Month: January 2020

Historical, Non Fiction

Dangerous Shallows by Eric Takakjian

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

cover176712-mediumDangerous Shallows tells the story of a quest to solve maritime cold-cases. The odyssey takes the reader along for a moment-by-moment look at the events surrounding the loss of more than twenty different ships, and includes the stories of discovering their wrecks and learning about the final hours of each of these ships.

Author Eric Takakjian reminisces about devouring the National Geographic issue that featured the recovery of The Atocha, which sets the stage for this very chatty book on wreck diving. I, too, read that NatGeo issue over and over again, poring over the pictures and reading about the divers and their work, so I was right at home with Dangerous Shallows.

Writing in the first person, Takakjian draws you with his stories until you feel as though you’re ready to brave unpredictable currents, errant fishing nets, and sharks just to experience the thrill of standing on a wreck that hasn’t seen the light of day in a century. Takakjian’s storytelling style hooks you right away, and his enthusiasm keeps you enthralled through wreck after wreck.

Takakjian blends history, research and imagination to create plausible if somewhat dramatic recountings of how dozens of ships were sunk, then concludes those often sad stories with exciting tales of his dives on those wrecks.

This will appeal to armchair divers who are fascinated with wrecks and treasure. I expect Takakjian would be a marvelous speaker and hope he gets the chance to go on tour with this book.

Publication Date: February 1, 2020
Published By: Rowman & Littlefield
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Biography, Historical, Non Fiction

Agent Jack by Robert Hutton

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

cover167989-mediumJune 1940: Europe has fallen to Adolf Hitler’s army, and Britain is his next target. Winston Churchill exhorts the country to resist the Nazis, and the nation seems to rally behind him. But in secret, some British citizens are plotting to hasten an invasion.

Agent Jack tells the incredible true story of Eric Roberts, a seemingly inconsequential bank clerk who, in the guise of “Jack King,” helped uncover and neutralize the invisible threat of fascism on British shores. Gifted with an extraordinary ability to make people trust him, Eric Roberts penetrated the Communist Party and the British Union of Fascists before playing his greatest role for MI5: Hitler’s man in London. Pretending to be an agent of the Gestapo, Roberts single-handedly built a network of hundreds of British Nazi sympathizers—factory workers, office clerks, shopkeepers —who shared their secrets with him. It was work so secret and so sensitive that it was kept out of the reports MI5 sent to Winston Churchill.

In a gripping real-world thriller, Robert Hutton tells the fascinating story of an operation whose existence has only recently come to light with the opening of MI5’s World War II files. Drawing on these newly declassified documents and private family archives, Agent Jack shatters the comforting notion that Britain could never have succumbed to fascism and, consequently, that the world could never have fallen to Hitler. Agent Jack is the story of one man who loved his country so much that he risked everything to stand against a rising tide of hate.

Several years ago, I helped a man research information on the British Union of Fascists and Oswald Mosley. That was the first time I had ever heard of Nazi sympathizers and agitators in England during World War II. At the time, I found it mildly interesting but not enough to do further research of my own, so I was happy to dive into this dry but fascinating book about Agent Jack.

The cloak-and-dagger element of the undercover agent whose work was so secret that no one knew about it for decades is a definite hook to get people to pick up the book. I found the first couple of chapters to be a little dry, with lots of names and strands of stories introduced. However, it all starts to come together and results in a solid historical offering. Recommended.

Publication Date: November 12, 2019
Published By: St. Martin’s Press
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Reader Profiles

Reader Profile – Jenn Beideman

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Jenn BeidemanJenn Beideman is the Advocacy Manager at Common Ground Health in Rochester, NY. Jenn provides expertise on advocacy opportunities to advance whole child health in the region. A Canadian native, Jenn brings to the position more than a decade of experience in policy research and government relations from a variety of settings. She currently leads several campaigns across the City of Rochester that advocate for play, child-centered placemaking and whole child health. Prior to joining the organization, Jenn worked at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Toronto, Canada where she provided procedural research and policy support to several Standing Committees of the House, and World Vision Canada. She is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Child Care Council and a member of the PlayMakers, the Strong Museum of Play’s Young Professional Board. Jenn holds an M.P.A from SUNY Brockport and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Jenn is a proud City of Rochester Resident where she lives with her husband in the North Winton neighborhood.

Write a one-sentence description of yourself as a Reader.

I’m a juggler and physical book snob. I love reading multiple books at once – throughout my house you’ll see piles of things I’m part way through in every type of genre. I always like to keep things interesting and so variety is key to that!

What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading

The desert island question – What 5 books would you have to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

Are you a finisher? In other words, are you compelled to finish a book even if you hate it? What are some books that you’ve had to force yourself to finish, or which you’ve bailed on?

I really do want to finish most of the books I read, but there’s been a few that I’ve bailed on. This includes:

  • Anything by JR Tolkien
  • Poorly written autobiographies
  • The Goldfinch (I can’t stand to read very long run on stories).

Do you ever read the end of a book first? Why or why not?

Never!

What is at the top of your To Be Read pile?

Who is your go-to author when someone asks you for a recommendation?

