NOTABLE LITERARY DEATHS IN 2022 - Literary Hub

An Incomplete List of the Writers, Editors, and Great Literary Minds We Lost This Year

By Emily Temple

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December 14, 2022

Click here to see the list.

GREAT SHORT BOOKS (2022) - Review

Great Short Books: A Year of Reading—Briefly by Kenneth C. Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: November 22, 2022

Great Short Stories" is an incredibly valuable tool for book clubs and readers everywhere! Some authors/titles are well-known and others will be new discoveries. Author Kenneth C. Davis made sure to include "a broad diversity of writers and voices" as well as a variety of genres. The guideline for length is roughly 100 - 200 pages with exceptions.

I am a member of two book groups as well as reviewing for NetGalley so I was delighted to see "Great Short Stories", a guidebook for "A Year of Reading - Briefly". In his introduction the author discusses the issue of time for readers in our society and how the idea to curate short stories came to him. There actually are fifty-eight entries in alphabetical order listing the title, the author, and year of publication with basic information including the opening paragraph, overview, author's bio, why you should read the book, and what else to read from that author. There are lists of entries by the author's last name, dates of publication, additional lists of short stories, and more.

A random sample of titles includes: Charlotte's Web (E.B. White); Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie); The Hour of the Star (Clarice Lispector); The Lathe of Heaven (Ursula K. LeGuin; Mrs. Dalloway (Virginia Woolf); Tokyo Ueno Station (Yu Miri); etc.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any book group looking to find new titles or any reader who wants to know what to read next.

Thank you to the author, publisher Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an early copy for an honest review.


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A HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS (2022) - Review

A History of Present Illness by Anna DeForest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On Sale: August 16, 2022

FIRST SENTENCE: "All this happened, more or less."

Intending to read the first sentence or two, instead I continued on to the end. I'm still not sure what to make of Anna DeForest's first novel "A History of Present Illness". Who is the audience for this literate book composed of short, well-crafted sentences that reads like a memoir? (Descriptions and some discussions could be disturbing.)

Someone suggested that only those involved in medicine would appreciate such a book, but my fascination was with how my life has changed since I was swept up in that world as a patient. Now I have the other side of the story. Now I have some insight. Now I can put together a history of my own present illness.

Following an unnamed narrator through her first year as a medical student, her random thoughts are like listening to a friend tell you what defines life. The humor is macabre and subtle. I'm thinking I will need to read this again if only to revisit the many sections I highlighted. There is so much to think about, so much to absorb.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "A History of Present Illness" by Anna DeForest from NetGalley/Little, Brown & Company for my honest review.

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KEYA DAS'S SECOND ACT (2022) - Review

Keya Das's Second Act by Sopan Deb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: July 5, 2022

Theatrical connections made me request this debut novel with a strange name in the title. I wasn't sure about the part concerning an Bengali American family dealing with the death of a teenage daughter. I didn't know a family like this one, but I knew Howell, New Jersey.

FIRST SENTENCE: "The wooden box was simple, elegant even."

THE STORY: A touching, charmingly funny, story about what happens to a family shattered by the death of their daughter. Keya Das had just come out to her family and they were still struggling to understand. Shantanu discovers his daughter's unfinished script in the attic and that begins the family's journey to forgiveness and a staged production of "The Elm Tree".

WHAT I THOUGHT: The unexpected twists and turns were surprising. Scattering Bengali words and beliefs added another level of understanding. Every character is so well drawn with failings and quirks and humanity. Clear and beautiful writing makes the book a joy to read.

Touchstones that drew me in: Howell, New Jersey; the musical Rock of Ages; mounting a production of a script; George Street Theatre in New Brunswick; mentions of Linn Manual Miranda; improv classes; Carnegie Mellon University; drums and more. Deb admitted in an interview that he was a self-described 'theatre kid'. Me too. How could I not love this book?

And the ending was exactly what it needed to be leaving the reader to consider how the world will go forward.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "Keya Das's Second Act" by Sopan Deb from NetGalley/Simon & Schuster for my honest review.

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THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY (2022) - Review

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: June 7, 2022

And now for something completely different. Author Sulari Gentill has concocted an unexpected format for her mystery. It's a story within a story within a story. Similar to locked room puzzles, there seem to be only four possibilities for the murderer, but are there?

