like Meghan. Professional actresses were considered scandalous and barely respectable. And the last time an American divorcee married into the Royal Family, it provoked a constitutional crisis!
In American Princess, Leslie Carroll provides context to Harry and Meghan's romance by leading readers through centuries of Britain's rule-breaking royal marriages, as well as the love matches that were never permitted to make it to the altar; followed by a never-before-seen glimpse into the little-known life of the woman bring the Royal Family into the 21st century, and her dazzling, though thoroughly modern romance with Prince Harry.
Review: This was on display at my library, and I figured I'd give it a try. I knew Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in November 2017, which is also a special month for my husband and I. We met in November (2011), and were married in November (2013). Since our five year anniversary is coming up at the end of this week, I thought this would be a fun read.
I was not impressed with Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, which I read in October, and, if you follow the link you can read my full review. This, however, was cute. In alternating chapters, the author details Harry and Meghan's childhoods and formative years. This was both entertaining and informative.
If there's one criticism, it's that the title is misleading. This isn't just about Meghan, the American Princess.
November 27, 2018
November 21, 2018
The Warmth of Other Suns
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2013
Pages: 640 (18 discs)
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitve and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves.
With stunning and historical detail, Wilkerson tells this story through the lives of three unique individuals: Ida Mae Gladney, who in 1937 left sharecropping and prejudice in Mississippi for Chicago, where she achieved quiet blue-collar success and, in old age, voted for Barack Obama when he ran for an Illinois Senate seat; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, where he endangered his job fighting for civil rights, saw his family fall, and finally found peace in God; and Robert Foster, who left Louisiana in 1953 to pursue a medical career, the personal physician to Ray Charles as part of a glitteringly successful medical career, which allowed him to purchase a grand home where he often through exuberant parties.
Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous and exhausting cross-country trips by car and train and their new lives in colonies that grew into ghettos, as well as how they changed these cities with southern food, faith, and culture and improved them with discipline, drive, and hard work. Both a riveting microcosm and major assessment, The Warmth of Other Suns is a bold, remarkable, and riveting work, a superb account of an "unrecognized immigration" within our own land. Through the breadth of its narrative, the beauty of the writing, the depth of its research, and the fullness of the people and lives portrayed herein, this book is destined to become a classic.
Review: Now that I'm commuting to and from the office five days a week, rather than just the three days I had done for the last few years, I decided to dive into some of the thicker books in my To Be Read stack. Audio books make the drive faster and more interesting. And, just to note, I get through about one disc per day during my drive.
I had started this book a couple years ago, but it's thick, and before I could get too far into it, it was due back at the library. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick it up again.
I wish it had been organized by differently. An overview and history of the migration itself, followed by each of the migrants' stories. Instead it was arranged by theme leading to repetition and lots of jumping around. The information and the narrative were great, but the organization is what caused me to give this a Recommend rating versus a Highly Recommend rating.
I learned so much. Definitely a worthwhile read. There is a lot of information to internalize and digest. I have a certain clarity after listening to this novel.
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2013
Pages: 640 (18 discs)
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitve and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves. With stunning and historical detail, Wilkerson tells this story through the lives of three unique individuals: Ida Mae Gladney, who in 1937 left sharecropping and prejudice in Mississippi for Chicago, where she achieved quiet blue-collar success and, in old age, voted for Barack Obama when he ran for an Illinois Senate seat; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, where he endangered his job fighting for civil rights, saw his family fall, and finally found peace in God; and Robert Foster, who left Louisiana in 1953 to pursue a medical career, the personal physician to Ray Charles as part of a glitteringly successful medical career, which allowed him to purchase a grand home where he often through exuberant parties.
Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous and exhausting cross-country trips by car and train and their new lives in colonies that grew into ghettos, as well as how they changed these cities with southern food, faith, and culture and improved them with discipline, drive, and hard work. Both a riveting microcosm and major assessment, The Warmth of Other Suns is a bold, remarkable, and riveting work, a superb account of an "unrecognized immigration" within our own land. Through the breadth of its narrative, the beauty of the writing, the depth of its research, and the fullness of the people and lives portrayed herein, this book is destined to become a classic.
Review: Now that I'm commuting to and from the office five days a week, rather than just the three days I had done for the last few years, I decided to dive into some of the thicker books in my To Be Read stack. Audio books make the drive faster and more interesting. And, just to note, I get through about one disc per day during my drive.
I had started this book a couple years ago, but it's thick, and before I could get too far into it, it was due back at the library. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick it up again.
I wish it had been organized by differently. An overview and history of the migration itself, followed by each of the migrants' stories. Instead it was arranged by theme leading to repetition and lots of jumping around. The information and the narrative were great, but the organization is what caused me to give this a Recommend rating versus a Highly Recommend rating.
I learned so much. Definitely a worthwhile read. There is a lot of information to internalize and digest. I have a certain clarity after listening to this novel.
November 17, 2018
What I've Done
Author: Melinda Leigh
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Amazon Publishing, 2018
Pages: 336
Rating: Highly Recommend
Synopsis: Haley Powell wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the night before. When she sees a man lying in the backyard, stabbed to death, she has only one terrified thought: What have I done?
Agreeing to take the case as a favor to her PI friend Lincoln Sharp, Morgan must scale a mountain of damning circumstantial and forensic evidence to prove her client innocent. Haley couldn't appear more guilty: her bloodstained fingertips are on the murder weapon, and she has no alibi. But Morgan can't shake the feeling that this shocked young woman has been framed.
Someone out there is hell-bent on sabotaging her defense, targeting Morgan, her partner, and especially Haley. Someone who will stop at nothing-and whose next move will be deadly.