Yikes – it would depend on what they’d like to read. I’d want to learn more about their interests first. I typically try to refer people to Canadian authors – mostly because they don’t get the credit they deserve here. That being said, lately I’ve been recommending to everyone read Exit West by Mohsin Hamid because it’s so beautiful.

Would you rather be your favorite author or your favorite character?

Favourite author for sure – I know their lives aren’t super glamourous but the thought of being able to drink tea and write all day seems lovely.

What book do you wish you’d never read?

The Twilight series – blargh!

Has any book defined your life, as in you would be a different person if you hadn’t read it?

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families by Phillip Gourevitch

I remember reading this in my fourth year political science class, it had a profound impact on me and it transformed the way I thought about social justice in the world. It catapulted by desire to get involved in and learn more about government systems, advocacy and social justice movements. Without this book, I don’t think I’d have the career I do now.

Book or movie? Is there a movie that you think was better than the book?

Book – always the book.

If you were to get a bookish tattoo, what would it be?

It would mostly likely be a quote like “be the change” by Gandhi or “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” by J.K. Rowling.

Share a favorite quote from a book you’ve read. Why is it meaningful to you?

The same as above – both really demonstrate that we can be agents of change in our own lives, and that even when times get hard or tough, there’s always a way to move forward. Progress isn’t easy – it’s tough, messy and not always straightforward, but we keep moving forward because it’s what’s right.

What book are you recommending that everyone read right now?

Exit West or Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Does reading influence your decision-making process?

Definitely! Whenever I make decisions I want to know all the facts, which requires me to dig deep and learn different perspectives. Reading is so wonderful and helps me do all of those things.

Why do you read?

It’s fun, and allows me to learn about new perspectives, ideas, and research. It also opens up a whole new world of possibilities and story lines.

Historical, Mystery

Cartier’s Hope by M.J. Rose

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

cover170812-mediumFrom M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Tiffany Blues, “a lush, romantic historical mystery” (Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale), comes a gorgeously wrought novel of ambition and betrayal set in the Gilded Age.

New York, 1910: A city of extravagant balls in Fifth Avenue mansions and poor immigrants crammed into crumbling Lower East Side tenements. A city where the suffrage movement is growing stronger every day, but most women reporters are still delegated to the fashion and lifestyle pages. But Vera Garland is set on making her mark in a man’s world of serious journalism.

Shortly after the world-famous Hope Diamond is acquired for a record sum, Vera begins investigating rumors about schemes by its new owner, jeweler Pierre Cartier, to manipulate its value. Vera is determined to find the truth behind the notorious diamond and its legendary curses—even better when the expose puts her in the same orbit as a magazine publisher whose blackmailing schemes led to the death of her beloved father.

Appealing to a young Russian jeweler for help, Vera is unprepared when she begins falling in love with him…and even more unprepared when she gets caught up in his deceptions and finds herself at risk of losing all she has worked so hard to achieve.

Set against the backdrop of New York’s glitter and grit, of ruthless men and the atrocities they commit in the pursuit of power, this enthralling historical novel explores our very human needs for love, retribution—and to pursue one’s destiny, regardless of the cost.

M.J. Rose returns with another captivating historical mystery/romance, this time set in 1920s New York City and featuring one of her most likable heroines yet. Vera Garland, a child of wealth and privilege, longs for something more than playing the role of society matron, which her sister and mother both embrace. Vera instead spends her time pursuing social justice as an undercover reporter, living two very different lives as the pampered, privileged Vera and the tough-as nails-reporter Vee Swann.

Despite Vera’s privilege, she experiences several traumatic incidents, with the death of her beloved father triggering a life change that will rock her to the core. During her search for justice for her father and the man who betrayed his secret, Vera finds and loses love, and uncovers a shocking secret kept by her mother. Adding to all of this personal intrigue is the Hope Diamond and Pierre Cartier, the jeweler brave enough to sell it.

1920s NYC glam plus a cracking good plot make this one winner.

Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Published By: Atria Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Mystery

The Janes by Louisa Luna

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

cover169063-mediumThe electric follow-up to Louisa Luna’s acclaimed thriller Two Girls Down, featuring private investigators Alice Vega and Max Caplan.

On the outskirts of San Diego, the bodies of two young women are discovered. They have no names, no IDs, and no family looking for them. Fearing the possibility of a human trafficking ring, the police and FBI reach out to Alice Vega, a private investigator known for finding the missing, for help in finding out who the Janes were–and finding the others who are missing.

Alice Vega is a powerful woman whose determination is matched only by her intellect, and, along with her partner Cap, she will stop at nothing to find the Janes before it is too late.

Alice Vega is the shit, for real. Smart, brave, and kind but also not someone to mess with, she systematically attacks the horrifying case of the Janes, two young girls murdered and dumped. There’s some dark stuff here – a sex trafficking ring specializing in young girls and men who enjoy torturing them – so this is not for the faint of heart. However, if you like your mysteries raw and bold, you’ll appreciate Alice and her partner Cap.

Reminiscent of Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole series, this gritty, captivating murder mystery will have you turning pages long into the night.