FIRST SENTENCE: "Dear Hannah, What are you writing?"

QUOTE: "And so we go to the Map Room to found a friendship, and I have my first coffee with a killer."

THE STORY: Hannah Tigone, an Australian author had planned to visit Boston to write her next book. When the pandemic puts a halt to her traveling, Leo, a colleague who lives there becomes her beta reader. Every chapter ends with a letter from Leo offering advice and details about Boston and American life.

Then there's the story of the book itself. Winifred better known as "Freddie" is writing "The Woman in the Library". She has won a Marriot Scholarship to enable her to write her mystery set in Boston. Working in the Boston Public Library, she is attempting to decide the plot for her mystery when a woman screams. Four other people seated nearby begin to talk about what might have just happened and they quickly become friends. When they discover the woman has been killed, they become sleuths.

WHAT I THOUGHT: The author has written a carefully written and plotted mystery adding humor as the story unfolds with its many twists and turns. Besides the puzzle the friends seek to solve, the story is about friendship and writing (every character is writing a book). It's always fun to recognize the current references to things we know that are scattered throughout.

More than once, especially in the beginning, I found myself wondering what story I was reading, but it's worth the struggle. Although you can listen to the audio book, I would expect it could add another level of confusion.

The book also includes A Reading Group Guide and ‘A Conversation with the Author’ about how she stumbled on her plot.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Woman in the Library" by Sulari Gentill from NetGalley/Europa for my honest review.


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ALL THE LOVERS IN THE NIGHT (2022) - Review

All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On Sale: May 3, 2022

Not much happens and everything happens in "All the Lovers in the Night". Mieko Kawakami, the author of the internationally best-selling "Breasts and Eggs" has written an "unforgettable story about women, loneliness and relationships" beautifully translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Why does the night have to be so beautiful?"

QUOTE: "The job that I was doing, the place where I was living, the fact that I was all alone and had no one to talk to. Could these have been the result of some decision I had made? I heard a crow crying somewhere in the distance and turned to the window. It occurred to me that maybe I was where I was today because I hadn't chosen anything."

THE STORY: There are long silences in Fuyuko Irie's day whether she is proof reading alone or is with another person. Small things in her quiet life loom large - light, darkness, weather. Two women befriend her and suggest ways she could interact with the world. Kyoko, an editor who owns her own business, has made sure Fuyuko has a way to support herself. Hijiri, Fuyuko's total opposite in temperament, shares opinions and her love of social life.

The day Fuyuko sees her reflection in a store window she recognizes how drab she has become. She reaches out to make connections finding courage in beer and vodka. After she meets Mitsutsuka, an older high school physics teacher, she joins him weekly at a coffee shop to talk about music and light.

WHAT I THOUGHT: A very intimate story, every reader will find something of themselves reflected as the author shares the differing choices women have made. Even though the men in Fuyuko's life are disappointments, exploring relationships with others helps her move forward with a sense of self-acceptance.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "All the Lovers in the Night" by Mieko Kawakami from NetGalley/Europa for my honest review.


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THE DISINVITED GUEST (2022) - Review

The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: July 12, 2022

A number of years back, I read "The Lake of Dead Languages" (2002), "The Seduction of Water" (2003), and "The Drowning Tree" (2004) all by the same author. When I got the chance to read "The Disinvited Guest", I was delighted. Remember the advice about writing the book you want to read? For me that would be a Carol Goodman story. Great escapist gothic, ghostly storytelling.

FIRST SENTENCE: "We're here."*

QUOTE: "But what if those of us who survived really were haunted by those who didn't?"

THE STORY: Ten years after the first pandemic, with a second one expected, six friends plan to retreat to an island three miles off the coast of Maine. Fever Island was used as a way station for the sick arriving from Ireland in the 1800s before they could enter the mainland. Later the island became the property of the wealthy Harper family. The story is told by Lucy who plans to spend her time writing about its Celtic rituals, ghosts, and lives lost. Even though everything has been carefully accounted for, things quickly go astray or missing.

WHAT I THOUGHT: There is so much tension and unpleasantness among the group that the reader knows there will be problems. Lucy is highly susceptible to suggestion. As she reads a journal left behind by a young doctor recounting his experiences on the island years ago, she becomes obsessed and begins imagining things.