Review: This series is still going strong. In fact, I thought this was even better than the last book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book #5 isn't due out until next spring. It's going to be an even longer winter now.
The Morgan Dane Series
1 Say You're Sorry
2 Her Last Goodbye
3 Bones Don't Lie
4 What I've Done
5 Secrets Never Die
6 Save Your Breath
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Amazon Publishing, 2018
Pages: 336
Rating: Highly Recommend
Synopsis: Haley Powell wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the night before. When she sees a man lying in the backyard, stabbed to death, she has only one terrified thought: What have I done?Agreeing to take the case as a favor to her PI friend Lincoln Sharp, Morgan must scale a mountain of damning circumstantial and forensic evidence to prove her client innocent. Haley couldn't appear more guilty: her bloodstained fingertips are on the murder weapon, and she has no alibi. But Morgan can't shake the feeling that this shocked young woman has been framed.
Someone out there is hell-bent on sabotaging her defense, targeting Morgan, her partner, and especially Haley. Someone who will stop at nothing-and whose next move will be deadly.
Review: This series is still going strong. In fact, I thought this was even better than the last book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book #5 isn't due out until next spring. It's going to be an even longer winter now.
The Morgan Dane Series
1 Say You're Sorry
2 Her Last Goodbye
3 Bones Don't Lie
4 What I've Done
5 Secrets Never Die
6 Save Your Breath
November 13, 2018
Carnegie's Maid
Author: Marie Benedict
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2018
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.
If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills she doesn't have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future, and her family's.
With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world's first true philanthropist.
Review: This is an American Downton Abbey, set in city I have called home for almost 20 years. Pittsburgh is also the city my mother's side of the family settled in after their arrival as immigrants in the early 1900s from Ireland, England, Poland, and Germany.
Local author, Marie Benedict, brings Carnegie alive, and we see another side of him that isn't widely known. I haven't researched how much of this book is fiction versus fact, and I don't think I want to. I loved the story, and choose to believe it all happened, exactly like this ;-)
I was all set to give this book five stars and a "Highly Recommend" rating, but then I read the last chapter. It barely seemed to fit the rest of the book. I suffered some kind of whiplash with how abruptly the author switched gears and ended the story. I'll have to spend some time thinking about how I would have transitioned to the conclusion, because I'm not sure myself at this point. However, I do know there were alternative ways. Still, this novel deserves a strong "Recommend" rating.
In some ways Carnegie's Maid is reminiscent of another book I read years ago and loved, The Valley of Decision.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2018
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills she doesn't have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future, and her family's.
With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world's first true philanthropist.
Review: This is an American Downton Abbey, set in city I have called home for almost 20 years. Pittsburgh is also the city my mother's side of the family settled in after their arrival as immigrants in the early 1900s from Ireland, England, Poland, and Germany.
Local author, Marie Benedict, brings Carnegie alive, and we see another side of him that isn't widely known. I haven't researched how much of this book is fiction versus fact, and I don't think I want to. I loved the story, and choose to believe it all happened, exactly like this ;-)
I was all set to give this book five stars and a "Highly Recommend" rating, but then I read the last chapter. It barely seemed to fit the rest of the book. I suffered some kind of whiplash with how abruptly the author switched gears and ended the story. I'll have to spend some time thinking about how I would have transitioned to the conclusion, because I'm not sure myself at this point. However, I do know there were alternative ways. Still, this novel deserves a strong "Recommend" rating.
In some ways Carnegie's Maid is reminiscent of another book I read years ago and loved, The Valley of Decision.
Other Marie Benedict novels:
The Only Woman in the Room
The Mystery of Mrs Christie
The Only Woman in the Room
The Mystery of Mrs Christie
November 9, 2018
Alaskan Holiday
Author: Debbie Macomber
Genre: Fiction / Christmas
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2018
Pages: 256
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: Before beginning her new job as sous chef at one of Seattle's finest restaurants, Josie Stewart takes on a six-month position cooking at a lodge in an Alaskan lake town. It's only temporary - or so she thinks, as she becomes a valued part of the community, failing in love with the people who call Klutina Lake home. But on Alaskan man, in particular, stands out among Josie's new friends: Palmer Saxon, a quiet, intense sword craftsman, who very existence forces her to question whether her heart wants to return to Washington at all - or make Alaska her home.
Review: It's a Hallmark movie in hardback!
The character of Jack was a little overdone and his antics were eye roll worthy, but Palmer and Josie were cute enough to compensate. I wish I had met them earlier in their relationship in order to have a stronger connection to them.
This novel was exactly what I expected: light, cute, and a quick read.
Alaska has always fascinated me, but even more so since reading The Great Alone. It was fun to read another in that setting.
Genre: Fiction / Christmas
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2018
Pages: 256
Rating: Recommend
Synopsis: Before beginning her new job as sous chef at one of Seattle's finest restaurants, Josie Stewart takes on a six-month position cooking at a lodge in an Alaskan lake town. It's only temporary - or so she thinks, as she becomes a valued part of the community, failing in love with the people who call Klutina Lake home. But on Alaskan man, in particular, stands out among Josie's new friends: Palmer Saxon, a quiet, intense sword craftsman, who very existence forces her to question whether her heart wants to return to Washington at all - or make Alaska her home.Review: It's a Hallmark movie in hardback!
The character of Jack was a little overdone and his antics were eye roll worthy, but Palmer and Josie were cute enough to compensate. I wish I had met them earlier in their relationship in order to have a stronger connection to them.
This novel was exactly what I expected: light, cute, and a quick read.
Alaska has always fascinated me, but even more so since reading The Great Alone. It was fun to read another in that setting.
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