Lead character Alice Vega is sensational–I want to see lots more of her.”–Lee Child

Publication Date: January 21, 2020
Published By: Doubleday
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Historical, Mystery, Victorian

Felicity Carrol & the Murderous Menace by Patricia Marcantonio

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

cover168224-medium

Heiress and amateur detective Felicity Carrol makes a perilous journey to apprehend a notorious murderer who has terrorized England—and now continues his vicious killing spree across the pond.

Felicity Carrol would rather be doing just about anything other than attending balls or seeking a husband. What she really wants to do is continue her work using the latest forensic methods and her photographic memory to help London police bring murderers to justice, so when her friend, Scotland Yard Inspector Jackson Davies, weak from injury, discovers a murder in a wild mining town in Montana that echoes the terrible crimes in England, Felicity decides to go herself.

In Placer, Montana, her first obstacle is handsome lawman Thomas Pike, who uses his intuition as much as his Colt in keeping law and order in this unruly town. When the murderer strikes again, Felicity begins to suspect Davies is correct: Jack the Ripper has come to America. Felicity sets out to find the killer in a town chock full of secrets, shadows, and suspects, but as the body count rises, this intrepid sleuth faces her most dangerous adversary yet—and discovers that not all killers are as they seem.

This was my first introduction to Felicity Carrol and it was indeed a romp! Felicity joins the club of sassy, independent and totally unrealistic Victorian era females who investigate crime while thumbing their noses at social conventions, and she is a corker!

Here, Felicity travels from London to the American West, trailing the infamous Whitechapel killer, Jack the Ripper as he slashes his way into America. The author does a nice transition from Victorian London to the Wild West, providing Felicity with a handsome lawman and a tricky killer who is not at all what everyone expects. This is entertaining reading at its best. Recommended for Victorian mystery fans.

Advance Praise
Praise for Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit: “Readers who hunger for more portraits of independent women determined to make their ways in a stultifying society will take the heroine to heart.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“This new series is off to a good start with a strong, intelligent main character who struggles to overcome the cultural structures of her time. For fans of cozy Victorian mysteries and admirers of Robin Paige, Elizabeth Peters, and Deanna Raybourn.”
—Library Journal

Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Published By: Crooked Lane Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

General

What the Neighbors Read – 2019

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Lists of “Best Books of 2019” are everywhere right now, so I thought I’d bring back one of my most-read posts from last year – top 10 lists of what people borrowed from the Monroe County Library System. All of this information was separated from personally identifiable information before it was shared with me.

The most borrowed book across all formats? Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens!

Top 10 Most Borrowed Adult Print Books

Top 10 Most Borrowed DVDs

 

Top 10 Most Borrowed E-Books

 

Top 10 Most Borrowed E-Audiobooks

Ghosties, Horror, Mystery

Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

74F245B5-0819-4571-947E-528E80119335Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her Aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

The Sun Down Motel is yet another chilling ghost story from Simone St. James, who seems to surpass the level of shivers with each book. St. James’ style is an appealing blend of mystery and horror that straddles that gap between young adult and adult fiction. She consistently delivers some of the creepiest ghosts out there, and the vengeful ghost at The Sun Down is no exception.

The narrative bounces between present day with Carly and 1982 with Viv. Carly’s arrival in the small upstate NY town uncovers old secrets and stirs up some vengeful ghosts at the Sun Down Motel. This book will keep you hooked from the first chapter to the last.

Publication Date: February 18, 2020
Published By: Berkley Publishing Group
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

General

Another “Best Books of the Decade” Post

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

books6Reflection is always a good thing. It helps you understand where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and where you’re going.

Looking back at a decade of reading, one thing was clear to me – if left to my own devices, I read very narrowly in just a few genres (children’s fiction, cookbooks, history, and mystery/suspense). When I assembled the list below of my “Best Books of the Decade,” I realized that many of these titles were sent my way by other people; they were *not* titles that I picked up on my own. This shows the power of being part of a reading community where you expose yourself to books you might otherwise never find.

There are many types of reading communities – book clubs where you gather with a group to discuss a particular book; online communities like Litsy, Goodreads, and LibraryThing; Book of the Month where you subscribe and receive a new set of books each month; and my favorite – your local library, where you can usually find someone who will happily discuss and recommend books.

Here are the books that resonated with me over the last 10 years. Perhaps you’ll find something interesting!

2010
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Haunted Ground by Erin Hart
Dead of Winter by Rennie Airth

2011
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (and here’s a music video inspired by the book by the Tuatha Dea)

2012
Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The Orphanmaster by Jean Zimmerman

2013
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Something Red by Douglas Nicholas
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

2014
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
Jackaby by William Ritter

2015
Call the Nurse by Mary MacLeod
Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

2016
Little French Bistro by Nina George
Swiss Vendetta by Tracee deHahn

2017
Goblins of Bell Water by Molly Ringle
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivy
Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford

2018
The Darkling Bride by Laura Anderson
The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
Circe by Madeline Miller
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Florida by Lauren Groff
Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

2019
Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
Cursed by Thomas Wheeler
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Inland by Tea Obrecht

My intent for the next few years is to read more widely – more non-fiction and more world authors.