While one might not want to read about a pandemic while living through one, here it is merely used as a conceit to isolate the deftly drawn characters. Although some suspension of disbelief may be necessary, the roller coaster ride is worth it.

Goodman's descriptions of the island and it's mysteries are alluring. It's a nice touch having a map of the island included.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED Past college friendships, youthful indiscretions, secret histories and suggestions of ghosts combine to cause suspense and a sense of dread.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Disinvited Guest" by Carol Goodman from NetGalley/William Morrow Paperbacks for my honest review.

*This is the shortest first sentence I can remember. Two books ago, "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus, was the longest, a whole paragraph!

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WHITE NIGHTS (2022) - Review

White Nights by Deb Davies
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Author Deb Davies' debut mystery "Northern Lights" was published in 2020, the first book of a trilogy called A Coast to Coast Michigan Mystery. Make sure to read the first book before you pick up "White Nights". It is definitely not a standalone.

FIRST SENTENCE: "To Old friends", Charles proposed, raising his glass toward Claire, Arnie, and Laurel.

THE STORY: While on vacation in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, friends Laurel and Arnie and Claire and Charles become involved with a suspicious death and an abandoned dog. Arnie, a policeman on leave, is asked to help the local constable who suspects the death is not a suicide. Unfortunately someone is not happy with the investigation and the four friends end up in grave danger.

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is an adult novel and like "Northern Lights", it reads like a literate mystery combined with a violent thriller. In some ways the story is less of a mystery and more of a picture of the people and places in Michigan. The author is "passionate about rescued animals and nature", so those topics find their way into the story as well as kidnapping, violence, sexual innuendoes, and cruelty. Michiganders will recognize places, products, and traditions the author weaves throughout the book. Some readers will enjoy the fact that the narrative veers off into subjects unrelated to the mystery. Some may not.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED but start with "Northern Nights".

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "White Nights" by Deb Davies from NetGalley/BHC Press for my honest review.

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY (2022) - Review

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: April 5, 2022

Every once in a great while, a book takes you by surprise. At first I found "Lessons in Chemistry" charming. Then I realized it wasn't the rom-com the cover seemed to suggest. Eventually I noted it wasn't just about chemistry. And finally I didn't want the story to end.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Back in 1961, when women wore shirtwaist dresses and joined garden clubs and drove legions of children around in seatbeltless cars without giving it a second thought; back before anyone knew there'd be a sixties movement, much less one that its participants would spend the next sixty years chronicling; back when the big wars were over and the secret wars had just begun and people were starting to think fresh and believe everything was possible, the thirty-year old mother of Madeline Zott rose before dawn every morning and felt certain of just one thing: her life was over." (The longest first sentence I have ever recorded.)

THE STORY: It's the 1960s again bringing back all the "outrageous sexism" women had to deal with as they began fighting for their equal rights. Our scientist heroine, Elizabeth Zott, meets Calvin Evans, a renowned scientist and avid rower. How this partnership changes them is the beginning of a story that touches and changes others.

Later when Elizabeth cannot find a position as a scientist, she improbably becomes the host of a television show called 'Supper at Six' where she uses chemistry to explain food preparation.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Having lived through the 1960s and experiencing much of what Bonnie Garmus describes, I realized how far we have come and how much farther we have to go. "Lessons in Chemistry" evokes a variety of responses and emotions ranging from constant laughing out loud to anger to tears and everything in between.

And Elizabeth is an amazingly kind, strong, stubborn, intelligent woman sometimes as irritating to the reader as she is to the people around her. All the characters (except for the villains) are people we want to have as friends too including Six-Thirty, "a really great dog".

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Reading this book is an experience you do not want to miss! April 25, 2022 issue of People Magazine had this as its Book of the Week

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus from NetGalley/Doubleday Books for my honest review.


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BUZZ BOOKS FALL/WINTER 2022 - Review

Buzz Books is always an exciting preview of the best of the new books for the season and it's FREE!

First introduced for the 2012 Book Expo America, the FREE digital Publishers Lunch Buzz Books has become the place for both industry professionals and book lovers in general to discover and read about the books expected to spark high demand BEFORE they are published!

The Fall/Winter 2022 has too many exciting new books from favorite authors to list here but includes Jeffrey Archer, Kate Atkinson, Russell Banks, David Baldacci, John Banville, John Irving, Cormac McCarthy, Nelson DeMille, Celest Ng, Jane smiley, Elizabeth Stout, and the list goes on. There are also excerpts from next season's best new titles.

I chose one title from each of the four broad categories for my reading list. Fiction: T. Greenwood's SUCH A PRETTY GIRL; Debut: CITY UNDER ONE ROOF (Iris Yamashita); Non-Fiction: MADLY, DEEPLY THE ALAN RICKMAN DIARIES Young Adult; DRIZZLE DREAMS, AND LOVESTRUCK THINGS (Maya Prasad).

Available for Kindle at Buzz Books on Amazon. Did I mention it's FREE!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR AVID BOOK READERS EVERYWHERE!

THE HIDDEN ONE: A KATE BURKHOLDER NOVEL (2022) - Review

The Hidden One by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: July 5, 2022

Linda Castillo has her formula down pat. The storytelling is engaging, the writing is clear, and the author's inclusion of Amish language and customs is delightful. This time the story line moves to the Kishacoquillas Valley of Central Pennsylvania, which will send the curious reader researching the location.

FIRST LINE: "He'd always known this moment would come."

THE STORY: After a stunning prologue describing the murder of an Amish Bishop 18 years earlier, the story returns to the present life of Kate Burkholder. Kate left her Amish family when she was young becoming a police officer before returning to the resort town of Painters Mill, Ohio as Police Chief.

Amish elders from Pennsylvania visit Kate to ask her help in defending Jonas Bowman, jailed for the murder when the gun used shows up and he admits it is his. Although Kate has no official standing, she reluctantly agrees. She and Jonas spent a youthful and memorable summer together before being separated. She can't believe he is guilty.

WHAT I THOUGHT: The first Kate Burkholder story I discovered was Her Last Breath #5. I quickly devoured Sworn to Silence #1 and Pray for Silence #2. Then I stopped. I found the crimes against the Amish, especially the young women, too overwhelming. But because the series is so popular, I decided to try again. Although violence and death occur in The Outsider #12 there was more than enough life and happiness to balance the story. Fallen #13, on the other hand reverts to the ugly violence and lives destroyed. Although violence and death occur in The Hidden One #14, it is mostly in the past, a cold case.

All the characters are well-established so that you care what happens to them with, of course, the exception of the villains. Castillo does a nice job of catching the reader up if this is their first time reading the series. And it looks like Kate and John Tomasetti, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, will finally get married.

Written in the first person, the narrative sometimes shifts to third person when filling in the past, but it is done seamlessly. There were red herrings along the way that added to the tension.

Kate gets hurt more than once in this story and always loses to the attacker. It would be nice to see her win a fight.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDThis entry filled in some very personal details about Kate and how she left her Amish family. It's a quick read and an entertaining story.

Disclaimer: A copy of The Hidden One was provided to me by Minotaur Books/Net Galley for an honest review.


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SPARE PARTS (2022) - Review

Spare Parts: The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery by Paul Craddock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: May 10, 2022

Subtitled "The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery", first-time author Paul Craddock's "Spare Parts" is an amazing accomplishment. From the sixteenth century onward, he has shared the story of medicine through transplantation and how it evolved.

You'd think this would be a boring read, but instead it is absolutely fascinating. Written in an accessible style, some of it is gruesome, some funny, and some awe inspiring. Starting with skin in 1550 through Heart 1967 with projections on transplant future, there are surprises on every page. Most significant to me was the number of people over the years who contributed to making transplant a reality.

Alexis Carrel (1873 - 1944) is considered the 'father of transplant surgery' and yet today is mostly forgotten. One of his challenges was finding a better way to repair blood vessels. He took lessons from Marie-Anne Leroudier, one of Lyon's finest embroiderers. With her help he was able to further modify the technique which is considered the basis for today's vascular surgery "including bypass surgery".

The prologue, which describes a kidney transplant operation, was particularly of interest. The first successful one was performed in 1954 between twin brothers and doesn't seem that long ago. (I received a kidney November 7, 2019 from a deceased donor and will be forever grateful.)

Like any well-researched work, there are illustrations, notes, index, and an extensive selected bibliography. You can read "Spare Parts" without reference to them, which I did, but if you want to dig deeper, everything you need is there.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended.

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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BUZZ BOOKS 2022: SPRING/SUMMER

Buzz Books 2022: Spring/Summer by Publishers Lunch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
FREE!

A preview of the best of the new books for the season!

Fiction is broken down into categories such as Notables; a very long list of Debut authors; and Commercial Fiction. A whole range of non-fiction categories are included as well as several Young Adult titles.

A preview of the best of the new books for the season and it's FREE!

First introduced for the 2012 Book Expo America, the FREE digital Publishers Lunch Buzz Books has become the place for both industry professionals and book lovers in general to discover and read about the books expected to spark high demand BEFORE they are published!

What's really great is that after many selections, you have the option to follow a link and request the complete galley copy from Net Galley if you qualify as a 'professional' reader.

Check out Buzz Books on Amazon. Did I mention it's FREE!

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Here is a list of the books I hope to be reviewing that were mentioned in the Spring/Summer Edition of Buss Books 2022.

Notables
1. Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility (Knopf, 4/19)
2. Ali Smith, Companion Piece, (Pantheon, 5/3)
3. Tara Isabella Burton, The World Cannot Give (Simon & Shuster, 4/19)

Debut Fiction
4. Sopan Deb, Keya Das's Second Act (Simon & Shuster, 7/5)
5. Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry (Doubleday, 4/5)

Commercial Fiction
6. Linwood Barclay, Take Your Breathe Away (William Morrow, 5/17)

Non-Fiction
7. William Neuman, Things are Never so Bad They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela (St. Martin's, 3/15)

Biography & Memoir
8. Bill McKibben, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying America Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened (Holt, 5/31)

ABANDONED ISLANDS (2022) - Review

Abandoned Islands by Claudia Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: April 14, 2022

There are abandoned islands in all parts of the world. Claudia Martin's coffee table book includes four sections: North and South America, Europe, The Middle East, and Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Some islands may be familiar like Alcatraz but most are long forgotten.

Many of these abandoned islands housed prisons, leper colonies, immigration, inspection stations, and quarantine hospitals. Others became abandoned when the small number of inhabitants and the resources to support them seemed less attractive than life on the mainlands.

Each island has a brief description which includes what they were used for and the dates when they were abandoned. A variety of beautiful photographs (160), although some seem of a uneven quality, imply the hardships of isolated living.

A sampling of what caught my eye starts with North Brother Island in New York's East River. From 1885 to 1945 it was the site of Riverside Hospital for people who were quarantined. 'Typhoid Mary', whose real name was Mary Mallon, was forced to live there for 23 years.

Bunce Island, Sierra Leone, was a base for European slave traders. England's Royal Africa Company even built a castle there around 1670.

Volcanic Crocodile Island in Kenya is in the center of a lake. And, yes, there are Crocodiles.

Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands was forced to relocate 167 islanders to the United States so 23 nuclear devices could be detonated there between 1946 and 1958.

"Abandoned Islands" is certainly an inspiration for those who want to travel to lesser known places or maybe just research them on the Internet. Not only a coffee table book, this handsome volume would make a lovely gift.

Thank you to NetGalley / Amber Books Ltd, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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AMAZING THEATRES OF THE WORLD 2022 - Review

Amazing Theatres of the World: Theatres, Arts Centres and Opera Houses by Dominic Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: April 14, 2022

The photographs in this book are gorgeous, and the accompanying brief text, including an introduction by Tim Rice ("Beauty and the Beast" lyricist), shines light on the importance of theatres everywhere. Mr. Rice writes, "The love of theatre spans cultures - every society cherishes performance in a communal setting."

The most novel and creative architecture is not necessarily on Broadway, the West End, or Europe but in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia. The author has selected pictures of the exteriors and interiors of the theatre proper but has included dressing rooms, backstage areas, and other unique details.

This book would make a wonderful gift for a theatre lover and you might want a copy on your coffee table!

Thank you to NetGalley / Amber Books Ltd, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (2022) - Review

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
January 25, 2022

How could a retired librarian choose not to read a mystery called "The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections"?

FIRST SENTENCE: "From the first spin of the lock, she knew she wouldn't be able to open the safe."

THE STORY: When the revered head of the university library suffered a stroke, Liesel Weiss, barely days into her sabbatical year, was called back to be Interim Director. Uncomfortable in this new role, her first shock is that a set of extremely valuable books has disappeared. Are they misplaced or stolen?

Dealing with higher ups, colleagues, detectives, her family, and solving mysteries, Liesel pursues doing what she thinks is right and ultimately learns who she is, what she wants, and who dunnit.

WHAT I THOUGHT: A very literate mystery, the engaging writing style drew me in to this slower paced story. There's more depth to it though touching on a myriad of issues including mental illness, feminism,and alcoholism. The author has created clever, interesting characters for Liesel to deal with and I loved the fact that the rare books mentioned actually exist!

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Especially for librarians. Others might not be as enthralled.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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GOOD RICH PEOPLE (2022) - Review

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: January 25, 2022

I have to admit that I am often drawn to a book by its cover, and Good Rich People has an eye-catching one!

FIRST SENTENCE: "There is blood in the fountain turning the water an eerie rust color."

THE STORY: When Lyla married Graham she thought she was winning, but now he is bored with her and every other aspect of his life. His filthy rich domineering mother indulges and encourages the worst aspects of his need for amusement. They play games and there is always a loser.

For their entertainment, they lure successful people to their property by providing housing. Then they ruin them. When Demi moves in, the game takes an unexpected turn.

WHAT I THOUGHT: A dark, psychological comedy, Good Rich People is also a cautionary tale of wealthy people who will do anything for amusement contrasted with the destitute who will do anything to survive.

This is not a book for everyone. The characters are unpleasant. We hope they are not like us but we find them utterly fascinating. The twists and turns are unexpected and will keep the reader turning pages to discover the next outrageous move in the game.

When I got to the end, I asked myself, "What did I just read?" I'm still trying to reconcile and understand the meaning of the title and the ending.

There seemed to be lots of unanswered questions at the end. Perhaps the game just goes on.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you like black comedy with lots of violence. This book is NOT for everyone.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Berkley Publishing Group and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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THE ACCOMPLICE (2022) - Review

The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: January 25, 2022

This is the book that got me reading again after a long period when nothing caught my attention. I had previously read two other books by Lisa Lutz (The Passenger and The Swallows) and the plots were distinctive and different. The same can be said about The Accomplice.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Owen Mann first noticed Luna Grey in an Intro to Ethics seminar."

THE STORY: Owen and Luna were inseparable in college and years later remain best friends, closer to each other than to their spouses. But there are secrets that could destroy them and their friends. Two deaths cloud the friendship and the story alternates between Owen and Luna's earlier lives and the present, revealing secrets that have caused misunderstandings and pain.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Well plotted, written, with interesting, if not likeable, characters, this a unique read. It has a lot to say about relationships and whether we can be sure of those we think we know best. The ending is most satisfactory.

BOTTOM LINE:  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Ballentine Books and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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JULIA MORGAN: AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY OF THE TRAILBLAZING ARCHITECT (2022) - Review

Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect by Victoria Kastner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: January 18, 2022

Julia Morgan was often dismissed as a one-time wonder for the elaborate castle she built for William Randolph Hearst, but recently critical thinking has shifted. The American Institute of Architects decided to give their highest honor posthumously to Julia celebrating her work in its entirety.

It was the Spring of 1919 when Julia first visited San Simeon. World War I had ended and the country was on the verge of the Roaring Twenties and an era of prosperity. She would spend nearly thirty years working on this project.

One of the unique things about Julia was that she was a native Californian when most of the San Francisco architects were transplanted Easterners. When she enrolled in Berkley's University of California, there was no architecture department so in 1890 she became one of its first female civil engineering majors and she made an important life long friend Phoebe Apperson Hearst, the mother of William Randolph Hearst.

The description of the 1906 catastrophic San Francisco earthquake and how it affected Julia and her work is compelling as well as how the commission to repair and rebuilt the Fairmount Hotel eventually became hers.

Carefully researched, containing new information, and written in highly readable language, this biography is a worthy addition to understanding the life of Julia Morgan.

Lavishly illustrated with beautiful color photographs, maps, and other ephemera, the book covers the genealogy of Julia's family, her childhood, through every aspect of her life and career. She died at the age of eighty-five on February 2, 1957.

The Hearst Castle was presented to the California state parks system and more than forty-five million have visited since guided tours began on June 2, 1958. I was one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

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